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May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 1, 2008
/ 25 Shevat 5768
The Ghost of Ronald Reagan
By
Linda Chavez
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The ghost of Ronald Reagan hung heavily over the Republican presidential candidates as they faced off in their suddenly narrowed field Wednesday at the Reagan Library. Surely every Republican old enough to remember the revered president couldn't help but compare those sitting beneath the wing of Reagan's Air Force One with the man who once rode in it.
For me, the memory was especially poignant, since I served in President Reagan's administration in a number of positions, including White House director of public liaison. None of the GOP candidates is another Reagan. His combination of personal gifts alone affability, intelligence, good looks and communication skills are rare enough to set a standard few can achieve.
But Reagan coupled those attributes with two even more important qualities: vision and conviction. And it is here that I think most Republicans will look to measure the candidates against the Reagan yardstick.
Reagan knew where he wanted to lead this nation, and he knew how he was going to get there. He wanted to rebuild America's defenses, which had grown weak under four disastrous years of Jimmy Carter. He wanted to halt the Soviet Union's dangerous expansion of influence, which had claimed territory in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America in the preceding decade. And he wanted to reign in the size and scope of the federal government, which had been expanding since the New Deal.
His ideas were far from universally popular. His decision to place Pershing missiles in Europe sparked huge demonstrations at home and abroad. His commitment to a domestic anti-missile defense system, the Strategic Defense Initiative, stirred bitter opposition and derision among Democrats and the media. When he called the Soviet Union the Evil Empire, he evoked sneers and snickers among elites. And his commitment to cutting domestic spending and reducing taxes brought howls of protest from liberal interest groups, who painted him as a reverse Robin Hood stealing from the poor to benefit the wealthy.
But Reagan persevered and led this country back from malaise and self-doubt to confidence and greatness.
Who among the current crop of GOP presidential aspirants comes closest in an ability to do the same? Ron Paul would have us retreat from the world, diminish our expectations and shrink behind literal and figurative walls. Mike Huckabee's vision stretches no farther than his debate promise to build a new highway across whatever happens to be the next primary state.
Mitt Romney says some of the right things, but you're always left wondering whether he really means it. How can a man change his position on so many issues in such a short time and be counted on to stick to what he says today? I'd give Romney more credit if he ran as the moderate he governed as in Massachusetts. At least then I could trust his word, even if I didn't agree with him on every issue.
Which brings me to why I believe John McCain comes closest to the Reagan standard. There is no question that McCain has vision. He sees the danger the United States faces and doesn't flinch. When Romney was weighing whether to endorse a surge in U.S. troops in Iraq or pressure the Iraqi government into adopting "timetables," McCain said it was more important to him that we win the war in Iraq than that he win the Republican nomination. With McCain, conviction trumps ambition every time.
There are some issues with which I disagree with McCain. I think McCain-Feingold is bad law, and I'm confident that some of the anti-free speech elements in it will be struck down by the Supreme Court. But on the most important issue, the security of this nation, McCain has no equal.
And on most domestic and social issues, he's more often right than wrong, including immigration. No matter who wins the nomination and, ultimately, the presidency, I predict we'll get immigration reform in the next few years closer to what McCain proposed than anything his rivals are trumpeting now. In fact, what is most troubling about Huckabee and Romney's current positions is that they appear to be pandering to win votes and it hasn't worked well as McCain's wins in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida demonstrate.
John McCain is the only candidate who comes close to embodying Ronald Reagan's spirit.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity. Her latest book is "Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.)
Linda Chavez Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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