Recent “bully pulpit” Commentaries

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Fighting for the Public Good
Theodore Roosevelt didn’t plan to become president. In 1901, after President William McKinley was assassinated, the 42-year-old vice president was sworn in—becoming the youngest person ever to occupy the White House. Many in the Republican Party had hoped to sideline Roosevelt’s reformist energy by placing him in a quiet, symbolic role. But Roosevelt had other ideas. He brought his convictions...
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May 13, 2025
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I AM SICKENED
Tonight, protesters are surrounding the Kennedy Center, the living memorial to John F. Kennedy and the heartbeat of Washington’s cultural life. They are there because...
The Courage to Defend a Principle
In 1998, at the height of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Secret Service Director Lewis Merletti was driving to work when a radio report stopped him cold....
The Better Angels Among Us
By all appearances, we are becoming less the land of the brave than the land of resentment. Every day is Groundhog Day: same arguments, same...
We Remember
On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in New York, at the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. More...
Mister Roberts!
One of my favorite movies is Mister Roberts, the 1955 comedy-drama set aboard the USS Reluctant in the Pacific during World War II. Henry Fonda...
Where’s the Character
In 1984, Wendy’s ran a television commercial featuring the redoubtable Clara Peller, staring at an enormous hamburger bun. Inside was a burger patty smaller than...