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 …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 …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. …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 …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 …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…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 …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 …The Fat Diaries: "Healthier" Fast Food? No Thanks
The public isn’t buying the fast food industry’s efforts to sell us healthier choices. ABC hosted a news nugget that I thought pertinent enough to discuss here. Apparently franchise owners of Kentucky Fried Chicken are suing their own cooperation for their relentless marketing of …
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 …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, …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 …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…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 …Our Imperial Judiciary
Several generations of lawyers now believe that the federal judiciary exists primarily as a bulwark against overbearing majorities. It may be that it is not in the GOP's long term interests to stand against gay marriage. Whether the federal court's decision striking down Prop. 8 is a positive …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 …Stop Punking the Middle Class
Pushing the claim that the middle class is in "crisis" only stalls the recovery and diverts attention from the disadvantaged groups really hurting in this economy. Mike Konczal returned from vacation and promptly put up a post criticizing my take-down of Edward Luce's horrible Financial Times …