News

Today marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of President Nixon's resignation, and since I wrote about coverage of this last night, some more articles and op-eds of note have appeared. Apart from the memorable discussion of RN's achievements on this morning's Chris...

While the title of this essay might make one blanch; the concluding days of Watergate should be considered as one of Richard Nixon’s finest hours.  Along with the successes of the opening to China, arms control with the Soviet Union, and all of his domestic...

We think that when someone dear to us dies, we think that when we lose an election, we think that when we suffer a defeat, that all is ended. We think, as T.R. said, that the light had left his life forever. Not true. It's only a beginning -- always. The young must...

There is a new addition to the national Pronunciation Wars. Nuclear (nuculer), Taliban (talleyban), and Pakistan (pockistan)* are now joined by Sotomayor.  She says "Soto-my-or"; many say "Soto-may-or." Among the many is Chief Justice John Roberts.  During Associate...

On July 29 of last year Vanity Fair's website put up a portrait of President George W. Bush by that eminent visual satirist Drew Friedman.  In it, the President was made up to look like that latterday icon of villainy, the late Heath Ledger in his Oscar-winning role...

It is often said that you can judge a leader by the quality of the people with which he surrounds himself. Thirty-five years ago today, I came in brief contact with a member of President Nixon’s White House staff whose deep sense of humanity, even in the midst of what...

Last month the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, and of Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin's historic moonwalk, was the subject of many hours of TV coverage and commentary, and of innumerable column-inches of articles and op-eds in what remains of...

In the summer of '69 the Beatles were working on what turned out to be ---and what they later claimed they knew would be--- their last album.  Paul had drawn a stick figure sketch of the band walking across a street, demonstrating his idea for the album's cover art.  ...

There is a scene early on in the movie Patton, where the feisty general watches the forces under his command do battle with those led by the legendary German Panzer leader, Erwin Rommel. To prepare for this particular skirmish, “Old Blood and Guts” studied the...