Semi-Random Quotes: Ghost Protocol

Shades of Religious Expression: “There are three schools of thought concerning the application of the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses. One is a separatist position held by groups like the [Freedom From Religion Foundation]. Those holding this view believe there should be zero religious expression on government venues… Another view is known by some as the acknowledgment position. Those who adhere to this perspective believe the government should initiate and even underwrite religious expression… A third school of thought is the accommodation position. This view allows for individuals to express or freely exercise their religion on public property.”

-Kelly Boggs, 9-Dec-11 (Link)

Populist Progressive Conservatism: “The much larger conservative base, however, enthusiastically kept sampling insurgent contenders in search of an antidote to disaffection: a populist progressive conservative. ‘Populist progressive conservative’ is a hard combination to pull off… Populist means optimistic about people’s ability to govern themselves.   Progressive stands for champion of the little guy against powerful insider special interests.   Conservative?  Fundamentally committed to free enterprise, traditional values and a robust America… Gingrich, perhaps uniquely this cycle, may have threaded this very needle.”

-Ralph Benko, 12-Dec-11 (Link)

Obama’s Business Skills: “The evidence is overwhelming that the Obama regulatory surge is one reason the current economic recovery has been so lackluster by historical standards. Rather than nurture an economy trying to rebuild confidence after a financial heart attack, the Administration pushed through its now-famous blitz of liberal policies on health care, financial services, energy, housing, education and student loans, telecom, labor relations, transportation and probably some other industries we've forgotten. Anyone who thinks this has only minimal impact on business has never been in business.”

-Wall Street Journal editorial, 15-Dec-11 (Link)

Economic Focus: “FDR essentially threw everything at the Depression, including the kitchen sink; the legislating of 1933 and 1934 was relentlessly focused on the economy, and voters had no choice but to conclude that Roosevelt was, at the very least, doing everything he could think of. Not so with Obama. Having passed their stimulus, this president and his allies in Congress turned their attention to grander social welfare ambitions...”

-Jay Cost, 26-Dec-11 (Link)

Keynesian Limits: “When Keynes wrote The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money in the mid-1930s, governments in most wealthy nations were relatively small and their debts modest. Deficit spending and pump priming were plausible responses to economic slumps. Now, huge governments are often saddled with massive debts. Standard Keynesian remedies for downturns -- spend more and tax less -- presume the willingness of bond markets to finance the resulting deficits at reasonable interest rates. If markets refuse, Keynesian policies won't work... Were Keynes alive now, he would almost certainly acknowledge the limits of Keynesian policies.”

-Robert Samuelson, 19-Dec-11 (Link)