Were parents notified in advance of your appearance? Were students required to attend your presentation? Why was no recording made? Were materials distributed before, during, or after the presentation? After all, in addition to being a former member of the Reagan administration (with a presumably taxpayer-funded gig), you now lead a conservative academic center that clearly promotes right-wing views of both history and contemporary politics.

Okay, okay, if I sound a bit shrill, it's just because I'm doing my best impersonation of the collection of right-wing pundits who got their collective knickers in a twist over Obama's recent leftist, counterculture (probably pro-terrorist) propaganda brainwashing, in which he told kids to study hard and stay in school.

Julie Ponzi was, at the very least, "a bit miffed" that she "was not notified about [her] kids watching [Obama's] speech."

Does Ashbrook send out anyone to the schools to talk about Labor Day? (I'm just asking that to give myself a chuckle.)

Congratulations, PWS! I talked about my book today to the local Jamestowne Society and noted that it was Constitution Day, a fact many of them had forgotten and thanked me for reminding them. I reminded them of the limited republican and constitutional government that the Framers & Founders created that was a frame of silver for our apple of gold. I am reminded of Federalist #84 that tells us that the written Constitution itself is a Bill of Rights and one of the surest defenses against tyrannical government. It's great to get the message out about our republican Constitution to schoolchildren and citizens alike.

One of my fondest memories of Constitution Day is attending a Liberty Fund conference and dining in the upstairs room at the City Tavern on the very day our Constitution was signed. I sat next to Dr. Lance Banning (now deceased) and his lovely wife Lana and talked about the Founders for nearly three hours. A night I will never forget!

I spoke to a student audience at Berry College, which will continue its commemoration of Constitution Day with a talk by Eric Sands this evening. He tells me that he spoke at Ashbrook's Congressional Academy this past summer.

My institution's event will be held tomorrow, and will feature a lecture by Sean Mattie (also with an Ashland connection, no?).

What an appropriate day to announce that Larry Schweikart and I are going to collaborate on a Junior Version of "A Patriot's History of the United States." I think this is a great project and a great corrective to all the claptrap that passes for education in our textbooks.

Can it be believed, Prof> Schramm lost the only extant copy of his talk to the lucky students. I am shocked, .. shocked.

Additionally, I doubt that a voice recorder capable of keeping up with him while he is on a roll has yet been invented.