Thanksgiving's Strong , Abundant Spiritual Roots

Even though it seems a bit late this year, Thanksgiving is fast approaching and it's a holiday everyone enjoys.

Indeed, people have always pointed to Thanksgiving as a lovely day for family and friends that all Americans can celebrate together regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. And this is true. Who doesn't enjoy Thanksgiving?

But beyond it's universality, America's Thanksgiving has strong spiritual roots that go back a long way.

You see, Thanksgiving is much more than turkey, stuffing, and football (as good as those things are). Thanksgiving is a national holiday that is explicitly religious in nature. History teaches us that as a nation of faith, we have set aside such a day to thank our Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed.

Consider the following:

• In 1789, in his first year in office, President George Washington called for a day of Thanksgiving because “it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”
• In 1815, President James Madison issued a proclamation for “a day of thanksgiving and of devout acknowledgments to Almighty God for His great goodness.”

After Madison, however, Thanksgiving reverted to a regional celebration in New England for 48 years. 

• Then, in 1863, in the midst of America's bloody civil war, magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale petitioned the Lincoln administration that a day of Thanksgiving "now needs National recognition and authoritative fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution."

Lincoln, who carried the weight of America's historic rupture on his shoulders and often sought divine guidance, responded to Hale's urgings and called on Americans that year to “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore if, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

Since then, in proclaiming Thanksgiving each year, presidents of both parties have turned to God in their Thanksgiving Day proclamations. 

In 1947, President Truman declared Thanksgiving a day for "expressions of gratitude to Almighty God for the many blessings which He has heaped upon us." Fifty years later, in his proclamation, President Clinton asked all Americans  to "assemble in their homes, places of worship, or community centers to share the spirit of goodwill and prayer; to express heartfelt thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us." 

Significantly, during dark days of wrenching national grief, just one week after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a Thanksgiving message of national unity declaring: "I come before you to ask your help, to ask your strength, to ask your prayers that God may guard this republic and guide my every labor."

All of this is worth remembering as Thanksgiving approaches once again.

As difficult, divisive and polarizing as our present plight might seem, America has been through far worse times. And during such times, including two world wars, the civil war and the American revolution itself, our nation has humbly turned to the Almighty again and again, seeking His strength, guidance and abundant grace.

This Thanksgiving, as always - in God we trust!

About That New White House Addition . . .

The White House, gutted and expanded
during the Truman era.

OMG! Some people are getting apoplectic over the addition of a ballroom to the White House. 

These people obviously have no understanding of history and seem to be motivated solely by TDS -- Trump Derangement Sydrome.

Truth is, the White House has been a work in progress almost since it first opened and each president has left his mark on the executive mansion. Consider the following:

• The White House was opened in 1800 and just three years later, Thomas Jefferson added the East and West Colonnades. After all, Jefferson was the one who designed his own classic Monticello.
• The White House was nearly burned to the ground in the War of 1812 and subsequently needed to be almost completely rebuilt.
• The south portico was constructed in 1824 during the James Monroe administration. The north portico was then added in 1830.
• By the late 1850s a move was afoot to ditch the White House altogether and move the family residence to a new building as the offices were becoming overcrowded. But the Civil War and subsequent reconstruction squashed any further move in that direction.
• In 1881 President Chester Arthur ordered renovations and paid for much of it by auctioning off hundreds of original furniture going back the Madison era. Some of it has since been recovered, but apparently a majority of it remains in private collections.
• In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt decided to tinker with the building further, overseeing extensive renovations including removal of Victorian era stained glass. He also removed a staircase in the West Hall and moved executive office staff from the second floor of the residence into the newly built, single-story West Wing which enclosed the Jefferson West Colonnade.
• A few years later, President Taft added space to the West Wing, including the Oval Office. And you thought the iconic Oval Office was there all along, huh?
• In the 1930s, Franklin Roosevelt added the second floor to the West Wing and then relocated the Oval Office. Also under FDR, The East Wing was added in 1942 and has been used primarily as office space for the First Lady and as the visitor's tour entrance.
• The construction of a fourth-story attic during the Coolidge administration apparently took toll on the brick and sandstone structure built around a timber frame. By 1948, the house was declared to be in imminent danger of collapse, forcing President Truman to commission a reconstruction and to live across the street at Blair House from 1949 to 1951. The White House was essentially gutted, the interior was strengthened and rebuilt and the Truman Balcony was added.
• Then in 1962, First Lady Jackie Kennedy did an extensive decorative renovation of the interior focusing mostly on the public rooms.
• A decade later, Pat Nixon renovated a few more rooms while Richard Nixon ditched FDR's indoor pool to make room for a modern press room.

So, calm down all you Trump-hating history-deniers. The White House isn't going anywhere and it will still look like the White House that we all know and love. It's simply getting the addition of a brand new ballroom -- something that the White House has needed for decades and something that other presidents have longed for. AND not one cent of the costs will be paid for by taxpayer dollars. All of the funds are being privately raised and the architectural integrity of the White House will be preserved.

The White House is like America itself -- always changing and adjusting but retaining its essential character. Decades from now this latest adjustment is destined to be viewed as another outstanding milestone in the development of a beloved work in progress!

From FDR To Trump: Making Celebrity Tenable

The Emergence of the Age of Celebrity . . . 

It's 2025 and in the most recent battle for the presidency we had a certified celebrity (and former president) running against a wannabe celebrity who launched a pop up campaign built around imagery, sloganeering and cosmetic promises.

