An Islamic terrorist attack on Canada's Parliament, a U.S. Marine imprisoned for more than six months in Mexico, and within our borders individual acts of terrorism and breaches of security at the highest levels of government. The result is a nervous electorate going into the mid-term elections.

The Obama administration has been caught in a lie again. When 2,200 detained illegal immigrants were released from jail to save money last year, officials gave assurances to Congress and the public they had only minor criminal records. But records obtained by USA TODAY under the Freedom of Information Act revealed those set free included people charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, drug trafficking and homicide -- definitely not low-level offenders.

"As America transformed from fledgling nation to world power, one element remained constant: alcohol." - Mark Will-Weber, author of a new book on the history of presidential drinking.