The Ultimate Guide to Retirement

By Paul Dixon  |  30minuteVIEW  |  July 29, 2015

The folks at Money have put together a very good series of investment related articles on their website.  The Ultimate Guide to Retirement contains very short but very good articles addressing topics including retirement basics, investing, types of retirement accounts, rollovers, insurance, and social security. There is an index of articles in the left column.

The articles on investing are very good for those just getting started.

For access to the data, click here.

Thanks to Money magazine and Time, Inc. for making this data available.

The Simple Mentality That Sets Successful Investors Apart From the Rest

By Brett Lee  |  The Bigger Pockets Blog  |  July 15, 2015

Last week I was having coffee with a multimillionaire real estate investor and business man. We were talking about successful people and what sets them apart from everyone else we know. We came to the conclusion that successful people expect success to be hard. Because they expect it to be hard, they do things others won’t. They create what others can’t.

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” — Mark Twain

When most people think about investing, or any type of success, the first thing they do is look for information on what others have done. Most of us, including me, are looking for shortcuts or secrets so we don’t have to spend the time and effort figuring things out for ourselves. There are entire industries created to distribute and sell false hopes to those in search of easy money. Real estate investing is a big one.

Let me ask you this: Do you think it’s possible to read the exact same tips and tricks that millions of other investors are reading and get better results? If everyone has the same knowledge, how can you reduce competition so you can increase profits? Doing the same thing as everyone else and hoping to succeed makes as much sense as buying a Ferrari to get through rush hour traffic faster. Your competition defines your potential. You want to reduce the competition so your potential is limitless. You want to be the one in the helicopter during rush hour traffic.

“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” — Albert Einstein

The Easy Path vs. the Hard One

Let’s look at a few easy paths a lot of us are on and don’t realize:

• It’s easy to set up internet searches to look for good real estate deals like everyone else. It’s hard to learn real estate math, zoning and building codes so you can create good deals no else has thought of.
• It’s easy to buy cheap properties as rentals because successful investors tend to leave these alone. Investors looking for long term success can’t have high turnover, high vacancy rates or high maintenance or management costs.
• It’s easy to work 40 hours a week for the security of knowing you’ll spend the rest of your days watching TV and clipping coupons. It’s hard to take risks and start a new investing business.
• It’s easy to work more if you want more money. It’s hard to obtain the skills to get paid more and work less.
• It’s easy to buy a new car, live in the big house and spend half of your income on interest payments. It’s hard to live with less and invest in a better future.
• It’s easy to be busy. It’s hard to set aside time every day to think about how you could be more efficient.

“If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” — Jim Rohn

To do better requires thinking in ways others don’t and doing things others can’t. The best way to accomplish this is to never stop learning because knowledge determines your actions, and your actions determine your success. The more you know, the less competition you’ll have.

Conclusion

Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investor of all time, spends 80% of his day learning about investing and 20% investing. He has done this his entire career. How many people put that much effort into anything? How many people have had that level of success?

“If you want to have more, you have to become more. Success is not something your pursue. What you pursue will elude you; it will elude you; it can be like trying to chase butterflies. Success is something you attract by the person you become. For things to improve, you have to improve. For things to get better, you have to get better. For things to change, you have to change. When you change, everything changes for you.” — Jim Rohn

Warren Buffett Says to Invest as Much as You Can in This

By Chris Winfield  |  Inc.  |  May 29, 2015

Go all-in on this amazing asset and you will see returns beyond anything you could dream of.

Warren Buffett is considered to be one of the greatest investors that has ever lived and is consistently ranked among the wealthiest people in the world with a net-worth north of $72 billion. He is well known for his commitment to value investing, and when he gives recommendations, people listen.

The other day I came across a quote from him where he was advising people to invest as much as possible in something that everyone has access to, something , he says, in which we can never invest too much.

What is this amazing asset he's so bullish on?

It's you.

You will never get a better return on life than when you truly invest in yourself. Here are some ways to help you make the most of your investment.

Stay healthy on all three planes: mind, body, spirit.

It all starts here. You need to be firing on all cylinders, or else you won't be able to get the most of out your life.