And we also witnessed the routing of a sitting president, triggered in part by an op-ed penned by the celebrity pal of the victim's former running mate. And the running mate was apparently part of the scheme.

How did we get to this point? How did the Presidency of the United States become celebritized?  Because, make no mistake, that's where we're at -- and perhaps now more than ever. Because, love or hate him, President Trump, has shown that he uses the mass media with all the star quality, shock value, and stagecraft of the most seasoned celebrities.

Back to the beginning.

In the modern era of mass communication this all started with Franklin D. Roosevelt and the emergence of radio. In Roosevelt's day, radio was the most powerful medium imaginable. For the first time, the president could enter your living room and speak directly to you. You could hear his voice, live on the radio. His cadence, his tone, his feelings and his emotion became reachable, touchable, real. And FDR mastered the power of radio with his legendary fireside chats.

Radio is what they call a "hot" medium. It's intimate and engaging because it requires the listener to imagine the appearance, the movements and the mannerisms of the person whose voice comes through the speaker. FDR understood this and he tailored his messages warmly and informally as if he were having a conversation with one person, sitting right beside him.

Roosevelt also surrounded himself with famous friends. He welcomed the support of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, the most popular young movie stars of the era and he made sure to be seen not just with them but with the then reigning "King of Hollywood" Clark Gable as well as other stars of the 1930s and 40s. Roosevelt often colluded with the big Hollywood studio bosses and was regularly featured on the silver screen in the filmed Movietone News that was the in-theater precursor to television. FDR's face, his distinctive profile, his voice and his moving image were everywhere. He was the first celebrity president of the electronic age.

In the years that followed Roosevelt's death it was hard for any leader to match let alone eclipse his celebrity.  True, Harry Truman played the piano while Lauren Becall sat atop the spinet and swooned. And Ike brought an iconic smile and the first Madison Avenue produced TV spots to the presidency. But it wasn't until John F. Kennedy in 1960 that celebrity reached a new zenith in the oval office.

Few people recall that among his many other endeavors, Kennedy's millionaire dad, Joseph P. Kennedy was a Hollywood producer. The old man was determined that his strikingly handsome young son would become the leader of the free world. So John Fitzgerald  "Jack" Kennedy was given the moniker JFK and presented to the public via the best image-makers money could buy. He was dressed by the finest tailors, photographed by world renowned photographers, depicted in the most eye-appealing settings, seen with all the right people and armed with the words and witticisms of America's top speechwriters and wordsmiths. 

Just as FDR mastered radio, JFK was the first president to master  the world of television, a "cool" medium which perfectly suited Kennedy's magnetic presence. Of course, it helped that Jack Kennedy was also smart, charming and married to a beautiful, classy, worldly woman who gave birth to two adorable children. And it also helped that he hobnobbed with the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack while she brought artists such as Pablo Casals into the White House to perform. They probably single handedly popularized the word glitterati. And all of this reached a dazzling crescendo on May 19. 1962 when Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" before a captivated crowd at Madison Square Garden. That was the night that celebrity and the presidency were as tightly bound as Marilyn and her dress. America was sumptuously seduced -- and that included the mainstream media which went so gaga over Kennedy that, even those who knew otherwise, fed the mammoth myth of JFK.

After that, it took another 20 years for America to crown its first genuine celebrity president by bringing an actual, verified, rock-solid Hollywood star into the White House. And, as the late producer, director and actor John Houseman would say, Ronald Reagan "did it the old-fashioned way, he earned it." Reagan served eight tumultuous years as Governor of California and didn't win the White House until his second try when he was nearly 70 years-old.

By the time he became president Reagan had been a celebrity for nearly four decades. He was comfortable with fame and all its trappings. Indeed, for the better part of his life, that's all he knew. On top of that, he had already mastered radio (he was an announcer and a sportscaster) the movies (he appeared in more than 50 films and helmed the Screen Actors Guild) and television (he hosted and appeared in a top-rated TV series). This made Reagan a triple threat and established him as The Great Communicator. 

And let's not forget that First Lady Nancy Reagan had herself been an actress and had appeared on stage and in the movies. So, this pair needed little or no media training, that's for sure. And while Hollywood stars and other celebrities remained within their galaxy, the Reagans were mostly unfazed by Tinseltown's glitz and glamour. They'd been there, done that. And this is precisely what set them apart.

As they sat in front of the tube each evening and ate their dinner off of TV trays, Ronald and Nancy Reagan wore celebrity like a set of snuggly jammies. In the process, they gave celebrity the one thing it most sorely lacked -- credibility! Knowingly or not, they opened the door to the possibility of a President Donald J. Trump.

Like Reagan, Trump was a celebrity for many years before he sought the presidency. And like Reagan, he was (and is) comfortable with his own fame. Like Reagan he was successful in several other endeavors before he sought the White House. Like Reagan, Trump had also been a TV host and star of a top-rated show. And like Reagan, Trump had sought the presidency more than once. Beyond all that, both men have been the target of an assassin's bullet and both men survived.

The difference is this: Reagan's incandescent star quality and charisma made him always somewhat distant. Now, Donald Trump has taken the credibility that the Reagans gave celebrity and he's made it familiar and accessible.  He's the everyman "star" who speaks in terms that everyone can understand. He's not celluloid; he real. Trump's authenticity is on display 24/7 for everyone to see. And Trump has weaved all this into a powerful movement based on the sort of bedrock faith that creates an army of true believers. 

