Rebuilding Iraq during the raging insurgency was no easy task. It required ingenuity, courage and innovative ways to get the job done—sometimes with equipment that offered little protection from the car bombs and rocket attacks launched by America’s enemies.

For veterans of the Iraq war like Col. Kerry Kachejian, it was a life-changing experience to work on the unprecedented reconstruction project. As an Army Reserve engineer, Kachejian was tasked with restoring some of the most basic services for the Iraqi people as well as building schools, hospitals and police stations.

He did this work with a sport-utility vehicle, an automobile that lacked armored protection and was more suited for America’s highways than Iraq’s dangerous streets.

“The closest unit was organized, staffed, equipped, and deployed so quickly there was no spare military equipment for it,” Kachejian recalled in an interview with The Heritage Foundation. “We in the reconstruction side were precluded from buying anything. We could only lease. So finding a contractor that would lease us a combat vehicle in combat, we were striking out everywhere.”

Without armored fighting vehicles that could stand up to ambushes and attacks, Kachejian recalled how the SUVs were modified—ripping off the tailgate to make room for a gunner and hanging personal body armor out the window to stop or slow down a AK-47 round.

“Without armor, when you’re moving down an Iraqi road in a sport-utility vehicle, the one thing you have is speed,” Kachejian said. “So we would drive as fast as we could, sometimes 80 to 110 miles per hour. It was somewhat like a ‘Mad Max’ movie, rolling down the road in a sport-utility vehicle.”

Kachejian told his harrowing story in a book called “SUVs Suck In Combat.” It chronicles some of the war stories that Americans never heard about the readiness challenges facing our military. The Heritage Foundation chose to profile him as part of a three-part video series that will run during Protect America Month, which showcases why we must commit to protecting the United States in an increasingly dangerous world.

With budget cuts looming as a result of Washington’s misguided approach to defense, America faces an alarming national security risk, according to Heritage’s James Carafano.

“America’s military went into Iraq unprepared for the aftermath that followed because we had underinvested in defense for almost a decade,” Carafano said. “We took a peace dividend after the Cold War that cut too deep—compromised readiness and underinvested in the equipment and training our men and women in uniform needed.”

President Bill Clinton’s actions led to a situation similar to what played out in the Carter years and now could be repeated under President Obama.

The worst step the nation could take is repeat that mistake again.

“When you come out of war,” Kachejian said, “there’s always a risk because of potential budget cuts that you’ll cut too far. You don’t want to cut so drastically that we wind up with a situation that we would up with after Vietnam, where much of the Army had money to go out and do physical fitness training, to wash their trucks and paint rocks. … We’ve got to have a ready and relevant military.”

Following a speech yesterday at The Heritage Foundation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sharply criticized President Obama for engaging in class warfare and accused him of shifting the focus away from his own failed policies in advance of next year’s election.

“My view is he’ll have a hard time convincing Americans he deserves four more years of this,” McConnell said. “There’s nothing he’s done that the American people approve of, so of course, he’s trying to change the subject.”

McConnell addressed a range of issues during the interview, from the unconstitutional National Popular Vote scheme to Senate Democrats’ failure to pass a budget for more than 950 days. But he reserved his toughest talk for Obama.

“His strategy is quite simple; it’s to blame anybody but himself for the problems we’ve had,” McConnell said. “Among the culprits that have been listed: the tsunami in Japan, the debt crisis in Europe, and of course, Republicans in Congress, and rich people and Wall Street. In other words, anybody but [Obama]. He’s the president of the United States. He’s the one who’s asking us to give him another four years.”

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Republican presidential candidates turn their attention to foreign policy and national security tonight at a debate hosted by The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute. It airs on CNN at 8 p.m. ET.

Over the past few days, workers transformed an empty auditorium at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., into a full-scale television set. As the final preparations were made, Heritage got a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.

This debate marks a rare opportunity for the candidates to gather in the nation’s capital; Constitution Hall is just steps from the White House. And two think tanks that never before hosted a debate will take center stage by asking the questions of eight candidates.

Which candidate will best protect our nation and amplify American leadership, and how will they do it?

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) had tough words for President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder following a speech today at The Heritage Foundation. He criticized Obama for a failure to lead and voiced concern about Holder’s handling of the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.

“Unfortunately, the president is already campaigning, trying to channel Harry Truman, railing against a ‘do-nothing Congress’ when he’s apparently given up on governing,” Cornyn said in response to a question about the budget debate in Washington. “He’s not really contributing to the solution.”

