Topic: George Washington

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Inauguration 2013: 10 highlights from previous second-term addresses

Barack Obama will be the 17th American president to deliver two inaugural addresses. Here are 10 highlights from such speeches by previous two-term presidents, including the shortest one ever.

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Stir It Up! Fourth of July supper: New England poached salmon

Fourth of July marks the day the Declaration of Independence was read out over the streets of Boston. Many New Englanders mark Fourth of July with a meal of poached salmon
The Monitor's View IRS scandal as a lesson in civic values

The IRS targeting of conservative political groups may not have been political itself. But it shows a serious need for more civics education in America about basic freedoms like the First Amendment.
Bunker Hill

Nathaniel Philbrick retells the story of the bloodiest battle of the American Revolution, after which there was no turning back.
Chapter & Verse Boston Marathon bombing: how it compares to the 1920 Wall Street attack

The 1920 bombing of Wall Street, which killed 38 and injured hundreds, was the deadliest terror attack on US civilians until Oklahoma City. The crime has never been solved.
Olive Press A goat farmer, lured by the green Galilee

Avi Yankelevitch, who runs an eco-tourist goat farm in the Galilee, comes from an archetypal Israeli pioneer family – European Jews, enchanted by the land they feel called on to work.
Africa Monitor Will Zimbabwe's Morgan Tsvangirai be Africa's next fallen hero?

The 'heroic' leaders who follow notorious African dictators to power frequently fall from grace themselves. If Morgan Tsvangirai replaces Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe, will he be next?
Hugo Chavez legacy: a wedge between US, Latin America (+video)

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, who died Tuesday, made it his mission to sway Latin American leaders away from the US and toward his brand of populist socialism. Chavez made strides, but his influence in the region had been waning.
Presidents' Day 2013: How a Senate tradition keeps George Washington’s words alive

Every year since 1896, a senator has been selected to read George Washington’s Farewell Address during legislative session. His warnings often are pertinent.
Presidents' Day 2013: Actually, there’s no such thing

We don't care what that newspaper ad says, there's no official 'Presidents' Day' holiday. By law, it's 'George Washington’s Birthday' honoring the Father of Our Country, and only him.
Saving Money Presidents' Day sales: Look for new deals throughout the weekend

Presidents' Day sales have already begun on a wide array of items, including mattresses, home goods, and clothing. But keep an eye out for more Presidents' Day sales to be announced throughout the weekend.
Is the South ready to say howdy to hemp?

Along with a federal bill, Kentucky is mulling the legalization of industrial hemp, marijuana's close cousin. Is it good business sense – or a Trojan horse for legalizing pot in the South?
Inauguration Day Bibles: how presidents choose, and what that reveals (+ video)

President Obama will have two highly symbolic Bibles at his Inauguration Day swearing-in ceremony: one used by Abraham Lincoln and another from the family of Martin Luther King Jr.
Inauguration 2013: 10 highlights from previous second-term addresses

Barack Obama will be the 17th American president to deliver two inaugural addresses. Here are 10 highlights from such speeches by previous two-term presidents, including the shortest one ever.
Seven questions and answers about the inauguration

Why is the inauguration always January 20? What happens when it falls on a Sunday? How many inaugural balls are there? The US presidential inauguration is full of history and tradition. Here's a look at President Obama's big day in question and answer form.
The Monitor's View Egypt's big lesson in democracy

Egypt adopted a postrevolutionary constitution this week. But the Arab nation has only begun to understand that democracy isn't only majority rule.
The Oath

New Yorker writer and CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin offers an astute and thorough analysis of the relationship between the Obama White House and the John Roberts-led Supreme Court.
Opinion Will John Boehner, President Obama master art of humility before 'fiscal cliff'?

John Boehner and President Obama continue their 'fiscal cliff' tussle over tax increases and spending cuts. But negotiating requires a healthy dose of humility. America's Founding Fathers, especially Madison and Franklin, knew this lesson well. We should look to them for guidance.
Verbal Energy Hail to the neologizers in chief

US presidents – and one president in particular – seem to have a knack for coining new terms.
Opinion To avoid fiscal cliff, Obama and GOP should compromise like Founding Fathers (+video)

President Obama and John Boehner express optimism that a budget deal to avoid the fiscal cliff will be reached, but gridlock threatens. Politicians would do well to remember that America was established by men who sorely disagreed. Consider the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
Opinion Thanksgiving Day Proclamation 2012 from President Obama

In giving gratitude for 'the God-given bounty that enriches our lives,' Americans should remember the 'indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our Nation since its earliest days.' Washington's and Lincoln’s 'expressions of unity still echo today.'
Thomas Jefferson

Biographer Jon Meacham captures Thomas Jefferson as a person, not just a historical figure.
Richard Mourdock: the theology behind his rape comments

Senate candidate Richard Mourdock was apparently espousing the doctrine of providence in his comments about rape earlier this week. But he bungled it, and some Evangelicals aren't pleased.
The Monitor's View When campaign politics turn vicious, what voters can do

As the 2012 campaigns settle into a pattern of personal attacks, voters need not be passive, or even resigned. The can demand civility.
The Vote Best lines of Democratic convention – from Jennifer Granholm to John Kerry (+video)

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Sen. John Kerry got in some good zingers. Bill Clinton was, well, Bill Clinton, and Malia and Sasha Obama still had to go to school today.
The Monitor's View Obama-Romney debate can't avoid 'nation-building'

Recent presidents campaigned against nation-building only to take it up as necessary for what defines America's ideals and strategic interests. Voters need to hear what Romney and Obama would do differently.