Not since FDR has America seen this sort of trust in a singular, vivid, distinctive personality. Not since JFK have we seen this sort of affection for an imperfect but nonetheless compelling public figure. And not since Reagan have we seen have this sort of adulation. 

Of course, between Reagan's departure from office in 1989 and the emergence of Trump in 2016 we did have the era of Barack Obama. But for all its flash and graphic messaging, Obama's presidency lacked the depth of Roosevelt, the panache of JFK, the comfort of Reagan or the daring of Trump. Indeed, while Obama wrote about audacity, President Trump continues to define it.

Where does all this leave us? Well, we now know that celebrity, embodied by the right personality, is more than skin deep. It's more than surface celebrity. It's powered by ideas, aspirations and character. It reaches us on a visceral level. And all this is part of its allure.

Now combine this with power -- real power, as in the Presidency of the United States -- and you have something that's transformative.

Long Before There Was Elon, There Was THIS Man

This billionaire businessman was a pop culture icon and presidential chum who had an open invitation to the White House. Though he was never elected to any office, he headed commissions, set federal policy, directed various operations and played a critical -- even decisive -- role. Yet, while befriending and hosting the most influential people he also remained a distinct and somewhat quirky personality in his own right.

Sound familiar?

No, we're not talking about Elon Musk. We're talking about someone who came decades before Musk. We're talking about Barnard Baruch!

Bernard Mannes Baruch came to be referred to as an "elder statesman" because he was chummy with US presidents who frequently called upon him for his guidance. For decades, Bernard Baruch was also one of the country's richest and most powerful men. 

Baruch amassed a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange and was a devoted member of the Democrat Party who contributed generously to it. When Woodrow Wilson became president, Baruch became a White House insider and regular guest of the president. He was highly influential in the Wilson administration,  impressing the progersssive Wilson by managing the nation's economic mobilization in World War I as chairman of the War Industries Board. He also advised Wilson during the Paris Peace Conference. He made another fortune in the postwar bull market, but wisely foresaw the Wall Street crash and sold out well in advance.

In World War II, Baruch then became a close advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the role of industry in war supply and he was credited with greatly shortening the production time for tanks and aircraft. Later he helped to develop rehabilitation programs for injured servicemen. In 1946 he was the United States representative to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, though his Baruch Plan for international control of atomic energy was rejected by the Soviet Union.

Like many bright and successful people, Baruch had his eccentricities and for all his high-level connections, in many ways he remained a maverick. His refusal to join any major Wall Street brokerage firm (though he could have been a partner at any of them) gave him the reputation as the “lone wolf of Wall Street.” And Baruch always claimed he received his greatest insight sitting on park benches in Washington and New York chatting with ordinary people. A famous Bernard Baruch quote goes like this: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” 

More fascinating background on Baruch: 

• Baruch played on an international stage. Winston Churchill sought out Baruch for investment advice and the financier happily obliged, even hosting Churchill at luxury hotels and providing an office for him when Churchill visited New York. They were lifelong chums.

• Baruch amassed a personal fortune of about a $230 million which would make him a multi billionaire in today’s dollars. At the age of 33 Baruch (a true wunderkind) was already worth $3 million, or about $81 million in today's dollars.

• Baruch was an ardent proponent of independent thinking and frequently spoke out against the conventional wisdom of the day. He counseled avoiding a herd mentality and thinking long range, beyond the moment.

• Baruch founded the Intercontinental Rubber Company of New York, which dominated the guayule rubber market in the U.S. with holdings in Mexico and elsewhere. His partners in the enterprise were big time operators including Senator  Nelson Aldrich, Daniel Guggenheim, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and George Foster peabody. 

• Baruch purchased approximately 16,000 acres of the former 18th century Hobcaw Barony, consolidating 14 plantations in South Carolina between the Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. He developed sections of the property as a winter hunting resort.

• Baruch was celebrated in the popular culture. He was portrayed in the movies Wilson and Funny Lady as well as in the drama Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years. He was also mentioned in episodes of the Donna Reed Show, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Leave It To Beaver, the Patty Duke Show and Make Room For Daddy. Humorist Art Buchwald referenced Baruch in his book A Gift From The Boys.

• Baruch was a frequent visitor to the White House during the administrations of Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and even later during the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.  Baruch died in 1965. 

Note: Baruch was heralded in his day and amply praised by the media and the titans of that era. No one dared question the motives or the reputation of presidential best bud Bernard Baruch. My, how times have changed!

Words To Remember -- Now And Always!

 

Ain't Been No One Like Him Since . . .

 

Life As A Political Junkie, Part One: The Origins

I don't know where my interest in politics first developed. I'm not entirely sure exactly where it came from. Maybe it was in my genes. Maybe it was learned. Maybe it was a combination of both.

I'd certainly have to say my father probably had something to do with it. He was a foot soldier for the Democrat Party machine that controlled my hometown of Camden, New Jersey. He was a tireless and absolutely loyal vote gatherer who took a keen interest in all things political. So, taking an interest in politics was a way for me to both bond with my dad and emulate him. Yes, he id take me to a Phillies baseball game at the old Connie Mack Stadium in North Philly once or twice. But I always found my time spent with him at the polls or at campaign events to be far more interesting and impactful. So, politics became our baseball. 

