Good Luck Mr. Frum

A rough month and the call of family duties has lead Mr. Frum to shutter his Daily Beast column for now:

So it's been a rough month for my family and me. It's been a rough month for the blog too. I'm well aware that people come here to read about public affairs, not personal losses. 

Unfortunately, family and personal matters must claim my attention for some time to come. I won't be able to write as much or as well as required to produce a blog worth reading. I've long been a proponent of term limits for pundits and columnists. At least for the time being, my term has expired. 

I don't intend to shut up entirely. I'll continue to write once a week for CNN.com, and I'll be glad to talk on TV if asked and if I feel I have something worthwhile to say. I'll continue to post occasional thoughts on Twitter at @davidfrum. But the daily - hourly! - production of commentary here at the Daily Beast will cease at least for the summer, and possibly for some time longer.
...

First, I certainly understand how the needs of life and family can suddenly and massively reshape your priorities and alternatives.  For all the hard things I have said about Mr. Frum over the years, I am sorry that he and his family are going through tough times and genuinely wish them peace and better days.

Second, I hope at some future time when the press of events has eased somewhat Mr. Frum spares a little time meditating on and appreciating what a privilege it is to have choices in this economy; to be able to flexibly structure the conditions of one's work to the needs of one's life and to be able to rely on a thick network of professional relationships to catch you if you fall.

Third, is my open letter resume to Tina Brown at "The Daily Beast":

Dear Ms. Brown,

If you need another columnist to light up this room, I am available, reasonably priced and would be happy to step in to fill the breach.   

My resume is the +4,500 posts and +180 podcasts I have done over the last eight years.  References are available on request.

Of course if the Daily Beast feels they need the voice of one more Apostate Conservative columnist who is willing to risk the opprobrium of the Conservative Movement by proposing tiny, modest changes then I would be happy to jot down what every Liberal was saying 25 years ago on Daily Beast letterhead and pretend that it is edgy and new.  However I cannot promise to do it while at the same time maintaining the Centrist-pleasing fairly tale that Liberals are as-bad-or-worse than Conservatives.

Sincerely,

driftglass