Topic: Alexander Hamilton

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4 great political books you've never heard of

Historians weigh in on the best books about elections that make 2012 look tame.
European debt crisis: Seven basics you need to know

Will this crisis ever be over?! Eurozone nations seem to be fighting endless battles to address fears about government finances. The worry is that unsustainable national debt loads will result in default, a financial panic, or a costly repair effort. Here's what you need to know about the problem and possible ways forward.
To celebrate Washington's birthday: 5 best books about George Washington

If you're an American, you know that George Washington was "the Father of Our Country." But how many of us really know what that means? As we celebrate his 279th birthday, here are five outstanding books that help to bring George Washington and his accomplishments to light.
Top 10 best value private colleges in America

A new ranking by Kiplinger's Personal Finance examines the best private colleges in America and then sifts them for best value. Which gives you the best education for the lowest net cost – the cost of tuition and fees after financial aid? Here are the Top 10 best values:

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The Daily Reckoning
Will austerity come to the US?

The United States may be headed for the same belt-tightening austerity that has caused an uproar across Europe. Done right, it could actually work.
Obama's swipe at the Supreme Court

Worried that five of the justices will overturn the health-care law, Obama at first claims the court is 'unelected' and then backtracks. He must accurately portray the court's deep role in society.
How Founding Fathers helped argue the health-care case at the Supreme Court

The clash of ideas at the core of the Supreme Court debate over Obama’s health-care law is as old as the nation itself, and the spirit of the Founders was present before the assembled justices.
A conservative worries: Will Gingrich return America to the days of King George?

As a conservative constitutional scholar, I am deeply troubled by Newt Gingrich's vision for executive power over the courts – even if it is to strike back at liberal judges. Such a seizure of power threatens the rule of law upon which free and equal citizenship is founded.
Haley Barbour's pardons put Southern redemption on trial

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour defended his mass pardon of over 200 current and former convicts, quoting the Christian principle of redemption enshrined in Southern law and tradition.
As debate roars over Haley Barbour pardons, five released convicts vanish

Mississippi's attorney general says he may call for a national manhunt to find five pardoned prisoners, including four convicted killers, who were released by outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour.
4 great political books you've never heard of

Historians weigh in on the best books about elections that make 2012 look tame.
Eurozone crisis: A Polish answer to the 'German question'

Days ahead of a key summit to solve the European debt crisis, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski bluntly spelled out six reasons why Germany – more than any other country – owes its fellow European Union members solidarity in holding the eurozone together.
Global News Blog
Good Reads: Pakistan summons outspoken envoy Haqqani, Kenya's Somali operation

Pakistan's envoy to the US, Ambassador Husain Haqqani, explains why Pakistan cannot simply clear out militants from its mountainous regions, while Kenya marches into Somalia to try a similar task.
American Emperor: Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America

The story of Aaron Burr is a rattling tale that makes today's political partisanship pale in comparison.
European debt crisis: Seven basics you need to know

Will this crisis ever be over?! Eurozone nations seem to be fighting endless battles to address fears about government finances. The worry is that unsustainable national debt loads will result in default, a financial panic, or a costly repair effort. Here's what you need to know about the problem and possible ways forward.
Listening to the other voice in the Jackie Kennedy interviews

The voice of Jackie Kennedy's interviewer belongs to the late historian and former JFK aide Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., whose writings are again timely in this tea-party era. He noted that the Founding Fathers embraced government as a vital help, not an obstacle, to progress.
On the Economy
No, social security is not a ponzi scheme

"America is Greece!" and "Social security is a ponzi scheme!" are catchy sayings, but wild exaggeration about the U.S. economy doesn't solve anything.
The tea party and the debt deal: Fiscal 'terrorists' or principled heroes?

Shrugging off unfavorable polls and harsh criticism from Biden and other Democrats, the tea party faithful take stock of their influence on Capitol Hill's debt deal and look ahead to the next battle.
Obama's call for Americans to chime in on debt-ceiling deal

His request to call lawmakers in support of a debt-ceiling solution requires a great faith that Americans know how to handle their own debt or can reconcile competing impulses about taxes and spending.
In his federal retrial, Blagojevich takes the stand and center stage

Last summer, when a jury convicted Blagojevich on one count and deadlocked on all the rest, he didn't testify. This time defense lawyers apparently are betting on his personal charm.
Donald Marron
The day the US defaulted on treasury bills

Saying that the US hasn't defaulted on federal debt since the days of Alexander Hamilton is great rhetoric. If only it were true.
Jennifer Egan plays with time, wins Pulitzer

Jennifer Egan won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel about the passage of time set in the digital upending of the music industry.
Cost of US 'free' trade: collapse of two centuries of broadly shared prosperity

A reckless free-trade policy is destroying America's jobs machine. We must return to a policy of strategic, not unconditional, economic openness.
The Social Animal

New York Times columnist David Brooks uses brain science theory to argue that culture – and not reason – shapes our decisions.
Battle over health-care reform: vital lessons from America's founding fathers

Despite the ongoing attempts of House Republicans to kill President Obama's health-care reform law, the history of America's intense debate over ratifying the Constitution should make us optimistic about the law being accepted, improved, and implemented.
To celebrate Washington's birthday: 5 best books about George Washington

If you're an American, you know that George Washington was "the Father of Our Country." But how many of us really know what that means? As we celebrate his 279th birthday, here are five outstanding books that help to bring George Washington and his accomplishments to light.
Man arrested after threats to Rep. Jim McDermott: 'I'll kill his family'

FBI agents arrest a California man who called Rep. Jim McDermott's Seattle office in December and left two threatening messages linked to the Democrat's stand on extending the Bush tax cuts.
Obamacare, the Constitution, and the original meaning of the Commerce Clause

Several lawsuits over the health-care reform's individual mandate hinge on interpretations of the constitution's Commerce Clause. This clause is widely believed to grant Congress broad power over national markets. But that isn't what the founders had in mind.
Washington: A Life

America’s first president emerges from this marvelous biography an admirable, flawed, and very human figure.