Overview for News

White House Pay Freeze - A Warmed Over Bush Gimmick

One reason President Obama had a good week last week was his order that White House staffers making above $100, 000 per year will have their pay frozen (or at least their cost of living increases frozen; check back in 2011 for an update). As the President said, “During this period of economic …

Written by FF Washington Insider on Tuesday January 27, 2009

The Dumbing Down Of Public Health

Last month, my daughter asked for a glass of milk. I noticed that we were actually on the “best before” date stated on the carton. Panic -- was the milk really safe? I stood in the kitchen paralyzed with fear and indecision. Many of my friends have described similar food-related …

Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday January 27, 2009

...not That Theres Anything Wrong With That

You have to hand it to the gay marriage proponents: they know how to frame a debate. They have forced their opponents into trying to explain why they don’t want “rights” for gays and lesbians--or essentially conceding that they are bigots. On the other hand, it is sadly …

Written by Cheves Ligon on Tuesday January 27, 2009

Obama Diplomacy Burns Clinton

In his al Arabiya interview , Barack Obama promised "the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that." Apparently, therefore, there was no "partnership" with the Muslim world when Bill Clinton …

Written by FF Washington Insider on Tuesday January 27, 2009

Reforming Our Prisons Will Reduce Crime

David Cameron’s British Conservative Party has placed radical prison reform at the heart of its compassionate agenda, and is enjoying double-digit opinion poll leads. The Bush Administration largely abandoned not only its popular early rhetoric to improve prison conditions, but also its …

Written by Jamie Boulding on Monday January 26, 2009

The Military Could Learn From "real Education" As Well

While our primary mission is to defend the nation, the U.S. military is also one of the country’s leading educators. The U.S. military operates three service academies, alongside the several state military academies. Countless students attend college on military scholarships. After serving, …

Written by Michael Toth on Monday January 26, 2009

A Skinny White Kid Walks The Walk

A major part of new teacher training and “professional development” is not instruction on how to effectively teach and lead, it is mandatory diversity training. One of the more memorable forced diversity training sessions I participated in was a “game” called Privilege …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Monday January 26, 2009

Bailed Out Bankers Behaving Like Welfare Queens

There is an urgent warning for Republicans in the weekend’s two big financial stories. On Sunday, the New York Times reported that the Obama administration is considering much tighter regulation of hedge funds and rating agencies. Such a story jangles Republican nerves – and calls …

Written by David Frum on Monday January 26, 2009

Testing

testing

Written by J. Moses Browning on Monday January 26, 2009

Lessons For Americans From France's Ugliest War

Probably few Americans have heard of the case of General Paul Aussaresses, but it has troubled the peace of France for a decade. As Barack Obama rewrites the rules for America's struggle against terrorism, the Aussaresses case reminds us that successful counter-insurgency is never easy and rarely …

Written by Jean Granville on Sunday January 25, 2009

Teach For America Can Teach Conservatives Unexpected Lessons

After teaching my high school journalism students about the great investigative journalist, Nellie Bly, one boy raised his hand and asked if I was just trying to be like her by teaching at this school. This was an insightful question, though I quickly reminded the student that Nellie Bly …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Sunday January 25, 2009

The Party Of Small Minds, Not Small Government

Youth support for Republicans first cratered in the Northeast, and has led to the virtual extinction of elected GOP officials there. In 1999, there were 12 House Republicans from New York. Today there are 3. These losses aren’t very surprising given that New York’s youth voted …

Written by Jonas Stankovich on Sunday January 25, 2009

Did Gop Lose Because Of Bush? Or Because Conservatism Is No Longer Relevant?

The key question for worried conservatives is whether the last two years of elections represents a repudiation of conservatism, particularly of the Reaganite brand, or is merely a rejection of George W. Bush and his perceived failures? In the 1950s, Sam Lubell argued that, at any time in history, …

Written by John Vecchione on Sunday January 25, 2009

Mr. Steele Goes To Washington?

On January 30, 2009, 168 members of the Republican National Committee will meet in Washington, DC to elect the next Chairman of the Republican Party. To be sure, the election comes at a critical time for the GOP’s future – on the heels of staggering defeats in the last two election …

Written by Bradley Wine on Friday January 23, 2009

The Kids Aren't Alright

Youthful, S/W/M Exuberant Seeks Conservative Party, Answers. Serious Inquiries Only. I was born during Jimmy Carter's last week in the White House. As such, I mercifully can't/don't have to remember anything about the man, those wide-as-a-Buick lapels he wore, or the stagflation over which he …

Written by Cheves Ligon on Friday January 23, 2009

Political Popularity And The Problem With Reforming Entitlements

While most of Illinois has been distracted by the inauguration of President Obama, soon we will be fixated on another political drama – the impeachment trial of Governor Rod Blagojevich. It is worth noting that our scandal-tainted Governor was once very popular here in the State and lest we …

Written by Jeffrey Singer on Friday January 23, 2009

Club For Growth Harms Gop Growth

I'm embarrassed by the party's decline among college educated and suburban voters. But consider this paradox: The Club for Growth, with whom I generally agree on substance, draws its primary support from the party's college-educated, suburban, more libertarian wing. Yet few have done more to run …

Written by Bradley Smith on Friday January 23, 2009

Caroline's Troubles

It was reported yesterday that housekeeping and tax issues may have forced Caroline Kennedy to withdraw from Senate consideration. As the news flashed, I suddenly remembered a former professor of mine, Paul Bator of the Harvard Law School, a former solicitor general of the United States and …

Written by David Frum on Friday January 23, 2009

The Enemy Whose Name We Dare Not Speak

When President Bush addressed the nation for the last time as President, he emphasized – as he often had during his 8 years in office – the threat posed by terrorism to American homeland security. " I have often spoken to you about good and evil , ” the President said. “ …

Written by Joshua Glatter on Friday January 23, 2009

In Praise Of Community Organizers

I saw the happiest looking person I’ve ever seen in my life one day while making a turn into the school parking lot; he was pushing a shopping cart that appeared to be full of an entire chain link fence. His clothes were ratty, shoes beaten up and his stocking hat was falling off his head, …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Friday January 23, 2009