Still, my earliest recollection of anything political involves my mother. It goes back to October 21, 1952 when President Truman came to Camden to campaign for the Democrat presidential nominee, Adlai Stevenson and my mom took me to see the president. We went to the old JC Penney store at Broadway and Federal in Camden and watched the president from an open window on one of the store's upper floors. What a thrill it was to see President Truman as he road by in an open car, standing and waving his hat as the crowd cheered. He even looked upwards toward us, as I recall. Truman addressed a crowd estimated at 12,000 in Roosevelt Plaza that day. I was only six years old. But I remember the big photo of Stevenson that adorned our front door at 550 Royden Street just off Broadway in Camden and we even had small bars of soap in our house that said "Adlai."

In 1956 I remember my teacher at Broadway School in Camden (Miss Smith) sporting a big "I Like Ike" button on her coat. The button featured a photo of her with the president. For my part, I wore a small botton that depicted the sole of an old shoe with a hole in it. The button was inspired by a photo of Stevenson, seated, with his legs crossed that showed the sole of one of his worn shoes had the beginnings of a hole in it. This came to symbolize hard work and a man who presented himself as the champion of working people. It pointed out the contrast between the working man's candidate (Stevenson) and the monied interests of the GOP.  On election night I went with my dad to the old Venetian restaurant in Camden where the Democrats took returns. They had a small black and white TV set up and we learned that Stevenson had lost once again. As that was pretty much expected, my dad and the others gathered there (where food and drink abounded into the night) were more interested in the local results.

Politics was always a big topic of discussion at our house -- often around the kitchen or dining room table. My dad was up early in the morning listening to the news on the radio every day, no matter what. Those who visited had to be up on the news, knowledgeable and ready to participate in spirited discussions. The arguments could be fierce at times and the back and forth was intense. But all of this went hand-in-hand with good-natured digs, cutting asides, jokes, recollections and food and drink. 

Camden was a city of vivid, colorful characters and many of them were either engaged politically or had some connection to the political machine. Nearly all of the people that my parents knew had nicknames. My dad (who was known as "Tightsie") was very close to City Commissioner Frank A. "Chick" Abbott. Chick Abbott (anglicized from Abate) had a large following in the Italian-American community. We used to travel to Absecon near the Jersey shore to go fishing with Chick who drove a big Chrysler Imperial. I was best friends with Chick's grandson, Louis. Other characters that I remember had names like Washtubs, Mikey One Punch, Johnny Long, Yeppy, Squirrel, Paulie and Peter Rabbit. They were all friends of my parents. You can amuse yourself considering the real meanings of the names or what their actual connections were. I never gave any of it a second thought as, growing up, this was the norm. BTW: My dad's nickname had nothing to do with being a tightwad -- far from it. It came from the "tights" or knickers he wore as a kid.

By 1960 I had the rare privilege of actually meeting John F. Kennedy when he came to Camden to campaign at a big event at Camden Convention Hall across from Cooper Hospital. The cavernous hall served as the old Camden armory and it also played host to basketball games, wrestling matches and gala social events. My meeting with Kennedy has been amply described here and any further recollection is not necessary. Suffice it to say it was one of the most memorable nights of my life. I was a huge JFK fan who campaigned for him relentlessly and was devastated by his assassination. I do remember the night that he won by a razor-thin margin. I stayed up very late, glued to the TV hoping to hear the election's final result but it was not until the next morning that my father gave me the good news that JFK has squeezed by. I was thrilled! BTW: The photo that you see here of Kennedy is a photo that I took that night.

In 1964, as a recent high school graduate,  I was at the Democrat National Convention in Atlantic City where I was part of the Young Citizens for Johnson contingent. We had a great time and I actually got to meet the renowned journalist and TV anchorman, Walter Cronkite of CBS News. Cronkite was so respected (and, presumably so credible) that when he signed off every night and said "and that's the way it is" people actually believed that's the way it really was. His newscast dominated the ratings night-after-night. When I met him he was standing very calmly at the back of the huge Atlantic City Convention Hall (the world's largest quonset  hut) quietly observing the proceedings just like any other spectator. He sought no attention and no special treatment and he was very approachable. I also remember that the Republicans had placed a giant billboard high above the famed Atlantic City boardwalk that showed a photo of Johnson's opponent, Barry Goldwater, and simply proclaimed "In your heart you know he's right." Johnson's slogan was "LBJ for the USA" and he coasted to a landslide victory. But, something about that billboard . . . 

Anyway, I've always seen politics as a vast human drama. That's much of the attraction of it for me. I love the bigger-than-life characters that it attracts; the passion and sheer energy that people invest in it; the excitement of campaign rallies; the thrill of election night; the many twists and turns along the way and the constantly unfolding real-life drama that politics embodies. I also love the fact that there are no "tie games" in politics. Invariably, one way or another, somebody wins and somebody loses. To the victor belong the spoils. Politics is genuinely consequential. It makes a real difference in people's everyday lives. It's not a game. Also, there are no consolation prizes, no second or third place medals in politics. There are astronomical highs and staggering lows and you have to learn to ride the rollercoaster and survive. 

Politics teaches you a lot about life -- about playing to win, about loyalty, about friends and enemies, about the power of ideas, about power itself and also about accepting defeat and learning to come back and perhaps eventually triumph after all. It's a strong tonic that's not for everyone.

What did I do after 1964?

How and why did I change my political stripes?

Why am I still a political junkie?

I'll save all those questions (and answers) for a later post.

