Returning to Reagan’s principles
November 14, 2006 | By Nathaniel Ward
Economist Larry Kudlow explains the need for fiscally conservative economic policies at Heritage's President's Club meeting Monday.
Conservatives should return to Ronald Reagan’s principles of limited government and low taxes, economist and CNBC television host Larry Kudlow told members of Heritage’s President’s Club yesterday evening.
Speaking yesterday to the fall President’s Club meeting at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington, DC, Kudlow recommended that conservatives push for a pay-as-you-go rule for spending. This would mean that any new spending initiative must be offset by cuts to other, less essential programs. Such a rule, he said, would allow America to maintain its current low tax rates—and it would deny liberals an opportunity to enact their high-tax, high-spending agenda.
Following Kudlow’s speech, economist Arthur Laffer explained the four basic economic “pillars” that guided Ronald Reagan as President:
The morality of taxes
The issue of taxation is more than simply a money issue, Heritage Trustee Steve Forbes told a gathering of Heritage’s Executive Committee during the President’s Club meeting yesterday.
Click here to find out why Forbes believes this.
A special message from Lady Thatcher
Yesterday’s President’s Club dinner featured a special video message from Lady Thatcher, the Patron of The Heritage Foundation. In the brief clip, the former British Prime Minister shared her thoughts on the conservative legacy of President Ronald Reagan.
Click here to watch Lady Thatcher’s special message for Heritage members (Windows Media format).
A unique Heritage television appearance
Freida Warren, Heritage’s long-time receptionist, always draws a smile from visitors and staffers alike. She greets everyone by name, and every Thursday she reminds us that “it’s Friday eve!” And when it’s rainy and gloomy outside, she smiles and points out that it’s really “liquid sunshine.”
Because she’s one of those people who “go out of their way to put a spring in your step or a smile on your face,” she was selected as a “News 4 Morning Person” and profiled by the Washington NBC affiliate last week. Click here to watch Freida’s profile on NBC 4 (Windows Media format)!
In other news
- News reports indicate that Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL), who authored the Senate’s amnesty legislation earlier this year, will be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee.
- South Africa’s Parliament has approved same-sex marriages and civil unions between any two individuals. Meanwhile, California activists are appealing a judge’s ruling that refused to redefine marriage.
- British intelligence suggests that al Qaeda is looking to obtain nuclear materials.
- Former New York City Mayor Rudoph Guiliani announced yesterday that he is formally exploring the possibility of a 2008 run for President.
- Liberals in Congress led the successful opposition to a bill to normalize trade relations with Vietnam. President Bush will be visiting the country later this week.
- Congress passed a law yesterday making it a federal offense to threaten or harm animal researchers or those affiliated with them. While thwarting animal-rights terrorists is a good idea, does this really need to be a federal law?
- The Honolulu Star-Bulletin is encouraging the new liberal Congressional leadership to again take up the racist Hawaiian secession bill. The newspaper’s radical editorial goes so far as to argue that “President Bush needs to be convinced that the constitutional issue should be addressed in court rather than be used to justify a veto” (emphasis added).
Coming up at Heritage
To attend these or any other Heritage Foundation events, RSVP at Heritage’s events website. Or you can watch these events live online at Heritage.org. All times are Eastern.
- On Wednesday, November 15 at 12:30 p.m., author Nonie Darwish explains why she renounced the radical jihad practiced by her parents and why she embraces the United States and Israel.
- On Friday, November 16 at 12:30 p.m., author and politician J. William Middendorf looks back on Barry Goldwater’s 1964 campaign for president and how it set the stage for later conservative successes.
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.
