Overview for FF Spotlight

Congress Gets Ready for the Next Budget Battle

Congress may have averted a shutdown, but their handling of budget negotiations left bond markets with more questions than answers. The 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week coverage of the fiscally trivial work of the past 3 months is over. The Continuing Resolution for Appropriations for FY11, …

Written by Steve Bell on Sunday April 10, 2011

Arab League Wants Gaza No-Fly Zone

According to reports coming out of the Middle East, the Arab League will request that the U.N. Security Council impose a no-fly zone over Gaza. According to reports coming out of the Middle East, the Arab League said it will request that the U.N. Security Council impose a no-fly zone over Gaza. …

Written by Arsen Ostrovsky on Sunday April 10, 2011

Mississippi GOP's Embarrassing Interracial Fears

PPP released a survey last week that should cause stomachs to churn: among GOP primary voters in Mississippi, 46% believe interracial marriage shouldn't be legal. Public Policy Polling released a survey last week that should cause stomachs to churn throughout polite society; among Republican …

Written by Corey Chambliss on Sunday April 10, 2011

The Big Budget Cut the GOP Forgot

Republicans deserve a pat on the back for tackling the easiest-to-cut part of the federal budget. But one area where they could make serious cuts was overlooked. When it comes to the first and easiest-to-cut part of the federal budget, Republicans deserve at least a small pat on the back. They …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Saturday April 9, 2011

The Good and Bad News in the Budget Deal

Dealmakers in both parties may have prevailed over the confrontationalists in this budget battle, but the most important and difficult decisions still await. Obviously this is no way to run a railroad. Still - the train did not crash. The deal to avert a government shutdown is a story of good …

Written by David Frum on Saturday April 9, 2011

The Prowl: Shutdown? Why Not Have Sex?

Here are my suggestions for what non-essential federal employees should have done with their spare time had the government shut down. Are you one of the 800,000 federal employees deemed non-essential and furloughed? What will you do with your unpaid extended leave? You can't go to any of the …

Written by Vivian Darkbloom on Friday April 8, 2011

Every Parent's Online Nightmare

Former Friends star David Schwimmer's latest directorial win, Trust , is a hard to digest but important look at a teen who falls victim to an online predator. While Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow built solid careers on the silver screen, and Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry have lit up screens …

Written by Telly Davidson on Friday April 8, 2011

Budget Fight May Freak Out Markets

Global financial institutions are keeping a close eye on Washington. And even if there is a budget deal, the damage may already be done. Whether the federal government “closes down” for this weekend remains unknown at this time. But for the sake of discussion, let’s assume that Congress …

Written by Steve Bell on Friday April 8, 2011

Bachmann Throws in the Towel

Did Bachmann just tweet the Tea Party's white flag? I think this Bachmann tweet is the Tea Party's white flag. I am ready for a big fight that will change the arc of history. The current fight in Washington is not that fight Looks like: no shutdown. Tweet

Written by David Frum on Friday April 8, 2011

Budget Battle: Boehner Keeps Freshmen in Line

Freshmen Republicans are resisting pressure from their base, and for the most part appear to be siding with party leadership in the budget negotiations. Freshmen Republicans are resisting pressure from their base, and for the most part appear to have been siding with party leadership over the …

Written by Tim Mak on Friday April 8, 2011

Why the Dems Should Take Ryan Seriously

Democrats may not like the Ryan budget, but they should be careful not to write off the chance to begin a serious dialogue about our nation's fiscal health. E.J. Dionne, one of the smartest and (justifiably) most respected commentators of our time, has labeled Rep. Paul Ryan’s 2012 federal …

Written by Les Francis on Friday April 8, 2011

Lobbyists Drive the Shutdown

Fights over budget policy riders, most of which appear to have been written for lobbyists, are threatening to shut down the government. With fights over budget policy riders threatening to shut down the government, it's interesting to take a look at what types of policy changes the House GOP …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Friday April 8, 2011

Creationism Gains Ground in Tennessee

Creationist friendly legislation has passed the Tennessee House with overwhelming support of all Republicans, except one. Tennessee House Bill 368, the creationist friendly legislation that we have previously covered on Frum Forum , has passed through of the Tennessee House on a vote of …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Friday April 8, 2011

It's Not Cheap Being an Ayn Rand Fan

Ayn Rand's philosophy isn't just a little strange, it can also be an expensive one to get fully immersed in. Alyssa Bereznak’s account of being raised by an Objectivist father in a divorced household makes for fascinating reading. Her narrative discusses the real world consequence of having a …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Friday April 8, 2011

Reading Romney’s Mind

As Republicans edge closer to a shutdown and Democrats get ready to run against the Ryan budget, what's going through Romney's head? This has been my best week in politics since John McCain lost to Barack Obama. I face two huge problems: getting nominated and getting elected. To get …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 7, 2011

How the Dems Will Spin a Shutdown

My father, a dyed-in-wool leftist who is visiting Washington this weekend, has a pretty good take on what the Left will say if a shutdown takes place. My father, a dyed-in-wool leftist who, is coming to visit my wife, my son Andrew, and me this weekend included a PS on the email he just sent to me …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday April 7, 2011

Banking's Next Battle: Card Swipe Fees

While pundits debate the Ryan plan, K Street keeps its eyes focused on where the money is: the battle over swipe fees for debit cards. And you'll be surprised how much is at stake. While pundits debate the Ryan plan, K Street keeps its eyes focused on where the money is: the battle over swipe …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 7, 2011

What the Ryan Budget Gets Right

There's a lot that's baffling in the Ryan budget plan, but also many proposals that are a step forward. I wrote yesterday about what is baffling in the Ryan budget plan. What is positive? 1) The Ryan plan accepts that tax cuts must be "paid for" with offsets elsewhere in the budget. That's …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 7, 2011

The Gitmo Debate's Biggest Loser

Obama's received flack for his Guantanamo flip-flop. But the biggest loser may be Attorney General Holder who pushed hardest to try KSM in New York. U.S. President Barack Obama is being sniped at for his apparent flip-flop in now okaying military tribunals in Guantanamo instead of civilian trials …

Written by Peter Worthington on Thursday April 7, 2011

Ryan's Biggest Gamble

The conventional wisdom in D.C. is that Ryan's budget is political suicide for any who endorse it. But is that really the case? The conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C. Tuesday was clear: House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's FY 2012 budget plan is political suicide for anyone who …

Written by Steve Bell on Wednesday April 6, 2011