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December 16, 2010

The GOP Strategic Advantage By Bill Connelly

The measures of Republican success in the 2010 midterm are familiar. The GOP gained: (1) a House majority, with a net pickup of 63 seats, (2) six Senate seats leaving Democrats facing a more challenging Senate playing field in 2012 and 2014, (3) seven governorships, and (4) twenty legislative chambers, giving Republicans control of both legislative chambers in 25 states—an increase of 11. Republicans now control more state legislative seats than any time since 1928.

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December 15, 2010

Real Academic Accountability Requires Real Choices By Howard Rich

With fresh data showing that students in the United States are falling further behind their international peers, a commitment to universal parental choice at all levels of government is needed now more than ever.

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December 15, 2010

"Jackals Snarling Over a Dried Well" By Tony Blankley

In the spirit of the Christmas season, let me highlight from last week's confusing Washington rhetoric a statement by the president that was shrewd -- even wise. On behalf of the spirit of compromise, he pointed out that even though, under the original constitutional compromise, he (implicitly, as a black man) "could not have walked through the front door" -- it was worth it because otherwise we would not have gained a union. 

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December 15, 2010

Holbrooke's Blessing By Susan Estrich

Richard Holbrooke was a legend, the high priest of what we used to call the "priesthood" (even though they finally did let Madeleine in), the foreign policy elite that played musical chairs whenever a Democrat was running for or elected to the presidency. Arrogant? You bet. Frustrated with those who didn't get it, wouldn't do it, didn't push themselves as hard as he did? Absolutely.

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December 14, 2010

Madoff's Saddest Victim By Froma Harrop

Bernard Madoff went to jail for his stupendous financial con. His eldest son, Mark, has gone to oblivion, having hung himself from a dog leash on the second anniversary of his father's outing as perpetrator of a $20 billion con.  

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December 14, 2010

Kevin Cooper Is Guilty of Murder By Debra J. Saunders

Federal judge William A. Fletcher recently told the Gonzaga University School of Law that Kevin Cooper, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the brutal 1983 slaying of Chino Hills, Calif., chiropractors Doug and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica and 11-year-old house guest Christopher Hughes, is "probably" innocent. Cooper, Fletcher added, is "on Death Row because the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department framed him."

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December 13, 2010

Obama Riles Dems by Spurning New Deal Complacency By Michael Barone

"The single most important jobs program we can put in place is a growing economy." So said Barack Obama at his surly press conference last week defending the tax deal he made with Republicans.

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December 11, 2010

A Guy on a Bike By Susan Estrich

For weeks now, speculation has been rampant about who killed well-liked publicist to the stars Ronni Chasen and why.

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December 10, 2010

Sell Bonds, Buy Stocks By Lawrence Kudlow

For once, top Obama economic advisor Larry Summers got it right. Warning opponents of the big tax-cut deal, Summers told reporters, "Failure to pass this bill in the next couple weeks would materially increase the risk that the economy would stall out and we would have a double-dip recession."

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December 10, 2010

GOP Makes Historic State Legislative Gains in 2010 By Tim Storey

Late last week, a state judge on Long Island in New York certified that Mineola mayor Jack Martins, a Republican, had won the race for state Senate District 7 by a mere 451 votes out of the more than 85,000 cast.

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December 9, 2010

The Blue-State Tax Blues By Froma Harrop

The political lineup for and against the controversial tax deal evokes great bemusement. Once again, Republicans representing the poorer conservative states are pounding the table for the lower taxes that benefit the richer, liberal ones.

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December 9, 2010

While His Base Rages, Obama Faces Tax-cut Reality By Michael Barone

Reality strikes. Barack Obama spurned the advice of columnists Paul Krugman and Katrina vanden Heuvel and agreed with Republicans to extend the current income tax rates -- the so-called Bush tax cuts -- for another two years.

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December 8, 2010

President Obama's Next Two Years By Tony Blankley

In the last week or two, an eccentric debate has been dividing Democratic Party pols and commentators in Washington: In 2011, should President Obama strive to be more like Harry Truman in 1947 or Bill Clinton in 1995?

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December 8, 2010

What a Dame By Susan Estrich

I don't care what they said about her in "Game Change." Bitchy? Who wouldn't be? Difficult? She had a right to be.

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December 7, 2010

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Care By Froma Harrop

Don't ask, don't tell -- don't know why we're still talking about this. "Don't ask, don't tell" is the rule barring openly gay soldiers from serving in the U.S. military. This relic of the culture wars is so past its prime that even Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh don't spend much time whipping it up. 

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December 5, 2010

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' on the Way Out By Debra J. Saunders

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates released a long-awaited Pentagon working-group report on the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy enacted under President Bill Clinton. Most troops, the review found, would not object to a repeal.

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December 4, 2010

Shock Therapy for Jobs By Lawrence Kudlow

Unemployment jumped to 9.8 percent in a very disappointing November jobs report. Non-farm payrolls increased by only 39,000, and private jobs expanded by just 50,000. This is way below what the economy needs.

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December 3, 2010

That Uneven GOP Wave By Larry J. Sabato

A simple map of House gains in November 2010 is quite revealing.

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December 2, 2010

The Democrats' Fab Four, Revisited By Thomas F. Schaller

Sandwiched between the Democrats’ disappointing 2002 election cycle and their 2010 “shellacking,” the party made significant gains during the three, mid-decade intervening elections of 2004, 2006 and 2008. And nowhere were the party’s gains more impressive than in four states: Colorado, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia.

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December 2, 2010

The American Dream Is Not All About Money By Froma Harrop

We always talk about "The American Dream" -- about living it, saving it, wondering what happened to it. Few bother to define it.

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