Media Center
Financial Catastrophe for the United States
The passage of the Health Care Bill continues to dig the American public deeper into a financial hole. No matter how it is characterized, this is a vast new entitlement program, with no limits on the cost to the taxpayers of the future. Today our economic system is breaking under the weight of Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, the entitlement society. The national debt and deficits show that we cannot go on with this welfare state. This new health bill “doubles down” on the financial problems that we must solve to restore the future of our nation.
According to the official budget document of the U.S., the 2010 national debt is 94% of our Gross Domestic Product(GDP), being all the economic activity of the American society combined. By 2020, the debt will be equal to 107% of our GDP. All these estimates were before the passage of the health care bill. The nation of Greece is today in crisis at 113%, and their sovereign debt is in jeopardy. The sovereign debt of the U.S. is headed for similar levels. We simply cannot sustain the level of spending that requires this kind of borrowing to make ends meet. The new health care bill doesn’t help us control spending, instead, it balloons spending beyond the alarming debt levels we already have and see coming in the future.
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According to the official budget document of the U.S., the 2010 national debt is 94% of our Gross Domestic Product(GDP), being all the economic activity of the American society combined. By 2020, the debt will be equal to 107% of our GDP. All these estimates were before the passage of the health care bill. The nation of Greece is today in crisis at 113%, and their sovereign debt is in jeopardy. The sovereign debt of the U.S. is headed for similar levels. We simply cannot sustain the level of spending that requires this kind of borrowing to make ends meet. The new health care bill doesn’t help us control spending, instead, it balloons spending beyond the alarming debt levels we already have and see coming in the future.
Click here to read more.
Governor Gilmore's remarks on America's Financial Crisis
Listen to Governor Gilmore's remarks at the Virginia Tech lecture titled "America’s Financial Crisis: What Needs to be Done."
Click here to watch the video.
Click here to watch the video.
Guest Column: Obama's Russian Embarrassment
by Richard Brownell
The naïveté of the Obama administration was on full display this past week after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Russia failed to drum up support for tough sanctions against Iran. Clinton and Obama had hoped that Russia would join the United States in bringing heavy pressure to bear to stop Tehran's nuclear program. They had been led to believe as much just a few weeks ago by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. But Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Clinton that diplomacy needed to be given a chance to work and that sanctions would be "counterproductive."
Click here to read the full article.
The naïveté of the Obama administration was on full display this past week after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Russia failed to drum up support for tough sanctions against Iran. Clinton and Obama had hoped that Russia would join the United States in bringing heavy pressure to bear to stop Tehran's nuclear program. They had been led to believe as much just a few weeks ago by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. But Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Clinton that diplomacy needed to be given a chance to work and that sanctions would be "counterproductive."
Click here to read the full article.
Is Virginia Purple?
By Jim Gilmore
Posted 10/02/2009
Human Events
In 2008, for the first time since 1964, Virginia was carried by a Democratic presidential candidate. Many commentators heralded the vote for Obama as a historic shift, marking Virginia as a “blue” state.
This year, Virginia elects its governor, and most polls show Bob McDonnell, the Republican, with a clear lead. What changed?
Through Obama’s first nine months, Virginians, and indeed all Americans, have had an opportunity to really see and understand the hyper-liberal Obama program. This year’s election in Virginia is a referendum on that program.
Click here to read more.
Posted 10/02/2009
Human Events
In 2008, for the first time since 1964, Virginia was carried by a Democratic presidential candidate. Many commentators heralded the vote for Obama as a historic shift, marking Virginia as a “blue” state.
This year, Virginia elects its governor, and most polls show Bob McDonnell, the Republican, with a clear lead. What changed?
Through Obama’s first nine months, Virginians, and indeed all Americans, have had an opportunity to really see and understand the hyper-liberal Obama program. This year’s election in Virginia is a referendum on that program.
Click here to read more.
5 Things We Need to Know Before the Next Terror Attack
James S. Gilmore
Published: Fox News.com
How prepared is our country on the state, local and national level for another terror attack? Is the Department of Homeland Security the best vehicle for organizing a national response? What role should our military play? How safe are our borders?
