The long awaited announcement last week that the Obama Justice Department and state attorneys general have reached a settlement with five of the largest mortgage lenders over foreclosure practices contains a mixed bag of consumer benefits: a regrettable lack of connection between the alleged legal violations and remedy provided, coupled with the all too familiar grandstanding by the Democratic attorneys general. As Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt indicated when his state refused to join the settlement, this settlement went beyond the actual alleged legal violations. It contains generous terms for those who may have fallen victim to shoddy foreclosure practices, but equally generous benefits for those who were never subject to any such practices. While I suspect that many of his fellow Republican attorneys general agree with Pruitt's assessment, it is completely understandable given the dire housing market that some conservative attorneys general would reluctantly sign on to the settlement. And so it is that this settlement, which even the Washington Post described as "rough justice", is firmly located in the American political neighborhood at the intersection of "Principles Street” and "Pragmatism Avenue.” 

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Democratic Legislators Defy Voters and Constitution by Refusing to Govern.

Democrats in state legislatures across the country are picking up in 2012 precisely where they left off in 2011 - with brazen "election nullification" tactics. The Democrats participating in these undemocratic and unlawful election nullification exercises do so under the guise of protecting a "fundamental policy issue." I am talking about, of course, the practice of legislators not coming to the chamber floor to deny a legislative body the required quorum of members present. The most recent case is in Indiana, where Big Labor is opposing Republican efforts to enact a right to work law. While some might question the term "election nullification" as too dramatic, it's actually the simplest way to describe the intent of the actors here: to prevent public policy changes enacted by lawfully elected Republican majorities. Perhaps the Democrats would have a defense to this election nullification claim if they could show that quorum requirements were intended for these instances of "fundamental policy" as an additional "check" in a state's constitutional system of checks and balances. 

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In multiple states, state leaders are courageously stepping in to address illegal immigration, one of the federal government’s biggest policy failures since, well, since the federal government assumed control of immigration on April 18, 1890.  It is well understood that no matter how carefully crafted one’s words are on this issue, there will be those from both the right and the left who take exception. Nonetheless, when it comes to the federal government’s role, the recent actions of the Obama Administration – as reported by the Washington Post require a response on behalf of the Republican state legislators and attorneys general who are actually facing the problem daily and working to address it in their states. 

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Check out the latest piece by RSLC President Chris Jankowski as published in the Politico.

Former President Bill Clinton, addressing a liberal group Wednesday, likened Republican state legislative efforts to address voter fraud to the days of Jim Crow and poll taxes.

Aside from the fact that his charges are designed to distract and manipulate public opinion using the worst kind of racial politics, his line of attack is only the latest attempt to shift the nation’s focus from the Democrats’ failure to address critical economic problems facing American families and businesses.

It will not work.  

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Check out the latest article written by RSLC President Chris Jankowski that appeared in the Daily Caller.

 

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Democratic legislators in Wisconsin and Indiana did not flee their jobs because Republican Governors proposed bold comprehensive reforms to balance their budgets and create job growth in their states. These Democratic legislators fled their jobs because there were new Republican legislative majorities poised to enact these comprehensive reforms in Wisconsin and Indiana. State legislative elections matter. 

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