Peek POV

Peek POV

Killing Ex-Im Bank is Just Plain Stupid

The Fiscal TimesJuly 1, 2015

So, this is the conservatives’ big idea about how to win the hearts and minds of Americans – killing the Ex-Im bank? Seriously? Let’s review: 

1) The US Export-Import Bank is a moneymaker for the federal government. That’s right. Almost alone amongst government agencies, the bank takes in more money than it spends, netting $675 million last year. 

2) The Ex-Im bank helps U.S. companies compete with overseas rivals who get similar or greater assistance from their own governments. The US...

Jindal’s Position on Obamacare Is Lose-Lose

The Fiscal TimesJune 22, 2015

Bobby Jindal lost me on Obamacare. If the Supreme Court rules against the Affordable Care Act, the Louisiana governor says the GOP should dump the law and start over. “Republicans were elected to repeal Obamacare; that’s what they should do.” He does not endorse the proposal from Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, which would keep subsidies in place through 2017 for the 6.4 million who are in danger of losing their insurance, giving Congress time to rewrite the healthcare law.

The problem with Jindal’s approach is that while Americans still view Obamacare...

Why the Clintons Really Established Their Foundation

The Fiscal TimesMay 21, 2015

In a recent column, I suggested that stockholders in companies that donate to the Clinton Foundation should protest that misuse of funds. Why am I so opposed to an organization that is supposedly doing good works?

Ask yourself this: Why does the Clinton Foundation exist? Most such entities are established by people who have a great deal of money – like Bill Gates, or the Fords -- who want their funds to go to charitable purposes, often beyond...

Why the U.S. Can’t Trust Iran

The Fiscal TimesApril 5, 2015

It appears we have a deal to have a deal with Iran. That’s the upshot of months – years - of negotiating, including some frantic last-minute sessions aimed at preventing Congress from punishing Iran’s intransigence by imposing further sanctions. President Obama, predictably, hailed the “historic understanding”; Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, predictably, said the framework “would threaten the survival of Israel.”  

The reality, as Netanyahu claimed in his speech before Congress, is that the framework announced fails to abolish Iran’s nuclear capability....

Netanyahu Arguments Bolstered by Protests in Iran

The Fiscal TimesMarch 6, 2015

Today’s news backs up the main points of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent address to Congress. In his controversial speech this week, the Israeli leader stressed two arguments, both of which were casually dismissed by cheerleaders for President Obama’s proposed nuclear deal with Iran. 

The first was that even tighter sanctions against Iran might prove effective, pointing out that it is Tehran’s economic struggles that have led to its presence at the bargaining table. As he put it, “they need the deal a lot more than you do.” The second was that the...

If Jeb Bush Panders to the CPAC Crowd, He’ll Lose Votes

The Fiscal TimesFebruary 26, 2015

Here’s what Republicans hope will not emerge from CPAC — more candidates. GOP hopefuls will pack this year’s annual conservative get-together like a Mario Buatta living room — overwhelming the senses. There will be voices from across the right-leaning spectrum, but some will resonate more loudly than others. For a couple, especially Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson, the event could be a game-changer. For Jeb Bush, who has yet to bring conservatives over to his side, it is a huge opportunity.

Popular candidates Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz and...

The New York Times Mirrors Obama’s Falling Numbers

The Fiscal TimesOctober 23, 2014

There’s a reason The New York Times is being forced to shrink its newsroom. And that veteran employees are jumping at the chance to bail. The New York Post reported today that more than 300 Times’ staffers have responded to a buyout offer from management that is intended to eliminate 100 employees.

That is not a vote of confidence. Surely, the ravages of the digital revolution are taking a toll. But, so is the slide in the Times’ credibility. That the Grey Lady leans Left is no surprise; it always has. But, the vanishing gap between White House talking...

Obama Fails to Seize a High-Stakes Opportunity with India

The Fiscal TimesOctober 2, 2014

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi couldn’t resist a little jab at President Obama. In his remarks delivered at the conclusion of his recent meetings with Mr. Obama, Modi noted the “happy coincidence” that both India and the U.S. had concluded successful missions to Mars at about the same time. In other words – please note, Mr. President -- India is now playing on the same stage. (I was in India last week when the space shot took place; it was a moment of enormous national celebration and pride.)

That message seems to have been delivered. Obama sat down...

Obama Twisting in Wind on Immigration Crisis

The Fiscal TimesJuly 17, 2014

President Obama needed to turn around out his drooping standing with Latinos going into the 2012 election. To gin up support, he initiated his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, thus unleashing a massive migration of unaccompanied youngsters hoping for the rumored “permiso.” Did Obama and his political cronies understand the consequences of his actions? Were they concerned about the potential flood of migrant children? Or were they just completely clueless? 

This is the upshot of the border crisis: even people like me, who have favored broad-based...

Obama's Use of ISIL, Not ISIS, Tells Another Story

The Fiscal TimesJune 23, 2014

There has been little notice of the president’s insistent use of the acronym “ISIL” to describe the Sunni forces currently rampaging across Iraq, executing Iraqi military and creating a new massive refugee population in an already unstable area. 

With the exception of Reuters and now the Associated Press, most news organizations have not referred to ISIL until President Obama began using the term, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But when Obama used the term 5 times on June13, and 16 times in his commencement speech at West Point...