The worst agreement in U.S. diplomatic history

By Charles Krauthammer  |  The Washington Post  |  July 2, 2015

The devil is not in the details. It’s in the entire conception of the Iran deal, animated by President Obama’s fantastical belief that he, uniquely, could achieve detente with a fanatical Islamist regime whose foundational purpose is to cleanse the Middle East of the poisonous corruption of American power and influence. 

In pursuit of his desire to make the Islamic Republic into an accepted, normalized “successful regional power,” Obama decided to take over the nuclear negotiations. At the time, Tehran was reeling — the rial plunging, inflation skyrocketing, the economy contracting — under a regime of international sanctions painstakingly constructed over a decade. 

Then, instead of welcoming Congress’ attempt to tighten sanctions to increase the pressure on the mullahs, Obama began the negotiations by loosening sanctions, injecting billions into the Iranian economy (which began growing again in 2014) and conceding in advance an Iranian right to enrich uranium. 

It’s been downhill ever since. Desperate for a legacy deal, Obama has played the supplicant, abandoning every red line his administration had declared essential to any acceptable deal. 

Inspections.  They were to be anywhere, anytime, unimpeded. Now? Total cave. Unfettered access has become “managed access.” Nuclear inspectors will have to negotiate and receive Iranian approval for inspections. Which allows them denial and/or crucial delay for concealing any clandestine activities. 

To give a flavor of the degree of our capitulation, the administration played Iran’s lawyer on this one, explaining that, after all, “the United States of America wouldn’t allow anybody to get into every military site, so that’s not appropriate.” Apart from the absurdity of morally equating America with the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, if we were going to parrot the Iranian position, why wait 19 months to do so — after repeatedly insisting on free access as essential to any inspection regime? 

Coming clean on past nuclear activity.  The current interim agreement that governed the past 19 months of negotiation required Iran to do exactly that. Tehran has offered nothing. The administration had insisted that this accounting was essential because how can you verify future illegal advances in Iran’s nuclear program if you have no baseline? 

Retiring Soon? Don’t Make These 8 Mistakes

By Marilyn Lewis   Money Talks News  |  May 13, 2015

Following are eight money mistakes people nearing retirement make, and how to avoid such foibles so they don’t crack your nest egg.

Mistake 1: Not planning for medical expenses

Medicare kicks in at age 65, but that’s not the end of your medical expenses. Fidelity Benefits Consulting estimates a 65-year-old couple who retired in 2014 will need $220,000 of their own money for medical expenses over the course of retirement. Such costs include deductibles for Medicare Part A and Part B (in-patient and out-patient insurance) and premiums and out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

Take action:

·         Read The ABCs of Selecting a Medicare Supplement Plan, then, if you have further questions, call your state insurance commissioner’s office to get help choosing the most cost-effective Medigap plan.

·         To help dodge expenses from illness and disability, exercise regularly and stay at a healthy weight. (Get a physical exam before beginning a diet or exercise program.)

·         Check into long-term-care insurance. It’s cheaper if you sign up when you’re younger.

·         Think about moving closer to good medical centers, hospitals and family.

Mistake 2: Underestimating costs

Retirement costs can be surprising — surprisingly high, that is. You can manage costs by earning extra income in retirement. On its website, the Social Security Administration offersrules for working while receiving Social Security benefits.

Today, numerous employers offer home-based jobs. But the field is rife with scammers, so learn the red flags.

Take action: Start shopping for jobs. For ideas, read “7 Tips to Find a Job in Retirement.”

Mistake 3: Celebrating with a big purchase

No doubt you’ve got a wish list for retirement. But hold off on making major purchases at first. Instead, give retirement a spin and see what you’re spending each month.

Track expenses – every single one. A year’s tracking gives the best picture because it includes one-time and seasonal expenses.

Take action: It doesn’t matter what tracking system you use. Just find one you like and keep it up. Keep receipts, watch bank and credit card accounts online on a weekly basis, and update your tracking regularly. Here are a few approaches:

·         Try free online budget programs. Money Talks News partner PowerWallet lets you track expenses automatically for free. It and other free money management services like Mint and BudgetTracker make money by recommending financial products and supplying coupons.

·         Pay for a program such as Quicken.

·         Do-it-yourself. Track expenditures manually and offline on a spreadsheet.

