Robert B. Bluey is director of the Center for Media & Public Policy at The Heritage Foundation. He maintains a blog at RobertBluey.com, serves as a contributor to the prominent conservative blog RedState, and is a contributing editor to Human Events, the national conservative weekly. At Heritage, he hosts at weekly meeting of conservative bloggers, oversees the Computer-Assisted Research and Reporting program and writes about politics, public policy, media and culture. Bluey was among a select group of bloggers invited to the White House in September 2006 for the bill signing ceremony for the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, legislation that won passage with the help of bloggers. He was also invited to CNN's Election Night Blog Party in November 2006. He frequently speaks on panels about blogging and online journalism. Prior to joining Heritage in 2007, Bluey served as editor of HumanEvents.com, which he transformed into a popular destination for conservative journalism. He was named editor of the Web site in November 2005 after spending a year as assistant editor and later managing editor of Human Events' print edition. Bluey also worked at Cybercast News Service, where he was the first journalist to report on the forged CBS documents on President Bush's National Guard service. He covered the Republican and Democrat conventions in 2004. He grew up in upstate New York and graduated from Ithaca College, where he edited the college's award-winning newspaper, The Ithacan. During his college years, he worked for the Clinton Courier, Traverse City Record-Eagle and The Los Angeles Times. After college, he was awarded a year-long fellowship at the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey http://media.townhall.com/TownHall/icons/TH-feed-icon-128x128.gif http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey TownHall.com, Where your opinion counts. 128 Copyright (c) 2013 Townhall.com, A Salem Communications Web. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED jim.dearras@townhall.com (Jim De Arras) Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:27 GMT Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:27 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week, a group of House Republicans known as the FIT Force will unveil an effort to expose Washington waste. Led by Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), this newly formed Fiscal... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/06/01/republicans_fumble_the_farm_bill f5298cc2-7fc6-4472-8513-b368d9a82f83 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:27 GMT Exactly one year after angering conservatives with an amnesty bill for illegal aliens, Sen. John McCain managed to fire up the right again last week-only this time he's proposing a massive plan to combat global warming... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/05/18/mccains_global_warming_plan_threatens_economy e4c0f343-93b3-4033-9b94-20de0c0486be Sun, 18 May 2008 04:01:00 GMT The Labor Department's seven-year effort to improve financial reporting and disclosure by unions could come to a screeching halt once President Bush leaves office. Sen. Barack Obama's support for ending federal... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/05/11/obama_signals_less_union_oversight 6b36330d-10b4-47f1-9f2d-84ff164f3782 Sun, 11 May 2008 04:01:00 GMT Talk about bad timing. Gas prices are spiking and U.S. energy policy is contributing to skyrocketing food costs, yet environmentalists apparently want to make it even more expensive to live in America. And they're... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/05/04/polar_bear_politics 11924665-0c7e-4a3c-b753-990bdb597bfd Sun, 04 May 2008 04:01:00 GMT A congressional Web site devoted to spending reform may soon fall victim to a nearly 10-year-old House rule governing online activity. If the Web site is axed, it will serve as an embarrassing example of just how behind... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/02/24/congress_operates_in_the_dark_ages 28da720f-f1ae-44d5-93b6-d3f4dfc2109e Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:00:49 GMT Just when it appeared House Republicans had turned the corner on earmark reform, party leaders did the unthinkable. They picked pork-loving Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) for the vacant seat on the Appropriations Committee,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/02/17/backtracking_on_earmark_reform 6b8dc187-3328-4ad8-8a02-72cc30fc1911 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT Seven minutes into his final State of the Union address, President Bush declared war on earmarks. It took him seven years and came after significant expense to taxpayers, but it was a sign that official Washington might... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/02/03/porkbusting_goes_primetime 18931f2a-af08-4790-bf06-25b94b8dfb17 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 05:00:13 GMT I wouldn't want Hank Paulson negotiating on my behalf. The U.S. treasury secretary did such a poor job representing the White House in negotiations on the economic stimulus deal, it wasn't clear if Paulson was... