Entries

Israelis Protest Against the Wrong Target

As French students and intellectuals were playing Robespierre and Mao on the streets of Paris in the Spring of 1968, Charles de Gaulle came out with a formula that was typical of his linguistic creativity: “La réforme oui, la chienlit non.” Journalists and commentators had to look up “chienlit…

Written by Emmanuel Navon on Wednesday August 3, 2011

In Defense of Dulles

Thomas J. Marier and David Frum are both wrong about Dulles Airport. Derided as it is, the airport is actually one of the best, easiest and most convenient large hub airports. Here’s why I love Dulles... It’s actually easy to get to from downtown D.C.: Yes, at 26 miles it’s far away. …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday August 2, 2011

Tea Party Turns on Debt Compromisers

There goes another lazy narrative. Fifty-nine Republican House freshmen voted ‘yes’ last evening on a debt ceiling compromise, making up about 68% of the freshmen class. In the 60-member tea party caucus led by Rep. Michele Bachmann, 53% voted in favor of the compromise. But what will be the …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday August 2, 2011

An Easy $80 Billion in Savings

Cutting at least $1 trillion in government spending over the next decade is going to require some real tradeoffs and cuts to programs (defense, social security, and Medicare) that everyone agrees need to exist in one form or another. Nonetheless, there’s also real waste. Here are more than $80 …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday August 2, 2011

Schwarzenegger: Still Big in Austria

During his last visit to Austria in June, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s promised he’d "be back” in the Fall once the rural town of Thal bei Graz opened his birth house museum. Coinciding with his 64 th birthday, the recently opened Arnold “altar” holds over 1000 exhibition items accessible to the …

Written by Robin Tim Weis on Tuesday August 2, 2011

How to (Marginally) Fix Dulles

The whole debt-ceiling imbroglio is being resolved at last, so hopefully we can all get back to debating the national issues that matter the most. Issues like improving the municipal infrastructure of the richest counties in the United States. To be specific: David wrote recently about his …

Written by Thomas J. Marier on Tuesday August 2, 2011

Humans Are Making it Hotter

Partisanship in Washington has been extreme lately. So has the weather. Might there be a connection? It certainly looks that way. Let’s talk about heat. As anyone living in Washington—or in about three-fourths of the nation for that matter—has surely noticed, this summer has been unusually hot. …

Written by Jim DiPeso on Tuesday August 2, 2011

Can Conservatives and Scientists Get Along?

Last week, Chris Mooney, science blogger and author of The Republican War on Science , asked David Frum to come on the “ Point of Inquiry ” podcast to discuss conservatives and science, and David was kind enough to ask that I be included in the conversation. The interview can now be found …

Written by Kenneth Silber on Tuesday August 2, 2011

Perry Nomination Will Alienate Young and Educated Voters

In an AP interview on Saturday, Rick Perry managed to swiftly steer into two topics – gay marriage and evolution – on which his views will likely alienate young and educated voters should he make it into the general election. On gay marriage, Perry said “I am for the federal marriage …

Written by Stephen Richer on Monday August 1, 2011

Not The Onion

This is the Washington Post's emailed bulletin report on the budget debate: Asked for single-word characterizations of the budget negotiations, the top words in the poll — conducted in the days before an apparent deal was struck — were “ridiculous,” “disgusting” and “stupid.” Overall, …

Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Joan of Bachmann Watch: Migraine Edition

Frum Forum 's coverage of the conservative movement's infatuation with the Saint of Waterloo continues. In this edition, we cover how conservatives are reacting to the news that Michele Bachmannn suffers from migraines . Erick Erickson argues that news about the migraines will help …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Monday August 1, 2011

Res Judicata: Wal-Mart Decision Ends the "Great Society" in our Courts

In 1966, as part of explosion of federal programs that are collectively known as the so-called “Great Society, ” Congress amended Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which governs “class actions.” Prior to that time such cases were rare even though the Rule had been in existence …

Written by Howard Foster on Monday August 1, 2011

Bartlett: End the Debt Ceiling

One consequence of the psychodrama over the debt ceiling is that we can now discuss how to remove it. In his column Bruce Bartlett reminds us that we have known since the 1950's that the debt ceiling doesn't reduce spending: While politicians and the general public believe that the debt limit …

Written by FrumForum Editors on Monday August 1, 2011

Seven Ideas for the GOP After Debt Day

In my column for CNN , I discuss seven ideas for the GOP to take up after the debt crisis has passed: 1) Unemployment is a more urgent problem than debt. The U.S. can borrow money for 10 years at less than 3%. It can borrow money for two years at less than one-half a percent. Yes, the …

Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Republicans Win the Spin Cycle

It's going to be hard for Democrats to depict the Republicans as extremist and irresponsible when President Obama is hailing the results of the debt-ceiling showdown as a "bipartisan deal to avoid default and reduce the deficit."

Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Auto Sales Stall

Bad news : Light-vehicle deliveries in July, to be released tomorrow, may have run at an 11.9 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, the average estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. That would trail the 12.5 million rate in the first half. The auto industry may …

Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Did Boehner Win - or Did Bachmann Lose?

The Thursday vote on the Boehner debt ceiling bill was a clarifying moment, and one that should be reexamined as House Republicans now consider how to vote on a deal with the White House, announced on Sunday evening. Firstly, the Boehner vote served to illustrate what separates those who would …

Written by Tim Mak on Monday August 1, 2011

Too Soon Old, Too Late Wise

I wish my defense hawk friends at the American Enterprise Institute and the Weekly Standard had discerned before it was too late that a budget framework that calls for: (1) no additional revenues and (2) big cuts in discretionary spending, is not a hospitable climate for a robust defense budget. …

Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Obama Fails His Test of Strength

Obama adviser David Axelrod offered up a sad little whistle through the graveyard after the debt ceiling deal: “In the short term, everyone suffers politically .... In the long term, I think the Republicans have done terrible damage to their brand. Because now they’re thoroughly defined by …

Written by David Frum on Monday August 1, 2011

Silence? What Silence?

Michael Walzer, co-editor of Dissent magazine, has just written about a trip to the West Bank town of Hebron. He went with a group that calls itself "Breaking the Silence." Breaking the silence? Really? As if the West Bank is not the world's least silent issue? Walzer's article is …

Written by Martin Krossel on Sunday July 31, 2011