Editor at Conservative Magazine To Be Top Policy Adviser to Bush (Zinsmeister, American Enterprise)

The Washington Post ^ | May 25, 2006 | Michael A. Fletcher

[neverdem]

President Bush appointed a longtime scholar at the American Enterprise Institute yesterday to be his top domestic policy adviser, a post that has been vacant since February, when Claude A. Allen stepped down after being charged with stealing more than $5,000 in a phony refund scheme.

Karl Zinsmeister, who has worked the past 12 years as editor in chief of the American Enterprise magazine, is slated to assume his White House post June 12. At the institute, he focused on examining cultural issues, as well as social and economic trends. His columns for the magazine included pieces praising Wal-Mart's efficiency and extolling the role of religion in forming the glue that bonds communities.

Zinsmeister, 47, also has written three books defending the war in Iraq, a nation he has visited four times as an embedded journalist. His books focus on the everyday work of U.S. troops, whose progress in fulfilling a noble mission, he argues, is often overlooked by much of the media.

"What the establishment media covering Iraq have utterly failed to make clear today is this central reality: With the exception of periodic flare-ups in isolated corners, our struggle in Iraq as warfare is over," Zinsmeister wrote in his column last June. "Egregious acts of terror will continue -- in Iraq as in many other parts of the world. But there is now no chance whatever of the U.S. losing this critical guerrilla war."

Zinsmeister also has shot a documentary about soldiers in Iraq, scheduled to air on PBS stations next year.

"Karl has broad policy experience and a keen insight into many of the issues that face America's families and entrepreneurs, including race, poverty, welfare, and education," Bush said in a statement. "He is an innovative thinker and an accomplished executive. He will lead my domestic policy..."

[neverdem]

http://www.theamericanenterprise.org/default.asp

[ConservativeMind]

What is his view on the illegal immigration issue?

[el_texicano]

That was my FIRST question...wonder why?

[SIDENET]

Hell, I'll be a domestic policy advisor.

Close the borders.

Enforce the law.

[armydawg1]

Maybe the President has suddenly discovered the Republicans face a disaster in November? "Now what did I do what those conservative roots I used to have?"

[neverdem]

What is his view on the illegal immigration issue?

Great question, so I entered immigration into the American Enterprise Online's search function. Guess what leaps out to me?

The Special Case of Mexican Immigration By Samuel P. Huntington

While Huntington is a registered dem, he doesn't tow the current dem party line.

[zeaal]

Can we count on Zinsmeister to tell the President that the American people as well as the Republican base are directly opposed to his position on immigration?

[ConservativeMind]

From that article (which, I hope, reflects on the AEI on the whole):

President-elect Vicente Fox wants to remove all restrictions on the movement of Mexicans into the United States.

In almost every recent year the Border Patrol has stopped about 1 million people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally from Mexico. It is generally estimated that about 300,000 make it across illegally. If over 1 million Mexican soldiers crossed the border, Americans would treat it as a major threat to their national security and react accordingly. The invasion of over 1 million Mexican civilians is a comparable threat to American societal security, and Americans should react against it with comparable vigor.

Mexican immigration looms as a unique and disturbing challenge to our cultural integrity, our national identity, and potentially to our future as a country.

[sheana]

"Karl has broad policy experience and a keen insight into many of the issues that face America's families and entrepreneurs, including race, poverty, welfare, and education," Bush said in a statement. "

This is what is wrong with our country. It is run by people whose credentials prove that they absolutely have no concept of what typical American families face. There is no way this man could have a clue, yet he is going to be Bush's advosor on these things.

The elites in Washington need to get out of the beltway and out of the think tanks and spend some time in real America. And I don't mean 2 hr photo shoots.

[John Jorsett]

Does the President need another warm body to tell him that the conservative base is royally pissed off? If he wants to know why, he might try reading his mail or any of 10,000 blogs.

[WOSG]

I disagree with you.

Zinsmeister didnt just hole up in a DC office. To find out what was going on in Iraq, he visited the place in person for extended periods of time (I mean by that months at a time). His reporting has been some of the best.

Frankly, Zinsmeister wouldnt be a bad choice as an advisor on Iraq either, come to think of it.

[sheana]

America's families and entrepreneurs, including race, poverty, welfare, and education," Bush said in a statement. "

I don't see Iraq mentioned anywhere. ;)

[Sonny M]

The elites in Washington need to get out of the beltway and out of the think tanks and spend some time in real America.

