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The Heritage Foundation's Marion Smith will take YOUR questions about the Constitution and America's founding principles. Post your questions now and during the chat! We look forward to seeing you!

Back-to-school season can be emotional for parents. As Johnny enters a new grade-level, it’s one more reminder that not too many Septembers from now it will be time to help him move into the dorm, not just pack his lunch for the day. Parents can, understandably, feel a... little sentimental and sad about their children growing up too fast. But that emotion pales in comparison to the angst parents feel about who their child’s teacher will be.

Aside from the wooden performance, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about President Barack Obama’s Oval Office address on Iraq last night. The President again evinced the impression that he viewed Iraq as a distraction, and he twice said he wanted to “turn the ...page” to other issues. As forgettable as the address was however, once placed into the broader context of foreign policy speeches and actions, a clear Obama Doctrine can now be defined.

It is understandable that the President wanted to mention the sorry state of the domestic economy in his address to the nation. More Americans are out of work now than when Obama took office. Recent economic news has not been good. But that does not mean he now has the ...luxury to neglect his most urgent task, the one assigned to him by the U.S. Constitution: to “Provide for the Common Defense.”

This summer, President Obama promised a summer of recovery, which never arrived. This failure is a natural result of trusting and empowering government over average Americans.

Tonight President Barack Obama will deliver a prime-time Oval Office address on Iraq. Acting as President of the United States, the leader of a country, not a movement, tonight would be a perfect time for Obama to give due credit to those commanders who made the current... progress in Iraq possible. He should thank General Ray Odierno, who implemented the counterinsurgency strategy that led to the dramatic decrease in violence in Iraq, General David Petraeus, who oversaw all coalition forces in Iraq during the surge, and President George W. Bush, who had the courage to explain the new strategy to the American people at a time when it was extremely unpopular to do so.

President Barack Obama lets people break laws that he doesn’t like. The latest example is his backdoor amnesty for thousands of illegal immigrants, as a still-fuzzy but insidious picture is emerging.

President Barack Obama finished-up his 10-day vacation on Martha’s Vineyard yesterday by flying down to New Orleans where he gave a speech at Xavier University marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. He spoke of the work his administration is doing for the G...ulf region following the oil spill, but new polls show that Louisianans aren't satisfied with the performance. Read more about it.

Shortly after graduating from Colorado State University, Mallori McClure immediately moved to Washington, D.C., to begin a career inside the beltway. She believes it’s time for people her age to take a stand, and McClure did not hesitate when she got her chance to make ...an impact. Read her story and tell us what YOU think.

"It is with great anticipation that I announce an exciting new direction for Heritage today: the creation of the Center for Policy Innovation. This has long been a dream of our colleague Stuart Butler and others here at Heritage, and we are excited to finally make it a reality." - Dr. Edwin J. Feulner

In a new U.S. report to the U.N., it would appear that the White House is fundamentally dissatisfied with life on planet earth, and the United States of America, in particular. Yet, there are things government can do, and things government cannot do. The Obama Administr...ation should focus on the former, and stop lamenting the absence of utopian peace on earth.

In December 2009, President Obama delivered his long-awaited decision on the way forward in the War in Afghanistan and pledged 30,000 additional troops for the effort under the condition that they would begin to come home in 18 months. Yesterday, the President’s policy ...met with a high profile critic - retiring U.S. Marine Gen. James Conway - who told reporters that the July 2011 withdrawal date has given a morale boost to Taliban insurgents who now believe they can simply wait out NATO forces.

Where is Congress this August? Are they holding townhall meetings to address constituent concerns? If not, what are they hiding? Are they ashamed that they did not pass a budget? Ashamed of the vote on Health Care? Watch this video and tell us where YOU think they are.

America shouldn't turn a blind eye toward China's rise. Its army is growing, while President Barack Obama's budget calls for reduced defense spending. And on human rights, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said pressing China on human rights shouldn't interfere with en...gaging the country on global climate change. Read more about what the White House should do on China.

