Entries

Bobby Jindal Will Never Be President

It was a dud – that’s the consensus on Bobby Jindal’s response to the President’s address. Indeed, the criticism has been heated. He’s been panned by Republicans and Democrats, dismissed by commentators, and even mocked on late-night television. Needless to say, …

Written by David Gratzer on Friday February 27, 2009

Apologies Now Being Accepted

John McCain took a lot of criticism last year from conservatives who thought he wasn’t sufficiently conservative on questions of the judiciary and the Constitution – this despite a great speech on judges and the rule of law (which annoyed a lot of the right people to annoy ) and …

Written by John S. Gardner on Thursday February 26, 2009

Dialogue With Deniers: Schrder In Tehran

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder used the occasion of his four day visit in Tehran last week to criticize Iranian Holocaust denial. “The Holocaust is a historical fact, ” Schröder is reported to have said in a speech to the Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, …

Written by John Rosenthal on Thursday February 26, 2009

The Real Cowards

“Mr. Gibbon, You can’t understand black people! We are too raw - - R – A – W – RAW!” This was said to me as I tried to get my athletes settled down on a bus ride across the city before our first race. One of them had thrown a full Styrofoam cup of soda out …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Thursday February 26, 2009

Too Tricky?

Ezra Klein over at the American Prospect font color="#000000"> disputes ast blogpost of mine bill actually introduced in Congress by Henry Waxman

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 26, 2009

Tricky Obama? You Have No Idea!

Revealed here the secrets of the president's rhetorical success: he's hypnotizing people. Literally. http://www.pennypresslv.com/ Obama's_Use_of_Hidden_ Hypnosis_techniques_in_His_ Speeches.pdf

Written by FF Washington Insider on Thursday February 26, 2009

Tricky, Tricky Mr. Obama

Today the Obama administration let loose two big exploratory ideas in a first (but surely not the last!) nervous attempt to wring more revenues out of a distressed economy. Idea 1: Use the revenues generated by cap and trade to pay for health care tax credits for lower-income people. …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday February 25, 2009

Embrace The Pork

One week into the Stimulus regime and the conservative Republican establishment is confident it has the issue. Republicans must attack spending and big government. As the party of fiscal responsibility, they first fought the “Porkulus.” Now they are gearing up to go after “more …

Written by Henry Clay on Wednesday February 25, 2009

Stress Tests

Lost in the discussion over Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s “stress tests” for banks, which began Wednesday, is this important question: what happens if the government and the independent external auditors reach different conclusions about a bank’s financial condition? …

Written by FF Washington Insider on Wednesday February 25, 2009

The Republican Future - Three Choices

As conservatives gather this weekend for the first Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference since the 2008 debacle, they need to consider one fact as they contemplate rebuilding the movement and party. Understanding this fact will help them meet their political challenge. The …

Written by Henry Olsen on Wednesday February 25, 2009

The Speech - A First Appraisal

Clever! President Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress was not written – it was polled. Paragraph by paragraph, the address anticipated the most dangerous objections to the new president’s program and responded to them in turn. The great overarching theme of the speech: I am a …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday February 25, 2009

Stimulating The Economy On The Backs Of The Poor

With the economy tanking, and the Dow heading to its lowest level since 1997, the country finally seems ready to tighten its collective belt. I’m seeing it in my own part of the world; none of my friends who tend to make their own are suddenly buying store-made. Just the opposite; my …

Written by Stephanie Herman on Tuesday February 24, 2009

Obama's March To Socialism (3)

This is part three of a three part series. Read part one here , and part two here . It is not smart to revile and condemn a president who is not only very popular, as Barack Obama is, but who is also as deft at deflecting anger. ( Watch for example Obama's easy outmaneuvering yesterday of …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday February 24, 2009

Obama's March To Socialism (2)

This is part two of a three part series. Read part one span style="color: #ff6600;"> here here

Written by David Frum on Tuesday February 24, 2009

Arthur Larson: Moderation And Controversy

If Dwight Eisenhower had made any real effort to build a political base within the GOP, his moderate brand of Republicanism – often termed “modern Republicanism” – might have continued to dominate the party after he left office, and Arthur Larson would have been remembered …

Written by Geoffrey Kabaservice on Tuesday February 24, 2009

Conrad Black In Prison: "I Find Helping Others Rewarding"

As the first anniversary of his 6 1/2- year sentence approaches (on Mar. 4), Conrad Black admits he "had no idea of what to expect" when he entered the federal prison near Coleman, Florida. By the same token, I had no idea of what to expect when I visited him last week at the Federal Correctional …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday February 24, 2009

Obama's March To Socialism (1)

This is part one of a three part series. Read part two here , and part three here . A few days ago, a senior Republican shared with me a private email he’d received from another senior Republican. The email angrily denounced President Obama’s “march toward socialism.̶…

Written by David Frum on Tuesday February 24, 2009

Funders And Fundies

With the next Texas gubernatorial election about twenty months away, potential candidates are scrambling across the State to organize and fund-raise in preparation for the Spring 2010 primaries. The Republican side promises to present a Texas-sized donnybrook, with several plausible challengers set …

Written by Marshall Bowen on Monday February 23, 2009

Obama Giving In To Hill Democrats On Social Security Reform?

The em> New York Times

Written by Andrew Biggs on Monday February 23, 2009

Obama's Inheritance

The British press leans Democratic and pro-Obama, which is their prerogative, but even by prevailing standards this morning's headline in the print FT is remarkable: "Obama to unveil plan for having budget shortfall he inherited." Inherited? Sorry - when you spend $800 billion in your first month …

Written by David Frum on Monday February 23, 2009