If only General George were here today.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - George Washington

With the yawning gap in political leadership today, a number of scholars have turned to the Founding Fathers for inspiration. Yale Law School's Olin Searle Scholar, Logan Beirne, has written Blood of Tyrants, which is about our nation's Founding Fathers, especially the nation's first president, George Washington, who was ...

Principled. Washington was held in such esteem after winning the Revolution that many expected him to become King. He refused, instead returning to his farm. He never wavered in his commitment to ensuring Americans' liberty.

Fierce. Washington fiercely defended his people from foreign threats. In retaliation for the murder of a patriot, he made his British captives draw straws and, when an innocent teenage Redcoat drew the unlucky straw, he condemned the young man to death, setting off an international incident.

A master of espionage. Washington could tell a lie--he told a great many of them. In fact, his mastery of deception was pivotal in fooling our enemies and paving the way for the underdog Americans to defeat the mightiest empire on Earth.

Practical. Washington was pragmatic in his approach to the harsh realities of war. For example, Washington morally was opposed to mistreating prisoners, but he was even more opposed to letting Americans die. He was a practical man and, if he could use British captives to save American lives, he would.

A political...