For now, I'll simply observe that Albert Einstein was right when he said that "politics is more difficult than physics." Yes, politics is not, and never will be, a science. But politics is a helluva lot more fun!

IN PHOTOS: How History Repeats Itself!

This Is ONE History Lesson You Won't Forget

They dismissed him as a grandstander and an outlandish poseur.
They said he was obstinate, unreliable, capricious and unnecessarily belligerant.
They sneered at him -- at first conspiring to prevent him from gaining power and later working at every turn to take it away. They called him a bully, a windbag and a war monger.
He could be bombastic and abusive to staffers and family members. He was difficult, demanding and vociferous. He was indulgent. His diet was dreadful. Sometimes he seemed contradictory.
Was he unstable? Depressed? Paranoid? Egomaniacal? Bipolar?
He sought and won early fame, loved the spotlight and eventually rose to the highest levels imaginable. He did this even though political party labels and doctrines meant little to him. Yes, he collected numerous enemies and the powers-that-be were often the objects of his disdain.
Who could we possible be talking about?
Well, look no further than the incredible, Oscar-worthy performance of Gary Oldmam in the mesmerizing new film Darkest Hour.
Yes, you might be surprised to discover that all these descriptions apply to none other than Winston Churchill, one of the seminal figures of the 20th century. And Oldmam's characterization of Churchill is a performance for the ages.

In Darkest Hour we see England at a low point. Hitler is on the march; Chamberlain and his followers still favor appeasement and Churchill is sort of a lone wolf who almost single-handedly believes that England can save itself and Europe at the last possible moment. Though Paris has been captured and Dunkirk is about to fall, Churchill defiantly forges ahead, staring down Hitler and risking everything on one daring scheme after another.
For Churchill, it's a very lonely battle. But, in one of his most hopeless moments he finds allies where he always trusted he would find them -- among ordinary, everyday people on the subway. They understand him. They share his sentiments. They're unwilling to give up. And they cheer Churchill on, even as the elites continue to do all they can to rebuff him.
Yes, in this darkest hour, even Roosevelt and other world leaders turn their backs on Churchill.
This is a tale that involves the sheer force of will. And it demonstrates the sort of persuasive power that one person can wield and the the amazing transformation that one great leader can bring about.
It also demonstrates the frequent folly of conventional wisdom.
While members of the establishment tend to reinforce their own conception of things, visionary leaders build their own new constituencies. They do it by often working against the grain, charting new paths, searching out new openings and forcing others to see things in a new light. It can be a very solitary business at times but for those who are steadfast and courageous, the rewards can include the kind of near-mortality that few achieve.
We tend to forget all this.
We get caught up in the tidy world we want to see rather than the one that really exists.
Real leadership ain't pretty. It's not blow-dried or prissy or neat. Instead, it's often messy and disruptive and unsettling. And real leaders don't come in cookie-cutter versions. They're not necessarily effusive or cheery or even somewhat normal.
Abraham Lincoln was often moody and droll. Harry Truman was considered hopelessly uncouth. Andrew Jackson was rough-hewn and salty. Teddy Roosevelt was highly theatrical and self-absorbed. FDR was cunning, mischievous and inscrutable. And George Washington was actually a bit of a loner who preferred his own company to that of "bad company" and sought quietness "devoid of ceremony." None of them fit the mold. All had their own eccentricities and all left others sometimes feeling somewhat befuddled if not downright alienated.
So, take a step back, reflect on the human condition and consider the broad sweep of things.
Then, hurry out to see Darkest Hour and learn a bit from history.

Hey, Don't Let The Door Hit You In The _ _ _!

Every modern day President of the United States (except one) has departed Washington when his time in office has ended.
This includes Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, H. W. Bush, Clinton and W. Bush. And if we wanted to stretch this back a whole century, we probably could.
Every single one of them -- except one!
Think about that for a moment. These presidents saw no need to hang around the nation's capital after their term or terms ended. Indeed, every one of them made a point of leaving town: to Independence, Missouri; to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; to Stonewall, Texas; to San Clemente, California; to Denver, Colorado; to Los Angeles; to Houston; to New York City and to Dallas.
But President Obama refuses to go home to Chicago. He's decided to stay in Washington.
It almost makes you want to take Obama by the lapels, give him a good shake and shout: "When it's over, it's over!"
Did David Letterman hang around after Colbert took over The Late Show? Did Regis Philbin hang around after Kelly took over Live? Did Charles Osgood hang around after Jane Pauley took over Sunday Morning? No, no, and no. They all went their merry ways. And that's the way it should be.
We all know that Washington only has room for one POTUS at a time. It's something that's monumentally evident.
So, why is Obama hanging around? Why has he moved into a stately Washington mansion (8,200 square feet, eight bedrooms) in one of the choicest sections of town and just a short distance from the White House? And why is former White House counselor and Obama's longtime svengali Valerie Jarett living in the same house? Huh? What's up with that?
Well, many people think the Obamas are set on running a sort of shadow government with this house as their base of operations. After all, there's lots of room for offices, plenty of security and they've just finished building walled barricades outside the place.
It certainly sounds like a base of operations to us -- especially since Obama has pretty much retained control of his vast Organizing for America network, complete with a huge, sophisticated database. And let's not forget that (thanks to successful congressional foot dragging engineered by the Democrats) an unprecedented number of Obamatons remain inside the federal government, many at the highest levels.
We have two words for this: It stinks!
And we have one tiny bit of advice for Barack Obama: Get the hell outta town. Now!

