Today is Constitution Day, commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787 — one of the most significant and momentous events in American history.

The Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States — Painted by Howard Chandler Christy in 1940, the painting depicts the signing of the U.S. Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1787.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — September 17, 2009

Constitution Day

One year ago today, I commemorated Constitution Day, celebrating the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — September 17, 2008

Video

Afghanistan surpasses Iraq in U.S. troop deaths (NBC Nightly News, Sept. 11, 2008) — Nearly seven years after the U.S. first drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan, the fight against al-Qaida insurgents has become more deadly than ever. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports. (02:17)

After the Primary Election: Day 8

Two years ago today, on the eigth day after losing my 2008 primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, in line with my focus on national security, I reported on a Pakistani military order to fire on U.S. troops crossing the Afghan border for raids into Pakistan; the increasing number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan; the high rate of Afghan civilian casualties; and a spate of bombings and shootings in Iraq.