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The eight Republican presidential candidates have confirmed they will attend the Nov. 22 debate hosted by The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute on CNN. The debate will focus exclusively on foreign policy and national security.

The debate will take place in Washington, D.C., at a location to be announced shortly. It will air nationally on CNN and CNN en Español and worldwide on CNN International, CNN Radio and CNN.com.

“Heritage is delighted to have this opportunity to increase public understanding of the candidates’ positions on critical foreign policy and national security questions requiring American leadership in the second decade of the 21st century,” Heritage President Edwin J. Feulner said.

The candidates include businessman Herman Cain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Reps. Ron Paul (TX) and Michele Bachmann (MN), former Gov. Jon Huntsman, and former Sen. Rick Santorum.

The debate will mark the first time that either Heritage or AEI — two nonprofit, nonpartisan research institutes — has sponsored a presidential debate.

Gibson Guitar is an American icon. Musicians ranging from blues legend B.B. King to rock stars with Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith have used its guitars.

Today, however, the guitar maker is facing a high-profile persecution from its own government. The U.S. Justice Department is pursuing a case that smacks of overcriminalization.

Federal agents raided Gibson’s Nashville headquarters in August, the second raid on the company since 2009. Agents were working off a tip that Gibson broke laws in India and Madagascar, two countries that supply Gibson with ebony and other scarce woods for its guitars.

Even though both countries say Gibson did nothing wrong, the company is facing an uncertain future. The Justice Department has yet to press charges under the Lacey Act, but it also refuses to drop the case. It has left Gibson in legal limbo.

Gibson chairman and chief executive Henry Juszkiewicz, himself a conservationist devoted to preserving natural resources, testified in Washington last week about the ordeal. He also visited Heritage to recount the story and how it is illustrative of Washington’s overreach.

The latest iteration of No Child Left Behind comes before a Senate committee tomorrow with bipartisan support. But if Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has anything to say about it, the bill won’t go anywhere fast.

Paul, the Tea Party favorite who won election last November, has promised to introduce 100 amendments, including a complete repeal of No Child Left Behind. That could significantly slow down the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

His approach seeks to reduce the federal government’s role in education and return control to local communities. Earlier today he visited Heritage to share his strategy and explain why he compares No Child Left Behind to Obamacare.

Paul also addressed the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protest in New York and similar demonstrations taking place across America. He warned of the “mob mentality” on display and the “lurking danger” of the movement.

Richard Cordray, President Obama’s pick to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, won approval from the Senate Banking Committee last week on a party-line vote. His confirmation to run the new agency faces fierce opposition from Republicans, who have vowed to block Senate approval until reforms are made to the agency.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) is leading those calls for reform. As the ranking Republican on the Banking Committee, Shelby has maintained a hard line with Obama and Democrats on Cordray’s confirmation.

In an interview at The Heritage Foundation this week, Shelby criticized Obama for failing to respond to the GOP’s suggested reforms for the CFPB. As a result, he encouraged Republican leaders to block Cordray and limit Obama’s ability to make a recess appointment.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s politically motivated plan to raise the debt limit “does nothing for the good of the country,” according to The Heritage Foundation’s David S. Addington, who outlined the think tank’s concerns on The Foundry this afternoon.

“The McConnell Plan would put America deeper into debt and achieves nothing toward the vitally important objective of getting federal overspending and overborrowing under control,” wrote Addington, who served as chief of staff and counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney before joining Heritage.

McConnell’s plan would allow President Obama to raise the debt limit by more than $2 trillion without congressional approval. It abandons any hope of getting federal overspending and overborrowing under control.

Addington highlighted the concerns raised by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). DeMint said the plan was “like leaving the jail door open and looking the other way, then saying it’s not our fault.”

Addington concluded:

Conservatives in Congress need to focus on what is good for the country. That starts with a clear understanding that this is the moment to put the country on the path toward getting federal overspending and overborrowing under control. The guiding principle is simple: Don’t raise the debt limit, without getting spending under control. Use the legislation on the debt limit to put America on the path to driving down federal spending and borrowing, while preserving our ability to protect America, and without raising taxes.

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A lifetime appointment to the federal bench is now selling for $700,000. At least that was the cost for Rhode Island judicial nominee Jack McConnell, who has donated that sum of money to Democrats in the two decades before President Obama tapped him for federal district court.

