Overview for FF Spotlight

You Read it First on FrumForum

In January, when James O'Keefe was accused of trying to wiretap phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office, I predicted how the case would finally be resolved. NEW ORLEANS — Four conservative activists accused of trying to tamper with the phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office pleaded guilty Wednesday …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 26, 2010

Opening Our Borders to Terror

The Obama administration’s new immigration reform plans could actually make it easier for potential terrorists to enter the country. The Obama administration is advocating immigration reform but their plans do nothing to strengthen visa controls, and would give potential terrorists more …

Written by Elise Cooper on Wednesday May 26, 2010

Obama's Stimulus Fail

The question about the stimulus was never: Can $800 billion of government money buy anything? The question always was - was this stimulus intelligently designed? Talking Points Memo is passing out congratulatory cigars on the Obama stimulus: It sure sounds like it's working... The CBO …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 26, 2010

Limbaugh on O’Reilly

In Zev Chafets' biography of Rush Limbaugh, Rush mocks Bill O'Reilly as "Ted Baxter", the foolish blowhard anchorman from the old Mary Tyler Moore Show . I wish Chafets had asked what Rush thought of Glenn Beck. Another reveal from the Chafets review : When we met in March [2008], Bill …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 26, 2010

Americans More Reliant on Government Payouts

A report in USA Today reveals a scary trend: private sector wages have plunged as a share of national income, while government transfers are up. Drudge trumpeted this USA Today story , and indeed it is very scary: private sector wages have plunged as a share of national income, government …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 26, 2010

Don't Let Rand Paul Speak for the GOP

By failing to forcefully rebuke Rand Paul's comments on the Civil Rights Act, the Republican Party risks alienating an entire generation of minority voters. Now that Kentucky Republicans have bestowed their Senate nomination upon Rand Paul, the Party has evinced on a national stage just how …

Written by Corey Chambliss on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Preventing the Next Oil Spill Disaster

The longer that oil is the centerpiece of America's energy economy, the greater the risks of another environmental catastrophe like the Gulf oil spill. On Wednesday morning, BP plans to put in motion its “top kill” scheme to stuff a muddy sock into the Deepwater Horror five weeks after the big …

Written by Jim DiPeso on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Sestak’s Opportunity

Serious question: Why doesn't Joe Sestak come clean? Serious question: Why doesn't Joe Sestak come clean? The Pennsylvania Democrat acknowledges that the White House offered him a job if he would withdraw from the Senate race against Arlen Specter. That offer raises embarrassing ethical …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Cal GOP Senate Candidates Duel Over Polls

A new Public Policy Polling survey shows Carly Fiorina opening a lead in the race to win the GOP California Senate nomination, but her rivals are drawing attention to other polls which show a tighter race. A new Public Policy Polling survey finds that Carly Fiorina has opened up a wide lead in her …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Kim Pushes South Korea to the Brink

North Korea's torpedoing of a South Korean warship cannot be viewed as accidental or a mere mistake. In the past, such aggression would be enough to warrant going to war. The Korean owner of the variety store in Wellington, Ontario some 15 kilometers west of Picton, asked when I bought newspaper…

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Judging Limbaugh by His Own Words

Tim Graham of NewsBusters has posted a reply to my review of Zev Chafets’ Limbaugh biography. It's pretty harsh, as you would expect. Tim Graham of NewsBusters has posted a reply to my review of Zev Chafets’ Limbaugh biography. It's pretty harsh, as you would expect. I'll repost it in …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 25, 2010

The Real Rush Limbaugh

Zev Chafets has seen more of Rush Limbaugh's personal world than any other journalist, and in his new biography of the pundit he reveals some distinctly grandiose tastes in this self-imagined tribune of Middle America. I reviewed Zev Chafets’ new biography of Rush Limbaugh for the Washington …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Shake-Up at the RNC

The dismissal of Jeff Berkowitz, the Republican National Committee’s research director, is only the latest in a series of high-profile departures that will hurt the GOP in the run-up to November’s elections. Jeff Berkowitz may not be a name that many outside the Beltway are familiar with, but his …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday May 25, 2010

Jackson Considering Kirk Endorsement

Democratic Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias may be on the ropes. Politico reports that Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is mulling the possibility of crossing the aisle and endorsing GOP candidate Mark Kirk. Alexi Giannoulias is on the ropes, and a member of his own party is …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Monday May 24, 2010

Bringing Out the Worst in Europe

There is something more embarrassing than having your own country default on its debts, and that is having her participate in the Eurovision song contest. Like most postwar European institutions, the Eurovision song contest was born decadent and since then it has only gotten worse. Eurovision, is …

Written by Napoleon Linardatos on Monday May 24, 2010

GOP Won't Win as the Party of "No"

In this November's elections, the absence of a positive message will leave the GOP open to negative Democratic attacks. My latest column for CNN.com examines the GOP's loss in the Pennsylvania 12th congressional district special election. By failing to present a positive agenda for voters, …

Written by David Frum on Monday May 24, 2010

Blogger Claims Affair with GOP Gov Candidate

Has it finally happened? A female politician involved in a sex scandal? Today, political blogger Will Folks claimed that he had an "inappropriate physical relationship" with Nikki Haley, candidate for South Carolina Governor. Has it finally happened? A female politician involved in a sex …

Written by Cheves Ligon on Monday May 24, 2010

Losing the Nuclear Race with Iran

As the Obama administration obsesses over the protracted sanctions process, it has forgotten that Iran also has a timeline for testing a nuclear device and is moving faster. Impatient with White House inaction, Democrats in Congress are pressing ahead with their own plan for gasoline sanctions on …

Written by David Frum on Monday May 24, 2010

How Significant is Djou's Hawaii Victory?

Charles Djou’s election victory in Hawaii's first congressional district is worthy of admiration for a variety of reasons. Charles Djou’s victory on Saturday will make him the first Republican to represent Hawaii in Congress since 1991 and only the third since statehood in 1959. Democrats will …

Written by Clifton Yin on Sunday May 23, 2010

Djou's Next Challenge

With Charles Djou’s win, attention turns to whether the talented Hawaiian legislator will be able to pull off re-election, with Election Day only six months away. With the announcement of Charles Djou’s special election win in Hawaii’s first congressional district, attention turns to whether the …

Written by Tim Mak on Sunday May 23, 2010