Mistake 4: Helping out adult kids

Many parents set themselves up for a crisis in retirement by supporting adult children financially. A study by Merrill Lynch says 60 percent of people 50 and older are assisting adult relatives financially.

If you are a parent who gives money to an adult child, remember the following: Adult children still have time to pay off college loans and save for retirement. Their parents — in other words, you — are running out of time to save for the golden years ahead.

Take action:

·         Make a concrete plan with goals and deadlines for gradually withdrawing financial help from your kids.

·         Discuss the changes with your kids and help them learn to budget.

·         Model financial restraint and responsibility for your kids.

Mistake 5: Claiming Social Security too soon

Waiting to claim Social Security benefits is one of the best investments around. If your full retirement age is somewhere between 66 and 67, your benefit check could grow by 32 percent if you wait until age 70 to collect, Social Security spokesman Michael Webb said in an email. If your full retirement age is 67, waiting until 70 yields a maximum possible increase of 24 percent.

The average benefit Social Security pays is $1,294 — $2,111 for a couple. If your full retirement age is 66, waiting until 70 would grow a $1,294 benefit to $1,708 a month for life. For couples, if both spouses wait to 70, the $2,111 average combined benefit can grow to $2,787 a month.

On the other hand, about half of retirees take Social Security at the earliest possible moment — when they’re 62. U.S. News & World Report says:

Social Security benefits are reduced for workers who sign up at age 62, and the amount of the reduction has recently increased from 20 percent for people born in 1937 or earlier to 25 percent for baby boomers born between 1943 and 1954. … The reduction in benefits for people claiming at age 62 will further increase to 30 percent for everyone born in 1960 or later under current law.

Take action:

·         Go to SocialSecurity.gov’s My Account to see your estimated benefits. If you’ve paid into the Social Security system, you can create an account and pull up a statement showing what you’ll earn by claiming benefits at various ages.

·         Keep your current job if you can and delay retirement. Or get a part-time job that helps you hang on longer before claiming benefits.

·         Hire a Certified Financial Planner to review your retirement plan, income and expenses with you.

Mistake 6: Forgetting to plan for taxes

The IRS probably won’t disappear from your life when you retire.

For instance, traditional tax-deferred retirement plans like 401(k)s and IRAs require you to withdraw a minimum amount each year beginning in the year you turn 70½. If you don’t, you could be hit with a big penalty.

​Good planning, especially before retirement, can help manage the tax bite. One strategy, Stacy Johnson says, is to roll a portion of retirement savings into a Roth retirement plan, which has no minimum distribution requirements. Roth plans require taxes to be paid before money goes in. You withdraw the funds tax-free later. The strategies you use will depend on your income now and what you expect it to be after retirement.

Take action: Make a plan — or get expert help making one — that takes taxable retirement income into account.

Mistake 7: Ignoring estate planning

Get your affairs in order before you’re ill or old so you’ll have control over where your money and possessions go. It’s a kindness to your heirs, too, because they won’t be saddled with the work.

Take action:

·         Make or update your will and, if appropriate, make a revocable living trust.

·         Sign a durable power of attorney naming someone you trust to make your legal and financial decisions if you cannot.

·         Assign health care power of attorney to someone to make your medical decisions if you’re unable.

Mistake 8: Investing too conservatively

As retirement grows nearer, it seems prudent to invest more conservatively. But you could live another 20 years. Savings held too conservatively shrink because of inflation. A portion of your funds needs to grow.

“Never taking risk means taking a different risk,” Johnson says.

Take action: Learn about investing so you can be confident in taking measured risks to earn gains, even as you grow older.

7 Ingenious Ways to Save Money That Take Minimal Effort

By Sean Williams  |  The Motley Fool  |  July 19, 2015

Compared to the rest of the developed world, Americans aren't very good savers. The latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that the U.S. personal savings rate is 5.1%. While this is a vast improvement from the 2% to 4% rate between 2005 and 2007, it's still well below the 8.4% average savings rate of the cumulative 1959-2015 period in the United States.

By comparison, examination of personal savings rates from the 34 developed countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, in 2011 yielded 10 countries with savings rates above 9%! Citizens in Ireland, France, and Germany socked away 19.3%, 16%, and 11.4% of their respective income as of 2011.

