On Flag Day, my wife and I went to a great concert - Gary Sinise and The Lieutenant Dan Band. The concert was hosted by The Hotel del Coronado, and the stage was literally on the beach. Food, drink, our toes in the sand, a suntan, great fun, and excellent music. Genres including Country, disco, Rock, Pop, Swing, and more -- ranging from the 40s to present day. And yes, I could not live with myself if I capitalized "disco."

We were both extremely entertained, and if you ever have the opportunity to see the band perform, I highly recommend you avail yourself and go.

June 15, 2015 marks exactly 800 years since the sealing of the Magna Carta by King John, in an English meadow called Runnymede.

The Magna Carta is widely regarded as the document that marked the beginning of the Anglo tradition of constitutional liberty, which would eventually lead to the writing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

The writers of the U.S. Constitution wished to preserve the natural rights they already held, including those truly fundamental rights that were first provided by the Magna Carta.

Although the last Congress was the least productive Congress in recent history, this new Congress isn't shaping up much better. Previously the domain of many Republicans, some Democrats have now adopted the mantle of "all-or-nothing" political brinksmanship, employing the same obstructionist methods that drove a government shutdown and a complete collapse in American trust in government.

I must admit that my absence from IVN this week has been directly caused by one of the most horrible life events I have ever experienced -- the sudden worsening of my own grandmother's Alzheimer's dementia.

She's almost 96 years old; it's to be expected. But it's still a rough life event to see the sudden downturn, then having to have meetings with lawyers, social workers, and health care professionals on how to improve her quality of life.

Is a third political party straining to break out in America? That is the question posed by the Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau chief, Gerald Seib, in a June 1 column.His answer was a clear "yes." But the real question is why?According to Ambassador James K.