Celebrate the Fourth

Some links to enjoy on this, America's 229th birthday:

- First and foremost, take a few minutes to read the Declaration of Independence. Read all the way to the end, including the names of those great patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor so that we can today enjoy the freedoms and liberties they so nobly advanced.

- A post I wrote back on April 19, Patriots' Day, "Lest We Forget," still holds true today. In it, I call for a "revolution of reason," and a step back from the brink of political nuclear war. We took that step back in May with the Gang of 14 compromise, but now with a Supreme Court vacancy, all that good may come unraveled. We must revolutionize reason, and offer a Centrist alternative to the slings and arrows of outrageous partisanship that threatens the very nature of our government's delicate balance.

- Some things from over the weekend: I discuss the conservative attack against a possible Alberto Gonzales SCOTUS nomination in "Preemptive Strike." The Washington Post stumbled across the Bill Frist/stem cells story, at long last. Yesterday Google and I caught Joe Biden in a bit of a memory lapse about questions he posed to Clarence Thomas during the justice's 1991 confirmation hearings. And don't miss the clip of Chuck Hagel on "Meet the Press," doing what any good patriot should be doing on this holiday weekend.

- Joe Gandelman has an excellent post this morning on where things go from here for moderates in the Senate now facing the mother of all political firefights.

Enjoy the holiday, and remember what it's all about.

On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote home to his wife Abigail:

"But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.- I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by Solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfire and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. - I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. - Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

Although he mis-calculated which date we would come to celebrate (independence was voted on July 2, the Declaration was adopted July 4), Adams was in all other respects quite correct.