Frederick Douglass, the great writer, orator and abolitionist leader, was a trusted adviser to President Abraham Lincoln — and a black Republican. In an Aug. 15, 1888 letter, he famously wrote, "I recognize the Republican party as the sheet anchor of the colored man's political hopes and the ark of his safety." Published April 1, 2015
Anyone who believes in the right to freedom of speech and expression knows it's a two-way street. You have to consistently defend speech that you fundamentally agree with, as well as speech that you completely oppose. Published March 3, 2015
Canadian conservatives will survive on TV and elsewhere and live to fight another day. Published February 24, 2015
Remember the good old days, when President Obama used to pay lip service about working with Republicans on important bipartisan legislation to help all Americans? Published February 17, 2015
Most newspaper columnists are intrigued by the events that shape our world. They'll write about anything from breaking news stories, to subjects that are outside the box. Published February 10, 2015
Be still, my beating heart. At long last, there's a flat tax proposal on the bargaining table that could conceivably get passed into American law. Published February 3, 2015
Super Bowl XLIX (49) will be played this Sunday. Sadly, the anticipated matchup between the AFC champion New England Patriots and NFC champion Seattle Seahawks has already had the wind knocked out of its sails — or, in this case, the air out of its footballs. Published January 27, 2015
Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its 2015 Oscar nominations. Popular movies, including "The Imitation Game," "Boyhood" and "The Theory of Everything," received some positive recognition. Other films, including "The LEGO Movie" and my personal favorite, "Mr. Turner," received lesser nominations or were snubbed in certain categories. Published January 20, 2015
France suffered through a horrifying series of terror attacks last week. Streets rang with the alarming sound of gunshots. Two agonizing hostage situations gripped the nation — and beyond. Blood was shed, and innocent life was lost. Published January 13, 2015
During the past year, there were some false stories (University of Virginia's rape case) and disputed facts (actress Lena Dunham's "Republican" rapist) that liberal media organizations simply accepted or didn't properly investigate. Published January 6, 2015
Since becoming a nation on July 4, 1776, the United States has evolved into one of the world's great democracies. Yet there's a lingering question that bears asking: Do most Americans truly appreciate what they have? Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case any longer. Published January 4, 2015
Last year marked the 450th anniversary of the death of one of the world's greatest artists, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. To commemorate this important anniversary, Taschen has reissued Frank Zollner's classic 2007 book, "Michelangelo: Complete Works." Published January 1, 2015
With my first column of 2015, I'm dusting off my crystal ball and making some predictions for the new year. Published December 31, 2014
Winsor McCay is widely regarded as one of America's greatest cartoonists. His early 20th century comic strips ("Little Sammy Sneeze," "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend") and animated shorts ("Gertie the Dinosaur," "The Sinking of the Lusitania") are still among the most groundbreaking examples of both genres. Published December 25, 2014
While my Christmas columns have similar themes, I always take different approaches. They have been personal, humorous, serious and occasionally reflective. This year, it's all of the above. Published December 23, 2014
Brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. President Obama is sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, again. Published December 16, 2014
There is no shortage of reading material about Abraham Lincoln's life and political career. Published December 10, 2014
There's no question that many bad thoughts and feelings have arisen and continue to rise in the wake of the Ferguson, Missouri, decision. No matter which side of the fence you're on, it's a controversial issue that most Americans would prefer not to deal with. Published December 2, 2014
A chance meeting between Paul Krugman (a liberal U.S. economist) and Etsuro Honda (economist and adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a conservative) may have just saved the Land of the Rising Sun from economic ruin. Published November 25, 2014
Some god-like public entertainers are losing their mythical status. Published November 18, 2014
