The American Spectator

December 2009 - January 2010

Features

• Books for Christmas

  Our annual list of holiday gift suggestions from distinguished readers and writers.

• The Great Consolidator

  Benedict XVI is finding ways to allow all roads to lead to Rome again.

  Jeremy Lott

• Guitar Man

  Thaddeus McCotter steps out as an unlikely Republican leader.

  W. James Antle, III

• All the President’s Regulators

  If Congress can’t pass Obama’s liberal agenda, these people will likely impose it.

  Philip Klein

Note From the Publisher

• Agents of Influence

  Alfred S. Regnery

Freedom Watch

• Fragile Freedom

  What would Mr. Reagan think now?

  Donald Devine

The Continuing Crisis

• The Continuing Crisis

  R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.

The Pursuit of Knowledge

• Totalitarian Sentimentality

  The fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives.

  Roger Scruton

Economics

• The New Normal

  Forget the naysayers. Happy capitalism is here again.

  Brian Wesbury

Capitol Ideas

• Labor Unions and the News Media

  Press criticism of labor unions — is such a thing possible?

  Tom Bethell

The Public Policy

• The Jobless Recovery and Its Structures

  The liberals in power face an economic problem that could become a political one as well.

  Joseph Lawler

Presswatch

• Caprice Prize

  James Taranto

Letter From London

• The Rotting Fruit of Multiculturalism

  Can Europe be the same place with different people in it?

  Douglas Murray & Robin Simcox

Politics

• Ronald Reagan’s Berlin

  John H. Fund

The Campaign Spectator

• Battle Cry in the North Country

  Doug Hoffman’s campaign in upstate New York isn’t necessarily over.

  Robert Stacy McCain

High Spirits

• The Hospital Where I Grew Up

  A remarkable journey down memory lane.

  Jonathan Aitken

Ben Stein's Diary

• I’m Being Tested

  A recession survival guide from our indispensable monthly Diarist.

  Ben Stein

Conservative Tastes

• Brace Yourself

  What in the world is bracing about despair?

  James Bowman

Buy the Book

• Seeking the Welfare of the City of Our Exile

  Father Richard John Neuhaus explored the fault lines of American religious and political thought.

  G. Tracy Mehan, III

• An Editor as Framer

  Seth Lipsky assumes that the words of our Constitution have real meaning.

  Jeremy Rabkin

• Do Do That Voodoo That They Did So Well

  A policy and intellectual success without rival in contemporary history.

  Nick Schulz

• Nobody’s Pluperfect

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

  Daniel Oliver

• The Decline of the Best

  Finding fault with French cuisine is an old story — but Michael Steinberger is working with fresh ingredients.

  Joseph A. Harriss

• Their Finest Hour

  Craig Shirley has written the definitive book on Ronald Reagan’s winning campaign of 1980.

  Jason Emerson

Current Wisdom

• Current Wisdom

  Assorted Jackasses

Last Call

• Anne, with the Saints

  The coolest godmother — and New Orleans Saints fan — in all creation.

  Quin Hillyer