Entries

The GOP's Hardest Sell

Using social issues to rally the base isn't enough. Eventually, the GOP has to speak to middle-class anxiety and actually sell their proposed spending cuts. A few weeks back, I wrote for Frum Forum on the ongoing battle in Alabama between Republican legislators and the state’s two largest …

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Written by Will Barrett on Friday April 22, 2011

Sen. McCain: Share What You Know About Libya

Sen. McCain is urging recognition of the anti-Qaddafi rebels as Libya's legitimate government. But his call would hold more weight if he explained why he's convinced they aren't inspired by or beholden to radical Islamists. Sen. John McCain in Libya urges recognition of the anti-Qaddafi rebels …

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Written by David Frum on Friday April 22, 2011

Contractor Harassed Iraqi Interpreters

The Washington Post reports: The Iraqi women all took nicknames — Linda, Susan, Kathy, Mary, Angel — to make it easier for the American soldiers to remember them. They had college educations and spoke English well enough to work as interpreters with U.S. combat units, jobs that came with a …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Syrian Troops Kill Protesters at Friday Rallies

The New York Times reports : Security forces in Syria fired tear gas and live ammunition Friday to disperse thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets of Damascus and at least 10 other towns and cities after noon prayers, according to protesters, witnesses and accounts posted …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Worst Newspaper Slogan Ever?

The D.C. Examiner's slogan - "Freedom Isn't Free" - isn't great, but it's hardly the worst newspaper ad slogan. A now extinct paper from Canada easily wins that honor... On the other hand, the D.C. Examiner's slogan is hardly the worst newspaper advertising slogan. That honor belongs to a …

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Written by David Frum on Friday April 22, 2011

Poll: Romney Tops Obama in NH

CNN reports : President Obama is getting some ominous news out of New Hampshire Friday in a new poll that suggests he will lose the key presidential state by a sizable margin if former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the Republican nominee. According to the new survey conducted by …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Congress' Approval at 17%

The Hill reports : Congress's approval rating stands at just 17 percent and is hovering near its all-time low, according to new Gallup numbers released Thursday. The rating is largely unchanged from last month, when Gallup measured 18 percent approval for the current Congress, but it …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Rep. Heller Likely to Get Ensign Seat

The Hill reports : Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) announced Thursday he will resign his seat effective May 3. "It is with tremendous sadness that I officially hand over the Senate seat that I have held for eleven years," he said in a statement. "The turbulence of these last few years is …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Obama Hits Up Hollywood

The Hill reports : Speaking in a tiny room of the Italian restaurant Tavern to a an audience of 60 that included Steven Spielberg, Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks and George Clooney, Obama said he understood frustration with his compromises with centrist Democrats and Republicans on healthcare, …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

FroshUpdate - Barletta Faces Feisty Town Hall

Rep. Lou Barletta faces down a fiesty town hall, and Rep. Allen West calls the President a socialist. On the better side of the ledger, Rep. Patrick Meehan began a town hall by asking everyone to say a short prayer for Gabrielle Giffords. This is FrumForum’s FroshUpdate for April 22, 2011. …

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Written by Tim Mak on Friday April 22, 2011

Bartlett: Taxing the Rich is Actually Popular

Bruce Bartlett writes : Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Rep. Paul Ryan’s widely discussed  budget plan , which all but 4  House Republicans voted for on April 15, is that it cuts taxes for the rich and pays for it by raising taxes on the middle class. Whatever one thinks about the …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Bond Markets Brush Off Tea Party Threats

Bond markets are shrugging off the debt ceiling debate as political theater. That's a relief. But isn't it also kind of insulting to the Tea Party? Philip Klein of the DC Examiner correctly observes that bond markets are shrugging off the debt ceiling debate as political theater. From the …

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Written by David Frum on Friday April 22, 2011

France: EU May Recognize Palestinian State

Jerusalem Post reports : France said Thursday that European nations were considering unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. “Recognition of the state of Palestine is one of the options which France is considering, with its European partners, in a bid to relaunch the peace …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Obama: Pelosi Will Be Speaker Again

The Hill reports : President Obama this week predicted that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) hasn't seen her last stint as House Speaker – an indication Democrats remain confident they can win back control of the House sometime in the not-too-distant future. "What can I say about Nancy …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

LA Considers Birther Bill

CNN reports : It's not specifically called a "birther" bill and it doesn't mention President Barack Obama by name, but proposed state legislation in Louisiana appears to be the latest attempt to keep alive arguments over whether Obama can prove he was born in the United States. The proposed …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Perry to Texans: Pray for Rain

San Antonio Express-News reports : Emphasizing the danger posed by the wildfires raging across Texas, Gov. Rick Perry issued an official proclamation Thursday urging residents “of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers” for rains to end the drought. Perry designated the three-day …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Feds to Screen 9/11 Aid Workers for Terror Ties

Huffington Post reports : A provision in the new 9/11 health bill may be adding insult to injury for people who fell sick after their service in the aftermath of the 2001 Al Qaeda attacks, The Huffington Post has learned. The tens of thousands of cops, firefighters, construction …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

Japan Passes Emergency Budget

BBC News reports: The Japanese government has announced a 4 trillion yen ($48.9bn; £29.6bn) emergency budget for disaster relief, after March's earthquake and tsunami. The budget still needs approval from parliament later this month, and could be implemented in May. Authorities say no …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011

McCain Travels To Benghazi, Calls Rebels His Heroes

The Washington Post reports: BENGHAZI, Libya — Sen. John McCain says Libyan rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi’s troops are his heroes. The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee made the remark after arriving on Friday in the opposition capital of Benghazi in the rebel-held …

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Written by FrumForum News on Friday April 22, 2011