Entries

The Latest Healthcare Fad

Health reform is dominated by fashionable ideas. Remember when HMOs were the panacea? Add ACOs to a growing list of “cures” touted in Washington today, including price controls for pharmaceuticals and prevention . Mention McAllen, Texas, and people don’t usually think of health care. …

Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday June 9, 2009

Democracy In Albany

Sheer drama took center stage in Albany yesterday. The elements of surprise, betrayal, insurrection and resurrection were in full play as the Republicans retook control of the New York State Senate in what can only be described as a Hollywoodesque coup. The Democrats were just about to approve …

Written by Tom Qualtere on Tuesday June 9, 2009

Serves The North Koreans Right

President Obama may send Al Gore to North Korea to try to negotiate the release of two detained American journalists. And for added negotiating muscle, perhaps Gore might threaten a live-screening of his movie, the director's cut.

Written by David Frum on Tuesday June 9, 2009

Are Canadians Less Patriotic than Americans?

Where are the crowds of cheering citizenry? Where are the school children, laughing and waving little flags? Canadian journalist Guy Crittenden replies: D-Day, Shmee-Day. I believe that these photos are from the annual Canadian military parade celebratin…

Written by Sean Linnane on Tuesday June 9, 2009

Obamahealth: More Money For Worse Care

The Obama Administration is already laying the groundwork for the next health-care debate. After they have passed landmark legislation this year, after tens of millions find themselves in a public plan or an expanded Medicaid, the Administration sees a day when it will be in a position to push …

Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday June 9, 2009

Can't Shut A Bad Man Up

Boston-area talk radio host Jay Severin makes Mark Levin look like Diane Rehm. So it was with great displeasure that I heard about his span> return to the airwaves

Written by James Kirchick on Tuesday June 9, 2009

Mitch Daniels Puts A Better Face On The Gop

iTunes : Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels joins FF reporter Jeb Golinkin and discusses the way forward for conservatives, his stance on cap-and-trade, and whether or not he intends to run for President. Download the FrumForum.com podcast here . More information: Gov. Daniels' …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Monday June 8, 2009

The Four Phases Of Political Recovery

That's Sir Humphrey Appleby in the art up there - the comic civil servant from the classic British political series, Yes Minister . In Sir Humphrey's world, policy always went through four phases, as in this legendary exchange... Sir Richard: Standard Foreign Office response in a time of …

Written by David Frum on Monday June 8, 2009

Would They Do It Again?

There has been much speculation over whether or not the Israelis will attempt a repeat of their bold operation in 1981 against the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor, this time against the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Operation Opera (???? ??????, Mivtza Opera) was the surprise Israeli air …

Written by Sean Linnane on Monday June 8, 2009

Any Stick Will Do

Any stick will do to beat a dog, goes the old saying, and the same rule seems to apply to the 43d president. Megan McArdle has been doing a fantastic job covering the auto crisis, among the very best anywhere, but this latest blogpost of hers seems massively unfair to George W. Bush: …

Written by David Frum on Monday June 8, 2009

The Canadian Healthcare Way

Another reason why government-run health care is less expensive than private insurance: more efficient use of hospital resources.

Written by David Gratzer on Sunday June 7, 2009

More On Obama's Cairo Speech

My National Post column for the weekend adds more to the discussion of the president's Cairo speech: June 4 must have some special place in the Barack Obama political calendar. On June 4, 2009, the President delivered his much anticipated speech to the Muslim world. Exactly a year …

Written by David Frum on Sunday June 7, 2009

Signs Of The Times ...

Here's a grimly funny symptom of conservatism's intellectual decay: Blogger Matt Lewis recently appeared on BloggingheadsTV to explain why Ross Douthat, Reihan Salam, and myself do not count as "true conservatives." How does Lewis decide who is and who is not a "true" conservative? In this clip , …

Written by David Frum on Saturday June 6, 2009

Pretty In Porn

A friend of mine, the mother of a son, confronted me with some photographs of my daughter and some of her girl friends, at a church camp. All the girls were posing in their underwear, with pouty looks on their faces, like Victoria’s Secret models. Evidently, the pictures had been inadverten…

Written by Cari Clark on Saturday June 6, 2009

D-Day Remembered: Men Cut in Half, 96% of 'A' Company Dead within 10 Minutes

I have studied the D-Day invasion since I was in grade school; in 2004 I prowled the entire US sector of Normandy , from the Utah and Omaha beaches to Ste Mere-Eglise, and paced out the locations of numerous engagements of the paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Divisions. I have read …

Written by Sean Linnane on Saturday June 6, 2009

What You Hear From Obama May Not Be What You Get

Critics mock Obama for so often speaking from a teleprompter. Obama does so because he parses his words so very exactly. It is never wise to listen to an Obama speech without the text in hand. June 4 must have some special place in the Barack Obama political calendar. On June 4, 2009, the …

Written by David Frum on Saturday June 6, 2009

Iran: Apology Shmology

Much hay has been made over the President's apology for the United States' role in the 1953 coup against Mohammad Mossadeq. Despite the fact that Mossadeq was ruling by emergency decree at the time and had threatened President Eisenhower that he would align Iran (and its energy supplies) with the …

Written by Zac Morgan on Saturday June 6, 2009

French Feminists: President's Speech A "Slap In The Face" To Islamic Women

Annie Sugier, President of La Ligue du Droit International des Femmes (The League of Women’s International Law) writes: In his speech delivered at the University of Cairo and intended to bring about the reconciliation of the United States and the Arab-Islamic world, the American …

Written by La Ligue du Droit International on Friday June 5, 2009

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Obama Let Down Moderate Muslims

In an exclusive interview with NM's Jeb Golinkin, Ayaan Hirsi Ali -- the bestselling author of Infidel and Islamic reformer -- gives us her quick take of the President's address to the Muslim world. Here are excerpts: ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS: President Obama's speech didn’t do much for …

Written by FrumForum Exclusive on Friday June 5, 2009

View From France: Better "Freedom Fries" Than Obama's Hijab Slap

When the French parliament passed the headscarf ban in 2004, France was unsurprisingly criticized in the Muslim world. Five years later, President Obama, always looking for things to apologize about, particularly when they are supposed to have been done by other people, shared his point of view …

Written by Jean Granville on Friday June 5, 2009