James Miller Center: President Gerald R. Ford; 1975 State of the Union

Source:James Miller Center- President Gerald R. Ford: 1974 State of the Union address to Congress.

"(Part One) President Gerald R. Ford's State of the Union Address - January 15, 1975

Video Courtesy of the Miller Center of Public Affairs and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library."

From the James Miller Center

President Gerald Ford's 1975 State of The Union address was interesting for several reasons. First of all it was his first one since becoming President of The United States. So it was his first opportunity to layout in front of a huge audience in front of Congress on national TV, in prime time what he believes the situation of the country is and where he wants to take the the country, what his administration would be focused on since becoming President of The United States in August, 1974 after President Richard Nixon resigned because of Watergate with Gerry Ford being Vice President of The United States before that.

So this speech was President Ford's opportunity to layout for the country what type of politician he was and what type of Republican he was, what he believed in and where he was ideologically and who he was politically. And if you listen to one of the first lines of this speech, he says the State of The Union is not strong. High inflation, interest rates, budget deficit, too many people being unemployed and so-forth. So the American people got to see how honest he was as a leader.

Again, a State of The Union speech is an opportunity for the President of The United States to not only layout what he believes the situation of the country is, but where he wants to take the country and what he wants to accomplish. And with the speech you hear a Conservative Republican President who is focused on the economy and fiscal policy. Too many people out-of-work, a weak economy that went into recession in 1974-75, with a rising budget deficit. And you also hear his solutions for it with an across the board tax cut to respond to it.

But another interesting thing about the speech is that you hear both the economic and fiscal Conservative. Gerry Ford speech which separates him from President Reagan: "We need greater economic freedom and lower taxes.) but we also have to pay for our expenditures by cutting the budget. Because this tax cut won't pay for itself. Unlike with President Reagan who was a supply sider when it came to economic policy and believed that tax cuts pay for itself.

There are a lot of things I like and respect about Gerry Ford the man and politician. The man was one of the most decent, and honest politicians as well as public servants we've ever had. He came from the Harry Truman/Dwight Eisenhower school of public service as far as how public officials should talk to people. But he was also the real thing politically. A Conservative who was actually Conservative, because he knew what conservatism actually was. Rather than someone whose further to the right, but called themselves a Conservative.

Reagan Foundation: State of the Union: President Reagan's State of the Union Speech- 1/27/1987

Source:Reagan Foundation- President Ronald W. Reagan, delivering the State of the Union Address, to a joint session of Congress, in 1987.

"President Reagan's State of the Union speech on January 27, 1987."

From the Reagan Foundation

State of The Union speeches can be important are not matter at all and be forgotten. Depending on who the President is, where he stands in the country politically and so-forth. And the situation of the country and so-forth, which in a lot of ways will determine how the President will be able to do that year. And what he'll be able to accomplish and for the President an opportunity to layout where he believes the country is and where he wants to take the country.

1987 was an interesting year, time and State of The Union for President Ronald Reagan. Because it was the start of his most politically difficult year for the Reagan Administration. Because of the Iran-Contra scandal and Congressional hearings come as a result of that both in the House and Senate. As well as economic difficulties that came for later with rising interest rates. And a rising national debt and deficit that led to the Wall Street crash in October of 1987. And with President Reagan becoming the most unpopular he had been at least since the 1981-82 recession.

So this State of The Union was the start of a very interesting and tough year for Ron Reagan as President and an opportunity for him to layout what he thought the condition of the country was. And where he wanted to take the country further. It was also the start of President Reagan's last two years as President and running out of time as far as being an effective leader that can push the country as well. 1987 was President Reagan's last year to basically move the country and to lead them in a certain direction. Partly because he accomplished almost everything he wanted to pre-1987, including tax reform through a divided Congress and 1987 was the year to deal with scandal, Supreme Court nominees. Including Robert Bork and then later Anthony Kennedy, as well as further negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Commentary: Peter Wehner: 'The Virtue of Moderation'

Source:Comment Magazine- columnist Peter Wehner.

"I recently read a splendid book by Harry Clor, On Moderation: Defending an Ancient Virtue in a Modern World, whose purpose is to “articulate a coherent, defensible case for moderation as a virtue, the possession and encouragement of which is important for us.”

Maybe the best way to begin is to be clear on what Clor says moderation is not. Political moderation is not, he writes, the antithesis of holding principled and wholehearted commitments. It’s not simply a matter of being in the middle of two extremes. It is not “tepid, middle compromise” between opposing ideals.

