GOP Commentator David Frum Loses Job After Criticizing Party

CBS

Updated 1:49 p.m. Eastern Time Friday

David Frum, who wrote a widely-circulated blog post Sunday suggesting passage of the health care bill amounted to "Waterloo" for the Republican Party, has apparently been forced out of his fellowship at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

Frum (pictured at right, with Joe Lockhart) posted a resignation letter on his blog following a conversation with AEI President Arthur Brooks announcing that his position is "terminated."

"I appreciate the consideration that delays my emptying of my office until after my return from travel next week. Premises will be vacated no later than April 9," Frum wrote in the letter to Brooks. "I have had many fruitful years at the American Enterprise Institute, and I do regret this abrupt and unexpected conclusion of our relationship."

In the Waterloo post, Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, wrote that the GOP and conservatives "suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s."

"A huge part of the blame for today's disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves," he wrote. "At the beginning of this process we made a strategic decision: unlike, say, Democrats in 2001 when President Bush proposed his first tax cut, we would make no deal with the administration. No negotiations, no compromise, nothing."

On Tuesday, the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page hammered Frum for his "argument that if only Republicans had negotiated with Democrats, they could have somehow made the bill less awful than it is."

"Mr. Frum now makes his living as the media's go-to basher of fellow Republicans, which is a stock Beltway role. But he's peddling bad revisionist history that would have been even worse politics," wrote the newspaper.

Frum, who has criticized Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin, told the Washington Post that "there was no suggestion by AEI" that he was being forced out because of the Waterloo post, though he declined to discuss why he had been let go.

UPDATE: Frum told Greg Sargent that Brooks said he "welcomed and celebrated" Frum's Waterloo post and that Brooks said he was asking Frum to leave AEI because "these are hard times." Frum said Brooks offered him the opportunity to keep writing for AEI, though without compensation. 

UPDATE 2: In an interview with Politico, Frum blamed donor pressure following the "Waterloo" column for his ouster from the job, reportedly worth $100,000 per year.

"There's a lot about the story I don't really understand," he said. "But the core of the story is the kind of economic pressure that intellectual conservatives are under. AEI represents the best of the conservative world. Arthur Brooks is a brilliant man, and his books are fantastic. But the elite isn't leading anymore. It's trapped. Partly because of the desperate economic situation in the country, what were once the leading institutions of conservatism are constrained. I think Arthur took no pleasure in this. I think he was embarrassed. I think he would have avoided it if he possibly could, but he couldn't."

[StratonDawson]

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[imnho]

David Frum was a little like a person on the Titanic point out that the ship was sinking and getting thrown overboard, while his boss rearranged the chairs. The only problem with that solutin is that the ship is still sinking.

[gbreadman]

I listen to Frum's commentaries on the public radio show "Marketplace", from American Public Media. I used to think his articles were on the conservative side, and that he didn't think things through and process all facets of the facts he mentioned in his articles.

Now looking back, I realize that he was just a pawn for the AEI, just like every journalist and pundit at Fox News is a suck-up and sycophant for Rupert Murdoch; as long as they "drink the red kool aid", they'll have a job...the more liberal bashing, the happier The Boss will be. The attitude and environment of every enterprise starts at the top.

[RespectOthersAlways]

Mr. David Frum lost his job because he spoke the truth. It is interesting that not one leader in the GOP has come to his defense. This is repression coming from people who claim they cherish family values as long as its not about telling the truth.

Stay strong Mr. Frum. Truth crushed to earth will rise again

[RespectOthersAlways]

Mr. David Frum lost his job because he spoke the truth. It is interesting that not one leader in the GOP has come to his defense. This is repression coming from people who claim they chrish family values as long as its not about telling the truth.

Stay strong Mr. Frum. Truth crushed to earth will rise again.

[RobAla]

I'm not a member of either party, but I was surprised to find out that his guy was a member of the GOP. I would have never guessed he was a Republican by the articles. However, I have only read a few of them.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

I have been watching the these blogs and media cherry picking, and it seems to me, its the same old rhetoric from the left, (their clucks never change), I will make you all a wager the GOP sweeps the whitehouse in November ...
......................................................
HEY DUFUS!!!
How much do you want to bet ???
Seeing as the Presidential election is not in November ...

[aksnowdevil]

Holy crap dude....did they change the presidential election to every 2 years instead of 4? "Sweeps the white house"? LOL....I'll take all the action you want to give on that wager....LOL

[Overruled1]

Actually that's not a bad idea....how about that make the presidential election every 2 years!!!
That'll ensure they do what they say they'll do or be subject to recall every 2 years....i like that...

[aksnowdevil]

So, I pose this question: If it's truly a "think tank" and you get fired for thinking differently is it an "anti-think tank"?

Just asking......

[Nodeb8]

I have been watching the these blogs and media cherry picking, and it seems to me, its the same old rhetoric from the left, (their clucks never change), I will make you all a wager the GOP sweeps the whitehouse in November. For each one these die hard left wing keyboard tappers that thrive on their addictions to blogs and conservative bashing, their are hundreds of thousands of sensible Americans who see Obama and his ship of fools leading our country to a disasterous conclusion. I chuckle under my breath at most of these comments from the left. The hypocracy knows no end, and is shameless beyond belief. Quite honestly, I am thankful Obama's come out with his agenda in full force. He's shown this country what voting in these "Progressive's" mean. I will leave everyone with this, the fact that China now owns more of our debt than American citizens should scare everyone. No country, particularly one so totalitarian, should have that much leverage over the U.S. We should be shrinking government, and creating wealth. Obama and his ship of fools is doing the opossite.

[the74blaster]

This is just another example of how the GOP deals with an inconvient truth.

Fire all people who disagree with the party direction so we can keep our high roller investors happy, even if they are wrong!

Good. I hope the GOP fires all the remaining members of the think tank who dare to oppose the party's strategy!

Perhaps the RINOS can work with the DINOS and we can create a true political party that represents main street America.

We need to get rid of the divisionary tactics of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulters of the world.