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/01/27/nothing_stimulating_about_this_deal 4beb640e-491a-43f6-9328-2b4570f6f5fb Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:00:45 GMT President Bush doesn't like to admit he's made mistakes. But if White House chatter about an economic stimulus package is true, the president is about to repeat a misstep made early in his first term. I'm talking http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/01/20/government_handouts_won't_help_economy 0f28fa40-3ebd-46f1-8c42-cd87caae1210 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 05:01:00 GMT Members of Congress return to Washington this week $4,100 richer. During their three-week vacation, the annual cost-of-living adjustment kicked in, bringing the salary of a congressman to $169,300. At a time when... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/01/13/a_pay_raise_for_poor_performance e8c54a65-4b93-4244-ad75-fc9b456343d8 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:00:09 GMT All eyes will be on New Hampshire Wednesday morning for the first true primary in the 2008 elections. But even as hardy New Englanders trudge to the polls, something at least as consequential will happening in... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2008/01/06/fighting_vote_fraud_with_photo_id 9189f2aa-96c2-48a1-b100-aab195a07a40 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:01:00 GMT Earmarks were supposed to be a thing of the past for Republicans after allegations of corruption cost the GOP control of Congress in 2006. Throughout 2007, Republicans acknowledged repeatedly that straying from... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/12/30/new_year's_resolution_for_republicans_end_earmarks 7a14c322-1a8b-4b13-a9ac-fe0def0602ef Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:00:01 GMT The federal government's union watchdog agency will have to get by on less next year. The mammoth omnibus spending bill passed last week hacks nearly $3 million from the Office of Labor Management Standards -- a small... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/12/23/big_labors_unfulfilled_wish_list 9ddc626b-6df5-482a-a84f-b19ae3294600 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:01:00 GMT Feeling pressure to wrap up work on 11 of the 12 unfinished appropriations bills that fund the federal government, congressional Democrats will push this week to pass a mammoth omnibus spending package just in time for... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/12/16/will_republicans_go_soft_on_spending 4b5c2611-a77e-404f-bf24-cecc0038b92b Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:00:18 GMT Sen. Jim DeMint is as frustrated as anyone on Capitol Hill about Congress's failure to wrap up work on the federal budget. With 11 of the 12 appropriations bills unfinished and U.S. troops in need of funding, DeMint... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/12/09/how_to_save_taxpayers_$31_billion aadf425b-9b9d-45ab-a91c-50e329bddedb Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:01:00 GMT CNN had an opportunity to shine as co-host of last week's Republican presidential debate. Instead, the network faltered with millions watching, leaving conservatives with yet another example of bias at the highest level... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/12/02/questions_that_raise_questions be7d661a-026c-420c-8104-4e39b522666d Sun, 02 Dec 2007 05:00:43 GMT Ask Clarence Thomas what he enjoys doing and he'll tell you about driving his RV across America or cheering for his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers. That hardly sounds like the life of a U.S. Supreme Court justice, but in... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/11/18/the_inspirational_life_of_clarence_thomas ba16d29c-9edf-401b-90bd-973c310275b8 Sun, 18 Nov 2007 05:00:45 GMT Free trade has fallen on hard times in America. With commentators such as CNN's Lou Dobbs promoting protectionism and liberal politicians pandering to Big Labor, the tide has clearly turned. The U.S. has enjoyed years... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/11/10/a_bonbon_for_big_labor 8080d8c7-4de6-41e6-82c0-025fd162058d Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:01:00 GMT Congressional Republicans have tried hard this year to reclaim the GOP's traditional "brand" as the party of fiscal responsibility. They're about to face a test that will show whether their rhetoric matches... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/11/04/bush's_bold_veto ce0ef7de-2677-4b29-8020-ab8643e7c513 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 04:00:51 GMT CNN had an opportunity to shine as co-host of last week's Republican presidential debate. Instead, the network faltered with millions watching, leaving conservatives with yet another example of bias at the highest level... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/11/02/questions_that_raise_questions 63a357e0-f02e-4558-a4ed-d09864c79af3 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 04:01:00 GMT For the first time in history, the House of Representatives hit the 1,000-vote mark. It's a thoroughly meaningless milestone, yet liberals proclaimed it a monumental accomplishment. "Our job is to take America in a new... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/10/28/congress_reaches_the_wrong_milestone e28d8a74-5504-4354-b3bc-06c1c2bb17a2 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:58:16 GMT The Republican money machine seemed unstoppable just two years ago. The GOP consistently outperformed the Democratic Party, extending years of dominance in fundraising. But two years is an eternity in politics, and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/10/21/leveling_the_online_playing_field f52e9389-86c4-4123-9be4-cd003587be8c Sun, 21 Oct 2007 04:01:00 GMT The U.S. budget deficit fell to the lowest level in five years last week, but three of America's leading newspapers -- the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times -- couldn't find the space to mention the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/10/14/all_the_bad_news_that's_fit_to_print 1e854504-8636-4bfb-a7fb-b10a3682aef5 Sun, 14 Oct 2007 04:00:56 GMT Nobody in Washington likes to compromise, but when it comes to helping poor kids, you'd think politicians would choose solutions instead of spin. Think again. Congressional Democrats and President Bush are on a... