David Frum's Blog, page 115

'Palestine:' A State in Name Only

My National Post column notes the different approaches to state-building as seen in pre-1947 Israel and today's Palestinian Authority.

The Far Right is Anything but Conservative

John Podhoretz delivers a sharp retort to the elements of the far right claiming Speak Boehner and Senator McConnell "caved" by agreeing to exempt those over $400,000 from income tax cuts. As Podhoretz notes, Boehner and McConnell made the best of a very bad situation for Republicans. Certainly nothing worth cheering, but definitely not grounds for an attempted revolt by far right Congressmen.

That's One Valuable Coin

Pity the poor 1794 flowing hair dollar.

Wise Words *from* Chuck Hagel

Can we make Chuck Hagel's ghostwriter Secretary of Defense? From his 2004 Foreign Affairs article, "A Republican Foreign Policy":

Jon Huntsman Regrets Nothing

Money quote in an interview with the New York Times Magazine.(Question is bolded. Huntsman's reply is not.)

Why Not Mint a 100 Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin?

I'd enjoy seeing a trillion dollar coin minted purely for the deservedly righteous indignation such an overstep would create. Go for it, Secretary Geithner. #MintTheCoin #ObamaCoin

Jordan's Troubled Regime

Who knew I was vacationing in a powder keg? Rami Khouri gives the lowdown on Jordan. It's not just about overcharging tourists for donkey rides.

We Need Some Genuine Conservative Populism

Ross Douthat Erick Erickson's "A New Agenda" as a model for conservative populism.

(Photo) President Obama's First Reaction to Newtown

Souza's entire gallery can be seen here.

The Debt Ceiling's Impact on the GOP

Debt-ceiling dilemma: In the short run, it enables Republicans in Congress to excite their base about entitlement reform that base doesn't really want. (After all, it's the over-65 Republican base that collects most entitlements.) In the long run, it hardens the image of the congressional GOP as a collection of desperadoes who can never safely be trusted with power.