The White House

The White House

A League Of His Own

By Daniel Oliver and M.D.B. Carlisle 

The Washington Times

May 31st 2001

Much of the analysis of the decision by Sen. Jim Jeffords to switch parties is nonsense, especially the idea that he was mistreated by Senate Republicans. For starters, Sen. Trent Lott, in a move less than popular with his colleagues, permitted the Vermont senator to be chairman of the Education Committee, a gratuitously gracious move.

Republicans loyally supported his milk compact, an arrangement by which milk prices to consumers are artificially raised … Read more

McCain’s Not A Conservative

By Daniel Oliver

CBS News/National Review

February 19th 2008

John McCain is not a conservative, but I will vote for him anyway.

After all, in 1952, conservatives, grumbling that Ohio senator Robert “Mr. Republican” Taft had not been nominated, voted for Eisenhower because he was clearly the better alternative to Adlai Stevenson. And they voted for Ike again over Stevenson in 1956.

In 1971, a Who’s Who of conservatives, including the senior editors of National Review, suspended their support of President Nixon because of … Read more

Selling Obama Short

If Barack Obama were a stock, would you be buying or selling?

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

February 25th 2009

If Barack Obama were a stock, would you be buying or selling? On the Rasmussen Approval Index History exchange, Obama Inc. (stock symbol “BHO”) is already down from its January 21 price of 27 pct to 11 pct.

The usual disclaimer on investment vehicles, “past performance is no guarantee of future performance,” doesn’t apply in this case: there is no past performance, other … Read more

Saving Senator Burris

This Trial Blazer’s résumé is far more impressive than President Obama’s.

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

February 27th 2009

Fellow Fairness Fanatics: you are invited to a Kaffee Klatsch ($1,000 per sustainably farmed, responsibly purchased organic cup) to show support for Senator Roland Burris, the Democrat who was appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat vacated by Barack Obama.

The appointment of Senator Burris (the only black in the U.S. Senate) was unquestionably legal even though, shortly after he made … Read more

What’s Your Metric?

How do you measure freedom?

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

September 2009

How do you watch freedom?  How do you watch it grow? How do you watch it shrink? What’s the metric? What’s your metric? What do you think the metrics of your fellow citizens are? If you have no idea what their metric is, how do you talk to them about freedom with any sense of urgency?

Milton Friedman’s metric was the percentage of GDP spent by government.

Friedman said we could … Read more

Laughing Gas: A review of The Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus

With The Death of Conservatism, Sam Tanenhaus establishes himself as one of America’s premier comic geniuses in the field of political commentary.

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

October 2009 issue

With The Death of Conservatism, Sam Tanenhaus establishes himself as one of America’s premier comic geniuses in the field of political commentary. There’s a guffaw waiting for you on almost every page. And like a good showman, he saves the very best for the very last.

The Death of Conservatism is … Read more

Nobody’s Pluperfect

Matt Latimer has written this year’s most entertaining book about what goes on — or doesn’t — in Washington.

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

December 2009 – to – January 2010 issue

Matt Latimer has written this year’s most entertaining book about what goes on — or doesn’t — in Washington. This is a laugh-out-loud book with a serious message, for those willing to hear it. It has also generated controversy.

Latimer was a geeky kid from Flint, Michigan, who set out for … Read more

Three Smooth Stones

To stay on message, Republicans need do three simple things this week.

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

January 26th 2010

How does David stay on message when he’s opposing Goliath? That’s the Republicans’ double challenge this week. Even though a Republican won the special election in Massachusetts, the Democrats are dominating the news. They are very publicly plotting a comeback after their epic loss, and the president will take center stage on Wednesday night when he gives the State of the Union speech. … Read more

Reloading

A review of Going Rogue: An American Life, by Sarah Palin

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

February 2010 issue

What’s not to like about Sarah Palin — for a conservative or a Republican? Her autobiography makes it abundantly clear why the liberal United Nations-hugging big-government socialist fascist gangster capitalist atheist God-hating running dogs don’t like her. But conservatives?

What are the three most important traits a conservative should look for in a president? A belief in God. A belief in a strong national … Read more

WBHO and WBHO FM in the Nation’s Capital

If the president wants to be believed, he could begin by giving up his Saturday disc jockey gig.

By Daniel Oliver

The American Spectator

March 8th 2010

It may not be news that politicians dissemble. But that’s no reason not to care about what a president says. Let us, therefore, unpack last Saturday’s presidential radio address.

President Obama said he had met with some of the insurance companies two days earlier and said that “they couldn’t give me a straight answer as to why … Read more