Entries

The Electric Car: Environmental Menace

Electric cars emit more carbon dioxide and cause more pollution than conventional cars – and much more than hybrid cars. Vancouver City Council last week voted unanimously to require developers to build outlets for electric cars into a percentage of new apartments and condominiums. What’s not …

Written by Sunil Somalwar on Monday July 13, 2009

Sonia Sotomayor of Tammany Hall

Reading through the weekend papers, I saw that Lani Guinier and Susan Sturm had written: "Exams like the one the New Haven firefighters took are neither designed nor administered to identify the employees most qualified for promotion." I thought: Where have I heard this before? Reading backward …

Written by David Frum on Monday July 13, 2009

Bring on Stimulus II

In February, Obama offered voters a deal: If they would accept a massive increase in government spending and debt, he would hold unemployment below 8%. It's now 9.5% and still rising. There was a saying last year: "Flat is the new up." This year's saying: "Less bad than feared" is the new …

Written by David Frum on Monday July 13, 2009

TARP Money for Small Business?

The purpose of TARP money is not to create jobs, not to help businesses in need, not to provide substitute sources of credit but to protect the economy from the systemic risk posed by the collapse of major financial institutions. If the administration has concluded that the risk has receded - then …

Written by David Frum on Monday July 13, 2009

The Financier

Imagine an Ayn Rand novel written by a socialist, and you have some idea of the intellectual and moral universe of Theodore Dreiser’s trilogy of novels, The Financier , The Titan and The Stoic . Imagine an Ayn Rand novel written by a socialist, and you have some idea of the intellectual and …

Written by David Frum on Sunday July 12, 2009

A Different Standard Applies

Matthew Continetti’s cover story for the Weekly Standard about Gov. Sarah Palin contains two revealing and thought-provoking statements by the outbound Alaskan. Matthew Continetti’s long cover story for the Weekly Standard about Gov. Sarah Palin mostly covers familiar ground. The governor’s own …

Written by David Frum on Sunday July 12, 2009

More Troops, More Money Needed in Afghanistan

Jo Moore infamously decided to bury unpopular news by releeasing it when the rest of the world was distracted... In her case, shortly after the attack on 9/11. Click here to catch the latest news the government hopes you missed. At 9:55 am (EST) on September 11th, just after the second World Trade …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Friday July 10, 2009

Tories Tackle Social Mobility

As the British Tories finally begin to emerge from the wilderness, what can Republicans learn from their British cousins about social justice? British Conservatives know the electoral wilderness well. For the last twelve years, the Conservatives have suffered setback after setback. Three leaders …

Written by Tim Mak on Friday July 10, 2009

F$@#*N$ Wit Da Teacha

The students in the school where I taught for two years uploaded a video called "F$@#*N$ wit da teacha" and it revealed the horror my teaching colleague went through each day. The video was called "F$@#*N$ wit da teacha" and it revealed the horror my teaching colleague, a native of Nepal …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Friday July 10, 2009

The Next Judicial Fight

The shocking news that Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Karen Williams of South Carolina has retired effective immediately means that the balance of judges appointed by Republicans and Democrats on the Circuit will change even more dramatically and quickly than had been expected. …

Written by FF Washington Insider on Friday July 10, 2009

Ex Rove Aide: Palin Will Consign GOP to Minority

Here is what Pete Wehner, a former key aide to Karl Rove, has to say about Sarah Palin: "She’s had more than a handful of chances to show her stuff; what we’ve seen has not been reassuring, and at times alarming." Pete Wehner was a former key aide to Karl Rove. Before that, he served as Bill …

Written by David Frum on Friday July 10, 2009

New Poll: Public Trusts GOP on Economy

The latest Rasmussen poll shows that for the second straight month, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on economic issues. These numbers are not cause for celebration, but rather a signal for Republicans to continue to focus on preparing better policies. The results of the latest …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Friday July 10, 2009

The Political Cost of Extremist Talk

South Carolina senator Jim DeMint misspoke himself Wednesday night, comparing the contemporary United States to Germany “before World War II.” His remark exposes the real harm conservatives do to themselves by indulging in extremist talk. South Carolina senator Jim DeMint misspoke himself Wednesday …

Written by David Frum on Friday July 10, 2009

The Democrats' Hypocrisy on Malpractice Caps

The Democrats may support cap-and-trade legislation but aren't as consistent when it comes to the idea of medical malpractice caps on punitive damages. On the two most pressing Obama legislative ambitions (energy and healthcare), one word, common to both debates, should be emphasized in the …

Written by George Craddock on Thursday July 9, 2009

GOP & Race: Don't Blame All for Sins of a Few

With all the claims of Republican and conservative racism (including on this site), this is a good time to point out that conservative racism is not overly prevalent. With all the claims of Republican and conservative racism (including on this site ), I thought I would point out a couple of things …

Written by Dustin Siggins on Thursday July 9, 2009

9/11 Families Call Obama Consultation a "Farce"

Last month, family members who lost loved ones to terrorist acts were invited by the Department of Justice to voice their concerns and opinions. FrumForum.com interviewed some of the families, who stated that although the DOJ meant well, their motives and methods were insensitive. On June 16th …

Written by Elise Cooper on Thursday July 9, 2009

Worst Idea of the Year

The Homeowners' Defense Act, which will transform the federal government into the largest player in the reinsurance (insurance for insurance companies) market, as one of the worst ideas in Congress. Later today [1:00 p.m. Thursday 7-9-9] former FEMA administrator James Lee Witt and former Coast …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday July 9, 2009

The Cost of Romneycare

Health reform was trumpeted as the chief accomplishment of Romney’s one term as Massachusetts' governor. Yet his plan's reliance on an individual mandate raises many questions as well. When Massachusetts’ health reform plan was enacted in 200 6 , one of the principal features was …

Written by John S. Gardner on Thursday July 9, 2009

Obamacare: Killing Healthcare to Save It

There is no panacea for health care. The President has diagnosed the problems with our health care system but his cures are off the mark. To listen to President Obama discuss health care as he did last week in Virginia is to receive a well informed lesson on the problems of any …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Thursday July 9, 2009

Good News for Conservatives?

A recent Gallup poll finds that 39% of Americans describe themselves as having become more conservative in recent years. But look closer at the polls, and you do not see that the country as a whole is moving right in any meaningful sense. In May, the Gallup poll recorded a big swing in the …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday July 8, 2009