This guys background is pretty clear that he isn't a washington elitist or someone who runs in inner circles.

He is a real deal outsider, the only way Bush could have found someone further out was to grab a homeless person off the streets of NY.

I'm a little surprised though, Zinmeister isn't actually a Bush supporter and more or less a critic with alot of contempt for politicians...meaning he is going to wind up alienating a few folks, and getting little accomplished unless he learns some people skills.

[Chgogal]

I've been thinking (hey, no funny comments necessary LOL). Secure the country's borders is a no brainer. Presently, unemployment is at 4.6% WITH 12 million illegals in the country. GDP growth has been anywhere between 3-5% a quarter for the past few years.

My questions, how do we conservatives mimic the free flow labor market that is happening under the present loose border policy? What are we conservatives going to do about labor market demand? With unemployment so low and GDP growth anywhere from 3-5%, cutting the free flow of labor could be problematic for future economic growth. I am very curious if anyone has thought of the Border/Immigration Problem from that angle?

I know this isn't a military question, but I wouldn't mind the best brains considering these questions. Thank you. :)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642841/posts?page=92#92;

Only got three responses. Curious what's your view?

[grey_whiskers]

I've been thinking (hey, no funny comments necessary LOL). Secure the country's borders is a no brainer. Presently, unemployment is at 4.6% WITH 12 million illegals in the country. GDP growth has been anywhere between 3-5% a quarter for the past few years.

OK, I'll take a stab at parts of it. I don't have all the answers, but I'll give you a lot of follow-up questions which might illuminate things. 1) Unemployment is at 4.6 %. Great. Is that the business survey or the household survey? Does the question only businesses which hire legally, or those who hire under the table? And what about "underemployment"?

2. What is the unemployment rate among illegals? What is the unemployment rate in Mexico? I thought NAFTA was going to result in a boom for both the US and Mexico. What happened down south?

3. GDP growth does not automatically translate into growth in hiring, at least in the short term. Remember that one of the "miracles" which former Fed Secretary Alan Greenspan discovered was dramatically increased productivity growth--higher GDP output per worker.

My questions, how do we conservatives mimic the free flow labor market that is happening under the present loose border policy? What are we conservatives going to do about labor market demand? With unemployment so low and GDP growth anywhere from 3-5%, cutting the free flow of labor could be problematic for future economic growth. I am very curious if anyone has thought of the Border/Immigration Problem from that angle?

I don't see how bringing in a large suppy off illiterate, uneducated, manual laborers is going to solve the employment needs of Boeing, Ford, ADM, Microsoft, or Intel any time soon.

The illegals supply a different need. Most of the illegals seem to be in low-level service jobs ("jobs we won't pay American wages to do") or are competing in higher-wage unskilled and semi-skilled positions (e.g. construction where I have read you can get a day laborer of Mexican origin for $100/day without payment of taxes, social security, workers' comp, etc.)

OK, you CAN bring these people in, but only with a corresponding drop in quality of work. But that's "OK" since most people no longer consider the quality of products or services until long AFTER the sale. At that point, good luck getting your money back.

Try looking on my Freeper Home Page and clicking on the vanities Another Look At Outsourcing, A Falling Tide Grounds All Boats, and Peak Labor as well as Immigration Policies, or, Half-A-Glass.

Cheers!

[neverdem]

A Latin Backlash(Hugo Chavez has managed to replace George W. Bush as the imperialist specter.)

Keeping the Faith Ben Stein with sorely needed historical perspective

David McCullough: A Man Worth Knowing (John Adams) great read!

From time to time, I’ll ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

[FairOpinion]

"Zinsmeister, 47, also has written three books defending the war in Iraq, a nation he has visited four times as an embedded journalist. His books focus on the everyday work of U.S. troops, whose progress in fulfilling a noble mission, he argues, is often overlooked by much of the media. "


====

GREAT CHOICE!!!!!!

[FairOpinion]

I hate to break this to you and all the rest of the "one-issu-bots", but immigration is NOT the only issue, is not even the most important domestic issue, it's just ONE of SEVERAL issues.

Try taxes, social security, regulations, employment, etc.

[bitt]

this is such a no-brainer, when people constantly trample your land and your rights as a citizen, why you move as fast as you can for relief, i.e., build and maintain a barrier and then threaten and bring suit aginst the transgressor(s).