Op-Eds

Op-eds 05/15/2013
Wall Street Journal: How to Prevent Another Benghazi
<b> Originally printed in The Wall Street Journal, May 15th, 2013 </b> In January, for the first time since the Benghazi terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2012, Hillary Clinton faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to testify about the attack. In response to my persistent questioning about what the State Department knew about the nature of the attack, the former secretary of state famously exclaimed: "What difference, at this point, does it make?" New testimony by State Department whistleblowers and an Interim Progress Report prepared by five House Committees show what a huge difference it makes when members of the administration ignore repeated warnings of growing danger, deny requests for additional security and then attempt to cover up their negligence. That dereliction of duty ultimately resulted in the death of four Americans.
Op-eds 03/1/2013
Investor's Business Daily: Burning Questions About Benghazi Still Abound
<b> Originally printed in Investor's Business Daily, March 1st, 2013 </b> Over five months ago, terrorists in Libya successfully assaulted the American diplomatic post in Benghazi. Four brave Americans died: Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. On Jan. 23, I asked then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a simple question: Why didn't she just pick up the phone and call the survivors to determine what actually happened in Benghazi? Instead of providing a simple answer, she displayed exasperation, launched into an indignant reply, and ultimately dismissed my question with one of her own: "What difference, at this point, does it make?"
Op-eds 02/12/2013
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: What the president won’t say tonight
<b>Originally printed in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, February 12th, 2013 </b> Throughout its history, the federal government has properly used debt to help overcome threats to the nation and to build necessary and longstanding infrastructure. Much of the American Revolution was financed with borrowed money, as were World War II and the Cold War against the now defunct Soviet Union. The interstate highway system, coastal ports, and the locks and dams that make our inland waterways navigable are examples of valuable debt financed infrastructure. Failure to incur debt to finance these worthy, constitutionally allowed activities would have made the establishment of our prosperous nation more difficult, or maybe even brought our history to a premature end.
Op-eds 01/25/2013
USA Today: Secretary Hillary Clinton, you failed
<b>Originally printed in USA Today, January 25th, 2013 </b> During her Senate testimony, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that approximately 25 Americans who were on the ground or who witnessed the terrorist attack in Benghazi were immediately evacuated. Secretary Clinton also revealed that neither she, nor her senior people, debriefed or spoke with those people immediately after the attack, or for months afterward, to understand what happened. She stated that she didn't want to be later accused of playing politics.
Op-eds 10/31/2012
The Washington Times: Five unanswered questions about Benghazi attack
<b>Originally printed in The Washington Times, October 31st, 2012 </b> Nearly two months after the murder of four American citizens in Benghazi, Libya, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, there remain many more questions surrounding this tragedy than credible answers provided by the Obama administration. The American people want to know what happened on Sept. 11, 2012, and they deserve to hear an explanation directly from the president. Among the many questions that still need to be answered about the Benghazi attack, here are five of the most important ones.
Op-eds 07/31/2012
Politico: Facilitator is needed for cybersecurity
<b>Originally printed in Politico, July 31st, 2012 </b> There is widespread agreement across America that cybersecurity is an urgent national priority and the federal government needs to play a major role. The threat of a cyberattack is real, and its consequences could prove devastating to our economic and national security. Effective action cannot come too soon. Any solution to cybersecurity must allow the private sector, which owns 85 percent of our nation’s critical infrastructure, the freedom to use all tools at its disposal to protect against cyber intrusions. Business owners understand the need to protect themselves in the cyber domain and are devoting considerable resources to do so. Industry is right to expect that any Senate legislation will complement their current efforts.
Op-eds 07/25/2012
Wausau Daily Herald: Obama's vision puts government first
<b>Originally published in the Wausau Daily Herald, July 25th, 2012 </b> Like many Americans still enduring Obama's broken economy, I was astounded by the president’s recent comments. It was another Joe-the-Plumber moment where — detached from a teleprompter — he committed the classic gaffe of revealing what he truly believes. “If you’ve got a business,” President Obama said, “you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” This comment is incredibly insulting to entrepreneurs who work 60 hours a week building businesses that provide products, services, and employment to society.
Op-eds 07/18/2012
Washington Examiner: GOP must prevent a lame-duck looting session
<b>Originally printed in the Washington Examiner, July 18th, 2012</b> If Republicans want to win big in November, we must do more than show voters how we plan to govern in 2013. We must also demonstrate how we're working right now to stop the last-minute spending spree the Democrats have planned for December. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants to force a postelection lame-duck session of Congress, in which defeated politicians will no longer be accountable to voters. In that context, he will have more leverage to raise taxes and increase spending against the threat of yet another government shutdown, leaving taxpayers on the hook for more borrowing, debts and deficits.
Op-eds 05/31/2012
Politico: Unlike Obama, Scott Walker delivers
<b>Originally printed in Politico, May 31st, 2012</b> Starting Wednesday, most of the folks I know in Wisconsin will be looking forward to a well-earned respite from what seems like a permanent campaign. Instead of taking a break from politics between elections, Wisconsin has for months been dealing with fugitive legislators, ugly protests, legal challenges and a series of recall contests allegedly aimed at overturning Gov. Scott Walker’s legislative agenda. There’s virtually no possibility that his successful reforms will be overturned, so one has to wonder: What exactly is the point of Tuesday’s recall vote?
Op-eds 04/30/2012
CNN: Obama, Democrats not serious about passing budget
<b>Originally printed on CNN.com, April 30th, 2012</b> The U.S. government is the largest financial entity in the world. Nothing else comes close. On Sunday, April 29, it will be exactly three years since the U.S. Senate passed a budget. If you own or work for a small business that has a loan from a bank, I'm quite sure your business has a budget -- and a rather detailed budget at that. Every year around tax time, many American families sit down to fill out tax forms, estimate their income, and set spending priorities for the upcoming year. It's the responsible thing to do.