"We need not just a new generation of leadership, but a new gender of leadership."
William J.Clinton, 42nd President, 1993-2001
Address before the Democratic Women's Caucus, July 15, 1992. It was a short address given just the day before Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for President in New York. He said, in part, "I am the grandson of a working woman, the son of a single mother, the husband of a working wife...I am the father of a daughter who wants to build space stations in the sky." He vowed to support the feminist agenda, saying," We need not just a new generation of leadership, but a new gender of leadership."
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
September 29
"When special interests put their thumb on the scale, and distort the free market, the people who compete by the rules come in last."
Barack Obama, 44th President, 2009- , remarks of Senator Barack Obama at a town-hall meeting on the economy in St. Petersburg, Florida, August 1, 2008."...People are starting to lose faith in the American dream, which is the idea that if you work hard, you can build a better life not just for yourselves but for your children and grandchildren. A lot of people feel like that dream is slipping further out of reach. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States – because America is supposed to be the place where you can make it if you try. And a lot of people are trying, but they’re having a tough time making it. Part of it has to do with changes in the way our economy works. Over the last few decades, revolutions in technology and communication have made it so that corporations can send good jobs wherever there’s an internet connection. Children in St. Petersburg aren’t just growing up competing for good jobs with children in Boston or Chicago, but with children in Beijing and Bangalore. But what we also have to remember is that our economic problems aren’t simply due to changes in how our economy works, and they aren’t just a normal part of the business cycle. They’re also due to irresponsible decisions that were made on Wall Street and in Washington. In recent years, we have relearned the essential truth that in the long run, we cannot have a thriving Wall Street and a struggling Main Street. When wages are flat, prices are rising, and more Americans are mired in debt, the economy as a whole suffers. When a reckless few game the system, as we’ve seen in this housing crisis, millions suffer and we’re all affected. When special interests put their thumb on the scale, and distort the free market, the people who compete by the rules come in last. And when our government fails to meet its obligation – to provide sensible oversight and stand on the side of working people and invest in their future – America pays a heavy price.". Obama went on to lay out his platform of providing more financial oversight, more accessible health care, development of "green energy", and a reformed education system.
Barack Obama, 44th President, 2009- , remarks of Senator Barack Obama at a town-hall meeting on the economy in St. Petersburg, Florida, August 1, 2008."...People are starting to lose faith in the American dream, which is the idea that if you work hard, you can build a better life not just for yourselves but for your children and grandchildren. A lot of people feel like that dream is slipping further out of reach. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States – because America is supposed to be the place where you can make it if you try. And a lot of people are trying, but they’re having a tough time making it. Part of it has to do with changes in the way our economy works. Over the last few decades, revolutions in technology and communication have made it so that corporations can send good jobs wherever there’s an internet connection. Children in St. Petersburg aren’t just growing up competing for good jobs with children in Boston or Chicago, but with children in Beijing and Bangalore. But what we also have to remember is that our economic problems aren’t simply due to changes in how our economy works, and they aren’t just a normal part of the business cycle. They’re also due to irresponsible decisions that were made on Wall Street and in Washington. In recent years, we have relearned the essential truth that in the long run, we cannot have a thriving Wall Street and a struggling Main Street. When wages are flat, prices are rising, and more Americans are mired in debt, the economy as a whole suffers. When a reckless few game the system, as we’ve seen in this housing crisis, millions suffer and we’re all affected. When special interests put their thumb on the scale, and distort the free market, the people who compete by the rules come in last. And when our government fails to meet its obligation – to provide sensible oversight and stand on the side of working people and invest in their future – America pays a heavy price.". Obama went on to lay out his platform of providing more financial oversight, more accessible health care, development of "green energy", and a reformed education system.
September 28
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book."
