Overview for News

Where Was the Left's Civility in the Bush Years?

The Left likes to claim that political discourse has become less civil since Obama's election. Have we forgotten how bad things were during the Bush administration? Underlining the current concerns about political civility is the assumption that the discourse has become coarser since Barack Obama …

Written by Martin Krossel on Thursday January 20, 2011

With Repeal Vote Over, the Real Work Begins

Republicans have urgent concerns with the healthcare bill. But the only way to fix those problems will be by cooperating and compromising with the Dems. Okay, so we got that out of our system. Fine. Now, some serious work. As I see it, Republicans have 2 most urgent concerns with the healthcare …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday January 19, 2011

What's With the Left's Hate for Lieberman?

Over at Slate, Emily Bazelon is listing the reasons she “hates” Joe Lieberman. Apparently the left's call for civility in politics stops with the Senator from Connecticut. Over at Slate, Emily Bazelon is listing the reasons she “hates” Joe Lieberman. The reasons illuminate the mind of what …

Written by John Vecchione on Wednesday January 19, 2011

What the GOP Could Learn from Lieberman

Joe Lieberman's retirement provides a great opportunity for the GOP to reflect on the benefits of big tents and broad coalitions. Joe Lieberman's retirement is a great time to reflect on the benefits of big tents and broad coalitions. For many liberals and Democrats, Lieberman is the closest thing …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday January 19, 2011

Don't Import Britain's Healthcare Missteps

For many on the left, the endgame for American healthcare is a system similar to Britain's National Health Service. I appreciate Mr. Lehrer’s comments but I must beg to differ with his characterization of the desires of President Obama or “anyone else on the American left” (a very large cohort, …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Wednesday January 19, 2011

CFR's Anti-Israel Letter: Emoting, Not Thinking

A group of foreign policy heavyweights is urging the U.S. to vote at the UN to condemn Israeli settlements on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem as illegal. Yesterday, a group of foreign policy heavyweights released a letter urging that the United States break from past precedent and cast a …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday January 19, 2011

Is Italy the Next Tunisia?

One can't help but wonder after the most recent revelations from the police investigation of Silvio Berlusconi. You are left wondering after the most recent revelations from the police investigation of Silvio Berlusconi. Topless women dressed in nurse and police costumes stripped for the …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday January 19, 2011

What's Next for Tunisia?

Here's some advice from Europe's Velvet Revolution: the nature of the revolution determines the nature of the post-revolutionary regime. I don't know much - anything really - about Tunisia, so I'm refraining from comment. I'll just recall apprehensively this piece of advice from the days of the …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday January 19, 2011

Why British Healthcare Won't Work Stateside

The UK health care system may do moderately well at controlling costs, but it's a model no one - even on the American left - really wants to pursue. I agree with almost all of Stanley Goldfarb's points in his piece about the UK healthcare system's numerous flaws. But it's important to note that …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Wednesday January 19, 2011

Steele: "I Know How Caesar Felt"

This past weekend, RNC Chairman Michael Steele lost his bid for reelection. Steele sat down with FrumForum to discuss the election loss and his next move. This past weekend, RNC Chairman Michael Steele lost his bid for reelection. Sitting down with FrumForum as he ponders his next move, perhaps …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday January 18, 2011

Right Turn for British Health Care

Obama has never been shy about admitting his preference for the British single payer NHS system. The Brits though look ready to abandon the model. When he was a Senator, President Obama was never shy about expressing his preference for a single payer healthcare plan, similar to that in Great …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Tuesday January 18, 2011

Huckabee Wins the Palin Interview

After Sarah Palin's interview with Sean Hannity last night, I think we can now call Mike Huckabee the presumptive winner of the GOP's evangelical primary. David Brody makes the shrewd point that there are really only two presidential primaries in the GOP: The evangelical primary and the business …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday January 18, 2011

Haiti Goes From Bad to Worse

One year after the earthquake, former dictator Baby Doc has returned to Haiti. Expect more misery ahead. What to do about Haiti? How can Canada improve the situation, a year after the earthquake and the return of Baby Doc Duvalier? The answer: Nothing. More devastation ahead. In Haiti, …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday January 18, 2011

A Comment from China

My recent CNN column, " Is China's Rise Overrated? " brought a revealing response from one reader in China. My recent CNN column, " Is China's Rise Overrated? " brought this comment from China: I just read David Frum's "Is China's rise overrated ?" posted on the CNN website. I fairly agree …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday January 18, 2011

Will Budget Rules Rewrite Help Slash Spending?

The House is giving budget committee chair Paul Ryan unprecedented powers over federal spending to help push cuts. But will the new rules work? New House of Representatives' budget guidelines —which give Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan unprecedented power over total federal spending—will …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday January 18, 2011

Are Indian Americans Ready to Go GOP?

Indian-Americans may be just the right demographic to help the conservative coalition broaden its base. The Cross Culturalist blog, which “seeks to dispel the notion that all conservatives must be uncultured boors,” has linked to and recommended my Nikki Haley post . Like the Frum Forum …

Written by John Guardiano on Tuesday January 18, 2011

How the GOP Can Win the Debt-Cutting Fight

The midterms proved the public doesn't support the Dems' big government, big debt approach. But can the GOP get the country's fiscal house in order? The state of U.S. government finances is a disaster that not only threatens U.S. growth and prosperity but is also undermining U.S. global leadership …

Written by David Stevens on Monday January 17, 2011

Kristol Gets the Gold Bug?!

Monday, Bill Kristol blogged that it might be a good idea for the whole world to go back on the gold standard. Is he serious? Today, Bill Kristol blogged that it might be a good idea for the whole world to go back on the gold standard, or at least have a discussion about the idea. Specificall…

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Monday January 17, 2011

Pawlenty's Debt Ceiling Plan

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's alternative proposal to raising the debt ceiling seems more campaign positioning than a serious idea. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has offered an alternative to raising the debt ceiling: instead, pass a law putting creditors first in line for the receipts that flow into the Treasury in …

Written by David Frum on Monday January 17, 2011

Black's Fate Back in Court

From the prosecution’s viewpoint virtually everything in the case against Conrad Black has fallen apart, yet he still faces the prospect of being sent back to jail. In the bad old days of the Soviet Union and its show trials, an effective way to get innocent people to confess to spying for …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday January 17, 2011