On this date (November 19) in 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave perhaps the greatest speech in American History, the Gettysburg Address. The text of the speech is short, less than 300 words, a fitting reminder to contemporary politicians that, sometimes, the most succinct speeches are the most meaningful. Perhaps the brevity of Lincoln’s remarks can be explained by the only inaccuracy in the Gettysburg Address: namely the assertion that “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here….” In Lincoln’s view, it was the actions of the brave soldiers who fought rather …
A Round up of Op-eds from the Heritage Foundation US: Why We are All Winners – Israel Ortega Many of us who are first-generation Americans retain immediate connections to nations truly savaged by civil unrest, ethnic and class conflict and political violence. We don’t have to think too hard to think of places where “suffrage,” “elections” and even “democracy” are generally just catchy slogans[...] Conservatism’s Death: Greatly Exaggerated – Ernest Istook Liberal pundits such as the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne were quick to interpret the recent elections as “a definitive …
After a hard-fought campaign nearly two years in the making, last night a candidate was elected president of the United States. That candidate promised to “cut taxes for 95% of workers and their families,” expand the Army by 65,000 and the Marines by 27,000, and enact “a net spending cut” for the federal government. Lower taxes, a strong defense and shrinking the size of government. These are core conservative beliefs. Anyone who claims yesterday’s election was the end of conservatism simply was not paying attention to the campaign. Despite a …
Heritage congratulates Arthur Brooks, a Syracuse University professor, on his appointment as the next president of the American Enterprise Institute. Brooks on the succeeds Christopher DeMuth, who has been AEI’s president since 1986. The New York Times reported the news this afternoon, noting DeMuth’s success and AEI’s impact. In a statement announcing the news, AEI quoted Brooks about the appointment: I am thrilled and honored to be asked to serve as the president of AEI. For the last two decades under Chris DeMuth’s visionary and selfless leadership, the Institute has …
Here’s a preview of the week ahead in Washington. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZz-iB3k4OI[/youtube] Former Oklahoma Rep. Mickey Edwards will speak at Heritage on March 27 about his new book, “Reclaiming Conservatism: How a Great American Political Movement Got Lost — And How It Can Find Its Way Back.” Edwards says conservatives today have abandoned the principles of individual liberty and limited government. Hans von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Elections Commission and counsel for civil rights at the Justice Department, shines the spotlight on vote fraud with his analysis of voter …
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has crafted a conservative agenda for the 2008 session consisting of 10 legislative ideas that he and his conservative allies in the Senate will force debate on this year. As chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, DeMint holds a unique role among Republicans. He will outline his agenda at Heritage today at 2 p.m., making the conservative case for smaller government, traditional values and a strong national defense. DeMint plans to talk about the country’s looming entitlement crisis, cutting individual and corporate tax rates to spur …