OMG, What A Shock! Did THIS Really Happen?

The Simple Truth About What Happened . . .

Certainly, Donald Trump's stunning November victory has to be the biggest story of the year.
His election is the most earth-shattering political upset since Truman defeated Dewey in 1948. And Trump campaigned in a Trumanesque manner. Like Truman, he spoke the language of real people. Like Truman, he reached out to everyday Americans. Like Truman, he was not afraid to cajole, provoke and challenge conventional wisdom peddled by the mainstream media. And like Truman, Trump was given to using salty language.
Both men showed a mischievous side and enjoyed a good laugh as well.
Yes, Harry Truman was dismissed by elites as crude, brusque, ill-informed and culturally illiterate.
The Man from Missouri was seen as a small town wannabe not worthy of any high office much less
the presidency. The powers-that-be viewed him as an impulsive pretender, an inconsequential obstruction that they simply needed to get beyond.

Donald Trump, a master builder, promised to Make America Great Again. Truman, a shrewd poker player, promised A Fair Deal for everybody.
They were both grossly underestimated (something which did not seem to bother either man) and they both defied the odds and triumphed.
Plus, Truman wasn't idealogical and neither is Trump. Pragmatism is yet another thing they share.
Why didn't Hillary Clinton succeed?
Well, of course, she not likable as a public person. She may be quite a likable person in her everyday dealings but on the Big Stage, she comes off as rehearsed and artificial. She seems out of her league. There's just something unnatural, often downright awkward and ill-at-ease, about the way she approaches public life.
She's not very funny. She's not very engaging. She's not very open or spontaneous.
No, she wasn't as aloof as the imperious Thomas E. Dewey (Truman's hapless opponent) but, alongside Trump she seemed to stiffen and/or cringe. She simply wasn't a match for him.
Watching Hillary Clinton during the debates, we often thought she would have made a great policy wonk, backstage advisor or leader of one of those Washington think tanks. After all, she was quite happy when she worked for the Children's Defense Fund inside the beltway. That seemed to be her natural domain. She's comfortable around bureaucrats and functionaries.

But she had an overarching need to feel she was making a positive difference in some dimension, within some niche. She could have stayed with that, left it at that. She would have had quite a nice career for herself, receiving well-earned praise and deserved honors while enjoying the fruits of her labor.
But she got mixed up with Bubba and was hopelessly drawn into his raucous, reckless, trashy and ultimately destructive vortex.

A real argument could be made that Hillary was too thoughtful, too detail-oriented and probably too sensitive for Bubbaland. What a wild and precarious ride it turned out to be for this intense, WASPy woman from the midwest who was raised as a conservative Republican.

Why did she stay with him?
Why did she hang on?

The crowds screamed "Put her in jail!" But the truth is that Hillary already seemed trapped in a prison of her own making.
Why didn't she leave when she had the chance, or chances for that matter? There were many moments when she could have simply walked away and defined herself, unencumbered by such an immature, egotistical and ruinous mate.
Why?
Well, that's a question that will be studied endlessly. 

Was it the aphrodisiac of power that urged her on?

Was it some deep seated insecurity on her part that made her feel she could not do it without him?

Was it the notion that in succeeding in this one last, ultimate quest she would not only prove herself to him but maybe even supersede him in some way?

Or was it (dare we say) simply love, as distorted as that may seem?

It's a conundrum that we'll leave for history to ponder.

Revealed: Obama's Unprecendted Use Of Memoranda

Obama And Jobs: Facts Speak For Themselves

Joseph P. Kennedy's Disappointment With The Church

We've been reading David Nasaw's big, sweeping, definitive biography entitled The Patriarch; The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy.

It's an absolutely extraordinary book -- a real eye-opener. Even if you think you know the story of Joseph P. Kennedy, you will be surprised by what you discover in this book. Here's what we discovered:

In the political realm, Kennedy's views were actually quite conservative. Though he could not always be easily categorized, he was at various times so right-of-center that he once considered becoming a Republican. But in the early days of his career when he toyed with the idea, he couldn't square being a Republican with his Irish Catholic upbringing and the traditionally Democrat family that he emerged from. Still, he often found liberal utopians hopelessly unrealistic and ultimately frustrating. At heart, he was always a clear-thinking businessman who was more interested in pragmatic achievement.

Throughout his career, Kennedy maintained good relations with Republicans and conservatives. Even after President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Kennedy as ambassador to Great Britain, Kennedy remained friends with former President Herbert Hoover. Kennedy had supported Hoover over Al Smith for president in 1928. He felt that Al Smith (also Irish Catholic) was unpolished and simply too uncouth. Often, he saw this type of personality as insulting to and degrading of Irish Catholics. Kennedy remained friends with Herbert Hoover as long as he lived.

Kennedy was also a big fan of J. Edgar Hoover and generally supported the controversial Senator Joe McCarthy. In 1955 Kennedy wrote J. Edgar Hoover: "The only two men I know in public life today just happen to be named Hoover -- one John Edgar and one Herbert --  and I am proud to think that both of them hold me in some esteem."

Kennedy had a difficult relationship with FDR and felt betrayed by Roosevelt more than once. He was suspicious of Roosevelt's charm offensives, disliked many of Roosevelt's most trusted advisors and was turned off by FDR's political machinations. He had a hard time forging a solid, ongoing relationship with FDR.

A wise investor (and, generally a prudent one) Kennedy protected all the money he had earned prior to the stock market crash and the resulting Great Depression by placing it in trust funds that guaranteed that his family would never want for anything. He then wisely began to acquire real estate.