Seven ways you can save money with minimal effort

This vast disparity in savings rates compounded with so many Americans (see the state of baby boomers) struggling to reach their retirement goals is a slap in the face for Americans to get off their behinds and put a plan of action in place to save money. Yet, even though we know we should be making a better effort to save money, some of us still don't t.

With that in mind, today we're going to look at seven ingenious ways you can save money over the short and long term while putting forth as little effort as possible. That's right, my fellow procrastinators, I'm talking to you so listen up!

1. Use tax-advantaged retirement accounts

I believe one of the smartest moves you can make is to open up and max out your contribution to a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA is a retirement account that provides no up-front tax benefit, but allows your investments to grow completely free of taxation for life as long as you make no unqualified withdrawals. There's also no minimum distribution requirement with a Roth, and you can continue making contributions past age 70. Keep in mind that Roth IRAs do have income limitations, which you can view on the IRS' website.

If you don't qualify for a Roth, a traditional IRA could be a smart move. You will pay ordinary income tax on your investment gains when you begin making withdrawals, but there's an up-front dollar-for-dollar tax benefit on your contribution that helps lower your taxable income in the current calendar tax year. Also, traditional IRA contributions stop at age 70 and you must take a required minimum distribution before age 70 1/2 and every year thereafter.

Lastly, don't forget about employee-sponsored 401(k)s, which, like a traditional IRA, allow your money to grow on a tax-deferred basis. The maximum employee contribution limit in 2015 is $18,000.

2. Go see your doctor regularly

We may not be thrilled to go to the doctor, but over the long haul, it could be one of the smartest moves we make. Getting regular checkups with your primary care physician allows him or her a better opportunity to spot diseases and disorders early before they become a serious and potentially costly problem for you later in life.

This is one of the long-tail, cost-control methods the Affordable Care Act employs. The presumption is that if more people have access to health insurance, they'll be more likely to visit their doctor and get regular checkups. This should lead to early detection and prevention long before diseases or disorders get costly for the patient and health-benefits provider.

New citizens can now skip oath to defend the U.S.

By Jessica Chasmar  |  The Washington Times  |  July 22, 2015

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Tuesday that it will no longer require incoming U.S. citizens to declare that they will bear arms on behalf of the United States, as stipulated in the Oath of Allegiance.

USCIS said new citizens may exclude phrases for reasons related to “religious training” or if they have a conscientious objection, including the phrase, “I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law.”

It it not required to belong to a specific church or religion, follow a particular theology or belief, or to have had religious training in order to qualify for the exemption, USCIS said, the Washington Examiner first reported.

USCIS said it is accepting feedback on the policy change through Aug. 4.

The current naturalization oath reads as follows:

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

Testimony in Congress over killings linked to undocumented immigrants

By Bill Theobald  |  The Arizona Republic  |  July 22, 2015

Grant Ronnebeck was a 21-year-old Mesa convenience store clerk trying to help a customer who wanted to buy cigarettes.

Kate Steinle, 32, was walking along a San Francisco pier, arm-in-arm with her father.

Josh Wilkerson, 18, was giving a classmate a ride home after school in Pearland, Texas.

They are among the Americans killed in recent years by people suspected of being in the country illegally, their family members told the Senate Judiciary Committee in an emotional testimony Tuesday. Their accused killers had already been convicted of crimes at the time of the homicides, but were free pending deportation.

Between 2010 and 2014, 121 undocumented immigrants who committed crimes were released while awaiting deportation and were later charged with homicide, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Miscommunication, refusal by some local police departments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and a failure to enforce existing laws were among problems cited as contributing to these deaths.

Judiciary Committee members said they are working on legislation to remedy the problem by imposing stiffer penalties on people who re-enter the country after being deported or by taking federal funds away from cities that refuse to cooperate.

The family members who testified Tuesday were united by grief and a desire that the deaths of their loved ones have some meaning.

“He was a friendly, outgoing, loveable guy,” Grant Ronnebeck’s uncle, Michael Ronnebeck, testified.

Apolinar Altamirano, accused of shooting Ronnebeck in January, was in the country illegally.

