Overview for News

Vaccine Denialism Finds a Home on Left and Right

The story of Andrew Wakefield, the medical researcher who claimed autism could be traced to vaccinations, is a sharp reminder of how inadequate our ideological map can be. The story of Andrew Wakefield administers a sharp reminder of how inadequate our ideological map can be. Wakefield …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 21, 2011

Mitt Romney’s Achilles Heel

The Onion takes a swing at one of Mitt Romney's biggest worries: how to sell his Massachusetts health plan to Republican voters. The Onion identifies it: "Every day I am haunted by the fact that I gave impoverished Massachusetts citizens a chance to receive health care," Romney told …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 21, 2011

The Health Cost Fix Obama Won't Accept

There are new questions about Obamacare's preferred cost control mechanisms. Yet, one possible solution for the president's health cost worries is still off the table. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) -- Obamacare-- is coming under new attacks as the constitutionality of the …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Thursday April 21, 2011

Obama's West Coast Swing

Obama's trip to California didn't just give him the chance to fill his campaign coffers. It was also a reminder to Washington that he still owns the youth vote. It was fitting that President Barack Obama kicked off his bid for a second term last week in Chicago. The Windy City is, of course, his …

Written by Les Francis on Thursday April 21, 2011

Gulf Residents Ready to Jump-Start Drilling

Slowly but surely, Louisiana is recovering from the BP spill. But oil workers are still tied down by the White House’s decision to only grant a small number of drilling permits. Slowly but surely, Louisiana is recovering from the devastating blow it was delivered when BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil …

Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday April 20, 2011

GOP Won't Win Debt Blame Game

If the U.S. does experience a credit downgrade, the Republican party's reputation for economic competence will take a big hit in the eyes of voters. There may be less in Standard & Poor’s new negative outlook on US debt than meets the eye. There’s no actual downgrade of the US credit rating …

Written by Andrew Pavelyev on Wednesday April 20, 2011

How to Beat Trump

If the GOP really wants to finish off Trump, Republican candidates had better learn to speak to the anxieties of voters and offer real solutions to the economic crisis. This post by Ed Kilgore about Donald Trump seems to me very astute. The Republican establishment has perceived [Trump] as a …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday April 20, 2011

Obama Stays Silent on Syria

The uprising in Syria gives the U.S. a chance to advance its interests and ideals, but Obama's insistence on engaging authoritarian regimes may squander the opportunity. The U.S. response to the recent events in Syria reveals that the Arab revolts have not completely shaken President Obama’s faith …

Written by Lauren Noble on Wednesday April 20, 2011

It's About Time Congress Takes on BP

A year after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing eleven and dumping oil into the Gulf of Mexico, one legislator is fighting to hold BP accountable. One year ago, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers and injuring sixteen more. The …

Written by Tim Mak on Wednesday April 20, 2011

The GOP's DOMA Dead End

Republicans have committed to spending valuable political capital to attack gay marriage. But if they looked at the polls, they'd know its a lost battle. A political movement that doesn’t have its eyes on the road ahead won’t like what it finds when it gets there. On Monday, Republicans …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Is the GOP Serious About Means-Testing?

I'm all for ferocious cost-cutting within Medicare. But until costs actually drop, means-testing in Medicare will be code for denying Medicare to many older Americans. Can we get beyond the welfare state? Yuval Levin argued yes in an article in National Affairs . I argued no, here . …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Did U.S. Overreact to Debt Outlook Shift?

There's a lot of buzz about Standard and Poor's shift in outlook on U.S. debt. But a change in outlook isn't the same as a downgrade and, by itself, does little or nothing. There's a lot of buzz in Washington about Standard and Poor's shift in outlook on the United States' debt. I'm not sure if …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Washington Moves Slowly After Debt Warning

S&P's debt outlook announcement shocked Washington. But with Congress out of session and members focused on jobs and gas prices, we're still no closer to a long-term debt deal. Standard and Poor’s unexpected announcement yesterday that it had put United States sovereign debt on watch with …

Written by Steve Bell on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Debt Debate: What Would Hamilton Do?

To get a fresh perspective, I attempted to contact the spirit of Alexander Hamilton for his take on the current political and economic debates in Washington. To get some perspective on current political and economic debates, I attempted to contact the spirit of Alexander Hamilton by resetting …

Written by Kenneth Silber on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Confessions of a Climate Change Convert

I used to join the right in dismissing concerns about climate change. But then I was defeated by the facts. I was defeated by facts. It wasn’t all that long ago when I joined others on the right in dismissing concerns about climate change. It was my firm belief that the science was unsettled, …

Written by D.R. Tucker on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Debt Downgrade: Are Voters Paying Attention?

Wall Street may have sent a stern warning over the debt, but voters and media still seem more concerned with political sideshows like Donald Trump. The past day or so I experienced that odd feeling that I might be existing in parallel but separate universes, a situation wherein two (or more) …

Written by Les Francis on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Fold On Feds' Online Gambling Crackdown

Over the weekend, FBI agents raided the nation’s three largest online poker sites. The crackdown is a colossal waste of government time and resources. Over the weekend, FBI agents working with U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York raided the nation’s three largest online poker …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Monday April 18, 2011

Wall Street's Wake-Up Call

Neither President Obama's deficit reduction plan speech nor Congress' response seem to have settled market fears about America's soaring debt. This morning Standard and Poor’s put its long-term rating on United States sovereign debt on negative outlook. The equity market, as I write, is off by …

Written by Steve Bell on Monday April 18, 2011

Debt Default Fears Hit Wall Street

Wall Street's reaction to S&P's downgrade of the outlook on U.S. debt should be a warning to Republicans not to use the debt ceiling as a political football. S&Ps recent downgrade of the outlook on American debt isn't surprising. But the market's rapid decline in its wake should be a warning …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Monday April 18, 2011

Qaddafi's Choice: Power or Prison?

Before Libya, the White House was warming to the idea of an international criminal court. But now Qaddafi's fears of a war crime trial are hampering efforts to find an exit plan. "The Elba option is impossible in the modern world," sighed an unhappy German diplomat. Elba is a small, scenic …

Written by David Frum on Monday April 18, 2011