McConnell faces a Senate confirmation vote as early as today, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown that could open the floodgates for a series of other controversial nominees such as Goodwin Liu, Edward Chen and Louis B. Butler Jr.

Obama’s selection of McConnell was met with widespread disappointment. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for the first time in its 99-year history, announced its opposition to a district court nominee. The American Bar Association — the “gold standard” for liberals — gave McConnell a mediocre rating. And the pro-life Family Research Council isn’t thrilled with his past leadership of Planned Parenthood in Rhode Island.

Now he faces the ultimate test — a vote on the Senate floor.

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An 18-month congressional investigation into AARP reveals that the organization stands to make more than $1 billion over the next 10 years from Obamacare, a law the seniors lobby supported despite opposition among its core constituency.

AARP, which operates as a tax-exempt organization in Washington, would profit from an increase in its insurance business, specifically from the sale of Medicare products to older Americans. The lucrative business has already transformed AARP into an insurance powerhouse. If it were a for-profit business, AARP would rank as the sixth-largest insurance company in America with profits of $427 million in 2009.

AARP’s revenues exploded following passage of the Medicare Part D law during the Bush administration and will continue to grow as a result of Obamacare, according the House Ways and Means Committee report. That’s because an estimated 7 million seniors will lose Medicare Advantage plans — a consequence of Obamacare — and shift to Medigap plans instead. Every new Medigap plan sold by AARP, already the largest provider of those plans, results in more royalty revenue.

As seniors begin to make the shift in 2014, AARP stands to make between $55 million and $166 million that year alone. Over 10 years, royalties would total more than $1 billion just in new customers.

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Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) wasn’t among the handful of Republicans who opposed the two-week continuing resolution yesterday. But don’t count on his vote for another short-term spending bill.

“If it wasn’t just two weeks, I wouldn’t have voted for it,” DeMint said on Fox News. “And, frankly, this is the last time I’m going to give them a two-week extension.”

DeMint’s decision to oppose another short-term spending bill — assuming there is one — could solidify a bloc of conservatives in the Senate. Already, five Republicans voted against the two-week continuing resolution: Sens. Mike Crapo (Idaho), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Jim Risch (Idaho).

As more conservatives stand their ground, it could force a showdown on H.R. 1, the House-passed bill that cuts $61 billion in spending and defunds Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has refused to bring the bill to the floor or offer an alternative.

“We need to pass the budget for this year to make sure the government is funded,” DeMint said. “And then we need to get on to serious reforms of the government that cut the cost of the things we do here.”

Promoted and bumped. – Moe Lane

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sat down for an interview with The Heritage Foundation to talk about his resolve, his political hero, and why he’d prefer to see the stalemate last indefinitely rather than compromise on his principles.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) wants the Obama administration to provide Congress with data on the federal government’s offshore drilling revenue — information that would show just how much President Obama’s anti-drilling policies are impacting the budget.

Based on recent projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, production in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to drop this year by 220,000 barrels per day. With oil currently at $90 a barrel and the government’s royalty rate at 18.75 percent, that equals $3.7 million in lost federal revenue each day.

Last fall Vitter asked the Interior Department to share revenue figures, but Interior Secretary Ken Salazar ignored the request. Now, Vitter is taking his case directly to the White House.

In a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew, Vitter and Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.) called attention to recent reports that credit rating agencies are keeping a close eye on the U.S. government.

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Thought today’s unemployment report looked bad? It’s just a taste of what’s to come in 2011 if Democrats have their way on taxes.

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote Saturday on two proposals that would raise taxes. Both would jeopardize even more American jobs at a time of economic uncertainty.

The first vote, on a proposal from Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), would increase taxes on Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. The second, offered by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), raises the income level to $1 million.

New data from The Heritage Foundation reveals the negative consequences of both plans. The Baucus proposal would result in 238,000 lost jobs in 2011, while the Schumer plan would cost 78,000 jobs next year. The numbers are even worse when extrapolated over 10 years. See the chart below and read the methodology.

From the diaries by Erick.

With their days numbered in control of the U.S. House, Democrats are planning a political stunt Thursday in hopes of embarrassing Republicans on a vote to raise taxes.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Democrats would disregard the Obama administration’s ongoing negotiations with congressional Republicans and force a vote on taxes. Democrats will use a procedural maneuver preventing the GOP from offering an amendment to extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

Republicans immediately voiced alarm at the move. While the vote would prevent tax hikes on Americans earning $250,000 or less, small businesses would face steep tax increases under the Democrats’ plan.