Kennedy intensely disliked Harry Truman and felt he was ill-equipped to be president. He also felt that Truman was reckless in his decision making. At the same time, he had a generally high regard for Dwight Eisenhower and rightly predicted (long before many others) that Ike would run for president as a Republican. He knew that Ike would be a popular candidate and may have been disappointed that the Democrats did not try harder to recruit him.

But here's one of the biggest shockers: Kennedy often felt wronged by the Catholic Church -- an institution that he vigorously supported publicly and to which he donated huge amounts of money. Kennedy was not only chagrined that the Church did not do more to support his son, Jack when he ran for president (indeed. he felt that high officials in the Church actually worked against Jack) but long before that Kennedy was disturbed that the Church was not more assertive in defending itself and advancing its cause in the public arena. On this later score, Kennedy was right then and remains right now. Particularly in America, The Catholic Church is a toothless giant -- a spineless wonder. It refuses to organize, to influence, to put any real publicaction muscle behind its convictions.
Nasaw writes that Joseph P. Kennedy believed that "if the Catholic minority [in the US] was to get the respect . . . it deserved and required, it would have to follow the example of American Jews and organize itself better." In 1950, Kennedy expressed these sentiments to a close friend, Italy's Count Enrico Galeazzi, who had close ties to the Vatican. Here's what he said:

"I still believe, as I told the Pope, and as I told you, that until the day comes when the hierarchy [of the Catholic Church] of the United States make up their minds that they should have political influence, we are not going to fare well in this country., and unless we do it right away, the opportunity will be lost. A Jewish minority group, well-organized gets whatever it wants and we get nothing."

Finally, it's worth noting that Joseph P. Kennedy was a great believer in public relations throughout his life. He knew the power of public image and the value of leaving a favorable impression on the public. When Jack Kennedy ran for office, Joseph P. Kennedy commandeered the best PR people and image-crafters in the business (several from Hollywood and New York) to help his son. He once wrote to Robert F. Kenndy: "Things don't just happen. They are made to happen in the public relations field."

On President's Day - The Ten Greatest Presidents

It's Presidents Day so this is a good time to give you our very own personal ranking of the Top Ten Presidents of all time. Some of these names are practically de rigeur. You see them on almost every such list. But some of these will surprise you. Here they are:

1) Abraham Lincoln - He not only saved the union but he remains the single most compelling figure in American history.

2) George Washington - His very name defines virtue. He remains our inspiration and our touchstone. Literally, he was honest, courageous and true.

3) Ronald Reagan - The greatest president in my lifetime and a towering figure of the 20th century. He gave us hope and presided over the end of the end of Soviet communism and the rebirth of the American Dream.

4) Harry Truman - The straight-talking man from Missouri whose old-fashioned common sense and quiet strength grounded in simple American values led us through a perilous time and into the second half of the American century.

5) Franklin D. Roosevelt - More for winning the war than anything else, he defined the bigger-than-life, charismatic leader of the media age. A consummate politician, he seemed to empower the presidency through sheer force of will.

6) Dwight Eisenhower - Peace and prosperity. Those were his hallmarks. But he was also a superb manager. strong leader and astute navigator who led us through the Cold War with conviction and nerves of steel.

7) Theodore Roosevelt - If conservationism was his sole accomplishment that alone would warrant inclusion in this list. He established numerous national parks to preserve the wildlife that was quickly being overtaken through industrialization and he wasn't afraid to take on powerful special interests.

8) Calvin Coolidge - Silent Cal understood that the business of America is business. Coolidge restored public confidence in the White House after the scandals of his predecessor's administration, and left office with considerable popularity. He embodied the hopes and dreams of the middle class and he knew how to cut government down to size and unleash boom times.

9) James K. Polk - Often considered the best one-term president ever, Polk increased the size of the United States more than any other president through the acquisition of California and New Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American War. He also claimed Oregon Territory after a treaty with England. He was a key figure in Manifest Destiny.

10) I've deliberately left this slot open. Now, you tell us who should be on the list. Your suggestions invited.

Rumors Of GOP's Death Greatly Exaggerated

The media, liberal pundits (which is most pundits) and Democrats love to write the obituary of the Republican Party.

They've been doing it for decades. Don't believe me?

Do you know how many times the obituary has been written for the GOP? Why, there's not enough black crepe to depict it.

In my lifetime alone, I can hardly count the number of times, but I'll try. 

Let's see: Truman's stunning upset win in 1948 (ouch!), LBJ's massive landslide win in 1964 (kaboom!), WATERGATE! (devastating), Carter's win in 1976, Bush's loss in 1992 . . . 

Yeah, I've heard it (and seen it) all before. 

And each and every time, the party came back. 

This is a party that didn't hold the presidency for TWENTY STRAIGHT YEARS (five consecutive terms) and still came back and elected one of the greatest presidents of the last century.

That's why they call it the Grand Old Party (with the accent on the word "grand") because it keeps coming back. 

From 1948 till now, two Democrat presidents were re-elected. During the same period, FOUR Republican presidents were re-elected. 

But, back to now --Yes, we've suffered a setback. 

But a setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback. We'll take care of it. Bet on it! 

And, BTW: Watch out for that "second term curse."

