December 17, 2012

This issue of The Weekly Standard examined the political impasse over the fiscal cliff with articles by Fred Barnes and Jay Cost debating whether President Obama genuinely sought compromise or preferred higher taxes on his own terms, while the nation faced questions about spending and gridlock in Congress. The cover story by Barrett Tillman paid tribute to the decommissioning of the USS Enterprise, marking the end of an era for the historic aircraft carrier. The issue also covered international developments including France's Socialist government, Senator Mark Kirk's work on Iran sanctions following his stroke, South Korea's presidential election, and a historical feature on the Civil War's Battle of Fredericksburg.