By 1st Lt. Matthew Spartz | Special to the Daily Herald
Editor’s Note: Army Lt. Matt Spartz, a lifelong Lombard resident, is a 2008 journalism graduate of University of Illinois. He recently was deployed to Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division. From there, he will be submitting occasional reports for the Daily Herald.
The real problem with the war in Afghanistan has nothing to do with rogue generals or defunct, grandiose policy. The real problem has nothing to do with finding the Magic Solution and extolling COIN (counter insurgency) to the far …

“It does a couple of other things. It takes $52 billion in higher Social Security tax revenues and counts them as offsets. But that’s really reserved for Social Security. So either we’re double-counting them or we don’t intend on paying those Social Security benefits.
…The Senate Budget Committee chairman said that this is a Ponzi scheme that would make Bernie Madoff proud.“

With my emphasis added, that’s a quote from Rep Paul Ryan speaking at the Health Care Summit. You can see why so many congressmen want to throw out the current …

Here’s what I don’t get:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is supposed to be money injected into the economy to “create new jobs as well as save existing ones, spur economic activity and invest in long-term economic growth, Foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending.”
The Senate (mostly Democrats) just approved a new $15 billion “jobs bill” to attempt to stave off growing unemployment and to create jobs. How is it that tax incentives are going to create jobs? If I’m a small business owner, …

One of my favorite Sunday past times is watching the political duke-outs on Meet The Press. Today’s episode definitely did not disappoint. Whereas I do lean to the political right, David Gregory of MSNBC is one of the hardest interviewers on TV.
As David Brooks mentions, Joe Biden’s interview was laughable. I’m not sure he had his usual coffee pick-me-up before the show.
But the biggest knock out of the episode was the proverbial ass-kicking to freshman representative from Illinois, Aaron Schock (R-18). As the now youngest senator ever in the House …

Some Obama irony, airing days before his deserved win of the Nobel Peace Prize:
NobelPrize.org
“for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”

I will also be submitting my entire platoon for the Medal of Honor for swearing to act “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his [or her] life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” in the mountains of Afghanistan next year….

I’m just sayin’, things aint addin’ up right these days…
President Obama apparently violated the law last week — one that he sponsored as a senator.
Now former Inspector General Gerald Walpin was let go by Obama last week citing a lack of confidence in the IG’s ability. Except that according to the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008, which Obama cosponsored, to fire an IG the president needs to notify Congress 30 days prior and also give a reason.
Walpin was given an ultimatum last Thursday — resign within the hour or …