Barack Obama Archives | Voice For Liberty

Sep

During the Trump administration, the economy grew

The United States economy has grown since Donald J. Trump became president, until the pandemic. How does the growth compare with the previous administration? This chart holds plots of real gross domestic product (GDP) added over two periods of 12 quarters each. One line starts with the first quarter of 2017, which is the first quarter of the Trump administration. It ends with the fourth quarter of 2019, which is the last quarter that was not affected by the response to the pandemic. The other line starts with the first quarter of 2014 and covers the last 12 quarters of…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

The Trump record on job creation

The United States economy has created many jobs since Donald J. Trump became president. How does the record compare with the previous administration and others? The nearby chart holds plots of cumulative nonfarm jobs created over two periods of 37 months each. One line starts with February 2017, the first full month of the Trump administration. It ends with February 2020, the last month not affected by the response to the pandemic. The other line starts with January 2014, which covers the last 37 months of the previous president's administration. Question: Which line belongs to each president? No matter which…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

Partisan Conflict Index

Have you suspected that the country has become more partisan? An index supports that. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia produces a monthly index that measures one aspect of political partisanship. The authors explain: The Partisan Conflict Index tracks the degree of political disagreement among U.S. politicians at the federal level by measuring the frequency of newspaper articles reporting disagreement in a given month. Higher index values indicate greater conflict among political parties, Congress, and the President. The index is an outgrowth of recent Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia research that finds that the index tends to increase near elections…

Before pandemic, Trump economy created jobs

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Before pandemic, Trump economy created jobs

There is no doubt that the United States economy has created many jobs since Donald J. Trump became president. How does the record compare with the previous administration? This chart holds plots of cumulative nonfarm jobs created over two periods of 37 months each. One line starts with February 2017, the first full month of the Trump administration. It ends with February 2020, the last month not affected by the response to the pandemic. The other line starts with January 2014, which covers the last 37 months of the previous president's administration. Question: Which line belongs to each president? No…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Trump economy continues to grow

There is no doubt that the United States economy has grown since Donald J. Trump became president. How does the growth compare with the previous administration? This chart holds plots of real gross domestic product (GDP) added over two periods of 12 quarters each. One line starts with the first quarter of 2017, the first quarter of the Trump administration. It ends with the fourth quarter of 2019. The other line starts with the first quarter of 2014, which covers the last 12 quarters of the previous president's administration. Question. Which line belongs to each president's administration? No matter which…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Trump economy creates jobs

There is no doubt that the United States economy has created many jobs since Donald J. Trump became president. How does the record compare with the previous administration? This chart holds plots of cumulative nonfarm jobs created over two periods of 34 months each. One line starts with February 2017, the first full month of the Trump administration. It ends with November 2019. The other line starts with April 2014, which covers the last 34 months of the previous president's administration. Question: Which line belongs to each president? No matter which administration's line is blue and which is grey, I…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Lessons from Kansas tax reform

What can the rest of the nation learn from our experience in Kansas? Come to think of it, why haven't we learned much? Economists from American Legislative Exchange Council have looked at Kansas and derived some lessons from our state's struggle with tax reform. The document is titled Lessons from Kansas: A Behind the Scenes Look at America’s Most Discussed Tax Reform Effort. A few remarks and quotations: It may be difficult for us in Kansas to see how the rest of the country views our state. But it's all about the struggle between those who want more government, and…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Obama’s stimulus, in retrospect

A positive effect of the 2009 Obama stimulus appeared only long after its forecasted date. Many people remember that President Barack Obama warned that the unemployment rate would rise to a high level without a stimulus program. In January 2009 two Obama administration officials, including Christina Romer (who would become chair of the Council of Economic Advisers) wrote a paper estimating what the national unemployment rate would be with, and without, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, commonly known as the stimulus.[1. Romer, Christine, and Bernstein, Jared. The Job Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan. https://www.economy.com/mark-zandi/documents/The_Job_Impact_of_the_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Plan.pdf.] That plan…

Holding politicians to their boasts and promises

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Holding politicians to their boasts and promises

There are useful lessons we can learn from the criticism of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, including how easy it is to ignore inconvenient lessons of history. Tax cuts in Kansas were promised by Governor Brownback to be a "shot in the arm" for the Kansas economy. Opponents of the governor and tax cuts take great delight in reporting the generally anemic growth of the Kansas economy since then. Month after month, the tax cuts are condemned by Kansas newspaper editorial writers and the governor's detractors. I don't think it's a particularly strong form of argument to defend someone by showing…

The unprecedented campaign against free speech

Jun

By Guest Author

The unprecedented campaign against free speech

The political left's campaign to silence opponents and reorder society in accordance with their personal beliefs is in many ways the single greatest threat to America's experiment in self-governance, writes Mark Holden. The unprecedented campaign against free speech By Mark Holden. Originally published in The Hill. The liberal Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once warned of the biggest danger facing free speech: "If you have no doubt of your premises or your power, and want a certain result with all your heart, you naturally express your wishes in law, and sweep away all opposition." Yet many lawmakers today are…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Brownback and Obama stimulus plans