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/10/07/how_to_help_the_kids e6fe65f0-fb1a-4595-ac3a-82944e10cbcf Sun, 07 Oct 2007 04:00:40 GMT Thirteen years ago, then-Rep. Newt Gingrich stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to unveil the Contract with America, a document that crystallized conservative principles and led Republicans to a remarkable triumph on... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/09/30/can_newt_solve_america's_problems b086f802-ce4a-4f67-8e5a-60e38a03b57a Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:01:00 GMT Alan Greenspan's criticism of the administration's fiscal record couldn't have come at a better time. The former Federal Reserve chairman's autobiography, "The Age of Turbulence," lays into President Bush and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/09/23/dust_off_the_veto_pen 49a0e976-11c5-4a4b-9dda-a67acc64add1 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 04:00:46 GMT The anger and frustration over Iraq that prompted voters to bounce many Republicans from Congress last November was supposed to give Democrats the momentum they needed to end the war. Instead, 10 months after Election... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/09/16/outflanked_by_a__four-star_general 4170430c-38c8-4e8b-89db-ad0206f26bf7 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 04:00:01 GMT No Child Left Behind has seen better days. Under attack from both the right and left, President Bush's signature education achievement might not survive if some members of Congress get their way. House Education and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/09/09/education_reform_goes_from_bad_to_worse a335f841-809b-41f6-b1d2-01739a27adeb Sun, 09 Sep 2007 04:00:53 GMT Topping the Democrats' to-do list when they return to Washington this week is reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The House and Senate passed two different versions of the bill... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/09/02/hillarycare_on_the_horizon a0aa4ea3-e8d6-4297-a949-0f7f983889c3 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 04:17:24 GMT The Office of Labor Management Standards, the federal government's union watchdog agency, has recouped more than $100 million for American workers since 2001. But the increased oversight on unions hasn't gone over well... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/08/26/liberals_target_union_watchdog 55c57424-a1b4-4797-9a77-2c300e836ffd Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:00:03 GMT Halfway around the world from Iraq, an important battle is taking place in America. This fight involves no IEDs or M4 rifles. It's a war of words that has sparked heated discussions at both dinner tables and in the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/08/19/veterans'_groups_prepare_for_battle_on_capitol_hill ec1361a4-e7e4-4369-95ed-501a5cb65cd3 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:00:57 GMT Democrat leaders in the House and Senate are invoking the threat of "Big Brother" in an attempt to undo the changes Congress made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before leaving for August... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/08/12/liberals_vow_to_undo_changes_to_terrorist_surveillance_law bf4439b7-26bb-4c04-837a-5d0d20024c53 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT Technology is changing politics. But can politics change technology? Sen. Dick Durbin spent the past two weeks trying to do just that. The Illinois Democrat embarked on a new experiment in legislating when he turned... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/08/05/a_new_way_to_legislate 6fd8c84e-4165-4fc4-8c64-b505369d4d0b Sun, 05 Aug 2007 04:00:00 GMT Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has more videos on YouTube than any other candidate -- in either party. Yet the former Massachusetts governor isn't sure he'll participate in the CNN/YouTube debate on Sept.... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/07/28/will_gop_field_'cut_and_run'_from_youtube_debate 6e56a854-bc13-4872-91e6-1db68c18f184 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:44:45 GMT Congress hasn't accomplished much this year, but at least our politicians are displaying a flair for political theater. Starring in the Senate productions is Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who is ably supported... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/07/22/ringmaster_reid_cracks_the_whip_in_the_senate_circus 186795b6-97a3-458a-8503-ef90301605b0 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 04:00:19 GMT The House of Representatives voted last week to begin pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq in four months, a gesture that appeased the antiwar crowd but sent a message of retreat and surrender to the brave men and women... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/07/15/democrats_declare_defeat b75605d8-eec5-411e-8c99-bfffc8b326de Sun, 15 Jul 2007 04:00:24 GMT President Bush made no friends in liberal quarters when he told Congress to hold the line on spending or confront his veto pen. Now, with the top slot in Bush's budget office newly vacant, congressional big spenders are... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/07/08/democrats_pick_a_fight_over_bush's_budget 676d4d78-257a-4406-abf0-96cc0f6e6676 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 04:00:52 GMT Having halted the Bush-Kennedy "grand bargain" on immigration, many conservatives are expressing newfound optimism that they can do the same to the president's signature education achievement, the No Child Left Behind... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/07/01/another_revolt_on_the_right ee71b050-ad4b-4dd5-a04f-a95b43c7a21d Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:03:00 GMT Senate Republicans are squabbling amongst themselves over immigration reform. President Bush is fighting a losing battle with his base. But in the House of Representatives, times couldn't be better for the GOP. House... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/06/24/house_republicans_reclaim_their_brand_on_spending 9a5d93e3-bb47-499d-a3d7-31d36f38311c Sun, 24 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT Senate Democrats and Republicans operated in relative harmony this spring when confirming President Bush's judicial nominees, but the nomination of Leslie Southwick to the New Orleans-based federal court of appeals has... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/06/17/judicial_nominee_hangs_in_the_balance 1d8fdd2e-5102-405b-802a-177a7f226a67 Sun, 17 Jun 2007 04:00:24 GMT Conservatives cheered last week when Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pulled the immigration proposal from the Senate floor. But don't be taking any victory laps just yet. The bill is far from dead. Only 18 hours... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/06/10/immigration_bill_isn't_dead_yet 84141e9e-55c6-44a0-b533-3991d8d06ffc Sun, 10 Jun 2007 04:02:12 GMT To take the temperature of the conservative movement, just tune into talk radio. For the past two weeks, talkers' phone lines have been jammed with angry calls from frustrated listeners. They're hot as blazes about... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/06/03/bush's_blunder_how_not_to_fire_up_the_base 84df4d13-9751-4c48-83ac-d84e3e5e38bf Sun, 03 Jun 2007 04:00:57 GMT The amnesty deal negotiated by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the White House has Karl Rove's fingerprints all over it. Plain and simple, it's bad public policy being used to advance a political agenda. We've seen... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/05/27/the_politics_of_amnesty 9e628a71-8873-4886-b658-bcf92c809ac4 Sun, 27 May 2007 04:00:22 GMT The world's greatest deliberative body, the U.S. Senate, is expected to move with blazing speed this week to vote on a massive immigration reform bill that grants amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens. It doesn't matter http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/05/20/kennedy_dupes_republicans_on_immigration_bill 4368956d-7681-4c3a-ab34-23c946e67eed Sun, 20 May 2007 04:01:00 GMT It's no secret that Rep. Jack Murtha loves his pork-barrel projects. The Pennsylvania Democrat has for years played the role of broker for his own party and the GOP to get deals done in exchange for lucrative... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/05/13/congress_is_still_feeding_at_the_trough 39a4f94e-b090-4fa1-bf03-af63b465c7fc Sun, 13 May 2007 04:00:46 GMT When Democrats won control of Congress last November, Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi made a simple promise: "We pledge to make this the most honest, ethical and open Congress in history." This week Pelosi will have her... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/05/06/top_10_ways_pelosi_can_reform_the_house 44ad9fe8-a51c-45ae-96f3-e98737385bc6 Sun, 06 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT Longtime congressional staffers Michael Brady and Michael Giuliani are fed up with reporters who cover Congress. Frustrated by their failure to investigate stories and tired of the liberal bias, Brady and Giuliani have... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/04/29/keeping_democrats_accountable 89499e1d-8b0e-467c-8b5e-0da809ec8acc Sun, 29 Apr 2007 04:00:57 GMT Across the Atlantic, young conservatives in Britain are trying to transform what they consider a disjointed and unorganized political faction into something that rivals the American conservative movement. Tim... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/04/22/british_conservatives_build_their_movement_online 224390f1-6aaf-4eec-9d2b-9b2b986837b4 Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:00:29 GMT After four years in Iraq, the U.S. military has redefined how it communicates in a war zone. From action-packed videos on YouTube to blogger conference calls with key commanders, the military is providing more access to... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/04/13/blogging_war 85c67880-1408-4145-a648-0703e6a8e4b6 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT The Democrats' smashing success in first-quarter fundraising doubtless dampened the morale of Republican political strategists hoping for a 2008 comeback. But the number that should cause the most alarm in GOP circles... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/04/07/online_fundraising__advantage,_dems f0ce48d4-c9b3-41d2-89a2-44032d97730e Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:00:46 GMT