He had pleaded guilty to felony burglary in an August 2012 incident in which a Mesa woman said she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted. Altamirano was sentenced to two years probation and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After animmigration hearing, he posted $10,000 bond and was released.

“We want Grant’s death to be a force for change,” Michael Ronnebeck said.

TV host Tomi Lahren slams Obama's Middle East policy

By Cole Conley  |  USA Today Network  |  July 21, 2015

In a video that has reached millions of people, a conservative anchor, 22, from an independent network, had strong words for Obama and his administration following the shooting of four Marines in Chattanooga.

Her name is Tomi Lahren and she works for One America News Network headquartered in in San Diego, California.

During her segment, On point with Tomi Lahren, Lahren called out Obama for his 'half-way, half-baked, tip-toe, be-friendly-to-Jihadis mentality.'

Her speech caught the Internet's attention with comments including, "I care this s.o.b. killed four of our United States Marines. And I care that our commander in chief is more concerned with Muslim sensitivity than the honor and sacrifice made by these Marines."

She comes from a family of Marines, and she thinks it's time "to put the fear of God in their desert."

The segment was posted to YouTube on July 18. It currently has over 2.5 million views.

To view the video, click here.

Is anyone connecting the dots? - Terrorist attacks in the US since 9-11

By Dixon  |  30minuteVIEW  |  July 22, 2015

When are our leaders, particularly President Obama, going to address the the issue of Islamic terrorism and the threat to citizens here in the United States?

The response from our leaders to the Chattanooga terror attacks is very similar to the response after other recent attacks - it was a lone wolf or a lone gunman or not part of a larger threat.  There have been so many similar attacks since September 11, 2001 that it is easy to forget just how many have taken place and how many Americans have been killed.  Below is a list of attacks that have been tied to or suspected to be tied to radical Islam by the FBI or other investigators.  Not shown are the too numerous to include plots that have been averted.

The following was compiled from various news sites and Wikipedia.

Date - Location - Incident - Number Killed - (Suspect)

2001-09-11 - New York, NY - Hijackers steer planes into the World Trade Center - 2,752 killed (al   Qaeda)

2001-09-11 - Washington, DC - Hijackers steer a plane into the Pentagon - 184 killed (al Qaeda)

2001-09-11 - Shanksville, PA - Hijackers attempt to steer a plane into the US Capitol Building crashing in an open field - 40 killed (al Qaeda)

2001-12-22 - Miami, FL - Shoe Bomber on Flight 63 - 0 killed (Richard Reid)

2002-03-19 - Tuscon, AZ - Sniper shoot man on golf course - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-07-04 - Los Angeles, CA  - Shooter at International Airport - 2 killed (Hesham Mohamed Hadayet)

2002-09-05 - Clinton, MD - Man shoots pizzeria owner - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-09-21 - Montgomery, AL - Two women shot by snipers - 1 killed  (John Allen Muhammad   and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-09-23 - Baton Rouge, LA - Woman shot by sniper - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-10-02 - Wheaton, MD - Man shot by sniper - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-10-03 - Montgomery County, MD - 5 people shot by snipers - 5 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-10-09 - Manassas, VA - Man killed by sniper - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-10-11 - Fredericksburg, MD - Man killed by sniper - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2002-10-14 - Arlington, VA - Man killed by sniper - 1 killed (John Allen Muhammad and  Lee Boyd Malvo)

2003-08-06 - Houston, TX - Jewish student killed on campus - 1 killed (Mohammed Ali Alayed)

2006-03-03 - Raleigh, NC - Man runs down pedestrian with car - 1 killed (Mohammed Reza             Taherazza

2006-06-16 - Owings Mills, MD - Jewish moviegoer shot by gunman - 1 killed (Mujtaba Rabbani       Jabbar)

2006-06-25 - Denver, CO - Four co-workers and a police officer shot by gunman - 2 killed (Michael Julius Ford)

2006-07-28 - Seattle, WA - Six women shot at Jewish center - 1 killed (Naveed Afzal Haq)

2009-06-01 - Little Rock, AR - US Military recruiting center  soldier shot - 1 killed (Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad)

2009-11-05 - Kileen, TX - Fort Hood shooting - 13 killed (Nidal Malik Hasan) 