We All Know Where The Buck Stops

Last year at this time we journeyed to America's heartland -- to Kansas City and nearby Independence, Missouri where we visited the Truman homestead and library.
When we toured the library and viewed Harry Truman's recreated presidential office we saw the famous sign that Truman kept on his desk, placed there so that visitors could clearly see it.
Surely you've seen that famous sign in old photos or newsreels. At this point i's iconic. It said: "The buck stops here!"
Truman wanted everyone to know that passing the buck ended at the door to the oval office. The blame game came to an end at Truman's door. The President of the United Sates must, could and would accept responsibility.
And Truman did just that.
The decisions were his. He madre the calls and he took the heat.
Americans know this to be true.
We know where the buck stops.
And in case we forgot, bold, decisive leaders like Truman were not afraid to remind us.
But we need no lessons on civics or history on this one.
Whether this sits well with the current president or not, the buck stops squarely at his door and the responsibility is his.

Downgrade Mess: Who's REALLY At Fault?

The blame game is underway.
And the fingers are pointing in all directions.
But the fact remains that America's credit rating has been downgraded for the first time in our nation's history.
You may be tempted to direct blame at any one of a number of targets. As I write this the White House is out to pin the blame on both Standard & Poors (S & P) and the Tea Party movement. That's an unlikely duo: a ragtag group of disorganized, ordinary Americans and the highly-structured hierarchy of bean counters at S & P.
You can point the blame wherever you want if blaming is your thing.
But before you direct your pointed finger, consider the following figures from Obama's own budget office:
In 2008 (the last full year of President Bush) federal spending was 20.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and public debt was 40.3% of the GDP.
As soon as President Obama took office, the spending accelerated and the federal debt figures began to climb out of all proportion. Federal spending jumped to 25% of the GDP. And debt as a percentage of GDP jumped to 53.5% in 2009, 62.2% in 2010 and is estimated to hit a whopping 72% this year. This all happened during Obama's watch.
On top of all this, as the Wall Street Journal has pointed out: "Rather than change direction this year, Mr. Obama's main political focus has been to preserve those spending levels by raising taxes."
But these levels sinmply cannot be sustained.
This is not the first time a president has come into office and inherited a mess. Ronald Reagan faced almost precisely the same situation in 1981. But as professor Robert Barro of Harvard University has pointed out: "Reagan focused on implementing good economic policies, not on blaming his incompetent predecessor for the terrible economy he inherited,"
By contrast, Dr. Barro says Obama "has pursued an array of poor economic policies, featuring the grand Keynesian experiment of sharply raising federal spending and the public debt."
Before you start spreading the blame every which way but Sunday, remember these figures, heed Dr. Barro's words and take another look at that sign that Harry Truman kept on his desk -- the one that says "The buck stops here!"

The Lessons Of Harry Truman's Enduring Legacy

Truman home in Independence, Missouri, yesterday.

My mother often spoke of the day President Roosevelt died.
It was a day she never forgot.
She was hanging curtains with my aunt in a small row home in Camden, New Jersey when the news came over the radio that FDR has suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in Warms Springs, Georgia. My mother was on a stepstool and she had to steady herself.
"What are we gonna do, now?" she thought.
The man who was deified by many Americans was mortal after all.
And his death left a great void.
FDR was the Sun King. And many people thought the sun would never set.
The new President, Harry Truman was virtually unknown to the vast majority of Americans.
Truman was not a man of great stature. He wasn't particularly compelling. He wasn't a great speaker. And he certainly wasn't what we think of today when we talk about "charisma." In 1945 he had little or no public persona.
In the months immediately following FDR's death this one-time Missouri farmer and haberdasher who never attended college had to face some of the most momentous events of the 20th century and make some of the toughest decisions of any President ever.
Truman accepted the burden.
He never flinched.
He made the decisions; made the tough calls.
He didn't carp, he didn't complain, he didn't blame his problems on anyone else.
Truman was accustomed to being underestimated or dismissed by intellectuals or mocked by elites.
But he knew who he was.
He had the common sense of a farmer, the discretion of a good poker player, the shrewd, inquiring mind of a voracious reader, the instincts of a cat and the unquestioned love of country that characterizes a soldier who has seen war and terror, life and death close up.
Though he was only elected President once (in an upset in 1948) Truman effectively served two terms in office.
The fall of Hitler. The atomic bomb. The fall of Japan. The rebuilding of Europe. The Berlin airlift. The rise of Communism. Recognition of the State of Israel. The Cold War. McCarthyism. The emergence of America's new consumer economy. The development of NATO. The Korean War.
All these and more marked Truman's time in office.
The crises of the times and the burdens of the office took their toll.
When he left the Presidency in 1953 polls pegged Truman's popularity at less than 30 percent.
Succeeded in office by a charismatic, certified American hero, Truman quietly returned to his home in Independence, Missouri.
There, Harry and Bess Truman lived out the rest of their lives in a white clapboard house on the corner of a tree-lined street. Up the road, Truman maintained an office at the Truman Library and Museum where he often greeted visitors -- both famous and not-so-famous.
Today, historians routinely rank Harry Truman among our top five or ten Presidents.
Harry Truman's modest midwest upbringing pre-dated the Age of Ego. Nonetheless, Truman confided to friends that he worked hard not to let the trappings of Washington and the presidency go to his head.
He remained grounded in and guided by the small town values of Independence which he often called "the greatest town anywhere."
If he cared about his legacy or his ranking, Truman certainly didn't show it.
"All I want from history," he said "is the truth."
Photo copyright 2010 by Dan Cirucci.