Archive for February 2008
The First Human Rights Courts
I don’t read many law reviews any more, but my eye fell on the current issue Yale Law Journal, which I cannot avoid as a former editor. This time, I…
Read MoreWhen A Signature Doesn't Mean Much
The leading presidential candidates have taken contrasting positions on the constitutionally dubious practice of presidential “signing statements” — when a president signs a bill into law, but issues a separate…
Read MoreWhither the Book?
A recent item in the Washington Post describes a new product called “BookSnap,” which allows the digitization of books at a rate of 500 pages per hour. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021202754.html?sub=AR The cost?…
Read MoreMake My Brown Eyes Blue
History often seems to me like some vast, overgrown garden, chock full of important wisdom and irrelevant factoids. Thanks to a recent post at townhall.com by Michael Medved, I can…
Read MoreGetting the Vice President Right, Part II
Picking a running mate is the most important first decision of the presumptive (McCain) and potential (Clinton and Obama) nominees for president. Though the first three Vice Presidents to ascend…
Read MoreThe Vice President Matters . . . More Than You Think
With the Republican nomination mostly wrapped up, and the Democratic race down to two, it’s not too early to start thinking about vice presidential running mates. It’s one of the…
Read MoreTop 10 U.S. Political Trials, Part II
We’re up to the top half of this top ten, which must (i) have had significant political effect on the nation, and (ii) have been an actual trial. 5. Sacco/Vanzetti:…
Read MoreTop 10 U.S. Political Trials: Part 1
Taking a breather from the book I’m writing on the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson in 1868, I find myself wondering which are the top ten American political trials. My…
Read MoreHow History Lies
In a talk at the Bethesda Writer’s Center last night, I had a chance to air some of the dirty linen of the history writer: how do we know what…
Read More