Overview for FF Spotlight

FF LiveBlogs Kagan's SCOTUS Hearings

UPDATED: On day one of Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings, Democrats railed against what they called the Roberts Court's "conservative judicial activism". Kagan was exceedingly boring, but she did do two things subtly. First, she attempted to recast her time in the Clinton Administration as an …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Monday June 28, 2010

McChrystal's History of Media Blunders

To those who have followed Gen. McChrystal's handling of the media, his recent downfall should not be a surprise. General Stanley McChrystal’s Rolling Stone controversy may have caused shock, disbelief, and outrage across the United States, but to those following the former top U.S. …

Written by Ulf Gartzke on Monday June 28, 2010

MD Gov O'Malley's Failed Crime Record

A spate of violent crimes has raised questions about the supposed success of Maryland Governor O'Malley's public safety initiatives. On June 23 rd , Baltimore settled a lawsuit filed in 2006 by the NAACP, ACLU, and 14 private citizens charging the city’s police force with harassing and arresting …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Monday June 28, 2010

Spicing Up Washington's Street Life

Zoning rules and street patterns deprive northwest Washington of the cute cafes, shops and street life that enliven cities like Paris. Could we liven up Northwest Washington? Here's one idea: The residential areas of northwest Washington are divided by a strange street system. Cutting across the …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Saturday June 26, 2010

Obama's Parade of Foreign Policy Failures

Can you name one major foreign policy initiative of the Obama administration that is not mired in horrible failure? Can you name one major foreign policy initiative of the Obama administration that is not mired in horrible failure? The Afghan war is going wrong. Diplomatic outreach to Iran was …

Written by David Frum on Saturday June 26, 2010

Thoughts on Weigel

Would anybody demand that a reporter covering Wall Street admire all his subjects? Congress? It's a theoretically interesting question: can you provide fair coverage to people you may inwardly dislike? Dave Weigel answered that question in his work: yes. 1) Weigel is a fine reporter. He writes …

Written by David Frum on Saturday June 26, 2010

Remembering the Forgotten War

Like some view Afghanistan today, soldiers during the Korean War wondered if the cause was worth dying for. It was exactly 60 years ago – June 25, 1950 – that the army of North Korea’s Kim Il-Sung, encouraged by Josef Stalin, invaded the south in hopes of uniting the peninsula. Thus began …

Written by Peter Worthington on Friday June 25, 2010

The GOP's Oil Spill Vulnerability

Republicans are trying to pound Obama over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but because their energy stance has been so pro-drilling and opposed to environmental safeguards, their attacks lack any credibility. Some of us in attendance at the 2008 Republican Convention had a terrible sinking feeling …

Written by David Jenkins on Friday June 25, 2010

Holding the Oil Companies Accountable

Higher courts will decide if federal Judge Martin Feldman's ruling overturning the moratorium on offshore drilling was legally sound. But in the meantime, Congress must act to strengthen safety regulations. In sweeping language, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman ruled that a “heavy-handed” and …

Written by Jim DiPeso on Thursday June 24, 2010

The Cruel Hoax of Green Jobs

My latest column for The Week examines the tough job market facing today’s young graduates and their unrealistic expectations for an economy buoyed by green jobs. My latest column for The Week examines the tough job market facing today’s young graduates and their unrealistic expectations …

Written by David Frum on Thursday June 24, 2010

Seniors Not Warming to Obamacare

If Republicans win big in November, don't thank the Tea Party. Thank the elderly voters who still aren't sold on the president's health reform bill. If Republicans win big in November, don't thank the Tea Party. The elderly and independents dislike the president's healthcare bill. Their opposition …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Thursday June 24, 2010

McChrystal-Gate's Real Winners & Losers

Obama’s dismissal of General Stanley A. McChrystal as the commanding general in Afghanistan is a major historical event that will reverberate for years -- in Washington, West Point, Kabul, and elsewhere around the globe. Obama’s dismissal of General Stanley A. McChrystal as the commanding general …

Written by John Guardiano on Thursday June 24, 2010

Who is the Real Al Gore?

Descriptions of Al Gore as a sexually domineering bully raise the question: can somebody really be a completely different person in the bedroom from the kind of person he or she is outside the bedroom? It's possible that the National Enquirer has defamed Al Gore, although I certainly would not …

Written by David Frum on Thursday June 24, 2010

Portman's Senate Run: Stronger Than It Polls

Republicans hold high hopes for Rob Portman’s Senate candidacy in Ohio. But a recent poll showing Portman and his Democratic opponent in a dead heat has conservatives worried. Republican Rob Portman has raised an impressive amount of money for his Ohio senate run, more money than his Democratic …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Thursday June 24, 2010

Why the Dems May Be Celebrating in November

Inside the Beltway, many Republicans seem highly confident that their party will score a 1994-style triumph in the midterm elections. But there is little reason to count on a massive GOP rout come November. Particularly inside the Beltway, many Republicans seem highly confident that their party …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Wednesday June 23, 2010

Meacham's Diversity Double Standard

Last night, when asked to comment on the victories of Nikki Haley and Tim Scott in the South Carolina GOP primary, the best Newsweek's Jon Meacham could muster on these milestones was to ask if they would bring ideological diversity to the Republican Party. Rarely am I compelled to rewind the …

Written by Henry Clay on Wednesday June 23, 2010

Congress Pushes Tough Iran Sanctions

New bipartisan legislation could give the president sweeping new authority to sanction energy companies and financial institutions that do business with Iran, as well as Iranians involved in human rights abuses. The Conference Report on the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and …

Written by Laura Grossman on Tuesday June 22, 2010

How Will Obama Handle His "Runaway General"?

With the feeding frenzy being generated by the media, President Obama may have to fire Gen. McChrystal. But nothing about this dispute will contribute to winning the war in Afghanistan. It has the feel of a top general about to be fired. With the feeding frenzy being generated via the media, …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday June 22, 2010

What Was General McChrystal Thinking?

How could an experienced four-star general like McChrystal make such a foolish, unforced error in judgment? Frum Forum spoke with a source close to McChrystal’s predecessor in Afghanistan to understand the missteps leading to the general's gaffe. How could an experienced four-star general like …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday June 22, 2010

McChrystal Did No Wrong

General McChrystal’s comments in Rolling Stone may be impolitic, but they certainly don’t show insubordination. Rather, they reveal a commander who is frustrated with a political leadership that is too often non-responsive, uninterested and inept. The Left, and even some authority-loving …

Written by John Guardiano on Tuesday June 22, 2010