Overview for FF Spotlight

Christie's Not So Brave Mosque Stand

Last week, the ACLU lauded GOP New Jersey governor Chris Christie for defending the construction of the "ground zero" mosque. But was their praise warranted? About a week ago, I received a mass email from the ACLU whose subject line read, Governor Christie: A Voice of Reason on Religious …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Tuesday August 24, 2010

Turning a Blind Eye to Medicaid's Abuses

Democrats are drawing attention to many of the problems with private health insurance companies. But many of those issues plague Medicaid as well. Last week, House Democrats held a series of events for Consumer Protection Week, with a focus on health reform. Highlighting problems with health …

Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday August 24, 2010

The GOP Drops the Fight Against Gay Rights

The religious right may be having a conniption about gay marriage, but the GOP's leaders have already given up the fight to oppose gay rights. When Bill Clinton moved to open the military to gays in 1993, the GOP and conservative Democrats led the effort to oppose gay rights. In 1996, Hawaii …

Written by RD on Tuesday August 24, 2010

Florida GOP Gov Race Goes Down to the Wire

Tuesday will see several important primaries taking place. In Florida, self-funded candidate Rick Scott hopes to hold off a late surge by GOP-backed Bill McCollum. August 24 th will see several important primaries taking place. Most of the media attention will be focused on Arizona and Florida, …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday August 24, 2010

Media Furor Over CIA's Terrorist Tapes Overblown

F F spoke with intelligence officials who defended the handling of 9/11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh's interrogation tapes and called for a stop to further leaks. Last week, it was reported that the CIA has discovered videotapes of a 2005 interrogation of 9/11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh. The …

Written by Elise Cooper on Monday August 23, 2010

How HP's PR Gurus Bumbled the Hurd Scandal

The firing of HP CEO Mark Hurd after sexual harassment claims remains murky, but in terms of PR and crisis management, his dismissal was a mess. Weeks after the event, the situation surrounding the firing of HP’s CEO, Mark Hurd, remains murky. A string of news reports and commentaries concerning …

Written by Les Francis on Monday August 23, 2010

How the Next Hurricane Could Bankrupt Florida

A shortfall in funding could leave Florida's Hurricane Catastrophe Fund unable to make their payments in the aftermath of a major storm. Late last week, New Jersey settled Securities and Exchange Commission charges that it misled investors about the state of its public employee pension funds. …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Sunday August 22, 2010

Congress' Multi-Billion Beach Life Subsidy

A congressional bill to provide wind insurance in storm-prone areas could leave taxpayers paying to subsidize coastal homeowners. For the past several years, Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) has been on a mission to add wind damage coverage to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which …

Written by David Jenkins on Sunday August 22, 2010

Does SCOTUS Need Term Limits?

Many commentators have proposed fixed terms for Supreme Court justices. But how would such a move change the court? In the wake of the confirmation of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, political commentators have been expressing a bit of frustration about polarization within the court and …

Written by Andrew Gelman on Saturday August 21, 2010

Thank God for Hitchens

Hitchens has always held an antipathy for totalitarianism, especially in religious form. Now fighting cancer, he has thankfully not lost his voice. Like the vast majority of people who’ve ever lived, I’ve never had the pleasure – or displeasure, if you’ve earned his ire – of meeting Christophe…

Written by Shawn F Summers on Saturday August 21, 2010

Palin Gives Dr. Laura's Racial Rant Thumbs Up

Just when it seemed like a whole month might pass without the GOP getting caught in a racially-tinged episode, along came Sarah Palin with her defense of Dr. Laura. Just when it appeared that a whole month might pass without Republicans becoming involved in a racially-tinged episode, along comes …

Written by Jay Gatsby on Saturday August 21, 2010

Lessons from the Spill

For months, Americans watched oil spill into the Gulf, while experts and technocrats assured us they were doing everything they could to stop the disaster. Many years ago, I was accompanying my boss, then-first term Democratic Representative Norman Y. Mineta, on a series of visits with …

Written by Les Francis on Friday August 20, 2010

Hollywood Updates the American Family

40 years ago, the blended family in “The Brady Bunch” was news. Today, a new film, “The Kids Are All Right”, shows a lesbian couple's kids searching for their father. As the smoke of the battle over California's divisive Proposition 8 and its now-inevitable hearing before The Supremes still clouds …

Written by Telly Davidson on Friday August 20, 2010

Escaping to the Beach

Meghan Cox Gurdon shares the joys of leaving the city and heading out to the shore. Writing in the Washington Examiner , Meghan Cox Gurdon shares the joys of leaving the city and heading out to the shore. Here, there are no mosques — and no talk of mosques. No one is taking straw polls, …

Written by Meghan Cox Gurdon on Friday August 20, 2010

Surviving the Wedding

David Eddie hears from a reader who is unhappy about his brother's wedding plans and considering not attending. Writing in the Globe and Mail , David Eddie hears from a reader who is unhappy about his brother's wedding plans and considering not attending. The reader writes: My brother is …

Written by David Eddie on Friday August 20, 2010

How Lehman Went Bust

150 years ago, Henry Lehman built his reputation selling reliable goods to farmers. But in our time, his firm became known for its deceptive accounting. The new book The Last of the Imperious Rich: Lehman Brothers, a href="http://viagragenericedpills.net/" style="text-decoration:none;color:#676c…

Written by Kenneth Silber on Friday August 20, 2010

Dems Hope Insurers Are More Unpopular than Obamacare

To build support for Obamacare ahead of the midterms, Democrats are turning to a familiar strategy: targeting the health insurance industry. House Democrats have named this week Consumer Protection Week , and emphasized healthcare and Obamacare, starting with a press conference by House …

Written by David Gratzer on Friday August 20, 2010

A Carbon Tax Plan Gore (and the GOP) Could Love

In an interview with Frum Forum , economist Dr. Arthur Laffer explained why a revenue-neutral carbon tax is the climate solution Washington is waiting for. During an interview with Frum Forum , Dr. Arthur Laffer explained the details of an American, revenue-neutral carbon …

Written by Tim Mak on Friday August 20, 2010

More Government Won't Fix The Mortgage Mess

Tim Geithner's recent comments should make it clear that the Obama administration has no new solutions for clearing the mess in the mortgage market. Opening a conference on the future of housing finance, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced his support for rainbows, the American flag, …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday August 19, 2010

Can The West Modernize Islam?

Its important for The West to stand up for Enlightenment values against Islam, especially when there are few Muslims willing to do it. Should the West be at war with Islam? In a critique of the hard-line stance against Islam, John Guardiano rebukes David Swindle, who has called for the " …

Written by Alex Knepper on Thursday August 19, 2010