Overview for News

By New York Standards Scozzafava is a Conservative Republican

My colleague Boris Shor has performed some analysis on the ideological positions of state legislators. When he applied the analysis to Dede Scozzafava, running in the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district, he found her to the right of the average Albany GOP legislator. My …

Written by Andrew Gelman on Thursday October 22, 2009

Will the Rule of Law Survive Obama?

The Obama administration plans to order financial firms that received bailout money to cut promised compensation payments to executives. What’s happening with these executive contracts is lawless and wrong. May I associate myself with the remarks of the esteemed Professor Bainbridge? The …

Written by David Frum on Thursday October 22, 2009

Murkowski Speaks Out Against Dem Giveaways

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is speaking out against Dem plans to give away carbon allocations for free. This should be a firestorm issue. But it's so swaddled in boring technical details that nobody pays attention - except the utilities who will receive the multi-billion-dollar gifts. Glad to see …

Written by David Frum on Thursday October 22, 2009

Obama Abandons the Democracy Agenda

President Obama’s State Department has reversed the Bush administration's policies of undermining authoritarian Middle East regimes through the spread of democracy. President Barack Obama’s State Department has reversed the George W. Bush administration's policies of undermining authoritarian …

Written by Jonathan Schanzer on Thursday October 22, 2009

Canada's Medal Glut

In August last year, Canada announced it was instituting a medal for those killed or wounded in action, to be called the Sacrifice Medal. This brings the total number of “new” medals authorized by Canada since the end of WWII to around 115 – and counting. In August last year, Canada announced it …

Written by Peter Worthington on Wednesday October 21, 2009

Trillions More for the Wrong Housing Policy

The Obama administration today unveiled yet another program designed to prop up the housing market, this time providing additional aid to state and local housing agencies in an effort to keep rates low and expand financing for low and moderate income borrowers. The Obama administration today …

Written by Edward Pinto on Wednesday October 21, 2009

Shocker: The Dems are Cheating on Healthcare Costing

You remember that healthcare reform that was originally projected at over $1 trillion over the next 10 years? Now there is a special price: Only $871 billion ! But you have to act fast to take advantage of this discount, or so insist House leaders. Good news everybody! You remember that …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday October 21, 2009

A Good Way to Get Poor

I know I shouldn't succumb, but I can't resist replying to this blogpost at LewRockwell.com which nicely sums up what is wrong with goldbugs: " Neocons like Frum-Yglesias also love the Fed and its counterfeiting presses, and the perpetual wars they make possible. What a surprise. " I know I …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday October 20, 2009

The Man David Keene Wants to Hit

NewMajority presents an exclusive interview with John Ziegler on his intense encounter with David Keene, president of the American Conservative Union. Ziegler achieved internet celebrity this week when videos of his hostile confrontation with Keene were featured on the Huffington Post. Today, …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday October 20, 2009

The Left's Cold War Amnesia

The 1980’s were the anti-communist coalition’s finest hour, but because the keepers of memory in America are academia and popular culture, the Cold War has almost been forgotten. Incredibly, the word comes from the Obama administration that the United States will not attend the 20th anniversar…

Written by John Vecchione on Tuesday October 20, 2009

Why is the White House Attacking Fox?

Michael Wolff has a theory that the White House wants to identify Fox " as the standard bearer of American conservatism. If you’re a conservative, you’re for Fox (ie, is that who you want to be?) ." It's a perfect convergence: What is good for Fox is good for Obama, and what is good for Obama is …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday October 20, 2009

Let's Not Lose the Lede

If Dede Scozzafava, the Republican candidate in NY-23, supports card check, the state GOP leaders who handpicked her have a lot to answer for. The Weekly Standard' s John McCormack reports from NY-23: Earlier today Lindsay Beyerstein reported that Scozzafava responded to an AFL-CIO …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday October 20, 2009

A Brave Voice for Tolerance in Egypt

Dr. Hala Mustafa, editor-in-chief of the journal al-Demoqratiya , recently hosted Israeli Ambassador Shalom Cohen in Cairo. Shortly thereafter, the Journalists’ Syndicate – the foremost professional organization of Cairo’s media elite – opened deliberations to discipline her for violating its ban …

Written by Eric Trager on Monday October 19, 2009

The Right Climate for Bipartisanship

Recently, Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. John Kerry unveiled a new bipartisan framework for addressing climate change and energy security. Instead of continuing to pander to the tea-party crowd and obstruct legislation, the GOP must use this opportunity to help pass a constructive climate change …

Written by David Jenkins on Monday October 19, 2009

Most Americans Oppose Dems Health Reform Proposals

A poll released today by the Galen Institute shows strong opposition to many major features of the health reform proposals before Congress. At the Galen Institute, we are releasing today a poll we commissioned to ask people their opinions about some of the major features of the health reform …

Written by Grace-Marie Turner on Monday October 19, 2009

Not Wrong, Just Unpersuasive

Not Evil, Just Wrong , a new film about the dangers of global warming hysteria, tries its best to act as a counterpoint to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth , but falls short. The film could ultimately do damage to a conservative movement seeking reasonable ways to address environmental issues. …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday October 19, 2009

Don't Blame Daggett, Blame Christie

If New Jerseyans re-elect a discredited Democratic governor in November, the blame will lie with GOP challenger Chris Christie. A center-right Republican in a red year running against an incredibly unpopular, terrifically corrupt incumbent simply has no excuse. Conservatives are up in arms over …

Written by Alex Knepper on Monday October 19, 2009

Obama's Berlin No Show

President Obama has reportedly declined to travel to Berlin for the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On the plus side, November 9 is a good moment to begin planning for a Ronald Reagan memorial, to honor the president who led the country to final victory in the …

Written by David Frum on Monday October 19, 2009

Bono Hearts Obama

Recently, U2 lead singer Bono praised President Obama for “rebranding” the United States in the eyes of the rest of the world. But here at home, the American public remains as deeply divided as it was under the Bush administration and Obama has fallen victim to his own narrative. Bono, the lead …

Written by Andrew Walker on Monday October 19, 2009

Liberal Republican May Give Dems New Jersey Governorship

Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey ought to be a dead man walking. But the entry of former Republican-turned-independent Chris Daggett into the gubernatorial race is splitting the Republican vote and handing the governorship back to Corzine. Jon Corzine, Governor of New Jersey ought to be a dead man …

Written by John Vecchione on Sunday October 18, 2009