By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
There have been many impressive books written about the Abraham Lincoln-Stephen Douglas debates during the 1858 Senate election in Illinois. Harry V. Jaffa, Harold Holzer and Allen Carl Guelzo all stand out for their analyses of one of the most important events in U.S. political history. So much so, it makes one wonder if there's anything really left to discuss.
The government's fidelity to the Constitution is never more tested than in a time of crisis. The urge to do something - or to appear to be doing something - is nearly irresistible to those whom we have employed to protect our freedom and to keep us safe.
American businesses know how difficult it can be to comply with government regulations, such as those put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and, of course, the Internal Revenue Service. Strict adherence to these mandates requires dotting the i's and crossing the t's. It's all about accountability. So why is it that we don't hold our government to the same standard? If ours is a government of the people, by the people and for the people, as President Lincoln believed, shouldn't government be accountable as well?
"The American people continue to demand truth and accountability for this tragedy. To date, sadly, they have received neither," says a group of 24 conservative heavyweights in an open letter to Congress, urging members to support House Resolution 36, which would create a select committee to investigate the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Sorry, Mr. Lincoln, but "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people" has just perished, made amply clear by the secret dealings of the collusive "Gang of Eight" that is about to force an amnesty plan down the unwilling people's throats ("Immigration agreement 'very close' in Congress; guest workers still a hurdle," Web, Wednesday).
Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan's retirement last month is an opportunity to require Senate confirmation of any successor.
How accurate is "Zero Dark Thirty"? Is "Lincoln" an epic of historical recreation or a high school history lesson? What did you think of "Django Unchained"? Can we get Anne Hathaway something to eat, already?
The last completed book we are likely to get from Maurice Sendak remembers a man he often insisted was the real genius of the family, his brother Jack.
During awards season, the short-film nominees are never given the same attention as the best picture contenders or the gossip about who’s wearing whom. Yet, brevity is an art and deserves a look. This week, catch screenings of the Academy Award nominees for the best live action, animated and documentary shorts at area movie theaters, where screenings will group the five nominees in each category together.
Anniversaries are, strictly speaking, not necessary, but neither is art, friendship or many other of the most important things in life. We observe them by taking time out of the present to remember the past. It is a way of “marking time,” of measuring ourselves against the great and the bad who have foregone us.
This week, catch screenings of the Academy Award nominees for the best live action, animated and documentary shorts at area movie theaters, where screenings will group the five nominees in each category together.
As New Year's Day approached 150 years ago, all eyes were on President Lincoln in expectation of what he warned 100 days earlier would be coming — his final proclamation declaring all slaves in states rebelling against the Union to be "forever free."
Despite being dubbed the "bad girl of rock 'n' roll," Ronnie Spector's strong and sparkling vocals are perfect for the holiday season's cheesiest pop tunes — and her take on "Sleigh Ride" and "Frosty the Snowman" are some of the most-played versions of the songs.
Dennis Weaver, Gregory Peck and Henry Fonda are just some of the men to have brought Honest Abe to life in the movies and on television.
President Obama called on nations Tuesday to end the modern slavery of human trafficking and, in the process, got his U.S. Civil War history a bit garbled.
As President Lincoln said, it is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, for the people.
As New Year's Day approached 150 years ago, all eyes were on President Lincoln in expectation of what he warned 100 days earlier would be coming — his final proclamation declaring all slaves in states rebelling against the Union to be "forever free."
