October 2015

As GOP presidential candidates take the stage for the third Republican debate in Boulder (CO) on Oct 28, Hollywood conservatives say they’ll be glued to their TV sets in the hope of getting one step closer to picking their candidate for the 2016 presidential race. While most are leaning toward a specific presidential hopeful, many say they haven’t made up their mind yet, insisting it’s still anyone’s game. “I’m supporting Ted Cruz,” said Lionel Chetwynd, an Academy-Award nominee and member of leading conservative Hollywood group Friends of Abe.

Founded by actor Gary Sinise in 2004, Friends of Abe is the leading conservative Hollywood group with a reported 2,200 members. But FOA has kept a deliberately low profile over the years for fear that members might be blacklisted in an overwhelmingly liberal industry. Even so, some big Hollywood names, like Jon Voight, Pat Boone and Kelsey Grammer have stated publicly that they are members. The group has already met with several 2016 GOP hopefuls including Carly Fiorina, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Carson, Sen Rand Paul (R-KY) and Donald Trump. If there is any consensus among Hollywood Republicans, it’s that Donald Trump will likely not win the nomination when it’s all said and done. But if he does, they will rally around him.

[Commentary] As the Senate finally prepares to vote on the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) legislation, it is important to keep in mind that CISA alone will not solve our problems with respect to cyberspace. A much broader strategy is needed. America is largely responsible for today’s Internet which, after creating enormous prosperity and human progress, is now being used to recruit terrorists, oppress freedom, harm our economy and threaten our national security. If we are to continue to enjoy the web’s blessings, we will need to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to deal with those who would threaten us in the cyber domain, just as we did in previous ages when our well-being was threatened on land, at sea, and later in the air and in space. To preserve both Internet freedom and security, America needs a clear strategy that should have at least four main elements.

First, it should begin with an understanding that -- unlike land, sea and the other domains -- security in the cyber domain will often require that the private sector, not the government, take the lead. Second, while the private sector must routinely lead and be routinely responsible for defense, government has an indispensable role to play in protecting national assets from significant cyber disruption. A third aspect of a successful strategy is pragmatism, including a recognition that we need to just get on with some things. Lastly and most importantly, an American strategy for cyberspace must reflect and serve our ideals.

[Gen Michael Hayden is the principal at the Chertoff Group]