Next year, on November 19, 2013, we get to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the speech that set the moral compass for "a new birth of freedom."

Despite the lack of a glamorous locale, Midway was absolutely central to our past and present. And the big geopolitical pivot, again centered on the Pacific, now underway looks to be central to our future.

If Newt, Sarah and Glenn were truly so driven to maintain the sacred purity of American "hallowed ground," they can start by campaigning for the removal of the General Robert E. Lee statue of Gettysburg.

In these more leisurely times, we can understand why Obama's Nobel Acceptance speech was some 4244 words. For those few in a hurry, I have trimmed it down to something approaching Gettysburg length.

The fact that Eisenhower and Khrushchev could meet and share ideas speaks volumes to the need to reach out to the world community to solve what sometimes seem to be intractable problems.

Once again, rather than doing what's right, Harry Reid has collapsed under pressure and is doing what's right wing.