In 1999 while I was governor of Virginia I was asked by the federal government to chair the National Commission on Homeland Security (The Gilmore Commission). The Commission issued five annual reports, three of which were completed prior to the 9/11 attacks. In 1999 the first sentence of our first report described terrorism as a "genuine threat." We stated that a national strategy to address the threat was "urgently needed." In 2000, we said the danger of a terrorist attack in the United States was "a serious emerging threat." Our third report was essentially completed before the 9/11 attack and set out the major initiatives necessary to protect the country.
Now, eight years later, the American people are entitled to a report on how far we have progressed on these initiatives. First, the Commission urged that a national response plan put emphasis on local responders and enabling states to be ready for an attack. The federal government has a key support role in a national emergency but their real duty is to get planning and resources to the local response community. However, the Hurricane Katrina response underscored federal responsibility. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security asserts federal predominance in what should be a state and local response. Where do we stand on local preparedness? Is it also time to assess whether the Department of Homeland Security is the best vehicle for organizing the national response to terrorist threats and natural disasters.
Click here to read the entire article.
Published: Fox News.com
How prepared is our country on the state, local and national level for another terror attack? Is the Department of Homeland Security the best vehicle for organizing a national response? What role should our military play? How safe are our borders?
In 1999 while I was governor of Virginia I was asked by the federal government to chair the National Commission on Homeland Security (The Gilmore Commission). The Commission issued five annual reports, three of which were completed prior to the 9/11 attacks. In 1999 the first sentence of our first report described terrorism as a "genuine threat." We stated that a national strategy to address the threat was "urgently needed." In 2000, we said the danger of a terrorist attack in the United States was "a serious emerging threat." Our third report was essentially completed before the 9/11 attack and set out the major initiatives necessary to protect the country.
Now, eight years later, the American people are entitled to a report on how far we have progressed on these initiatives. First, the Commission urged that a national response plan put emphasis on local responders and enabling states to be ready for an attack. The federal government has a key support role in a national emergency but their real duty is to get planning and resources to the local response community. However, the Hurricane Katrina response underscored federal responsibility. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security asserts federal predominance in what should be a state and local response. Where do we stand on local preparedness? Is it also time to assess whether the Department of Homeland Security is the best vehicle for organizing the national response to terrorist threats and natural disasters.
Click here to read the entire article.
Guest Editorial - The President's Health Care Plan: Selling Myth as Reality
by Richard Brownell
President Barack Obama has finally outlined his plan for "reforming" America's health care system. This comes several months after he first announced the epic initiative and allowed his loyal liberal colleagues in Congress to create a legislative plan that has brought staunch and growing opposition from the American public. True to form, now that Obama's plan is on the table, he has declared the debate over and called upon Democrats and Republicans to act upon his proposals. But the debate is far from over. In fact, it is time to start the battle anew.
Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress was his last opportunity to regain the high ground in the health care debate. It will likely be remembered more for the real reform proposals that were not included rather than for the fiction that was paraded before Congress and the American people.
Click here to read more.
President Barack Obama has finally outlined his plan for "reforming" America's health care system. This comes several months after he first announced the epic initiative and allowed his loyal liberal colleagues in Congress to create a legislative plan that has brought staunch and growing opposition from the American public. True to form, now that Obama's plan is on the table, he has declared the debate over and called upon Democrats and Republicans to act upon his proposals. But the debate is far from over. In fact, it is time to start the battle anew.
Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress was his last opportunity to regain the high ground in the health care debate. It will likely be remembered more for the real reform proposals that were not included rather than for the fiction that was paraded before Congress and the American people.
Click here to read more.
Conservatism has too many voices
Published: May 27, 2009
Washington Times
The election of Barack Obama opens the door to the implementation of a new-left program, which I have called the "new socialism."
Grounded in fear after the Sept. 11 attacks and Wall Street panic and fueled by a great anger and frustration with the Bush administration, a long-sought program of the political left is under way.
The political rules that have developed over years - seniority, campaign-finance restrictions and pork-barrel politics in both parties - may make it difficult, if not impossible, to arrest this leftist program.
