News

Roger Morris On Obama In Wartime

Since January 16, the New York Times has had on its site a group blog, "100 Days," in which five presidential biographers take turns comparing the initial stages of the Obama Administration to five presidencies.  Jean Edward Smith does the comparing to the first...

Obama’s Speech And Nixon’s Ghost

There is no escaping Richard M. Nixon. He did so much to shape the politics and policy of the last half-century that every president will end up echoing his words. Take President Obama's address last night. The president spoke of reducing dependence on foreign oil...

Apologies to Mssrs. Little, Aykroyd, Frye

Last night Frank Langella lost the Best Actor competition in the Academy Awards to Sean Penn.  But the veteran's sterling performance in Frost/Nixon is still gaining accolades, not least from those who knew and worked with the 37th President.  This weekend the Fort...

Watch What We Say Not What We…Dooops

The intrepid Detroit News has tracked down the automobile registrations of the eight members of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry appointed last week to save the American automobile industry.  The paper also checked out the auto info of  the ten White...

Socks   1989 – 2009

Socks, who served as the  White House Cat from 1992-2001, died on Friday near his waterfront home in Hollywood, Maryland.  The former First Feline was believed to have been twenty, although there are some discrepancies involving his date and place of birth.  He had...

Save Acting: Vote Nixon

On today''s Daily Beast, critic Lee Siegel hopes against hope that the Members of the Academy will have the wisdom to reward and encourage real acting ---as opposed to camera-aided impersonation--- by choosing Frank Langella as Best Actor.  Whereas Mickey Rourke's...

Handicapping Best Actor

An AFP story out of Hollywood takes a look at the odds that bookmakers are offering as to what film or actor or actress will win the "Golden Dude," as Robin Williams tearfully dubbed his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor when he won for Good Will Hunting. Slumdog...

“Frost/Nixon’s” Unsung Hero?

John W. Dean's latest column at findlaw.com concerns Frost/Nixon. That's not especially surprising in itself. But what is downright strange is that Dean has not seen Ron Howard's film or Peter Morgan's play because, he says, "scheduling" conflicts haven't permitted...

Sadder But Wiser

Wonkette paid a visit to Harold Ickes --- the man who already owned the f bomb when Rahm Emanuel was still in short pants. The son of FDR's distinguished (and famously cantankerous) Interior Secretary, Mr. Ickes was a successful labor lawyer before becoming Deputy...