Jennifer Harper
Articles by Jennifer Harper
Inside the Beltway: Wading through Swampcare, slogging towards 2018
First there was Hillarycare, then Obamacare, Trumpcare and Ryancare. Now trending: Swampcare, which has floated to the surface as the health care challenge grows murky indeed. Published March 30, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Remember your original mission, Mr. President
Aggression, hostility, bias: The news media's unapologetic war on President Trump has been going full force since he was inaugurated. Manipulative headlines and unfair coverage require strategic countermeasures -- and the heart of a lion perhaps. Published March 29, 2017
Trump boyhood home in Queens, New York, sells for $2.14 million
At long last, the numbers have been revealed about the sale of President Trump's boyhood home, located in a pleasant neighborhood of Queens, New York. The attractive Tudor home was sold five days ago to an unnamed buyer for $2.14 million -- a tidy 54 percent profit for Michael Davis, the local real estate investor who purchased the property for $1.39 million through public auction only three months ago. Published March 28, 2017
Doubts about the news media start early: only 25% of American kids trust the press, poll finds
Distrust of the news media starts early. A unique new survey finds that only a quarter of American children say they actually trust the news media, while almost two thirds -- 63 percent -- revealed that news of current events makes them afraid, angry, sad or depressed. Another 44 percent said they knew know how to spot fake news. Published March 27, 2017
Michael Savage new book ‘Trump’s War’ hits No. 1 on New York Times bestseller list
One of the nation's most outspoken conservative talk radio kingpins is now leading The New York Times best-seller list for nonfiction. "Trump's War: His Battle for America" by Michael Savage is now at the top of the heap, besting new offerings from both former President George W. Bush and Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. Published March 27, 2017
Inside the Beltway: ‘Trump should let his actions do the talking’
"Don't worry." That is what President Trump told Americans after the American Health Care Act -- Trumpcare -- was recalled on Friday. It is good advice, particularly as the news media and giddy Democrats return to their favorite old claims that the White House and the GOP are in disarray. Published March 26, 2017
Inside the Beltway: It pays to be a Republican: 77% are happy with their finances says Gallup
"Republicans have become significantly more positive about their financial situation, while Democrats have grown more negative about theirs. Seven in 10 Republicans and Republican leaners are feeling 'pretty good' about the amount of money they have to spend, up from 44 percent in October 2016. Meanwhile, the percentage of Democrats and Democratic leaners feeling good about their money has dropped from 66 percent to 51 percent," reports Frank Newport, director of the Gallup Poll. Published March 23, 2017
Inside the Beltway: The yearn to return to 1950s-era culture
There's some hearty applause out there for President Trump's recent decision to defund the nation's large-scale cultural providers that have held sway over public broadcasting, environmental film festivals and other creative outlets for decades. Those opposed to the idea have already staged multiple public rallies and organized public petitions. MoveOn.org has taken on the cause. Those who will lose their funding now fear that America will revert back to the dark ages — or worse. Published March 22, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Wayne LaPierre: ‘Media has thrown out the rules of journalism’
Along with other conservative stalwarts, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre was summoned to the White House in early February for a strategy session with particular focus on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. LaPierre was seated right next to President Trump. The significance was not overlooked. Published March 21, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Staying power: Still learning from Reagan
Angry Democrats, biased news media, plus strategically manufactured outrage and "chaos" make for shrill politics these days. The political narrative appears to be constantly mutating from one thing to the next, willy-nilly. Luckily, there are still historians who pluck out valuable insights from those stalwarts who navigated difficult terrain in times past. Such is the case of Craig Shirley, whose fourth book on Ronald Reagan arrives Tuesday. Titled "Reagan Rising," it covers the pivotal events leading up to The Gipper's victory in the 1980 presidential election following a failed bid four years earlier. Published March 20, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Courage: This man dared to wear a red Trump cap in NYC
It was a social experiment -- and much more. New York Post reporter Dean Balsamini donned a bright-red "Make America Great Again" ball cap -- the signature garb of President Trump and his fans -- and dared walk the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn over the weekend. Published March 19, 2017
America’s plans for St. Patrick’s Day: 90 percent will celebrate, 8 percent ‘plan to get drunk’
Ninety percent of Americans plan to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Friday - but only 8 percent "plan to get drunk" according to a survey by NationalToday.com, the website that tracks all the nation's popular holidays. Published March 17, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Obama in Paradise: He’s in Tahiti for a month
Former President Barack Obama is in an exclusive Polynesian resort for the next month. No, really. Published March 16, 2017
Healthcare narrative strategically twisted against Donald Trump
It's a simple question: Why is health care legislation so difficult for a nation rumored to have the finest health care on the planet? That has frustrated talk radio kingpin Rush Limbaugh as lawmakers spin their wheels on Capitol Hill and take potshots over the American Health Care Act, commonly called TrumpCare, released just 10 days ago. Published March 15, 2017
Rachel Maddow and Donald Trump taxes: Broadcast networks race to spin story: Report
The "Big Three" broadcast networks could not get enough of President Trump's 12-year-old tax returns, outlined in a breathless report by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, which amounted to very little. Published March 15, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Tea Party flunks the media and Democrats, Trump gets an A
Those who organized the tea party eight years ago still track the sentiments of their flock, and very carefully -- which is a good thing. This demographic often gets overlooked by pollsters, and often at the peril of political parties. Published March 14, 2017
Inside the Beltway: New watchdog determined to ferret out Trump administration ‘scandal’
A new watchdog organization is up and running, and has an eye trained on President Trump. American Oversight is housed in an office a few blocks north of the White House, and offers this mission statement: "There's a perfect storm for corruption and scandal brewing in the Trump administration. Published March 13, 2017
65% of obsessed Americans dream about work, poll finds
Americans take work home with them, and right into their dreams. A new Harris/Career Builder poll finds that 65 percent of the work force actually dream about work, for better or worse. Published March 13, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Michael Savage does battle in new book ‘Trump’s War’
One of the nation's most outspoken conservative talk radio kingpins is also one of the nation's most prolific writers. Michael Savage has a new book arriving Monday that is timely indeed: "Trump's War: His Battle for America" - the author's 26th book. Mr. Savage himself spent much of 2016 parsing out President Trump's campaign for his 10 million listeners and motivating undecided voters to back Mr. Trump - a frequent guest on the show. Published March 12, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Voters reject Obama’s ‘shadow presidency’
In recent weeks talk of a "shadow presidency" has been percolating in the news media, exploring the possibility that a potential "soft coup" against the Trump administration is underway. It is disquieting stuff, considering that President Trump has been in office for a mere seven weeks as of Friday. American voters, however, do not appear happy with the idea that the new administration could be undermined so quickly. Published March 9, 2017
