Americans are very smart about the things they care about, and ignorant about the things they don't.

The search for a moral equivalent of war continues to define American liberalism to this day.

But this is the kind of ass-clownery that stems from the fact that all philosophy looks weird when you don't have one.

If you're uncertain when life begins, why not give the unborn the benefit of the doubt and oppose abortion?

Our country, if you read the 'Federalist Papers,' is about disagreement. It's about pitting faction against faction, divided government, checks and balances. The hero in American political tradition is the man who stands up to the mob - not the mob itself.

Three explanations dominate speculation about what Obama is up to. The first is that he's trying to lay the groundwork for his successor, presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton. The second is that he's trying to pad his legacy. The third is that he's trying to 'troll' or bait the GOP into debating his agenda rather than pursuing its own. All are plausible, and none necessarily contradicts the others.

John Kerry is a sphincter. Okay, that's a bit juvenile.