David Frum Quotes

Congressman and later President, George

Baldwin when Prime Minister would not arm England to stop Germany and after he left office, supported his successor, Neville Chamberlain, in his peace efforts which turned out to be appeasement, See {626936}.

Kerry had just finished a formal presentation, and thought that the microphones he was wearing had all been removed. Some opponents accuse him of knowing that he was overheard by live mikes.

Since the end of WWII till the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Bulgarians were part of the Soviet Bloc and operated under communism that was supposedly based on Marxism. However it was not in many critical respects. But few modern Russian style Communists are familiar with or understand Marxism.

He and a few of his colleagues had been invited to the White House for a screening of his latest movie. President George W. Bush had also invited some members of Congress and other Republican politicians. As Crystal was the star of the movie, the President introduced him and invited him to make some remarks.

The “bozos” beat him and won the Presidency. And then conducted a very successful foreign policy for 8 years.

While Bannon was more critical of anyone who disagreed wiuth him than most, it was unusual for a conservative to use such harsh tems about a conservative presidential administration.

Ex HEW Secretary John Gardner, the founder of the citizens' lobby, Common Cause, was testifying before Hays' committee: Gardner, considered an excellent Secretary by most, was a reformer who was making some suggestions not to Hays’ liking. This quote was Hays’ reposponse to Gardner. Hays was not only a bully but his lack of tact caused the State Departmemt much trouble. See {622348}.

In the latter part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, one of the tactics of conservatives was to accuse liberal candidates and office holders of being un-American, unpatriotic, and disloyal to the country. The tactic goes back to the beginning of the nation when Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans claimed the Federalists were un-American--monarchists and Anglophiles. In the 1950’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy attacked President Truman, Secretary of State Acheson, Secretary of the Army Stevenson and many others for “un-Americanism.” Even wounded war hero, paraplegic, Senator Max Cleland was accused by Republicans a of being unpatriotic which led to his defeat at the polls. So accusing the President of being un-American, was that unique an act even though it shocked most Americans.

The feeling was mutual. These two men hated each other as much as any two individuals in politics.

Fox hunting was a sport engaged in only by the very wealthy. The House of Lords tends to represent the views and norms of the British upper classes who engage in Fox hunting. Skinner and the House of Commons wanted to ban Fox Hunting because it is a very cruel sport with dozens of dogs chasing a single fox and often tearing him apart before the riders arrive.

Romney who was typically well spoken, very frequently in his campaign speeches and appearances, made statements that were clearly untrue, and even worse statements which reinforced the negative stereotype of a disconnected rich man. Hence the joke about the muzzle.

Romney had a reputation for changing his political position and trying to straddle positions. After losing this race, Romney improved as a candidate and did not try and straddle as much. He won the governorship in the next election.

Mackey had taken a position that coincided with most Republicans and conservatives on the issue of CEO compensation. See {630245}. His opponent therefore assumed he was a Republican and called him such. This was his reply.

He was chastising his own party’s House leadership for not allowing a promised vote on the emergency relief for Hurricane Sandy. Other emergency disaster appropriations had been made in previous years in days or weeks, but the aid for New Jersey, New York and Connecticut had been voted by the Democratic-controlled Senate but not in the Republican controlled House. The Republican House leadership had planned a vote after the Fiscal Cliff vote the previous evening before the end of the Congressional term. Then the speaker cancelled the vote infuriating Christie and many of the members of Congress. His reason was that there was opposition from the Tea Party Conservative wing of his own party who had just been badly beaten on the fiscal cliff legislation, and the Speaker was up for reelection by his own party caucus the following day. If the vote had proceeded, it would have passed with Democratic and some Republican support but with the opposition of the conservative wing some of whom noted that the states seeking the emergency aid had just recently voted for President Obama and they were opposed to more federal spending despite the fact that emergency aid had never before been subjected to such partisan criteria. After much pressure, the Speaker then committed to an up or down vote in the following Congress to the chagrin of some of the Tea Party members. But much self-inflicted damage had been done to the Republican Party. See {630994}.