From the right: Cory Booker’s Lead Balloon
The moment Sen. Jeff Sessions was named attorney general, says Fred Barnes at The Weekly Standard, it was clear Democrats would need “a surprise witness” to defeat him. That was the tactic they used to derail his 1986 nomination for a federal judgeship, when a witness claimed Sessions had made a racially insensitive remark. In 2017 they chose Sen. Cory Booker. But “this time, the unexpected testimony failed.” Why? The New Jersey Democrat “had no secrets about Sessions to reveal.” His opposition was simply “a disagreement over policy” — a complaint that Sessions “takes a different approach on [key] issues . . . than Booker would.” When it was over, “the air went out of the anti-Sessions balloon.”
Security researcher: How US Charities Fund Terrorism
In the Obama years, argues Sam Westrop at National Review, Washington “appeared to ease up on prosecutions of American Islamist charities linked to terror” — a “marked change from the years after 9/11.” This “permissive attitude has afforded Islamist groups the chance for a resurgence.” And the “most common terrorism link for American Islamist charities involves, unsurprisingly, the Palestinian territories.” Problem is, “Islamist charities linked to terrorism do provide charitable services, including welfare, children’s summer camps and educational programs,” allowing them to get Western cash “without raising too much suspicion.” But they operate “with the support of Hamas” — which “ensures that such charitable services serve to prop up Hamas’ grip over the Gaza strip.”
Foreign desk: Tillerson Looking Smart on Russia
No one should be surprised that Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson made it clear at his confirmation hearing “that he is not a fan of Vladimir Putin,” notes Leonid Bershidsky at Bloomberg. While Tillerson is “not out of sync with Donald Trump’s stated desire for a better relationship with Russia,” he was “signaling that improved relations shouldn’t come at any price.” His strong criticism of Putin’s domestic and foreign policies “seemed to violate” the “either-with-us-or-against-us” attitude among many US Russia experts. In fact, suggests Bershidsky, Tillerson offered “the clearest, most coherent statement of intent in US policy vis-a-vis Russia heard so far this century.” He favors “an open and frank dialog” that “will sometimes lead to partnership,” but “strong action when Russian interests contradict US ones.” And this is “the start of a more realistic, more predictable relationship.”
Policy wonk: Tort Reform Fueled Texas ‘Miracle’
Texas’ “striking economic vitality” is generally attributed to “a combination of low taxes, light regulation and responsible levels of government spending,” notes Kathleen Hunker at City Journal. But “one crucial component is often overlooked,” she says: “Over the last two decades, Texas engaged in a conversation as to the purpose and role of its civil courts.” Those courts once were “virtual fiefdoms of trial lawyers,” recognizing “few limits on damage claims” and making the state “toxic for business.” But the Legislature moved “to strike a balance and roll back tort excesses,” which “marked a turning point in the state’s economic rise. Together with competitive tax and regulatory policies, tort reform sowed the field so that Texas’ pro-growth policies could take root.”
Economist: E-Commerce May Kill Macy’s, Sears
Two “icons of American business” are struggling and could even go bankrupt, says Robert Samuelson in The Washington Post: “Macy’s plans to close 100 stores to improve profitability,” while “Sears has sold its Craftsman tool line for roughly $900 million to raise cash.” They’re just the latest retailers “under siege from e-commerce.” The trend should provide for “improved business efficiency,” he says: “The most inefficient stores will shut; the survivors will be more viable and stable.” One problem: “It hasn’t happened yet.” Why? “People no longer buy everything in stores, but stores are still necessary” — and similar trends in other industries mean that US “productivity growth has slowed dramatically.” If not reversed, he warns, it could mean long-term stagnation in wages and incomes.”
— Compiled by Eric Fettmann