Like thoughtful scholarship, political moderation, according to Clor, takes a disinterested account of opposing perspectives on complex questions. It is synonymous with proportionality. And it recognizes limits and takes into account circumstances. For example, determining how much liberty and how much restraint a society embraces can’t be answered in the abstract; it depends on circumstances. “A course of action, policy, or pronouncement that is valid in some or most cases would be wrong, even disastrous, in certain situations, and there will be exceptions to any proposition you could affirm,” Clor writes. Immoderation, on the other hand, “is characterized by a one-sided or absolute commitment to a good that is in fact only one good among several.”

Professor Clor goes on to warn that we should want politics that incorporates moderation and “you should be quite afraid of any leaders, movements, or polities wholly lacking them.”

From Commentary Magazine 

Euro News: French and Malian Forces Secure Timbuktu

Source: Euro News-

Source: Euro News: French and Malian Forces Secure Timbuktu

Looks like the good guys are making progress in Mali

Euro News: In Mali Rebels Try to Buy Support

Source: Euro News.

Source:Euro News

Mali right now is in a debate to see if they are going to remain half-free and half-slave, or is the national government there going to regain control of North Mali and restore democracy there for the entire country and not just the South. This sort of reminds me of President John F. Kennedy's Cold War speech about freedom and communism, where he said (and I'm paraphrasing) we're now in a struggle to see whether or not America will half-free and half-slave, or will the forces of freedom win out. Europeans might have started slavery in Africa by kidnapping millions of Africans and bringing them to North America and South America, to be used as slaves. But slavery has never none away in Africa. That is just part of the legacy and conditions of a continent that has all the economic recourses in the world as far as what they're capable of producing for themselves. But has lacked the moral character and leadership to empower their own people to make the best lives for themselves that they possibly can. 

Liberty Pen: Barry Goldwater- 'To The Future From The Past (1964)'

Source:Liberty Pen- U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (Republican, Arizona Mr. Conservative, running for President in 1964.

"Goldwater warns of future Social Security insolvency, inflation, central planning and deficit spending. (1964) Liberty Pen" 

From Liberty Pen

Senator Barry Goldwater as part of his 1964 presidential campaign warning us of what he saw was a dangerous experiment with socialism in America and that it was time for Americans to get back to their constitutional roots and limit government.

Washington Times: Opinion: Tom Schatz And Ron Lazof: "The Bloated Federal Government": How to Reform The Federal Government

SCHATZ AND LAZOF: Raising taxes won't fix bloated government - Washington Times

One of the problems that America has when it comes to fiscal policy and what the role of government should be. Is that Americans tend to want more government then they are willing to pay for, high taxes are unpopular in this country. Unlike in Europe but high government spending isn't especially if Americans don't have to pay for it in higher taxes. And the Federal Government unlike State Governments can just borrow money from Russia, China, Saudi Arabia etc. To pay for their government spending that Americans don't want to pay for themselves and if politicians. Force them to pay for the government spending in either higher taxes or in spending cuts, politicians risk. Losing what in too many cases they cherish most which is their jobs either in Congress or in the White House. Unlike one of the advantages that state governments have is that they don't control the Federal currency. So they can't take out a loan from another country and are forced to pay their bills with either new revenue. Or by cutting spending which forces the states to set priorities and actually have a budget and not decide to. Spend more just because some new crisis arises.

So if we really want to get our fiscal house and order so to speak where at the very least our debt and deficit. Is not growing faster then our economy and they are actually coming down and shrinking, we need to restore. Limited government in this country which is going to require politicians to actually lead and tell voters I can't. Do everything that you want me to do for you with either current revenue or spending levels, which means I. Need you to layout what you want me to do and I'll do what I can to do that for you or I'll tell you what I expect. Government to do based on the resources that we have based on what I believe the Federal Government should be doing. And it might not be as much government that you want from me but it will be based on what I believe the. Federal Government should be doing based on the resources that we have and if we are going to go further then. That I'm going to have to cut in areas where the Federal Government shouldn't have as big of a role and where. The people should be doing more for themselves.

Limited government is especially important especially in an era of limited resources with rising debt and deficits. And with sluggish economic growth which means politicians need to figure out exactly what the Federal Government. Should be doing and cut in areas where we shouldn't be spending as much money and reform in areas where. We need the government to play a role but need it to do a better job and that means cutting budgets, making government. Work better and requiring that all Americans are paying their fair share in taxes.