News

The Muse of the Obama White House

In their attacks on Fox News and tea-party protesters, White House officials are cribbing from a speech given 40 years ago next month. [W]e should ask what is the end value--to enlighten or to profit? What is the end result--to inform or to confuse? How does the...

“Let Me Be (Imperfectly?) Clear”

No American presidency is complete without the emergence of one, or two, or more catchphrases as thoroughly associated with the incumbent as "Would you believe?" or "You really know how to hurt a guy" are with the late Don Adams. John F. Kennedy, in the early years of...

Nixon (Masks) In The News

Last week, as the Los Angeles Angels entered the American League playoffs, I wrote about the team's first foray into the postseason thirty years ago, when former President Nixon was a regular at what was then Anaheim Stadium, and spectators were not allowed to wear...

“Seeing The Writing On The Wall”

Tony Panaccio at postchronicle.com has an article about Ed Nixon, the last of the five brothers that included the 37th President. and author of The Nixons: A Family Portrait. In the article Ed speaks of RN's visionary health-care plan: "My brother's offer to address...

CNN Leaves It There

The revolution manqué has started to devour its own children.  But in a world where so much time is spent automatically bashing Fox News, it's bracing to see at least some spillover skepticism aimed in CNN's direction.  Of course the target here is fatuity not...

You Can’t Win ‘Em All

The winners of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics were announced today in Oslo.  Americans Elinor Ostrom and Oliver E. Williamson shared the award for their work in the area of economic governance. Professor Ostrom, a political science professor at  Indiana University...