Overview for News

Why Canada Loves the Queen

Having a Queen as head of state seems ludicrous, but for Canadians it makes us different from the U.S., which has long exhibited royal envy. The Queen has made over 20 visits to Canada during her reign of nearly 60 years (in 2012), but this is only the third time she’s been in Canada during …

Written by Peter Worthington on Friday July 2, 2010

Did Steele Go Wobbly?

Michael Steele's Afghanistan-skeptical comments seem to have been unscripted, but who knows. So I feel like an idiot. About a week ago, one of the young staffers here proposed an article: "What happens if Republicans bug out on Afghanistan?" I nixed it. "Let's not deal with hypotheticals." …

Written by David Frum on Friday July 2, 2010

Obama Reels in Immigration Reform

One may wonder why, with a long and painful economic recovery still ahead, Obama is trying to push the issue of immigration reform. On the surface, the President’s speech on immigration Thursday was simply a restatement of existing policy goals. Delving deeper, however, one may be able to …

Written by Tim Mak on Thursday July 1, 2010

Celebrating the Fourth

We're inviting friends of Frum Forum and all our readers to tell us: what was your most memorable July 4th? We're inviting friends of Frum Forum and all our readers to tell us: what was your most memorable July 4? Happy or solemn? At this difficult moment in American history, our …

Written by David Frum on Thursday July 1, 2010

Europe Fights Crucifix Ban

Eight European countries have joined a petition by Italy to overturn a European court ban on Christian crosses in classrooms. Yesterday, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, San Marino, Romania, and Russia joined Italy in arguing against the European Court of Human Rights, claiming …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Thursday July 1, 2010

How Judges are Like Umpires

Justice Roberts metaphor comparing judges to baseball umpires has taken a lot of criticism, but might be more accurate than his critics will concede. If you haven't been following the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings, you haven't been missing a heck of a lot. We've learned that Elena Kagan is …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Thursday July 1, 2010

Truth in Headlines

A recent headline read: "Unemployment Extension Fails: Senate Rejects Jobless Benefits 58-38" . The Senate though had voted in favor of the bill. I came across the following headline: Unemployment Extension Fails: Senate Rejects Jobless Benefits 58-38 Actually, though, the Senate …

Written by Andrew Gelman on Thursday July 1, 2010

Avoiding the Next Great Depression

Paul Krugman is warning that the U.S. has entered an economic depression. His policy prescription is misguided, but where are the conservative solutions? My latest column for The Week examines Paul Krugman's fears that the American economy may have entered a depression and the continuing need …

Written by David Frum on Thursday July 1, 2010

Nuke Panel Keeps Yucca Mountain Alive

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has thrown a wrench in Obama's plans to quickly shutter the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. On Tuesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ruled against the immediate closure of Nevada’s nuclear waste repository, …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Thursday July 1, 2010

How to Win the Fight Over Sarbanes-Oxley

Relying on long-shot legal challenges won’t undo Sarbanes-Oxley's most burdensome provisions. After five years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court earlier this week upheld all substantive provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley law. Even though the law, an overbearing, poorly drafted, government-…

Written by Eli Lehrer on Wednesday June 30, 2010

GOP Senators Grill Kagan

On day two of Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings, the GOP challenged her to defend her position barring military recruiters while Dean of Harvard Law. Well, it didn't take very long for Elena Kagan to completely revoke virtually everything she said in a 1995 law review article . In that review, …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Tuesday June 29, 2010

Remembering Byrd's Racism

Robert Byrd's KKK membership was the beginning of a long and sordid history filled with hatred and bias. Yesterday, the media was pushing hagiographic narratives about the redemptive story of Robert Byrd's past on race relations. The moral of the story is that you can always make up for being a …

Written by Alex Knepper on Tuesday June 29, 2010

Responding to John Hawkins

I don't usually respond to personal criticism. But I'm going to make an exception today and reply to this long post by John Hawkins over at Right Wing News. I don't usually respond to personal criticism. I write to reach a public audience about public issues. I don't wish to be drawn into side …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday June 29, 2010

Christie's Budget Cuts Spur Abortion Fight

New Jersey’s legislature is currently debating a bill to restore $7.5 million in funding to family planning centers across the state. New Jersey’s legislature is currently debating a bill which would re-appropriate $7.5 million to family planning centers across the state. Proponents of the bill …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Tuesday June 29, 2010

Virginia GOP Takes Heat for Global Warming Denialism

With the U.S. on pace to experience the warmest year in recorded history, can we count on the GOP to take climate and energy issues seriously? In February the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) produced an ad titled “ 12 Inches of Global Warming , ” which used the snowstorms to ridicule a pair of …

Written by David Jenkins on Monday June 28, 2010

Losing the PR War in Afghanistan

In the modern media age, you no longer win wars by killing maximum numbers of the enemy. You win (or lose) wars by using violence to shape global public opinion. My latest column for CNN.com looks at General McChrystal's firing and the larger story lost in the ensuing media uproar. In the …

Written by David Frum on Monday June 28, 2010

FF LiveBlogs Kagan's SCOTUS Hearings

UPDATED: On day one of Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings, Democrats railed against what they called the Roberts Court's "conservative judicial activism". Kagan was exceedingly boring, but she did do two things subtly. First, she attempted to recast her time in the Clinton Administration as an …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Monday June 28, 2010

McChrystal's History of Media Blunders

To those who have followed Gen. McChrystal's handling of the media, his recent downfall should not be a surprise. General Stanley McChrystal’s Rolling Stone controversy may have caused shock, disbelief, and outrage across the United States, but to those following the former top U.S. …

Written by Ulf Gartzke on Monday June 28, 2010

MD Gov O'Malley's Failed Crime Record

A spate of violent crimes has raised questions about the supposed success of Maryland Governor O'Malley's public safety initiatives. On June 23 rd , Baltimore settled a lawsuit filed in 2006 by the NAACP, ACLU, and 14 private citizens charging the city’s police force with harassing and arresting …

Written by Rachel Ryan on Monday June 28, 2010

Rioting for Rioting's Sake

There was nothing spontaneous about what happened in Toronto on the weekend. We all knew it was coming, and it did. Now the recriminations begin – what went wrong, if anything, and why Toronto’s G-20 “demonstrations” turned into near riot and vandalism. There was nothing spontaneous about what …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday June 28, 2010