There are useful lessons we can learn from the criticism of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, including how easy it is to ignore inconvenient lessons of history. It's been three years since the tax cuts in Kansas took effect; tax cuts said by Governor Brownback to be a "shot in the arm" for the Kansas economy. Opponents of the governor and the tax cuts take great delight in reporting the generally anemic growth of the Kansas economy since then. Month after month, the tax cuts are condemned by Kansas newspaper editorial writers and the governor's detractors. I don't think it's a…

WichitaLiberty.TV: Congressman Mike Pompeo

Nov

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Congressman Mike Pompeo

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Congressman Mike Pompeo talks about the Middle East, politics in Washington, and domestic issues. View below, or click here to view in high definition at YouTube. Episode 101, broadcast November 29, 2015. Shownotes Mike Pompeo Congressional office Recent talk at Wichita Pachyderm Club

Sep

By Bob Weeks

Does Kansas have its own Solyndra?

Does Kansas have its own version of Solyndra, the politically-connected firm that failed and cost taxpayers some $535 million? We don't know. But the Abengoa cellulosic ethanol plant near Hugoton received a $132.4 million loan guarantee under the same program that benefited Solyndra. In January I requested documents regarding the Abengoa loan guarantee and risk assessment from the United States Department of Energy. I had several conversations and emails with a records clerk. We came to agreement as to what I would receive, or at least what I am requesting to receive. But I’ve received nothing so far. I don’t…

Aug

By Guest Author

Release the secret Iran deals

For those of us who are elected officials, few votes will be more consequential than whether to approve or disapprove the nuclear agreement President Obama has reached with Iran. Yet the president expects Congress to cast this vote without the administration’s fully disclosing the contents of the deal to the American people, write Representative Mike Pompeo and Senator Tom Cotton. Release the Secret Iran Deals By Tom Cotton and Mike Pompeo As printed in the Wall Street Journal For those of us who are elected officials, few votes will be more consequential than whether to approve or disapprove the nuclear…

Pompeo: Disclose complete Iran nuclear deal

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Pompeo: Disclose complete Iran nuclear deal

U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo, a Republican who represents the Kansas fourth district and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton recently traveled to Vienna to meet with officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). They have revealed the existence of two side deals between Iran and IDEA that are important and relevant to the deal negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry and promoted by President Barack Obama. According to a Pompeo spokesperson, the existence of these side deals was not a secret, having been mentioned in an IDEA press release from July 14. But the content of the agreements is secret,…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Cato Institute scholars respond to the 2015 state of the union address

Cato Institute scholars Alex Nowrasteh, Aaron Ross Powell, Neal McCluskey, Mark Calabria, Bill Watson, Chris Edwards, Gene Healy, Chris Preble, Julian Sanchez, Pat Michaels and Trevor Burrus respond to President Obama's 2015 State of the Union Address. View below, or click here to view in high definition at YouTube. Video produced by Caleb O. Brown, Austin Bragg and Tess Terrible.

For Rep. Tiahrt, Cash for Clunkers was a good spending program

Jul

By Bob Weeks

For Rep. Tiahrt, Cash for Clunkers was a good spending program

When the Obama Administration needed additional funds for the Cash for Clunkers program, Todd Tiahrt was agreeable to funding this wasteful program. As summarized by the Congressional Research Service: "Makes emergency supplemental appropriations of $2 billion for FY2009 and FY2010 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program (Cash for Clunkers Program)." This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 316 to 109. Among House Republicans, the vote was 78 to 95 in favor of passage. Todd Tiahrt was one of the…

May

By Bob Weeks

Wichita businesses dying faster than they’re being born

What do you get when you combine Sam Brownback, Carl Brewer, and Barack Obama? Post by Voice For Liberty.

American economy is more competitive and carbon-efficient, says economist

Feb

By Bob Weeks

American economy is more competitive and carbon-efficient, says economist

The oil and gas boom in America boosts our competitiveness in the world economy while at the same time reducing carbon emissions, says economist Stephen Moore. Moore recently left the Wall Street Journal to accept a position at Heritage Foundation as chief economist. He presented to an audience at a conference titled "The Tax & Regulatory Impact on Industry, Jobs & The Economy, and Consumers" produced by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. A large portion of his presentation was on energy and its important role in the economy, and how radical environmentalists -- the "green" movement --…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas jobs: Who do we believe?

Earlier this week we saw that candidates for Kansas governor have released statements on recent job figures in Kansas. The news releases from Sam Brownback and Paul Davis appear to contain conflicting views of Kansas employment. But we saw that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has two monthly surveys that measure employment levels and trends. There's the Current Population Survey (CPS), also known as the household survey, and there is also the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, also known as the payroll or establishment survey. BLS explains: "These estimates differ because the surveys have distinct definitions of employment and distinct…