By ,
Published May 08, 2017
And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...
Sign of the Times
Where is the best place to be born?
If you said the United States, you are not even close.
Yahoo reports, a quality of life index from the Economist Intelligence Unit -- a sister company of The Economist magazine -- finds Switzerland is the best based on factors including wealth, crime, family life, trust in government and economic stability.
Australia is next, followed by Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The U.S. -- quote -- "...where babies will inherit the large debts of the Boomer generation, languishes back in 16th place."
In 1988, the U.S. was first and France was second.
Who's Who
In that country, France, a socialist politician is calling out President Obama's policies as socialist.
CNBC reports, Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg says Indian company ArcelorMittal -- which employs about 20,000 people in France -- should leave -- after announcing it would close down a factory.
The French government says it could nationalize that factory with backing from an unnamed businessman.
Montebourg says -- "Barack Obama's nationalized. The Germans are nationalizing. All countries are nationalizing."
The politician may have been referring to the U.S. auto bailout.
We reached out to the White House but haven't heard back yet.
Wiggle Room
Finally, freshman Congressman Chris Gibson -- a Republican from New York -- is catching flak for trying to slip out of an anti-tax pledge.
Gibson signed the Grover Norquist pledge in 2010 but argues that it no longer applies because redistricting changed the number of the district he represents.
A Gibson spokeswoman says -- quote -- "The Congressman signed the pledge as a candidate in 2010 for the 20th Congressional District. " Regarding the pledge moving forward -- "Congressman Gibson doesn't plan to re-sign it for the 19th Congressional District, which he now represents. (The pledge is to your constituents of a numbered district.)"
Norquist rejects the logic.
Saying the pledge is clearly made in writing, to -- quote -- "the American people."
Conservative writer John Fund says of Gibson -- quote -- "His constituents may not be able to trust his word on the pledge he took, but they can count on the fact that he is now a potential vote for just about any tax hike a budget deal could contain."
https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/grapevine-what-is-the-best-country-to-be-from