Entries

American Politics, Global Obsession

It might strike Americans as odd that people in other countries gather to watch U.S. presidential elections as if they were their own. But they do. Every four years on the first Tuesday in November, for example, I host a dinner for fellow political junkies. We eat, drink and watch the returns …

Written by Lorne Gunter on Saturday January 31, 2009

God Save The Queen, and Fast!

U.S. counter-terrorism strategy may be in disarray but it’s a paradigm of consistency compared to our closest ally across the Atlantic… A recent article in the em> Daily Mail

Written by Joshua Glatter on Saturday January 31, 2009

History Is Unkind To Weakness

“I just voted and I’m very happy, ” Mukhalad Waleed, 35, said in the city of Ramadi, in Anbar. “We could not do the same thing the last time because of the insurgency.” So the New York Times reported yesterday . Saddam Hussein did not promote voting while …

Written by John Vecchione on Saturday January 31, 2009

An Unwelcome Revolution

With the election fo Barack Obama, American voters are about to get the sharpest left-turn in public policy since the middle 1960s. What did Americans want when they voted for Barack Obama in November? Some wanted an end to the war in Iraq. Some wanted the middle-class tax cut Obama offered. …

Written by David Frum on Saturday January 31, 2009

Insults Aren't Policy

I'm a political consultant. So I understand the utility of over-the-top populist rhetoric, even when it's kind of silly. But Claire McCaskill isn't a candidate in a campaign. She's a Senator amid a crisis. Her demand that employees at any bank that receives TARP funds receive no more than the …

Written by Ken Kurson on Saturday January 31, 2009

But Wait, There's More Waste!

An internal document obtained by NewMajority on Friday details even more wasteful spending in the now-$1.2 trillion spending bill that the Senate will take up next week. The bill is so large that only 7 percent will be spent by the end of fiscal 2009. Yet even with this massive spending - if …

Written by Moira Bagley on Friday January 30, 2009

Plan For Failure

Here you are in a school identified as being persistently dangerous and that performs below average on every city and state-wide exam. You’re standing in front of 30 or more kids; many of the kids are identified with some form of learning, behavioral or emotional disorder. Some of them …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Friday January 30, 2009

Go Nukes

Fortunately, the US has experienced only a few black-outs and regional power outages in the last three decades. The biggest happened on August 14, 2003 Ñapparently the result of a tree branch falling in Ohio--and affected much of the Northeast, the Midwest, and Ontario. Such incidents may not …

Written by Stanley Jevons on Friday January 30, 2009

Steele Is The Right Guy For The Job

Some Democratic spinners will attack the Republican National Committee for indulging in tokenism. And yes, some members may have voted for Michael Steele because he is … Catholic. But never mind what the other guys say: they would have found grounds to attack any of the choices. What …

Written by John J. Pitney on Friday January 30, 2009

I'm Betting On Michael Steele.

I'm thrilled with Michael Steele's victory. His outsider persona, record of success in Maryland government, strong rhetorical skills, and boundless enthusiasm all bode well for a rejuvenated RNC. But we all have work to do, as Steele will remind us. I think it's great as well that he was …

Written by John S. Gardner on Friday January 30, 2009

Big News At Rnc Meeting

Ken Blackwell is out; backing Michael Steele. Ben Smith has the latest: http://www.politico.com/blogs/wbr> bensmith/0109/Blackwell_backs_ Steele.html

Written by FF Washington Insider on Friday January 30, 2009

We Greet Our Presidents With High Expectations

The late Richard Scammon, the great psephologist, told me a story years ago about presidential mandates. It is probably apocryphal. A young reporter was meeting with the newly elected president John Kennedy. “What is the meaning of your election? What is your mandate,” he …

Written by Karlyn Bowman on Friday January 30, 2009

Update: No Mail On Tuesdays?

As an update to u> my piece on USPS

Written by John S. Gardner on Friday January 30, 2009

Steele Wins!

MICHAEL STEELE ELECTED RNC CHAIRMAN: Ben Smith at Politico with the report . From The NewMajority Scroll : John Gardner - " I'm betting on Michael Steele. " John J. Pitney - " Steele is the right guy for the job. " John Avlon - " Michael Steele for RNC Chair. " Brad Wine …

Written by FF Washington Insider on Friday January 30, 2009

Obama At Gettysburg

Barack Obama’s speech contained not one memorable phrase. It stumbled again and again into cliché. Obama’s speech was like Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address ? Like Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address? Lincoln’s Second Inaugural has aptly been called the most terrifying state paper in American …

Written by David Frum on Friday January 30, 2009

Democrats Earmark Ban Didn't Last Long

It took less than a month for congressional Democrats to jettison President Obama's call for an earmark moratorium. With $819 billion in new spending roaring out of Washington, anonymous Democratic legislators could not resist slipping in a few pet projects of their own while writing the …

Written by Moira Bagley on Thursday January 29, 2009

Why This Republican Worries About Climate Change

My recent post advocated getting over Al-Goraphobia and looking at the science, not merely a polarizing political personality. Now it is time to lay out some data. The headlines give a confusing array of information. Are we really cooling? Is ice melting or expanding? It snowed the day Al …

Written by John Murdock on Thursday January 29, 2009

Michael Steele For Rnc Chair

The RNC committee members are meeting to decide the next party chair – and the best choice would be Michael Steele. First, the selection of Steele would be a decisive step in the right direction toward addressing the diversity deficit the GOP faces. Selecting Steele would not solve that …

Written by John Avlon on Thursday January 29, 2009

The Caroline Of The Catskills - Update

NM can now confirm that Sen. Gillibrand, then Tina Rutnik, did not qualify for the UCLA law review and received no academic prizes in law school. This with her non-membership in the Order of the Coif, a merit society for students in the top 10% of their class, further suggests that the future …

Written by Moira Bagley on Thursday January 29, 2009

Social Conservatives Need Allies Too

So, occasionally people ask me, "Joe, you're a social conservative. So, why are you posting on FrumForum.com?" By "people ask me", I mostly mean, I ask myself. I'm a social conservative, but not just a social conservative. I'm still for the usual conservative Republican positions: less …

Written by Thomas J. Marier on Thursday January 29, 2009