Ethics and Public Policy Institute / National Review Online
Syndicated columnist Mona Charen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Institute and a contributor to National Review Online. She is the author of Do-Gooders: How Liberals Hurt Those They Claim to Help (and the Rest of Us).
Is CPAC 2017 betraying its roots? The Conservative Political Action Conference dates back to the 1960s, when it started out as a fringe movement trying to influence the Republican Party. It became America's largest annual gathering of right-wing intellectuals, with the capacity to draw some 10,000 people. As it begins this year's session today, it's showing how much the conservative movement has been influenced by Donald Trump and political theater. We hear more about what's happened to CPAC from Mona Charen, a syndicated columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Institute.
Inside the political circus We break down this wild, wacky circus of an election season.
The presidential campaign goes back to the future America's founding fathers accused each other of crimes, hypocrisy and sexual misbehavior, but times had changed — until last night in St. Louis. As expected, Donald Trump’s comments about groping women, recorded some ten years ago, came up early last night in St. Louis. It was billed as a Town Hall, but some of the toughest questions came from the moderators.
Presidential Campaign: It's the "Woman's Card" v. the "Man's Card" Hillary Clinton would be America's first woman president, and Donald Trump isn't hesitating to use that against her. He's told voters, "To be frank, if Hillary were a man I don't think she'd get 5% of the vote. All she has is playing the woman's card. And the beautiful thing is – women don't like her, OK?" The Clinton campaign says, bring it on — believing the so-called "Woman's Card" can only work in her favor. "If supporting healthcare for women, and equal pay… is playing the 'woman's card' then deal me in!" But research shows that playing the "Man's Card" could mean votes for Donald Trump. Do insults to women just come off the top of his head, or are they part of a calculated campaign strategy?
Dis-Unity on the Road to the White House After yesterday's victories in Wisconsin, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders both claim the "momentum" has changed in their favor. But, there's much more voting to go before the party conventions this summer, and the battlegrounds are already shifting to New York State. There's a growing conviction that Republican leaders will never allow Donald Trump to win -- and a growing conviction that they won't have any choice. Sanders has Hillary Clinton on the offensive as never before, as both parties appear more divided than ever.
The GOP Civil War Takes Center Stage After another round of televised trash talk between presidential candidates, the Republican Party’s in civil war. We hear about the latest efforts to stop the nomination of Donald Trump.
For GOP "Insiders:" Which "Outsider" Is Worse? The Republican Establishment in Washington is now holding its nose and warming up to the real estate mogul, Donald Trump. The distinctly half-hearted endorsement is based on hatred for Senator Ted Cruz and his frequent attacks on the leadership of his own political party. Conservative intellectuals are caught between a hard-right crusader who doesn’t want to do business and a deal-maker who probably will. As the battle continues for the “heart of the Party,” the voters have yet to be heard from.
The State of the Union Speech: The Rhetoric and the Reality In a State of the Union speech every President speaks over the heads of the Joint Session of Congress to the American people. One of those moments came at the end of last night's address , with victims of gun violence in the audience. A "simple vote" won't be easy in a divided Congress — on gun control, climate change or a whole list of initiatives he said won't raise the deficit "a single dime." We hear divided reaction from an Obama supporter, a critic of "warmed over liberalism" and a progressive with doubts about "follow through."
Rush Limbaugh and the GOP Rush Limbaugh insists that reports of advertiser defections have been exaggerated, but liberal groups say he's taking a lot of hits. It's all about Limbaugh's attack on Sandra Fluke , who testified on Capitol Hill about the need for health insurers to provide birth control to liberate women for the work force and protect against disease. Since Limbaugh attacked the Georgetown law student as a "slut" and a "prostitute," Democrats have accused Republicans of being insensitive to women's rights and issues. How much clout does Limbaugh have with the GOP? Do candidates fear him?
Rush Limbaugh, the Republican Party and Women It's been more than a week since Rush Limbaugh called a Georgetown law student a "slut" and a "prostitute" during his radio show, after Sandra Fluke testified on Capitol Hill about the need for health insurers to provide birth control to liberate women for the work force and protect against disease. Limbaugh insists that reports of advertiser defections have been exaggerated, but liberal groups say he's taking a lot of hits. President Obama has been asked about him, and Republicans are on the defensive about their popularity with women. The top three presidential candidates have said very little, and some conservative writers have said Republicans are "afraid" of arousing Limbaugh's animosity. With an audience of 15 million devoted listeners, how much do his views and opinions reflect those of the GOP as a whole?
The High Cost of Going Negative in the GOP Campaign Mitt Romney out spent Newt Gingirch by five to one in Florida, with an unprecedented avalanche of personal attack ads. Romney says Gingrich can't "whine" [his word] after going negative in South Carolina, and he promises that the campaign will have a happy ending for Republicans. Romney's big win in Florida earned him Secret Service protection, but Gingrich, Santorum and Paul are not conceding anything yet. We look at a nasty campaign and a divided Republican party.
The High Cost of Going Negative in the GOP Campaign Newt Gingrich didn't make the traditional courtesy call to Mitt Romney after last night's defeat in Florida, and the message is clear: Romney's massive onslaught of TV attack ads has left the Republican Party more divided than ever, with Gingrich still leading in the national polls. As the battle heats up, Rick Santorum has hope of being the last candidate standing, and Ron Paul shows no signs of quitting. They're all on their way to Nevada, a state staggered by unemployment and home foreclosures, where Republicans will caucus on Saturday. Can they all go on until the August convention? Are they damaging the Republican cause or honing the ultimate challenge to President Obama ?
Could the Fort Hood Shootings Have Been Prevented? President Obama attended services at Fort Hood today for the 13 victims of last week's shootings. The alleged killer, Major Nidal Hasan, is recovering from his own wounds and has yet to be charged. In the meantime, it's reported that the FBI and Army intelligence investigated contacts between Hasan and a militant Islamist cleric who is calling Hasan "a hero."
Could the Fort Hood Shootings Have Been Prevented? President Obama attended services at Fort Hood today for the 13 victims of last week's shootings. Major Nidal Hasan is recovering from his own wounds and has yet to be charged. In the meantime, it's reported that the FBI and Army intelligence investigated contacts between the alleged shooter and a militant Islamist cleric who is calling him "a hero." Why did the FBI and the Army decide not to pursue his contacts the cleric? Did they know that Hasan warned fellow officers that Muslim soldiers could be dangerous because of conflicts about fighting in Muslim countries? Is al Qaeda telling Muslim soldiers to commit violence? Do they face discrimination, especially where Christian fundamentalism is widespread?
Are Political Spouses 'Fair Game?' In White House history, there's been more than one kind of First Lady. Laura Bush and Bess Truman, for example, have played very different roles and projected very different images from Eleanor Roosevelt or Hilary Clinton . The next First Lady will be either Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama , and American voters are sizing them up along with their husbands. "Fair game" is what one Republican group calls Obama, leading her husband to demand that his critics "lay off my wife." Though Cindy McCain says spouses and families should not be "fair game," Mrs. Obama has taken a lot more media heat, even from Mrs. McCain. If they get the White House they are likely to play different roles and project different images. Is that what makes for differing treatment? We look at the news coverage, the commentators and the blogosphere.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.