There are about three conservative cartoonists fully employed by American daily newspapers. How do we know that? Because one of them told us so. That is Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune and here he is discussing the cartoonist’s art and what’s wrong (and sometimes right) in American politics.

There was another side to the father of “political realism” as Harvey Mansfield – by far the weightiest and most pertinent of the conservatives who do serious political philosophy – demonstrates in an important new essay just published by The New Criterion and discussed in this conversation. Machiavelli as the cynical and amoral advisor on how to gain and – far more difficult – HOLD power is, of course, found in The Prince. But as author of the Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livy, his true colors as a moralist  show through vividly. So argues Mansfield, the reigning intellectual in the Harvard Department of Government. Mansfield goes on in our conversation to examine how Mach the Moralist can assist those in power who aspire to do respectful good for the states or nations that they aspire to ”serve.”

That’s the title of the recent Broadside book by Sally Pipes, President and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute. Here she is showing how Obamacare will add tremendously to the costs for individuals and employers. But, she argues, there are easily implemented alternatives…and here they are.

David McCullough’s biography of John Adams won the Pulitzer Prize and this discussion with him preceded the award by some months.  John Adams was short, tubby, passionate, often angry and, in McCullough’s judgment, could never have won the presidency in the electronic age. How fortunate we were in having him as one of the “Founders” – and as President – is one of the main themes of this chat. The other great theme is, simply, a fascinating life which is here recounted by America’s foremost popular historian.

Even though the spotlight had shifted back to Congress, the delay or discard of Obamacare, and whether some Senate Democrats might defect, Syria still festers and the Obama performance still, shall we say, puzzles. We talked in September, 2013 with Victor Davis Hanson about what then was at issue – and how the President played it and was played.