The Ripon Forum—Vol. 45, No. 4, Fall 2011

Volume 45, No. 4, Fall 2011

In This Edition By Lou Zickar With the 2012 general election less than a year a way, it’s probably safe to say that the current crop of GOP presidential candidates has not exactly set the world on fire.........MORE	Debt Reduction Done Right By Maya MacGuineas With the debt at historic levels, this respected budget expert argues that what the country needs is a bold and balanced plan to curb spending and get the economy back on track...........MORE
The Rise of the Supercommittee By Steve Bell The former Staff Director of the Senate Budget Committee predicts the deficit supercommittee will reach agreement on a plan to reduce debt. Unfortunately, he argues, it won't do much good.......MORE	California Dreamin' By Eric McGhee After a bipartisan gerrymander designed to protect incumbents was approved in 2001, voters passed a redistricting reform plan to shake things up. Will it work in 2011?......MORE
The Loneliest Airplane By Brad Todd A ride on Air Force One is usually high on the wish list for Senatorial candidates. With the President's plummeting poll numbers, that's no longer the case.......MORE	The Forgotten Prize of 2012 By Orrin Hatch Amid all the coverage of the presidential campaign, the Utah Senator argues that the GOP's biggest victory next year may not be winning the White House, but the Senate........MORE
Defending the House in a Volatile Year By John McLaughlin With House Republicans looking to hold and build on Capitol Hill, this pollster looks at the factors that will both help and hinder their ability to achieve that goal.....MORE	Republicans Aim for a Southern Statehouse Sweep By Lou Cannon Twenty years ago, Republicans did not control a single Southern legislative chamber. As this veteran newsman points out, they now hold majorities in over three-quarter of them.......MORE
"There is No Silver Bullet" Coverage of a Ripon Society policy breakfast with Saxby Chambliss at which the Georgia Senator discussed the Gang of Six and why biparisanship is the key to debt reduction......MORE	"The Secretary Shall Determine" At an October 26th breakfast, Congressman Tom Latham talked to Ripon Society members about overregulation and the four most dangerous words in any piece of legislation..............MORE
The Ripon Profile Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam

PDF of Fall 2011 edition