In October 1964, Ronald Reagan stepped into the national political spotlight for the first time with his now-famous “A Time for Choosing Speech,” delivered in support of presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. His words stand in stark contrast to those of many of Americ...a’s elected officials today, as this video by the Republican Study Committee shows.

Last Thursday, a who’s who of the progressive movement met for a conference call organized by Families USA and hosted by the advocacy group for government-run health care, The Herndon Alliance. The Alliance’s partners include AARP, AFL-CIO, SEIU, MoveOn and La Raza, amo...ng many others. Democratic pollsters John Anzalone, Celinda Lake and Stan Greenberg were the call’s main event, and they were there to deliver some bad news. Politico reports: “Democrats are acknowledging the failure of their predictions that the health care legislation would grow more popular after its passage, as its benefits became clear and rhetoric cooled. … The presentation also concedes that the fiscal and economic arguments that were the White House’s first and most aggressive sales pitch have essentially failed.”

It’s good to know who your friends are. In the case of “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout, it looks like Thailand knows. It also looks like the Obama Administration’s careful treading during Thailand’s ongoing political crisis has yielded some benefit.

It hasn’t been an easy year for recent college graduates. Some have spent months trying to find jobs, while others are hoping the economy doesn’t prevent their parents from helping pay for graduate school. At age 23, James Bezjian is hard at work trying to navigate life...’s winding roads. He also believes he is getting extra help finding the right path.

So far, 21 states have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare. As they move forward, it’s worth pondering what would happen to the health care overhaul if they succeed

When President Barack Obama was selling his economic stimulus plan to the American people, he promised that, if enacted, the legislation would prevent unemployment from rising above 8%. $3 billion in Cash for Clunkers bailouts, $10 billion in government union bailouts,... $16 billion in Medicaid bailouts, $13 billion in home buyer tax credits, and $814 billion in stimulus act spending later the nation’s unemployment rate stands at 9.5%

“Operation Iraqi Freedom ends on your watch!” exclaimed Col. John Norris of the the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, as the final U.S. combat brigade crossed into Kuwait from Iraq early this morning.

The latest Democracy Corps poll, performed by Democratic pollsters Stan Greenberg, James Carville and Bob Shrum, shows that by a 64% – 29% margin, the American people believe that things in this country “have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track.” But nobody s...eems to have bothered to tell President Barack Obama.

At 300 East 23rd Street in the exclusive Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, where to get into parts of the park you need a key granted just to residents, a new 98-unit luxury apartment complex has been built with an outdoor movie theater and panoramic city views. ...The problem is that not enough buyers are coughing up the $820,000 to $3 million the project’s developers are asking for the privilege to own a unit in the building. But don’t worry, the Obama administration is coming to the rescue.

President Obama’s consummate campaign skills just might cost him. According to a report released by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Obama has orchestrated more propaganda activities to promote his agenda than any modern president — and he’s used federal funds to do it.

Today we released "Solutions for America" – ideas for changing America's course and returning power to the people. Join us for a live video event here on Facebook with Heritage's president, Dr. Edwin Feulner today at Noon eastern. Ask your questions now, and join the chat online.

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” With America’s stagnant-as-a-swamp economy still stuck at 9.5% unemployment, an unexpected 484,000 new jobless claims, and reports of a slowed recovery, it might ...be time for old Ben to pull out his quill and add another certainty to his list: the continuing failure of Obamanomics. Judging by the words of one of President Barack Obama’s economic advisors, it doesn’t look like the Administration is going to change course anytime soon.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) likes to say that Congressional earmarking has become the gateway drug to federal overspending. Is there any better evidence of this theory then President Barack Obama’s $1 billion earmark for a special project in Illinois that was slipped into his failed $862 billion stimulus?

President Obama is set to let tax rates increase at the end of this year, which will have devastating effects on an economy already on the ropes. Watch this movie trailer spoof to learn more.