February 11, 2013

This issue of The Weekly Standard featured major coverage of the Senate confirmation battle over Chuck Hagel's nomination as Secretary of Defense, with Stephen F. Hayes and William Kristol critiquing what they called the "worst confirmation hearing ever." The cover story by Meghan Clyne argued that conservatives needed a more compelling and sophisticated argument against massive federal debt beyond the tired "think of the children" rhetoric. The issue also examined David Cameron's struggles with Euroskeptics in the Conservative Party, Barack Obama's failed legislative strategy with Congress, and the Democratic party's recent electoral ascendancy, while covering related policy debates on tax reform, education, and China's treatment of Tibetans.