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Between my late mother, my sister, my wife, and me, the Frum family had collectively published 13 books as of the summer of 2011. Only one member of the clan avoided print: my father, Murray Frum. But after years of prodding from my wife and other relatives, my father at last succumbed to the peer …

Written by David Frum on Thursday December 15, 2011

Truth Hurts

In my column for The Week , I discuss the recent debate in the left-wing bloggosphere over former AIPAC spokesman Josh Block: A blogosphere spat is revealing an important fracture in the Democratic Party and liberal institutions. The spat erupted nearly a week ago. The website em> …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday December 14, 2011

Being Irrelevant

The Washington Post covers the O'Reilly-Goldberg Factor segment on my irrelevance.

Written by David Frum on Wednesday December 14, 2011

Where Was the GOP's Middle Class Agenda?

Saturday night's debate provided a good example of how current GOP orthodoxy thwarts presidential candidates from talking seriously about the economic problems of the American middle class. Mitt Romney wants to offer a middle-class economic agenda. (Or anyway, his consultants have decided he …

Written by David Frum on Monday December 12, 2011

Canadian Politics Get Americanized

In my column for the National Post I discuss the investigation of Treasury Board President Tony Clement: Last month, the RCMP announced that it had found no basis for further investigation of Treasury Board President Tony Clement. In 2010, a former Liberal MP had asked the RCMP to …

Written by David Frum on Saturday December 10, 2011

Two Americas

From my Twitter feed : Wasserman: 82% of cong districts that flipped from D to R in 2010 had a Cracker Barrel; just 20% had a Whole Foods. http://wapo.st/uHuYRB

Written by David Frum on Friday December 9, 2011

It's 3AM, Do You Trust Newt Gingrich?

David Brooks makes a great point in his column today about Newt Gingrich's temperament: But how you believe something is as important as what you believe. It doesn’t matter if a person shares your overall philosophy. If that person doesn’t have the right temperament and character, stay away. …

Written by David Frum on Friday December 9, 2011

If the GOP Nominates Gingrich

It is volunteering to spend 2012 re-arguing the Clinton impeachment. Who thinks that's a good idea?

Written by David Frum on Wednesday December 7, 2011

John Bolton as Secretary of State

Newt Gingrich's suggestion that he'd offer the top diplomatic job to the famously rough-edged Bolton reminds me of the shrewd English definition of a gentleman: one who never gives offense unintentionally.

Written by David Frum on Wednesday December 7, 2011

Democracy's Enemies in Pakistan

A horrifying act of sectarian terrorism targets Shiite worshipers in Afghanistan: KABUL — Twin blasts at Afghan shrines on the Shiite holy day of Ashura left at least 58 people dead on Tuesday, with one massive suicide attack in Kabul ripping through a crowd of worshippers including children. …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday December 6, 2011

Your Morning Newt Basket

John Podhoretz on Gingrich in the New York Post today . "[Republican primary voters] know him mainly from Fox News." From a funny story in Politico that I missed while traveling: "He’s going to blow up at some point, and I’m just hoping it comes before he gets the nomination,” said one …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday December 6, 2011

Only Yesterday

Newt Gingrich endorsed Harriet Miers . Conservatives should feel confident with the selection of Harriet Miers to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court for a simple reason: George W. Bush selected her.

Written by David Frum on Monday December 5, 2011

Can One Man End Pakistani Democracy?

In my column for CNN, I discuss how Mansoor Ijaz is putting Pakistani democracy in danger: Big events do not always have big causes. The British once went to war over an injury to a sea captain's ear. And today's Pakistan may collapse into military rule because of one man's eagerness to read …

Written by David Frum on Monday December 5, 2011

If Saudi Women Drive

The social consequences will be horrendous, warn Saudi Arabia's clerics: As part of his careful reform process, King Abdullah has allowed suggestions to surface that the ban might be reviewed. This has angered the conservative religious elite - a key power base for any Saudi ruler. Now, …

Written by David Frum on Saturday December 3, 2011

Austerity Comes to Britain

Dagenham is an industrial suburb east of London, hard-hit by the decline of manufacturing in the United Kingdom. It was the site of tonight's Question Time program on BBC, where I occupied a chair hoping that I wouldn't get asked too many questions about the British educational system. Question …

Written by David Frum on Friday December 2, 2011

What Friends of Israel Face in Britain

As an example of the attitudes my friends at the Anglo-Israel Association bump up against in contemporary Britain, there's this : A Labour MP has caused outrage by suggesting that Britain's first Jewish ambassador to Israel has divided loyalties because he has "proclaimed himself to be a …

Written by David Frum on Thursday December 1, 2011

Who Strains the US-Pakistan Relationship?

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Written by David Frum on Thursday December 1, 2011

Let Europeans Vote for EU Officials

In my column for The Week I explain why the European Union needs more democratic accountability: The European Union is not a democracy because until now it has been regarded as an association of democracies. The institutions at the center of Europe existed to serve democratic governments, …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday November 30, 2011

Britain's One-Day Strike

British public-sector workers engaged in a one-day strike today to protest government plans to reduce the generosity of public-sector pensions. I witnessed the big protest march down Whitehall toward Parliament. The crowd was thick, but generally orderly--although past such protests have seen …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday November 30, 2011

The Cost of the Tea Party

Here's some interesting data from Pew. Americans turning against the "tea party" (however they understand the "tea party" to mean) is not exactly a new story, but here it continues to accelerate. More surprising: the tea party seems to be contaminating the larger Republican brand. …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday November 30, 2011