John Quincy Adams

Early after the first of this year, I wrote a column concerning interesting facts about our presidents, and I promised to write more. That column and this one — and possibly some future ones — are based on a book by Cormac O’Brien titled...

In greeting new Secretary of State John Kerry, members of the Foreign Service were welcoming one of their own. They hope his arrival at Foggy Bottom will mark new understanding of — and support for — the work they do around the world....

Barack Obama tossed off an inaugural speech the other day as if he had nothing to lose. Actually, he has nothing to lose, unless he wants to pull a John Quincy Adams and run for the U.S. House after he’s finished being president. But Adams did...

I have been reading Cormac O’Brien’s book, “Secret lives of the U.S. Presidents.” What a hoot! As O’Brien states in the subtitle, the book is truly, “What your teachers never told you about the men of the White House.&...

Shortly after the 1988 presidential election, pollsters asked Democrats whom they favored to be their party's nominee in 1992. The strongest candidates were Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Gov. Mario M. Cuomo of New York. The governor of...

It was a marvelous bit of theater at Northampton Community College as the Father of Our Country told his life story and mused about how things might have been different — for himself and for his audience — had he followed his early dream of...

 The applause has faded, but Bill Clinton continues to star on the airwaves in the wake of his widely praised defense of President Barack Obama’s economic policies at the Democratic National Convention.  The Obama campaign is showing a commercial...

The presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have pledged not to run political ads Sept. 11, out of respect for the terrorism victims. Which means there are 64 other days when you can count on being deluged with ads before Election Day. 1...

Barack Obama claims only that his legislative and foreign policy achievements in his first two years matched those of "any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, FDR and Lincoln" in "modern history." Some Obama enthusiasts are less...

“You do anything for family.” For Yvonne Greene, that meant riding on “Sweet Summer Thyme,” her sister Jackie Flowers’ entry in the Parade of Barges at the 10th annual Barge Bash in Hancock. “I never paint my...

Lady Baltimore has withstood much in 189 years perched overlooking Courthouse Square. She has lost both of her arms over the decades — one of them, holding high a wreath that signifies service to the republic, was sheared off by a gust of wind in...

In its early days, America lacked world-class universities, libraries, scientific research facilities, and museums. Many Americans believed such things were unnecessary for national security and economic growth, and were disinterested in the promotion...