Overview for FF Spotlight

Blame the Media for the Koran-Burning Fiasco

Koran-burning pastor Terry Jones may have used the media to gain attention, but the media chose to play along and use him to stereotype evangelicals as ignorant bigots. African-Americans have often complained that when the media goes into a black neighborhood for a story, they always seem to …

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Written by Cheves Ligon on Sunday September 12, 2010

Don't Count Out the GOP in Chicago's Mayoral Race

Despite Mayor Daley's terrific legacy, Chicago is facing tough times and the city's voters may be open to a Republican candidate with fresh ideas. The more interesting question these days is whether a Republican could win city hall in Chicago for the first time since 1931. Ever since Mayor Daley's …

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Written by Gavin E. Campbell on Sunday September 12, 2010

The Case for Castle

Conservatives have many reasons to rally behind Mike Castle's Delaware Senate bid other than just his electability. As the Delaware Republican primary campaign heats up, I thought I would put forward five claims in defense of Mike Castle: Two out of three ain't bad. He supported the …

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Written by Fred Bauer on Sunday September 12, 2010

The Myths of 9/11

Nobody would claim that the United States and its allies have gotten everything right. But nine years after 9/11, we are winning the war against Al Qaeda. Some Americans are in a debunking mood on this ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. Ted Koppel has produced a new documentary for the …

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Written by David Frum on Saturday September 11, 2010

Car Talk (for Kids)

With the start of the school year, Meghan Cox Gurdon finds herself back on the road carpooling, listening in on a car full of children. With the start of the school year, Meghan Cox Gurdon finds herself back on the road carpooling, listening in on a car full of children. Well, here we all …

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Written by Meghan Cox Gurdon on Friday September 10, 2010

Just Say No

David Eddie shares a two-letter solution with a reader worried that he cannot stop his friends from taking advantage of him. Writing in the Globe and Mail , David Eddie fields a question from a reader worried that he cannot stop his friends from taking advantage of him.  The reader writes: …

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Written by David Eddie on Friday September 10, 2010

Why You Shouldn't Fear Google & Verizon's Net Neutrality Deal

For all of the angst, the Google-Verizon net neutrality framework announced last week would keep the internet operating pretty much the same way it does today. "Breaking up is hard to do. If he didn’t know it before, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has realized it now. After pushing the "net neutrality" …

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Written by Jon Henke on Friday September 10, 2010

Does Rahm Know What He's Getting Into?

If Rahm Emanuel wants to be a successful mayor, he better be prepared to invest years of his life building a network within Chicago's political system. With Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announcing that he won’t run for reelection, everyone is anticipating that White House Chief of Staff Rahm …

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Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Thursday September 9, 2010

The Anti-GOP GOP Vote

Polls show that many voters who think the Democrats will do a better job than Republicans still plan to vote for the GOP. What are these voters thinking? In a recent blogpost, Mathew Yglesias writes about a new poll which shows that many voters who dislike Republicans more than Democrats still …

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Written by Andrew Gelman on Thursday September 9, 2010

Pulling the Plug on Political Dynasties

Murkowski's decision to keep running for the Senate seat handed to her by her father is further evidence of the political careerism voters have come to despise. The United States Senate survived the loss of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster.  Life went on without Lyndon Johnson and Stephen Douglas and …

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Written by Henry Clay on Thursday September 9, 2010

Higher Premiums? Blame Obamacare Not Insurers

Democrats have attacked health insurance companies for raising premiums. But the real problem lies with Obamacare's inability to stem the rise in health costs. Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal reported that, “Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for …

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Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Thursday September 9, 2010

Don’t Fear the Debt

President Obama's latest stimulus plans will cost more money in the short-term, but taking on the extra debt could be a good deal for taxpayers. The president has proposed three significant measures, each of which in the short term will cost money.  First, businesses will be able to write off new …

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Written by Chris Douglas on Wednesday September 8, 2010

Two Cheers for Obama's New Stimulus

Obama's new tax reform proposals should help accelerate spending but his pork-laden, slow-acting infrastructure fund plan will do little to spur growth. President Obama is a brilliant man. He has many smart advisors. Quite often, however, they’ve had bad ideas. Yesterday, they proposed some …

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Written by Eli Lehrer on Wednesday September 8, 2010

Grimm Rebuts Military Medal Smears

NY-13 GOP candidate and veteran Michael Grimm spoke with F F to clear allegations by a rival that he wore medals he had not earned in a campaign photo. A gotcha moment was turned into a YouTube ad today after a New York Republican’s reply to an interview question sounded oddly similar to a part …

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Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday September 8, 2010

Who is this Imam Fooling?

In his quest for a moderate Islam, “Ground Zero” Imam Abdul Feisal Rauf has often excused radical Islam's worst practices while pointing a finger at the West. With the ongoing “Ground Zero Mosque” firestorm and the bigger battle over Islam in the United States, the founder of the proposed …

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Written by Cathy Young on Wednesday September 8, 2010

Petraeus Takes a Stand Against Anti-Islam Rhetoric

Petraeus' remarks denouncing a church’s plan to burn a Qur’an are a rebuke to those who insist on recasting the war against radical Islam as a war against all Islam. The  anti-Islam extremists who are trying to take over the conservative movement have never had to answer for their shrill and …

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Written by John Guardiano on Tuesday September 7, 2010

Mr. Pawlenty Goes to Washington (for Medicaid Cash)

Today, Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty asked for $260 million in federal funds from a stimulus bill he had earlier derided as "reckless". Over the past year, much has been written and televised about the tea party and the RINOs and the demands for ideological purity. The fact that today, Tim …

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Written by Jeb Golinkin on Tuesday September 7, 2010

Wyden Goes Wobbly on the Mandate

Is Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden's backtrack on the individual mandate the start of a Democratic retreat from one of the core features of Obamacare? “Wyden Defects on ObamaCare” is the provocative title of Friday’s Wall Street Journal editorial describing how Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is advocating …

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Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday September 7, 2010

A Climate Change Skeptic Switches Sides

Longtime climate change skeptic Bjorn Lomborg's call for more spending on low-carbon technology will help push forward a debate stuck in neutral since Copenhagen. Environmentalists loathe Bjorn Lomborg, the famous “skeptical environmentalist.” Like Red Sox fans loathe the Yankees. Like …

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Written by Jim DiPeso on Tuesday September 7, 2010

Is Pakistan a Victim of Donor Fatigue?

Americans and Canadians who rallied to support Haiti after the island was hit with an earthquake, have been slow to give to victims of Pakistan's floods. Expressions of (official) dismay sweep our part of the world over the  slowness, reticence, reluctance or whatever it is, of people …

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Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday September 7, 2010