LIBERY UPDATE 03/07/2014

	March 7, 2014 COMMENTARY
	On Foreign Policy, An Unteachable President The root of Obama's foreign policy mishaps - whether failing to respond to the 2009 uprising in Iran, misreading the Arab Spring, failing to deter the use of chemical weapons in Syria or getting repeatedly rolled by Vladimir Putin, most recently with the Russian invasion of Ukraine - all have a common source: a fundamental misconception of what motivates authoritarian regimes and their leaders. Read more now.
	Obama's 2015 Budget Rejects Compromise, Cements Disastrous Legacy Was the federal government spending too little in 2008, or too much? Was government doing too little for us, or too much? It would be difficult to locate anyone outside the fevered swamp of Paul Krugman's blog following who asserts that government was too small, or spent too little, in 2008. Well, amazing as this may sound, Obama actually proposes to spend nearly $1 trillion more in 2015 than we did in 2008. Read more now.
	Honest Medicare Reform Impossible So Long as President Refuses to Follow the Law For all the heated political rhetoric and hard-hitting campaign ads, there is a little-discussed reality that should be remembered - Republicans and Democrats agree that Medicare needs reform. Republicans like Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) are engaged in a multi-year effort to persuade the public about the merits of free-market reform, while Democrats from President Barack Obama on down seem content to lie, cheat and steal their way to government-run health care. Read more now.
	Podcast: Understanding the Federal Debt Ceiling In an interview with CFIF, Cameron Seward, Program Manager of Impact Teams and Policy Services for The Heritage Foundation, discusses Congress' suspension of the federal debt ceiling, what it means in the months and year ahead, and what policymakers should do to resolve the continuing crisis. Listen to the interview now.
EDITORIAL CARTOONS View more of Michael Ramirez's latest cartoons now. QUESTION OF THE WEEK The term "Iron Curtain" was first used by which one of the following individuals to describe the harsh policies of the Soviet Union? A) Franklin D. Roosevelt B) John F. Kennedy C) Ronald Reagan D) Winston Churchill Get the correct answer now.
	JESTER'S COURTROOM McMental Anguish A California man is suing McDonald's for $1.5 million because he said he only received one napkin with his meal. According to news reports, Webster Lucas visited a McDonald's in Pacoima, California and ordered a Quarter Pounder Deluxe. After noticing his meal came with only one napkin, Lucas asked for more and the manager declined his request. Lucas, who is black, claims that the manager, who is Mexican-American, made a racist remark. After emailing the general manager and being offered some free food, Lucas remained unhappy. Read more now.
	QUOTE OF THE WEEK The Editors, National Review Online, On the IRS as a Regulator of Political Speech: "The United States already has a rather good regulation regarding government oversight of political speech, which is that there isn't to be any. The First Amendment ought to be the last word on the subject. ... Congress has the authority to rewrite the rules about who qualifies as a tax-exempt nonprofit, should it choose to do so, but the IRS plainly does not have the power to regulate away political speech where it is explicitly authorized. "The IRS has willfully and intentionally misled Congress and the American people about the scope and nature of its actions targeting political opponents of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats. ... "The IRS does not inspire confidence as a practitioner of self-regulation, much less as a regulator of political speech." Read more of this week's notable quotes now.
	FREEDOM LINE HIGHLIGHTS Ramirez Cartoon: The Red Line Part II Newest ObamaCare Delay Further Politicizes Medicine ObamaCare's War on Work Michelle Obama: New Food Labels Will Help Counteract the Fact That America’s Moms are Morons