Overview for News

Pawlenty's Cap and Trade About-Face

By going on the record and apologizing for once backing cap-and-trade, has Pawlenty hamstrung his ability to respond to future environmental challenges? Here is what I don't understand about Tim Pawlenty's reversal - not only on cap-and-trade - but also on any concern for climate change …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday March 30, 2011

Creationism Makes a Comeback

The wave of GOP state legislature victories has led to a more favorable environment for creationist friendly legislation. The wave of Republican victories in state legislatures has led to a more favorable environment for creationist friendly legislation to advance. Most of those bills will die …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday March 30, 2011

GOP Pushes for Fannie & Freddie Phase-Out

A package of GOP bills to restrict and then wind down Fannie and Freddie illustrate what a vigorous, market-oriented House majority can and should do to get things done. A coalition of Republican House of Representatives Members has announced a package of bills that would first restrict and then …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Intel Experts: 'Don't Quit Until Qaddafi's Gone'

Monday, the president argued the case for our mission in Libya. FF asked members of the intel community for their views on the Obama doctrine. In his Libyan speech, President Obama established the Obama Doctrine: America would intervene to stop a murderous tyrant from massacring their citizens. …

Written by Elise Cooper on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Obama Keeps Bill Happy

Some speechwriter must have had a little chuckle as he drafted President Obama’s remarks at the UN. Some speechwriter must have had a little chuckle as he drafted President Obama’s remarks at the UN. Obama apologized to former President Clinton for keeping the Secretary of State so busy that …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Left and Right Switch Sides in the Media Wars

Have we passed into some kind of space-time discontinuity , where prominent newscasters are right-wing and the people enraged by media bias left-wing? Have we passed into some kind of space-time discontinuity , where all the most prominent newscasters are right-wing - and the people most …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Boehner Faces GOP Budget Revolt

Boehner's fight to keep his caucus unified in the spending fight just got a lot harder: Tuesday, fiscal hawks in the House announced plans to draft a rival 2012 budget proposal. Today’s news that conservatives in the House Republican Study Committee will draft their own alternative Fiscal Year …

Written by Steve Bell on Tuesday March 29, 2011

No Bailouts for Incumbents

SCOTUS is reviewing a law which would provide matching funds for less well-funded candidates. But would this level the playing field or just boost incumbents? The Supreme Court in McComish v. Bennett and a companion case, is addressing an Arizona law that attempts to “equalize” speech in …

Written by John Vecchione on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Obama's Real Libya Goal: Regime Change

Obama’s Libya speech was intended to reassure voters that the U.S. was only intervening to save lives and not pushing for regime change. Unfortunately, it's just not true. It was a good speech, but it told us nothing that we don’t know. President Barack Obama’s intent was to reassure the …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Would the Real Birthers Please Stand Up?

When the first GOP presidential debate gets held, there's one question that should be asked as preliminary screening to separate the sane from the cynical or crazy. When the first Republican presidential debate gets held, there is one question that should be asked by the moderator to perform …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Ethnic Voter Outreach: Canadian Style

Canada's Conservatives have launched new ads in ethnic languages like Mandarin. They provide an important lesson to a GOP still unable to connect with minority voters. In the ongoing Canadian election campaign, we’re seeing a lot of examples for ethnic outreach done right – especially with the …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Wall Street Fights New Loan Risk Regs

Bankers are objecting to a new regulation that would require them to keep a percentage of loans on their own books. But don't expect anyone to buy their argument. Bankers object to a new regulation requiring them to keep a percentage of their loans on their books: "If we have to keep these loans …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Responding to David Keene

Whenever I'm attacked in David Keene's Hill column, I console myself that for a very reasonable $2 million I could buy myself a year's worth of favorable ones. Whenever I'm attacked in David Keene's Hill column (as happened again today ), I console myself that for a very reasonable $2 million …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Libyan Dissidents: We Can Rebuild Post-Qaddafi

In a forum in Washington Monday night, Libyan dissidents claimed they could unite the country. But with few concrete plans, will the West need to play a greater role? On a night when the nation listened to President Obama make his case for the U.S. led coalition’s intervention in Libya, the …

Written by Bryce McNitt on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Russia's Odd Couple

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin seem to have clashing personalities, but their different traits have actually turned out to be a benefit to both. Vladimir Putin stressed his strong belief in national sovereignty last week when he lashed out against the respective governments intervening in …

Written by Robin Tim Weis on Monday March 28, 2011

Obama's Libyan "Mission Accomplished" Moment

As written and delivered, President Obama's speech on Libya was preposterous. "I hope you are not merely pretending to be wicked, while being secretly good. That would be hypocrisy." As written and delivered, President Obama's speech on Libya was preposterous. We intervened in the midst of …

Written by David Frum on Monday March 28, 2011

Libya: Not the New Kosovo

Many are drawing parallels between Libya and the 1999 NATO war against Serbia in Kosovo. But the comparisons don't hold up. Lorne Gunter, one of the wiser columnists in the media, opines in the National Post that there are a lot of parallels between the war in Libya and the 1999 NATO war …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday March 28, 2011

Trump's Birther Obsession

Question to discuss: Is Donald Trump crazy? Or does he just hold a very, very, very low opinion of the Republican primary voter? Question to discuss: Is Donald Trump crazy? Or does he just hold a very, very, very low opinion of the Republican primary voter? Tweet

Written by David Frum on Monday March 28, 2011

What Obama Should Say About Libya

Sometimes it seems Obama has been so concerned to avoid offending Middle Eastern opinion on Libya that he has disregarded American opinion. President Obama's communications efforts on Libya have received generally bad reviews. Sometimes it has seemed the president has been so concerned to avoid …

Written by David Frum on Monday March 28, 2011

Is Iran Helping Assad Crush the Syrian Revolt?

According to Israeli sources, some security personnel unleashed on Syrian anti-regime activists have been speaking in Farsi. Is Iran helping defend their only Arab ally? According to Israeli sources, Syrian dissidents have reported some of the gun- and baton-wielding security personnel unleashed …

Written by Tim Hodgson on Monday March 28, 2011