Research Briefing

This Week On The RNC Research Department’s

“Stomping Grounds” Blog

VAT TAX COMETH: In the scramble to come up with federal revenue for their big spending agenda, the Obama administration appears to be edging closer and closer to the extremely regressive VAT. 

KICKING MAIN ST. WHILE IT’S DOWN: Obama claims the Democrats’ financial regulation bill targets big Wall St. banks, however the real victim of the bill is Main St. and small business owners.

CONSEQUENCES OF BINGE SPENDING CONTINUE: Obama’s OMB director, Peter Orszag, is now worried that massive deficits could cause the market to lose confidence in the government’s creditworthiness, too bad Mr. Orszag’s 2011 budget greatly increases those very deficits. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT TARP: Democrats claim they need to levy a bank tax to recoup the money given to the big banks under TARP, but what they won’t tell you is that the banks have already paid back their TARP loans with interest and it is the auto firms GM and Chrysler, bailed out by this administration, that is costing the taxpayers.

THE REVIEWS ARE IN: And more than two thirds of economists agree that Obama’s stimulus was an epic failure.  See what they said.

AN ECONOMIC AFTERTHOUGHT: Obama promised to create two million jobs by doubling U.S. exports in the next five years, but continues to disregard important trade deals with Colombia and South Korea causing one Democratic lawmaker to warn the President against letting the U.S. become an economic afterthought in the global economy.

DIPLOMATIC EMBARRASSMENT: The Obama administration’s diplomatic outreach to the Syrian regime is becoming an international embarrassment as noted by The Washington Post’s editorial board.

JOB-AGEDDON: In a rush to pay for their job-killing agenda, Obama and his allies in Congress are preparing to emplace job-killing taxes. 

GEITHNER GAFFES: In an interview with Fareed Zakaria, Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner proudly admits he “never had a real job,” but, unfortunately for the American people, that’s exactly the kind of experience this country needs.

PUNISHING THE INNOCENT: The Democrats’ say their new financial reform bill is meant to regulate the big financial firms that started the economic crisis, however their legislation would end up punishing small community banks.

MIND THE (CREDIBILITY) GAP: In our new series Obama’s Credibility Gap we take a look at the massive disconnect between the President’s rhetoric and the reality of his actions on his health care and financial regulation reform, the costs of health care insurance under his plan, the White House’s relations with our allies, and painful cuts to the Medicare Advantage program.

THE FIERCE URGENCY OF MAYBE LATER: The White House claims they’re looking at ways of dealing with the pressing issue of reforming the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but we don’t suggest holding your breath. 

STIMULATING THE ECONOMY WITH FIELD TRIPS?: Someone call Sheriff Biden because a new review of stimulus spending in Oakland, CA, reveals hundreds of thousands of dollars spent taking trips to amusement parks.

OPPOSITE DAY FOR OBAMA: On the campaign trail back in 2008, Obama claimed that his health care plan would lower premiums by $2,500, but now the White House’s favorite health care analysts say there’s no question premiums will be higher in 2012 than they are today.

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