Danny Davis Watch

Though he’s not excited about it, Congressman Davis has announced that he’s generally supportive of Obama’s plan to open up some coastal waters to oil drilling.

Even from an ecological standpoint, given that America will continue to consume oil for the foreseeable future (especially with Obama’s consumption-oriented stimulus plan in full bore), it makes more sense to drill within America’s stronger eco-guidelines than to import oil pumped under the lax rules of third world nations.

No, it won’t end our dependence on foreign oil, but if companies are willing to drill for it, this off-shore oil is certain to benefit the country, and Davis is right to support access to it.

Danny's Good Calls, Freedom Issues, News, Prosperity Issues Environment, Regulation

A bit of good news to report this morning. Within the storm of idiocy and fear-mongering swirling around the debate over whether or not to transfer the terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay to the U.S., Congressman Davis has said the following:

“If somebody’s got to bite the bullet on a tough decision I think the people of Illinois are ready for it and if it comes to Illinois the detainees will be well taken care of and the citizens well protected.”

Guess what? He’s right.

Terror suspects have been tried and imprisoned in America before without a hitch, and at least one Illinois town is enthusiastic about doing it again. (And unlike some of Davis’ other programs, the economic benefits of a traditional American prison over one in far-flew Cuba are obvious).

Add to that evidence that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been a prime motivating factor for Islamic terror, and Davis’ argument is easily one of the wisest in this debate.

Still, talk is cheap. Hopefully Davis will act to give Constitutionally-guaranteed trials to all those accused of terrorism and if they are convicted, see to it that they are housed in real prisons with other real criminals.

Danny's Good Calls, Peace Issues Human Rights

I’ve been pretty harsh on Davis’ actions lately, but yesterday he did do something quite praise-worthy by cosponsoring H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act.

Davis is now the 245th cosponsor of the bill, and while it would have been better to see him onboard sooner, it’s better late than never.

As I wrote earlier, the Federal Reserve played a role in inflating the real estate bubble, and H.R. 1207 is a good first step in bringing accountability to what is currently a very opaque agency.

You can thank Davis for making the right call on this bill by contacting his office.

Danny's Good Calls, Freedom Issues, Prosperity Issues Federal Reserve, Monetary Policy, Sunlight and Transparency

Want to travel to North Korea, the prime belligerent of the Korean War and a potential anti-American nuclear power? No problem.

Want to travel to Cuba, the impoverished island nation that represents little if any threat to the U.S.? Sorry, that’s illegal.

Sound ridiculous? It is, but it might be coming to an end soon thanks to H.R. 874, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which would repeal the nearly 50 year travel ban on Cuba. The bill has now been cosponsored by Congressman Davis, bringing the total cosponsorships up to 132 mostly Democratic representatives.

It’s likely that a few conservatives will try to brand this bill as soft on communism or totalitarianism, but that would be hypocritical. After all, it was the staunch conservative and anti-communist Richard Nixon who peaceably engaged Communist China and helped normalize relations between the two countries. Since then, China has lifted millions out of poverty and transitioned from a society preparing to kill Americans on the battlefield to one trying to match them on the NBA courts. Sino-U.S. relations are still far from perfect, but they’re an immense improvement from five decades ago, and it’s thanks to engagement, not embargoes.

Americans as individuals do have a moral responsibility to boycott governments (or companies) they view as unethical, but having our leaders tell us where we can and cannot go when we leave “the land of the free” is radically un-American. Hopefully, this five decade policy failure is seeing its last days.

Look for future updates on H.R. 874 to see whether or not the bill makes it out of committee and receives the votes of Congressman Davis and other members of Congress. Until then, don’t hesitate to contact Davis’ office and thank him for taking this positive first step.

Danny's Good Calls, Freedom Issues, Peace Issues, Prosperity Issues Foreign Relations