Overview for FF Spotlight

America's Unfolding Greek Tragedy

Similar to Western Europe, the U.S. has been slowly but steadily expanding entitlements and the regulatory state, setting the nation up for a future of slow growth, high taxes and loads of debt. I should point out first the agreements between Eli Lehrer and me in this debate. Obviously there are …

Written by Napoleon Linardatos on Thursday May 13, 2010

Tories Break Down Another Barrier

In the United Kingdom, a Muslim woman now chairs the Conservative Party. But why should we be surprised? In the United Kingdom, a Muslim woman now chairs the Conservative Party: But why should we be surprised? After all, it is the party of Edmund Burke (half-Irish Catholic, known then as a …

Written by John S. Gardner on Wednesday May 12, 2010

Conservatives Wait and See on Cameron

The American blogosphere is currently holding its breath while it waits to see if David Cameron can hold his new coalition government together. The American blogosphere is currently holding its breath while it waits to see how David Cameron’s coalition cabinet handles itself. There hasn't been …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday May 12, 2010

Cameron and Clegg's Biggest Challenge

There's much talk of the "instability" in the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. But early signs suggest that the two parties share a similar sense of urgency about Britain's horrific budget deficit. Three messages - and one query - in today's Conservative-Liberal deal in the …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 12, 2010

Cap-and-Trade's Winners and Losers

Leaked details of the soon to be unveiled Kerry-Lieberman cap-and-trade bill reveal which states and industries will benefit most from the Senate's climate change legislation. Just before Senators Kerry and Lieberman unveil their cap-and-trade bill today/tomorrow, one Republican staffer …

Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday May 12, 2010

The GOP's Growing Hispanic Rift

By failing to embrace immigrants, Republicans are making themselves largely irrelevant to the growing number of Latino voters. I am a Mexican American and a Republican. I remember distinctly when I first picked sides: election night, 1988. I was four. My family had just arrived in the United …

Written by Robert Gonzalez on Wednesday May 12, 2010

Obama's Stealth SCOTUS Pick

The fact that we have absolutely no ideas about Elena Kagan’s style of judging and her interpretative philosophy may be the strongest reason to oppose her nomination. Elena Kagan’s confirmation may be inevitable, but her style of judging and her interpretative philosophy are unknown. Nevertheless…

Written by J.D. Hamel on Wednesday May 12, 2010

Why the Greek Crisis is Not America's Future

If there’s a major debt-driven crisis in the U.S. within the next decade it’s going to look very different than the one now unfolding in Greece. In a recent FrumForum piece , Napoleon Linardatos argued that the crisis in Greece could happen in the United States as well. I’ll give him this: the …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday May 11, 2010

Times Square: Good Luck or Good Policy?

Conservatives are criticizing the Obama Administration for being "lucky" that the Times Square Bomber was a dud. In reality, luck is an essential part of war. Although there is marked disagreement on how to deal with terrorist suspects in custody (cue split screen of Eric Holder/Rudy Giuliani) a …

Written by Brad Schaeffer on Tuesday May 11, 2010

Incumbents Beware

The convention defeat of Utah's Sen. Bennett, has many political watchers convinced of an anti-Democratic tide in November, but other signs suggest a larger anti-incumbent movement targeting veterans of both parties. With the recent results of the Republican convention in Utah, many contend that …

Written by Geoff Peterson on Tuesday May 11, 2010

Is Obama Leading, or Ducking Blame?

My latest column for CNN.com examines President Obama's leadership style and how it has helped him avoid blame for the biggest environmental disaster in recent American history. My latest column for CNN.com examines President Obama's leadership style and how it has helped him avoid blame for the …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 11, 2010

The Left's Billion Dollar Tea Party Lie

The Koch Foundations are regularly accused in liberal circles of being the financial backers of the Tea Party movement. But digging deeper, one finds a group trying to distance themselves from Tea Partiers and working to modernize conservatism. The Koch brand is regularly assailed for funding …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday May 10, 2010

The GOP Case for “Cash for Caulkers”

Some Republicans in Congress are finally getting the message that the environment matters. They are supporting the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, or “Cash for Caulkers”. Many at Frum Forum have been arguing that Republicans should take the lead on environmental issues, and some Republicans in …

Written by Oliver R. Garland on Monday May 10, 2010

Human-Animal Hybrid Ban Goes Too Far

On April 29, the Arizona legislature approved A new law banning the creation of "chimeras"--human-animal hybrids. While it sounds like Science Fiction, the issue is real. "An anything, a nothing, a fancy, a chimera in my brain, troubles me in prayer" -- John Donne On April 29, the Arizona …

Written by Stephen Green on Monday May 10, 2010

Kagan's Anti-Military Stance Didn't Speak for Harvard

Elena Kagan is currently under fire for her opposition to allowing military recruitment on Harvard's campus. Yet Kagan’s criticisms of the military were not representative of everyone at the university. Elena Kagan is currently coming under fire for her critical remarks regarding allowing …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Monday May 10, 2010

Greece Could Happen Here

Unless Americans become serious about controlling their growing debt, their future will look very Greek. Eli Lehrer in a recent post argued that a crisis similar to the one that Greece faces now is unlikely in America because the U.S. has strong fundamentals, much lower debt than Greece, …

Written by Napoleon Linardatos on Monday May 10, 2010

Raiding the Labour Vote

David Cameron and the Conservatives did very well in the British election, so why couldn't they win Gillian Duffy's vote? Okay, after reading everything I can get my hands on about the British elections, I'm coming to some conclusions. 1) By a bunch of the more esoteric measures ("net new votes …

Written by Thomas J. Marier on Monday May 10, 2010

The Kagan Question

How much do the president's supporters really know about the kind of justice Elena Kagan would be? Glenn Greenwald argued in our recent Bloggingheads dialogue: not very much. How much do the president's supporters really know about the kind of justice Elena Kagan would be? Glenn Greenwald …

Written by David Frum on Monday May 10, 2010

Are Corporations Getting Bigger?

We talked about this on Bill Maher last night. I said no, but I didn't have the numbers at my fingertips. I just looked them up in my 1970s history, How We Got Here . We talked about this on Bill Maher last night. I said no, but I didn't have the numbers at my fingertips. I just looked them up …

Written by David Frum on Saturday May 8, 2010

Big Oil's Reality Check

The giant Gulf of Mexico spill has made it clear that oil companies need to acquire a touch of humility and re-orient their safety and environmental protection practices accordingly. Humility is regarded as a conservative virtue. Typically, you won't find much humility at oil companies. Finding …

Written by Jim DiPeso on Saturday May 8, 2010