The Poblete DC Dispatches

Woolwich Terror Attack and Political Voyeurism

Jason Poblete — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:16:34 +0000

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing,’ Edmund Burke

There will be many lessons from the Woolwich terror attack in southeast London. The one that resonates with me right now is the reaction, or lack thereof, from bystanders as an innocent man died from wounds inflicted by [...]

Public Policy Advocacy 101: Be Prepared … Really, Know What You’re Talking About

Jason Poblete — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:21:21 +0000

A former Capitol Hill colleague penned an item on her Facebook page yesterday that caught my attention because it is an issue I’ve wanted to share with you for some time. She was amazed at how few lobbyists and other advocates in this town know how to prepare an effective public policy effort or campaign. [...]

ABA Owes Members Some Explanation of its Role in IRS “Announcement”

Jason Poblete — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:45:30 +0000

The American Bar Association (ABA) is an interesting organization, at least for a Republican and card-carrying member of the Federalist Society. There are not many of us in the ranks. At least not public about it.

During the course of the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to meet many a great legal practitioner [...]

Senator Cruz Remains GOP’s Immigration Thought Leader

Jason Poblete — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:58:45 +0000

The House of Representatives immigration group seems to have an immigration bill. At least in concept. We have yet to see text.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) has only been in the Senate a short time, but he knows what it takes to do the most important thing a Senator or Representative [...]

Anointing and Baptisms

Arthur Freyre — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:42:39 +0000

As summer begins to get closer, the 2014 election cycle will begin to rev up its engines. This will be time to separate the potential candidates from those who will take the plunge and immerse themselves in the world of rallies, speeches, spin, knocking on doors and making phone [...]

Latin American Nuclear Powers Ink Cooperation Deal

Jason Poblete — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:14:23 +0000

Our Latin America Nuclear Problem

Does the title of this blog post seem a little odd sounding, “Latin American” Nuclear Powers? A close friend was somewhat shocked when I told him earlier this week that Brazil and Argentina are the two more advanced nuclear powers in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico operates several reactors as [...]

The Pigford Cases: Using People for Political Purposes, Just Like the Immigration Reform Process

Jason Poblete — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:52:04 +0000

U.S. federal government largesse. Books have been written about it. Entire political careers built around it. Yet we never seem to do much about stemming waste, fraud, abuse of federal tax dollars. Why? Because there is so much of it and folks just do not know where to start.

The Pigford farmer cases is a [...]

Fairfax Going the Way of Arlington County, Again. Where Are the Republicans?

Jason Poblete — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:33:28 +0000

We have nowhere to go … at least not within most of Northern Virginia. Taxes keep going up. Federal, state, and local. This past week the Fairfax County government agreed to increase property taxes. What about the Republicans?

Just one of three Republicans on the Fairfax County county board opposed the increase, the [...]

POLITICO’s Spot On Immigration Story

Jason Poblete — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:22:20 +0000

Some conservatives in this town take issue with the POLITICO’s editorial leanings. At times, present company included. However, it is a good publication. The folks who started it are among the best reporters in this town and they understand how public policy and news works. Take immigration.

A few days ago POLITICO published an piece [...]

Guest Dispatch: Thatcher’s Legacy, Like Reagan’s, Lives and Inspires Millions

Jason Poblete — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:45:29 +0000

The following Guest Dispatch comes to us from Arthur Freyre, Esq. in Miami, Florida. Arthur raises several great points on recent events worth pondering. Not sure why though he dings the great Mark Levin. If you live in Washington, DC as long as I have, folks would be clamoring for more radio hosts like Levin. [...]

Incremental Immigration Reform

Jason Poblete — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:26:22 +0000

Official political Washington, DC is politically tone deaf. The left really wants comprehensive immigration reform. This should alert conservatives, and the GOP generally, to proceed with caution.

Frankly, how much more reason do we need than the Boston terror attacks to focus on incremental reform of our immigration system? As Frank Gaffney penned last week,

Beyoncé and Jay-Z: Narcissists, Political Voyeurs

Jason Poblete — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:15:08 +0000

Travel to Cuba is a sensitive political topic in the Cuban Diaspora and in policy circles in this town. As it should be. The Obama Administration has failed miserably to effectively deal with the Cuba question. This has happened, in part, because it has no policy vision for the Western Hemisphere. The Administration’s reaction to pop [...]