2009-12-04 - Binghamton, NY - Professor stabbed by grad student - 1 killed (Abdulsalam al-Zahrani)

2009-12-25 - Detroit, MI - Underwear Bomber on Flight 253 - 0 killed (Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab)

2011-09-11 - Waltham, MA - Three Jewish men throats slashed - 3 killed (Ibragim Todashev)

2012-01-15 - Houston, TX - Christian man shot - 1 killed (Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan)

2013-02-07 - Buena Vista, NJ - Two Christian immigrants beheaded - 2 killed (Yusuf Ibrahim)

2013-03-24 - Ashtabula, OH - Christian father killed - 1 killed (Reshad Riddle)

2013-04-15 - Boston, MA - Boston Marathon bombings - 3 killed (Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev)

2013-04-19 - Boston, MA - University police officer shot - 1 killed (Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev)

2013-08-04 - Richmond, CA - Store clerk stabbed - 1 killed (Daymond Agnew)

2014-04-27 - Skyway, WA - Man murdered - 1 killed (Ali Muhammad Brown)

2014-06-01 - Seattle, WA - Two men murdered -  killed (Ali Muhammad Brown)

2014-06-25 - West Orange, NJ - College student shot - 1 killed (Ali Muhammad Brown)

2014-09-25 - Moore, OK - Woman beheaded at workplace - 1 killed (Alton Alexander Nolen)

2014-10-23 - New York, NY - Hatchet attack on four police officers - 0 killed (Zale Thompson)

2014-12-20 - Brooklyn, NY - Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu - 0 Killed (Ismaaiyl Brinsley)

2015-05-03 - Garland, TX -  Art Exhibit hosted by the American Freedom Defense Initiative - 0 Killed (Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi)

2015-07-16 - Chattanooga, TN - Killings at military installations - 5 killed (Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez)

All content provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.

Comment to Iran Nuclear Deal Sums Up Frustration

By MikethebikeHailwood  |  The Daily Mail  |  July 15, 2015

In response to an article in the Daily Mail reporting the details of the Iranian nuclear deal, the following was posted in the comments section:

"NSA,IRS lois lerner,Fast and furious,Solyndra,obamacare,Bo Burghdahl,lowest workforce participation rate,kerry,biden and Americans are to stupid/gruber, and now this.

The article, 'Iran will NOT develop a nuclear weapon': Obama insists deal with Tehran will work as he promises to veto any legislation to stop it, can be viewed here.

Forget Obama...Republicans made the Iran nukes deal possible

By Newsmachete  |  American Thinker  |  July 15, 2015

Mark Levin has been shouting until he is blue in the face that this truly awful nuclear deal with Iran has been made possible only with the help of Senate Republicans, who passed a bill (99-1, with Tom Cotton of Arkansas the only sane dissenter) making it nearly impossible to stop Obama's agreement with the ayatollahs:

Normally, here's how treaties work: the President negotiates a treaty with another country, like the deal he is negotiating with Iran over its nuclear weapons development. Once the treaty is negotiated, it's submitted to the Senate. Two thirds of the Senate has to vote to approve, or ratify, the treaty. If two thirds do not support it, it is not binding.
But the bill the Congress sent to the President turns things on its head. It will allow the President to lift sanctions on Iran, and unless Congress objects with a 2/3 vote within 30 days, the President's actions are allowed to stand. See the reversal? Formerly, the President needed a 2/3 vote to act, and now the Congress needs a 2/3 vote to stop him from acting. And be assured the Democrats will never let the Republicans get that many votes.
Cruz, Rubio and Paul fought this measure procedurely, at first... but then voted for it on final passage. Totally inexplicable. And totally wrong, from a policy and constitutional perspective.

And now listen to the Republicans roar!

The most dovish member of the 2016 Republican presidential field – Sen. Rand Paul – says he's against President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. In a Facebook post, the Kentucky senator said his three concerns were: "1) sanctions relief precedes evidence of compliance, 2) Iran is left with significant nuclear capacity, 3) it lifts the ban on selling advanced weapons to Iran."
"I will, therefore, vote against the agreement," he said.

Rand, if you knew that this would happen, why did you vote for a procedure that makes it impossible to stop Obama's agreement?  What were you thinking?  What were you smoking?

