Overview for News

Venezuela’s Stopped Clocks

The campus of the Central University of Venezuela is a UNESCO landmark, a perfect example of the tropical modernism of the 1960s. I visited just a few days ago to talk to students and faculty and noticed something strange: Every clock in the building had stopped dead. Marketplace today broadcast …

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Written by David Frum on Wednesday February 3, 2010

Keeping Terror Trials at Gitmo

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) just introduced a bill that would require that detainees held at Guantanamo Bay be tried in military commissions using the courtroom facility built at Guantanamo. Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) just introduced a bill that would require that detainees held at Guantanamo Bay be tried …

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Written by Elise Cooper on Wednesday February 3, 2010

Kirk's Keys to Victory

Rep. Mark Kirk won the Illinois GOP Senate primary easily. Four key numbers though will dictate the success of his general election campaign against Democratic state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Watching the Illinois primaries last night, it struck me that there are four numbers that will …

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Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday February 3, 2010

Kirk Wins in Illinois

In the Illinois GOP Senate primary, Rep. Mark Kirk secured a commanding victory. Kirk will now face off against Democratic state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for President Obama's old Senate seat. Its a blowout in Illinois for Congressman Mark Kirk. With 92% of precincts reporting, Kirk is …

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Written by Jeb Golinkin on Wednesday February 3, 2010

Hawaii's GOP Resurgence

Hawaii has become a state where Republicans understand the benefits of a big-tent philosophy and a diverse party. Hawaii is a FrumForum Republican’s kind of state. And not just because of the pristine beaches, the tropical weather and the hula girls. Rather, Hawaii is a state where Republicans …

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Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday February 2, 2010

What's Driving Pawlenty's Fundraising Surge?

Tim Pawlenty is making some serious moves in the fundraising arena, leading many political watchers to ask if his budget amendment crusade is finally reaping dividends. Is Tim Pawlenty’s budget amendment crusade reaping dividends?  Pawlenty has recently made a slew of appearances on Fox News, …

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Written by Bryce McNitt on Tuesday February 2, 2010

GOP More Out of Touch Than Ever

A new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll found that 53% of Republicans surveyed believe that Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama. A new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll of Republicans found that that 63% believe that President Obama is a socialist, compared to 21% who say …

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Written by Jeb Golinkin on Tuesday February 2, 2010

Health Insurance Market Not Ready for Vouchers

Rep. Paul Ryan has shown true grit in crafting a budget that is actually balanced, but implementing a healthcare voucher program without first fixing the broken, dysfunctional health insurance market would be a mistake. If Obama’s efforts to create a viable regulatory framework in which individua…

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Written by E. D. Kain on Tuesday February 2, 2010

Second Obama Budget: More Radical Than First

President Obama's second budget puts the U.S. on a path to even higher taxing and spending than his first - a path that will continue long after this recession ends. Read Keith Hennessy . President Obama's second budget puts the U.S. on a path to even higher taxing and spending than his first - a …

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Written by David Frum on Tuesday February 2, 2010

Revenue Grab, Not Energy Policy

The new Obama budget's taxes on oil will do nothing to decrease domestic consumption. There's a case for taxing oil consumption. If oil costs consumers more, consumers would presumably use less. Given that the United States imports more than half its oil - and will continue to import the …

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Written by David Frum on Monday February 1, 2010

Cal Gov Race: Poizner Calls in the Cops

Today Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a candidate in the GOP gubernatorial primary in California, accused Meg Whitman’s campaign of making “crystal clear... threats” to get him to drop out of the race. Poizner also added that he had referred these “threats” to the FBI. Today Insurance …

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Written by Tim Mak on Monday February 1, 2010

Time for Obama to Rethink Terror Trials

My latest column for CNN.com discusses the Obama administration's insistence on trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the Detroit underwear bomber in civilian courts. My latest column for CNN.com discusses the Obama administration's confused counter-terrorism policies. By failing to interrogate …

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Written by David Frum on Monday February 1, 2010

Stop Smearing the Tea Partiers

The popular conservative movement we are currently witnessing via the tea parties, the Sarah Palin booksigning rallies, the election results in Massachusetts, the overwhelming popularity of conservative talk show hosts etc - is not angry. The popular conservative movement we are currently …

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Written by Sean Linnane on Monday February 1, 2010

Spanish Hooverism

While the U.S. debates Obama's spending slushie, Spain readies truly draconian spending cuts plus tax increases, intended to cut its budget deficit from over 11% of GDP to 3% by 2014. While the U.S. debates Obama's spending slushie, Spain readies truly draconian spending cuts plus tax …

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Written by David Frum on Monday February 1, 2010

Miracle in Jerusalem

It was only my first day in Jerusalem, but I witnessed a miracle. As the sun set over the golden Dome of the Rock, I watched an Arab Sheik and an Israeli Rabbi pray together. Sorry, make that two Rabbis. Jerusalem -- It was only my first day in Jerusalem, but I witnessed a miracle.  As the sun …

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Written by Danielle Crittenden on Sunday January 31, 2010

Yoo and Bybee Cleared

John Yoo and Jay Bybee have been cleared of misconduct by the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility. The final report tags them instead with "poor judgment" for their finding that the president had the legal authority to order waterboarding of terrorist detainees. John …

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Written by David Frum on Sunday January 31, 2010

Kirk Ready for Primary

Congressman Mark Kirk is poised to become the Republican nominee for what is certain to become one of 2010's most high profile Senate races. Congressman Mark Kirk is poised to become the Republican nominee for what is certain to become one of, if not the most high profile Senate races of the 2010 …

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Written by Jeb Golinkin on Sunday January 31, 2010

The Day the Purity Test Died

On the final full day of the RNC winter meeting, James Bopp, the chief sponsor of the purity test and accountability resolutions withdrew them before the general members session. Click here for all of Tim Mak’s reports from the RNC Summit in Hawaii. Instead, the RNC passed a …

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Written by Tim Mak on Sunday January 31, 2010

Don't Blame GOP for Obamacare's Demise

Liberals may blame Republicans for obstructionism but there is a valid argument for the minority taking an oppositional stance when the legislation in question is something they fundamentally disagree with. There was a satirical headline floating around after the Scott Brown victory which read: …

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Written by E. D. Kain on Saturday January 30, 2010

Still Waiting for the Obama Recovery

The most important statement of the week was not President Obama's State of the Union address, but rather the warning from Doug Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office that unemployment will hover around 10% through 2010, and only slowly decline thereafter. The most important …

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Written by David Frum on Saturday January 30, 2010