Entries
Ethan Hastert Enters the Family Business
Ethan Hastert has declared for his father’s old congressional seat in Illinois. He sounds plausible enough. But there’s a problem, and that problem is the family’s financial history. Ethan Hastert has declared for his father’s old congressional seat in Illinois. You can hear an interview with the …Obamacare Turkeys Vote for Thanksgiving
Despite strong White House rhetoric suggesting otherwise, it now seems unlikely that President Obama will see health-reform bills passed in both the House and the Senate by the August recess. Despite strong White House rhetoric suggesting otherwise, it now seems unlikely that President Obama …Friends of FF to Investigate Financial Crisis
Last week, Congress announced its selections for the new commission to investigate the financial crisis. The four Republicans will be familiar names to readers of FrumForum.com: Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Keith Hennessey, Bill Thomas, and Peter Wallison. Last week, Congress announced its selections …Instead of a Bridge to Nowhere, Let's Take a Rocket to Mars!
Forty years ago today, man walked on the moon. Now is the time for a new challenge: We should attempt to send a man to Mars. Forty years ago today, man walked on the moon. I am but 21 years old, so Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and the rest of the men that my father’s generation cheered into space …Save Energy? Raise Prices
It is puzzling that instead of focusing on cutting our energy waste, the most talked about energy “solutions” are invariably about increasing the energy supply. "To address Russia’s out of control addiction to vodka, Premier Putin launched a massive program today to increase the production of …Obama Labels Fantasy as "Realism"
The Obama administration at some point will have to decide if it is realist or merely anti-Bush in foreign affairs. Despite all the criticism of Bush’s unbounded ideological drive in foreign affairs, Obama’s policy today seems to be merely an ideological reaction to his predecessor's. The Obama …Obamacare: New Taxes, but No New Ideas
President Obama keeps telling Americans we “need to get it done,” and pass a healthcare bill. What needs to get done is the task of fixing the health mess we’re in, not just adding more government spending to the mix. Come hell or high-water, President Obama and Congressional Democrats are …German Intel: CIA Wrong About Iran Nuclear Program
Remember the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that absolved Iran of nuclear weapons-making? Today the European Wall Street Journal reports on a major presentation by German intelligence arguing that the 2007 report was wrong. Remember the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that absolved …Nancy's Millionaires' Tax
By proposing to lower the new surtax on wealthy families to the $500,000 level, Speaker Pelosi also ensures that a tax that was never going to raise much revenue now raises even less. So what precisely is the point of it? From Politico this morning: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Politico …White House Plans Medicare Power Grab
Jo Moore infamously decided to bury unpopular news by releasing it when the rest of the world was distracted: In her case, shortly after the attack on 9/11. Catch the latest news the government hopes you missed. This week: a new proposal that would radically alter the way Medicare reimbursement …Keene's American Conservative Union: For Sale For Years?
Every post that I have read - at least those written by conservative bloggers - has reacted with shock, shock, shock to the American Conservative Union's attempt to extract $2 million from FedEx. Who had ever heard before that the ACU’s support might be available for purchase or lease? The point is …Don't Let Dems Do to Derivatives What They Did to Mortgages
As the Democrats’ posture over stricter derivatives regulation, we would be wise to remember their role in the mortgage crisis that brought us to this point. Last week, Treasury Secretary Geithner put forward some very broad brushstrokes regarding the Obama administration’s plans for regulating …Remembering a Hero
We received this today from a military friend: "I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell 'Shifty' Powers. Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry." We received this today …