An Open, Serene, Intelligent Countenance
On January 4, 1799, Aaron Burr wrote to his daughter Theodosia, then 16, about the advantages of good presentation in the world: There is nothing more certain than that you may form what countenance you please. An open, serene, intelligent countenance, a little brightened by cheerfulness, not wrought into smiles or simpers, will presently…
Read MoreThe Wit and Wisdom of Aaron Burr
In my current work on the conspiracy of former Vice President Aaron Burr in 1805-07, I am constantly coming across epigrams that flowed from the pen of Burr. I will cram as many as I can in the book. Until then, I have resolved to share them in this forum. So, for our first entry,…
Read MoreChina and the Fourteenth Amendment
Most countries default on their debt now and again, but the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution says that the United States won’t. When President Obama visited China, I started to wonder about the significance of this guarantee to the massive to Chinese investment in U.S. government debt. Then I started wondering how good that guarantee…
Read MoreJack Miller, 1924-2009
I have known only a few great lawyers, and one of them was Jack Miller, a/k/a Herbert J. Miller, Jr., “poor old Miller” (how he referred to himself), and “Nixon’s lawyer.” He died over the weekend, and should be remembered. Jack’s achievements as a lawyer were remarkable. He argued and won important Supreme Court cases. …
Read MoreNovember 19: Can we handle the truth?
Next Thursday at lunchtime, I try something entirely new: a joint public appearance with my wife, Nancy Floreen, member at-large of the Montgomery County Council! We’ll be at the Literary Luncheon series of the Friends of the Library of Montgomery County, at Strathmore Hall Mansion in North Bethesda, MD. The fun starts at 11:30 a.m.…
Read MoreC-SPAN Posts National Archives Talk on Impeached
On September 23, I spoke about Impeached to a terrific audience at the National Archives, which C-SPAN taped and then broadcast last weekend on C-SPAN 3. The video is now posted on the web, for your viewing pleasure.
Read MoreHappy Constitution Day!
OK, OK, it’s a contrived holiday, invented by Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia during those few moments when he hasn’t been scheming to transfer federal agency offices into his home state. (His triumph is the U.S. Coast Guard Operations Center in Martinsburg, WV, several hundred miles from any coast . . .. .)But, as…
Read MoreOn the Road Again . . .
Summer’s over when it’s time to go out and hustle books. So this Thursday (Constitution Day!) I’ll be at St. Mary’s College in southern Maryland at 4:30, speaking on The Summer of 1787. Then it’s back to Impeached, which will be my topic next Wednesday, September 23, at the National Archives in DC, at noon. …
Read MoreImpeachment Season
We started this year of impeachment with Governor Blago in Illinois. Then federal Judge Sam Kent in Houston went down. And now Gov. Mark Sanford of South Caroline — he of the Appalachian Trail euphemism — may be next up on the impeachment hit parade. My musings on this impeachment surfeit are at Huffington Post.
Read MoreThe Wages of Mendacity
Fed up with bestselling authors who plagiarizes and just make up facts? Me, too. I let it rip on Huffington Post today. After a day spent struggling with the microfilm readers at the Library of Congress, trying to nail down the facts for my new project, I was stunned to read how Ben Mezrich wrote the book…
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