One professor called it spiteful. Another said it was far-fetched. Those were the reactions Wednesday to U.S Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite's request that President Barack Obama get the permission of Congress before he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize. ...more

October 29, 2009

Alexis Marie Ashby wanted a teddy bear with flowers or a heart. The 9-year-old patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Tampa got a black bear with a red heart sweater and quickly named it Valentine. ...more

July 1, 2009

James Whitmore, a leading character actor whose craggy face became a familiar one to film, television and stage audiences for decades and who won wide acclaim for a pair of one-man performances, as the humorist Will Rogers and a vinegary Harry S. Truman, died Friday at his home in Malibu, Calif. He was 87. ...more

February 8, 2009

James Whitmore, the many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one-man shows about Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt, died Friday, his son said. He was 87. ...more

February 6, 2009

Graciously conceding as vice president in 1980, Walter Mondale spoke of voters wielding "their staggering power." This year's energized electorate did that, thereby proving, among other things, that bad governance is good for turnout, a fact that should give pause to people who think high rates of voting are unambiguous indicators of civic health. ...more

November 8, 2008

There are two major political parties in America, but there are at least three major political tendencies. The first is orthodox liberalism, a belief in using government to maximize equality. The second is free-market conservatism, the belief in limiting government to maximize freedom. ...more

October 28, 2008

Every so often, not just every four years, but in a seemingly endless succession of election years, we're deluged, bombarded, and swamped with political posturing and pontificating. Each side tries to convince us poor ignorant peasants that their candidate walks on water and will make the civilized world safe from all predators while their opponent, if elected, will bring us to the brink of extinction. ...more

September 13, 2008

The long and divisive war in Iraq is about to resonate with presidential candidates in a way not seen so far in the campaign: The sons of both vice presidential nominees are assigned to go there soon. ...more

September 6, 2008

Mary had a little lamb / And when she saw it sicken / She shipped it off to Packingtown / And now it's labeled chicken." ...more

June 17, 2008

The National Civic League was founded in 1894 by Theodore Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis to address widespread municipal corruption. The organization sought to "raise the popular standards of political morality" and is still at work, seeking to help communities adopt practices that will empower people and improve their quality of life. ...more

May 19, 2008