Overview for FF Spotlight

Reagan's Forgotten Environmental Legacy

During his presidency, Reagan faced an atmospheric pollution problem which, like climate change today, divided the political class. Republicans are celebrating the 100 th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth this February 6 with great enthusiasm. They should. For the GOP, Reagan is a …

Written by Jim DiPeso on Sunday February 6, 2011

Is Israel's Peace Treaty with Egypt Finished?

One recurring theme in Egypt's revolt seems to be a popular rejection of the peace treaty with Israel. But can treaty opponents really undo the deal? The protests in the Middle East appear to be getting complicated. A few days ago, protesters burnt a synagogue in Tunisia, and now anti-Semitic …

Written by Jean Granville on Saturday February 5, 2011

Will Israel Regret the Peace Treaty with Egypt?

If a hostile regime replaces Mubarak, Israel may have given up the Sinai in exchange not for permanent peace, but for a mere thirty-year truce. If Hosni Mubarak is succeeded by a genuinely democratic government in Egypt, Israel has little reason to be worried. In history, liberal democracies …

Written by Martin Krossel on Saturday February 5, 2011

Ginni Thomas' Lobbying Work

UPDATED: People who raise eyebrows over Ginni Thomas' lobbying work might want to refresh their memories of the career of Linda Hall, aka Mrs. Tom Daschle. People who raise eyebrows over Ginni Thomas' lobbying work might want to refresh their memories of the career of Linda Hall, aka Mrs. Tom …

Written by David Frum on Saturday February 5, 2011

The Prowl: When Girlfriends Break Up

Being dumped is never a pleasant experience, regardless of whether you were romantically involved or not. This week, a female friend broke up with me via email. A female friend decided to break up with me this week via email. Questions of break-up etiquette aside (although I suppose email is …

Written by Vivian Darkbloom on Friday February 4, 2011

Help! My Friend Wants a Birthday Dinner I Can't Afford

Eddie hears from a reader who can't afford his friend's big upcoming birthday dinner. Is it okay to push a cheaper night out? Writing in the Globe and Mail , David Eddie hears from a reader who can't afford his friend's big upcoming birthday dinner. Is it okay to push a cheaper night out? The …

Written by David Eddie on Friday February 4, 2011

Open Season on Reporters

In dicey situations, journalists are often the easiest targets. If more proof is needed that the days of the Mubarak regime are numbered in Egypt, one need look no further than what’s happening to journalists in Cairo. In dicey situations, journalists are often the easiest targets. Sort …

Written by Peter Worthington on Friday February 4, 2011

The GOP's War on the EPA

The right to pollute is getting a big push from pals of the fossil fuel industries who are fighting to limit the EPA's authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The right to pollute is getting a big push from pals of the fossil fuel industries, most of them aiming at curtailing the Environmen…

Written by Jim DiPeso on Friday February 4, 2011

McCain Takes Charge on Egypt

Radio host Mark Levin's criticism of John McCain for his recent comments on the situation in Egypt are unwarranted and unfair. Unlike some of my fellow Frum Forum contributors, I have not been critical of Mark Levin. In fact, truth be told, I like Levin. I find him to be informative. His …

Written by John Guardiano on Friday February 4, 2011

Sign of the E-Times

If you eat right and wear a seatbelt, chances are you will outlive Johannes Gutenberg's printed page. I spent last night at one of those old-fashioned clubs that line the blocks of midtown New York City. One of the annoyances of such clubs is that they typically have rules forbidding laptops in …

Written by David Frum on Friday February 4, 2011

Why is Job Growth So Slow?

Contrary to what you hear - government employment continues to shrink. And with stimulus funds running out, you can expect more government layoffs. Partly because - contrary to what you hear - government employment continues to shrink: down 14, 000 jobs in January, atop the more than 200,000 …

Written by David Frum on Friday February 4, 2011

A Test for the New Egypt

There's a lot of heady talk in the US about Egypt, but let's not forget: popular protests in the Mideast don't usually generate stable democratic regimes. The treaty with Israel contains more than just a promise not to go to war. It contains a series of very specific commitments about Israeli …

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 3, 2011

Is Mubarak Toast?

Mubarak's speech promising to step down in September has only intensified the protests in Egypt. No matter how one wants to interpret it, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt is toast. It’s no longer a question of replacing him, it’s one of getting rid of him and his regime. What confirms that he …

Written by Peter Worthington on Thursday February 3, 2011

Ryan's Budget Cut Hopes Fall Short

The $30 billion in budget cuts that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan is supporting seem awfully timid. The $30 billion in budget cuts that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has come out in support of are probably achievable but, in many ways, seem awfully timid. Although …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday February 3, 2011

Why is U of Toronto Funding Angry Leftwing Speech?

Radical speakers Ward Churchill and Angela Davis were free to say what they wanted at a U of Toronto event this week. But why were they paid with student fees? I am a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto. My school this week invited to speak on campus two American …

Written by Robert Boissonneault on Thursday February 3, 2011

Larson Named New RNC Chief of Staff

This morning, the RNC named strategist Jeff Larson as new Chief of Staff. He now faces the tough task of filling positions while the RNC manages a cash crunch. The Republican National Committee officially announced this morning that Chairman Reince Priebus will be bringing in Republican strategist …

Written by Tim Mak on Thursday February 3, 2011

Obama's New Voice

Jay Carney's selection as press secretary signals a White House that's less insular and less willing to engage in the political mud fights which plague D.C. As one Democrat and Obama enthusiast who argued, in the wake of last November’s electoral “shellacking”, that the White House needed a …

Written by Les Francis on Thursday February 3, 2011

Who Really Killed the JFK Mini-Series?

The last of the Kennedy patriarchs - Sen. Ted Kennedy - may be dead, but the family's legendary power to get their way appears to extend beyond the grave. The last of the Kennedy patriarchs -- Senator Ted Kennedy -- may be dead, but the Kennedys' legendary power to get the family's way appears to …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Thursday February 3, 2011

Does Anyone Really Trust the Muslim Brotherhood?

Having representation of Islamic parties in the Egyptian parliament is one thing. But seeing them hold executive power will be something very different. As readers have probably noted, I'm one of those less excited by - and more wary of - the protests in Egypt. I hold no brief for Hosni Mubarak, …

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 3, 2011

Put High Speed Rail on the Fast Track

In a world of rising fuel costs and increasing global economic pressures, the GOP needs to rethink its' historic opposition to federal funding for passenger rail. A record 28.7 million people traveled on Amtrak passenger trains in Fiscal Year 2010. Despite this, Congressional Republicans have …

Written by Michael P. Stafford on Thursday February 3, 2011