Rubio, Paul, Cruz vote to allow Obama to lift Iran sanctions

By Newsmachete  |  American Thinker  |  May 8, 2015

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Ted Cruz, but when he does something wrong, it's important to call him on it. In this case he, along with Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, voted for a bill that will effectively allow the President to lift sanctions on Iran.

Normally, here's how treaties work: the President negotiates a treaty with another country, like the deal he is negotiating with Iran over its nuclear weapons development. Once the treaty is negotiated, it's submitted to the Senate. Two thirds of the Senate has to vote to approve, or ratify, the treaty. If two thirds do not support it, it is not binding.

Cruz, Rubio and Paul fought this measure procedurely, at first... but then voted for it on final passage. Totally inexplicable. And totally wrong, from a policy and constitutional perspective.But the bill the Congress sent to the President turns things on its head. It will allow the President to lift sanctions on Iran, and unless Congress objects with a 2/3 vote within 30 days, the President's actions are allowed to stand. See the reversal? Formerly, the President needed a 2/3 vote to act, and now the Congress needs a 2/3 vote to stop him from acting. And be assured the Democrats will never let the Republicans get that many votes.


Paradoxically, this bill is being sold as one that will give Congress more oversight and control over the negotiations. In practice it will do the opposite, and starts to raise questions about the national security judgment of Rubio, Paul, and Cruz. Only Tom Cotton of Arkansas ended up voting against the final bill. That's right--only one vote against. Always beware of near-unanimous votes in the Congress, because they are nearly unanimously bad results.

As an attorney (who attended the same law school as Obama and Ted Cruz, and actually at the same time as the former), my personal opinion is that this vote of Congress is probably unconstitutional. Congress cannot vote to give away the powers granted it under the Constitution. The treaty ratifying power is given to the Senate under the Constitution and the Senate cannot waive it, no matter how much Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell want to.
Practically speaking, of course, it no longer matters very much what is or is not constitutional, as the courts are curiously uninterested in limiting executive power and the legislative branch is intent on giving it up, so there is no one to challenge it and no effective forum to challenge it in.

This article was produced by NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site.

What to Know About Hillary Clinton’s Economic Proposals

By Sam Frizell  |  Time  |  July 13, 2015

The presidential hopeful looks to capitalize on a populist wave

Hillary Clinton called Monday for “principled and pragmatic and progressive policies” aimed at boosting middle-class incomes, as she laid out her vision of the American economy in the first major policy speech of her presidential campaign.

It was a speech intended to capitalize on the surge of populism that has swept much of the country and excited the Democratic base, and also lay out a roadmap for the goals of a Clinton presidency.

Clinton delivered her speech as a series of policy solutions for problems she sees in the American economy. Republicans quickly dismissed them. “Hillary Clinton’s entire economic pitch is built upon the false premise that Democrats have not occupied the White House for the past six and a half years—a period that has seen the weakest economic recovery in modern history, rising income inequality, an ever-shrinking middle class, and negative growth in the first 3 months of this year,” Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short said in a statement.

Below is a cheat sheet of what Clinton says ails the economy, and how she says she’ll fix it. Note that many of the details are missing, as Clinton says in the coming months she’ll fill in the gaps with more policy speeches.

Problem as described by Clinton: Income inequality is a drag on the economy

Wealth inequality is slowing economic growth, Clinton said. It’s not just a fairness issue, she said, but a practical one. “The evidence is in: inequality is a drag on our entire economy,” Clinton said.

How she wants to fix it

-Raise the minimum wage. “If you work hard you should be compensated fairly,” Clinton said. But unlike Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who have called for a $15 minimum wage, Clinton has not set a firm target for the wage.

-Crack down on employers who misclassify employees as contractors, and fight wage theft.

-Protect President Obama’s health care reform law, lower health care costs and make prescription drugs more affordable.

-Defend and “enhance” social security to make it easier to save for the future.

-Create tax incentives to encourage corporate profit-sharing for employees.

-Tighten the tax code to make sure “millionaires don’t pay lower [tax] rates than their secretaries” and closing tax loopholes.

-Support unions and the right to organize. “If we want to get serious about raising incomes, we have to get serious about supporting union workers,” Clinton said.