News
We Call This Friday Good
This is the time of year when Bach's Passions (St. John 1724 and, particularly, St. Matthew 1727) are performed around the world --- from Boston to Auckland. The St. Matthew Passion has inspired artists as different as Pier Paolo Pasolini (who considered casting Jack...
The Last Doughboy
For many in the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland, March 17 this year was just another St. Patrick's Day. But in France it was a day for a more somber commemoration, as French president Nicolas Sarkozy oversaw a ceremony at the Hotel des Invalides to mark the...
Saint Patrick’s Babe in the Morning
John Taylor has already noted Pat Nixon's birthday yesterday (16 March), and its celebration at the Library. It came to be traditionally celebrated the next day and the story was told that after her birth late on the 16th, her father exclaimed, "She'll be St....
Can’t We All Just NOT Get Along?
Geraldine Ferraro’s impolitic commentary regarding Barack Obama has been widely covered and discussed. But in the rush to examine the really juicy part of her monologue, you know – the stuff about race – something else the 72 year old former congresswoman said is...
Tuesdays With Franklin
The sun had just risen over the Pearly Gates when RN threaded his way through the already crowded dining room. As always, the silver was gleaming and the glasses were sparkling and the napery…….everyone wondered how they managed to fold the starched linen napkins,...
Choosing a Veep
Many people are offering John McCain advice about a running mate. Various candidates would purportedly tip swing states into the McCain column, or improve his appeal to women and minorities. Maybe. LBJ did help JFK win Texas in 1960. But aside from that one case, it...
New York Times Endorses Nixon
Those who have not seen the New York Times editorial page today may be interested in the paper's editorial on Russia's elections, "Putin's Mini-Me (Or Not?)." Broadly speaking, the Times editors express concern over Russian democracy and wonder whether Putin's...
Making History by Agreeing to Disagree
My recent summary of last week’s news failed to recognize an important anniversary . It was thirty-six years ago last Tuesday (26 February) that the Shanghai Communique was signed by President Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou En-lai. February 22nd, the anniversary of...
Buckley, Nixon, and Mao – 1972
In February of 1972 three airplanes, two were charter flights, the third was Air Force One, made their way from the United States to China en route to a rendezvous with what historian Margaret McMillan has referred to as “the week that changed the world.” The two...
Richard Milhous Obama
Barack Obama sounds a bit like Richard Nixon. No, he’s not deliberately cribbing from our 37th president. It’s hard to picture him telling his writers: “I need to fire up the liberal Democratic base – so go get me some Nixon language!” But his rhetoric does include...