Without an opportunity to offer amendments, Republicans are expected to vote against the measure. By doing so they’ll give Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) one final opportunity to demagogue the issue. However, it will likely be a short-lived victory. The measure has little chance of passing in the Senate.

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Labor Secretary Hilda Solis rewarded six former staffers from her congressional office with political appointments and huge raises upon taking over at the Department of Labor. The appointees had significant pay increases averaging 50 percent upon changing jobs; one employee’s salary nearly doubled.

Solis, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, began hiring the employees shortly after she was confirmed by the Senate in February 2009. Political appointments are non-competitive government jobs that differ from career positions, which often involve a long hiring process.

The information was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by Americans for Limited Government. The pay raises stand in stark contrast to the Bush administration, which had a rule that employees shouldn’t make more than a 20 percent increase from their previous salary unless there were extraordinary circumstances. Only one Solis staffer made less than a 20 percent raise upon taking the political appointment.

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U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, while serving as Chicago Public Schools chief, maintained a list of special requests from politically connected individuals for children to attend the city’s best schools. The information, reported today by the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, is the focus of a federal probe and investigation by the school district inspector general.

According to the Tribune:

Whispers have long swirled that some children get spots in the city’s premier schools based on whom their parents know. But a list maintained over several years in Duncan’s office and obtained by the Tribune lends further evidence to those charges. … The log is a compilation of politicians and influential business people who interceded on behalf of children during Duncan’s tenure. It includes 25 aldermen, Mayor Richard Daley’s office, House Speaker Michael Madigan, his daughter Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.

Duncan’s role comes amid growing concerns in the District of Columbia over the fate of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a signature school choice initiative that benefits low-income families. As education secretary, Duncan has overseen the dismantling of the program, which the Obama Administration has essentially left to die after strident opposition from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and teacher unions.

Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget cuts funding for the program, leaving just $8 million for scholarship recipients for the remainder of their time in the program. And despite appeals from D.C. parents last August, Duncan withdrew the scholarships of 216 students who had been admitted to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Those students are attending lower-performing schools as a result.

The irony, of course, is that Duncan himself attended the exclusive University of Chicago Lab Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade.

One has to wonder: What does Arne Duncan have against low-income students who, for the first time in decades, have found an effective education in the District of Columbia? Shouldn’t these students have the same opportunities as the rich and powerful who appealed to him for help in Chicago?

Americans are rightly concerned that a government-run health care plan will lead to changes with their own health insurance. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to draw the conclusion that employers will drop coverage once the government starts meddling with the financial incentives.

This is a problem for the White House, and it’s why President Obama uses every opportunity to tell Americans, “If you have insurance that you like, then you will be able to keep that insurance.”

Unfortunately for Obama, Americans don’t believe him. Why? Maybe because he’s done nothing to back it up. Propaganda czar Linda Douglass’ “reality check” video is comical in that her defense of “You can keep your own insurance” cites nothing but Obama’s own statements as evidence — as if he’s an independent arbiter.

The Heritage Foundation (where I work) last month asked The Lewin Group, a highly respected health care policy and management consulting firm, to examine the impact of H.R. 3200 on private insurance. Lewin reported 88.1 million Americans could be transitioned out of their current plan as employers opt out of continuing their existing coverage. The chart below reveals the consequences for people living in Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

As you can see, Obama’s rhetoric simply doesn’t add up when the numbers are crunched. It’ll take more than repetition from White House to sway the American people on this one.

Politicians are usually known for kissing babies. But not R. Creigh Deeds. The Democrat candidate for Virginia governor is attacking Republican Bob McDonnell‘s pro-life views in a desperate attempt to woo female voters and excite his liberal base. Tomorrow he will rally with NARAL to promote his pro-abortion position.

Deeds previewed his attack for the Washington Post, telling the newspaper, “I think it’s an area that shows a clear distinction between us.”

At a time when McDonnell is talking about Virginia’s ailing economy, transportation problems and education, it’s somewhat surprising that Deeds is embracing a divisive issue. It’s a gamble that even the liberal Post dubbed “risky.”

The previous two Democrat candidates for governor largely ignored social issues to focus on the economy and transportation. But neither Mark Warner nor current Gov. Tim Kaine faced the same kind of lackluster support that Deeds seems to be experiencing. A recent SurveyUSA poll put McDonnell ahead with a commanding 15-point advantage, including a 60% to 35% edge among self-described political independents.

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