The nation's only hope rests in the conservative movement, which must provide the intellectual underpinnings for new and different directions for America.
Click here to read Conservatism has too many voices.
Washington Times
The election of Barack Obama opens the door to the implementation of a new-left program, which I have called the "new socialism."
Grounded in fear after the Sept. 11 attacks and Wall Street panic and fueled by a great anger and frustration with the Bush administration, a long-sought program of the political left is under way.
The political rules that have developed over years - seniority, campaign-finance restrictions and pork-barrel politics in both parties - may make it difficult, if not impossible, to arrest this leftist program.
The nation's only hope rests in the conservative movement, which must provide the intellectual underpinnings for new and different directions for America.
Click here to read Conservatism has too many voices.
Op/Ed: Looking to the Future of Southside, Southwest Virginia
Published: May 3, 2009
The News Advance
County 5.9 percent and in Danville 7 percent. Today the unemployment rate for Martinsville is 20.8 percent, for Henry County 14.8 percent and for Danville 13.7 percent. Clearly many grants have been made by the Tobacco Community Revitalization Commission. But over the administrations of Mark Warner and Timothy M. Kaine, the tobacco settlement money has not been used to secure the economies of the Southside and Southwest as I had hoped.
Today even The News & Advance doesn’t believe the federal stimulus money should be taken with all the strings and future obligations required. They just want the Republicans to appear less “cold.”
I think the best way to demonstrate concern is to bring a better future to the Southside and Southwest. I believe we should do now what should have been done the last eight years. We should create a bold “Marshall Plan” of revitalization for the Southside and Southwest. We should get federal stimulus money for a forward-looking plan. We should add the Tobacco Revitalization Money and find good, established industries with good jobs and finance them to locate in southern Virginia.
The revitalization of the Southside and the Southwest is key to the future of Virginia and all of its citizens. The best way to care is to act.
Gilmore was the governor of Virginia from 1998 until 2002. He wrote this commentary for The News & Advance. Contact him at http://www.patriotscommittee.com or http://www.virginiapatriot.com.
The News Advance
County 5.9 percent and in Danville 7 percent. Today the unemployment rate for Martinsville is 20.8 percent, for Henry County 14.8 percent and for Danville 13.7 percent. Clearly many grants have been made by the Tobacco Community Revitalization Commission. But over the administrations of Mark Warner and Timothy M. Kaine, the tobacco settlement money has not been used to secure the economies of the Southside and Southwest as I had hoped.
Today even The News & Advance doesn’t believe the federal stimulus money should be taken with all the strings and future obligations required. They just want the Republicans to appear less “cold.”
I think the best way to demonstrate concern is to bring a better future to the Southside and Southwest. I believe we should do now what should have been done the last eight years. We should create a bold “Marshall Plan” of revitalization for the Southside and Southwest. We should get federal stimulus money for a forward-looking plan. We should add the Tobacco Revitalization Money and find good, established industries with good jobs and finance them to locate in southern Virginia.
The revitalization of the Southside and the Southwest is key to the future of Virginia and all of its citizens. The best way to care is to act.
Gilmore was the governor of Virginia from 1998 until 2002. He wrote this commentary for The News & Advance. Contact him at http://www.patriotscommittee.com or http://www.virginiapatriot.com.
Obama's 'New Socialism'
We have learned a lot in the first one hundred days of the Obama administration. The most important lesson is that this administration’s operating ideology isn’t old-style liberalism or even old-style socialism. President Obama and his team are delivering a “New Socialism.”
Their “New Socialism” doesn’t need to capture property. It is content to control the economy through taxation and regulation and the attitudes of our citizens by the establishment of a culture through the power institutions of our society: the media, the education establishment, and powerful business interests. Moreover, the “New Socialism” seeks to create a conventional wisdom that discredits all alternative thought.
Click here to read the complete story
Their “New Socialism” doesn’t need to capture property. It is content to control the economy through taxation and regulation and the attitudes of our citizens by the establishment of a culture through the power institutions of our society: the media, the education establishment, and powerful business interests. Moreover, the “New Socialism” seeks to create a conventional wisdom that discredits all alternative thought.
Click here to read the complete story
