Nativity scenes bring a harsh cacophony of jingle bells and legal jangles
The Christmas lights on the sturdy, 30-ft. Colorado blue spruce blinked on at precisely 5:52 last Thursday evening, revealing a dazzling pattern of poinsettias that sparkled cheerfully against the capital's skyline. A large screen showed Ronald and Nancy Reagan presiding over the annual lighting ceremony of the national Christmas tree from the South Portico of the White House, 500 yards away. The President did what the heads of many U.S. families do at Christmas observances: reflect on the meaning of the...