In states across the country, governors and state legislators are being pushed by the Obama Administration and special interest groups to expand Medicaid. Ironically, a federal government running massive deficits is enticing these governors and state legislators with the promise of 'free money.'

With amazing speed the Senate and House passed a bill to stop air traffic controllers from being furloughed, after a week of travel delays felt around the country as a result of President Obama's sequester temper tantrum.

This week we finally reached Tax Freedom Day - the day after which American workers begin to make money for themselves and their families instead of the government.

When President Obama declared April to be “National Financial Capability Month” and described plans for his administration to teach young people “how to budget responsibly,” it was easy to mistake the announcement for a Stephen-Colbert-style April Fools’ prank.

Vice President Joe Biden recently said, “Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value."

Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of President Obama’s most significant legislative 'accomplishment': ObamaCare -- the largest expansion of the welfare state in five decades.

With a divided Congress and deeply partisan president in the White House, gridlock within the Beltway seems as unavoidable as their legendary traffic jams. Yet throughout the country, Republicans hold strong majorities across much of the nation.

Today, White House tours remain closed thanks to a petulant President who insists that somebody, anybody, feel some pain over the sequester cuts that trimmed a modest 2 cents on the dollar from the $3.6 trillion federal budget.

Like a breathless 13 year old girl at a One Direction concert, President Obama raced around the nation over the last week attempting to frighten Americans into opposing the modest cuts to the federal budget due through the sequester process on March 1. Never mind that the sequester was President Obama's idea.

“We need a balanced approach.” How many times have you heard that poll-tested line from Obama? Unfortunately, the President’s rhetoric doesn’t match his actions. Only four weeks after raising taxes on the majority of Americans, the President wants to raise taxes again.

Don’t forget the old admonition that things are never as bad as they seem after a defeat, as troubling times often beget great innovation. Those on the Left would be wise to also remember that things are never as good as they seem. A case on point is the issue of school choice.

For generations, presidents have used their inaugural address to unite the nation in aspiring to new heights of achievement. But earlier this week President Obama chose to deliver a harshly ideological, aggressively partisan speech more appropriate for the campaign trail than the solemn occasion of our nation's 57th inaugural address. Rather than bring all Americans together with a celebration of common ground, his address read like a liberal laundry list with global warming at the top.

As I watched Congressional Republican leaders stumble too often during the fiscal cliff negotiations, I was reminded that a wise mentor often said, "Sound policy is sound politics." This is a lesson Republicans should have learned by now. Instead they’re using flawed logic and telling themselves, “President Obama won the election with a mandate for higher taxes that the public currently supports. A strategic retreat now on tax hikes and cutting government spending will strengthen our political position and keep us relevant in the long run."

In a few days we’ll celebrate the holidays with gift exchanges, eggnog, Christmas light viewings, and perhaps a political argument with a family member or two. Given the current fiscal cliff negotiations, this argument may be more lively than normal. Don’t be unprepared when Uncle Bob says that we can fix the deficit by just raising the top tax rate or when Aunt Susan says they've already cut spending to the bone.

There was a moment last week when our first amendment rights were trampled on, when individuals who didn’t want to let us speak physically tried to make us stop. In videos that have made the rounds on YouTube, pro union protestors vandalized our property, tore down our Americans for Prosperity tent endangering the safety of some of our members inside, and sought to intimidate us to leave.

In the current debate over the lame duck deal, the focus seems to be solely on the issue of taxes. Raising rates or closing loopholes: which will it be? After all it’s essential that the federal government increase its revenues, right?

After the November 6th dust settled, it appeared very little had changed. The election appeared to maintain the status quo, with President Obama, Senate Democrats, and a conservative GOP House majority all holding their positions. Yet out in the states we saw a year of broad-based victories for economic freedom that demonstrate anew that all is not lost. In fact, we are winning with the American people in many respects.

During last Wednesday’s news conference, President Obama offered his plan for dealing with the looming fiscal cliff and expiring tax cuts. While the President claims he desires to work with Congress to reduce the deficit in a balanced and responsible way, he was clear that he intends to hold the middle class hostage in order to achieve his goal of increasing taxes on more successful Americans.

Tuesday night was truly a bitter, disappointing result. There is no way around it.

Four years ago Barack Obama was elected President with 53% of the vote -- a monumental achievement. He was swept into office with 364 electoral votes, compared to John McCain’s lackluster 162 electoral votes. With 60 votes in the Senate and a lock-step Democrat majority behind then Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the new President had complete party control of Congress. His approval rating by early spring peaked above 70%.