Ronald Reagan, 40th President, 1981-1989, Apparently uttered at Business Luncheon in Los Angeles in 1977. Along the same lines, Reagan said, "You know, it has been said that politics is the second oldest profession and I've come to realize over the last few years, it bears a great similarity to the first."(from a speech at Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan (November 10, 1977)). Reagan was one of the most charming, if not controversial, Presidents of recent times. He was loved for his "less government" philosophy and homespun humor. His logic often confounded critics who believed his statements were many times not backed up by the facts. One stated, "In the Reagan years, more federal debt was added than in the entire prior history of the United States." (Richard Darman (Reagan adviser), Who's in Control? Polar Politics and the Sensible Center). Another wrote, "Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming idiosyncrasy." (James David Barber, presidential scholar, On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency) Yet he succeeded in the political arena. When he ran for his second term in office against Walter Mondale, former President, Richard Nixon, predicted a Reagan victory; stating Mondale would win the debates, but Reagan would win the audience. (May 9, 1984, Speech to The American Society of Newspaper Editors, New York.) In Reagan's farewell speech to America on January 11, 1989, Reagan, himself, stated, "Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts."
Ronald Reagan, 40th President, 1981-1989, Apparently uttered at Business Luncheon in Los Angeles in 1977. Along the same lines, Reagan said, "You know, it has been said that politics is the second oldest profession and I've come to realize over the last few years, it bears a great similarity to the first."(from a speech at Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan (November 10, 1977)). Reagan was one of the most charming, if not controversial, Presidents of recent times. He was loved for his "less government" philosophy and homespun humor. His logic often confounded critics who believed his statements were many times not backed up by the facts. One stated, "In the Reagan years, more federal debt was added than in the entire prior history of the United States." (Richard Darman (Reagan adviser), Who's in Control? Polar Politics and the Sensible Center). Another wrote, "Ronald Reagan is the first modern President whose contempt for the facts is treated as a charming idiosyncrasy." (James David Barber, presidential scholar, On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency) Yet he succeeded in the political arena. When he ran for his second term in office against Walter Mondale, former President, Richard Nixon, predicted a Reagan victory; stating Mondale would win the debates, but Reagan would win the audience. (May 9, 1984, Speech to The American Society of Newspaper Editors, New York.) In Reagan's farewell speech to America on January 11, 1989, Reagan, himself, stated, "Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts."
Monday, September 26, 2011
September 27
"It ought to be known whether the President is the registering clerk of the Senate or the Executive of the United States."
James A. Garfield, 20th President, 1881- Statement made after the appointment of Garfield's choice for Collector of the New York Custom's House, 1881. Garfield took office on March 4, 1881 and was President for less than a year, but was a seasoned veteran in Congressional maneuvering, having served as a representative from Ohio for 18 years. Before the enactment of any Civil Service acts, Presidents, for the most part, appointed party allies to various positions. The process was very political and had evolved to the point where the President nominated those who the senators from each state had chosen. Garfield believed such a practice was corrupt and nominated his own choice, William H. Robertson, for the position of Collector for the Port of New York. Robertson was the rival of New York Senator, Roscoe Conkling, who was considered the "dispenser" of patronage in New York. Conkling tried to defeat the nomination by several measures. First, he attempted to persuade the senate to vote on all nominations except for that of the port commissioner. Garfield countered by withdrawing all nominations except for that office, leaving Congress with the pivotal choice of deciding between Conkling's now one single selection or following Garfield's desire to bring more control to the Office of the President. Such a move would have denied positions to even more of Conkling's underlings. Conkling then mis-calculated and countered by resigning his position, thinking the Senate would re-appointment him. Instead, it approved Garfield's choice and appointed someone else to the Senate seat from New York. Garfield had won the battle. Victorious, he stated, "This...will settle the question whether the President is registering clerk of the Senate or the Executive of the United States.... shall the principal port of entry ... be under the control of the administration or under the local control of a factional senator." Several weeks later, on July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by an rejected office seeker, who had been judged to be unqualified for the diplomatic position he had tried to obtain. Garfield died mainly from infection on September 19. In an attempt to find and remove the bullet lodged in Garfield's body, Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, tried to locate the bullet with the aid of a metal detector he developed. In 1883, under Garfield's successor, Chester A. Arthur, Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.
James A. Garfield, 20th President, 1881- Statement made after the appointment of Garfield's choice for Collector of the New York Custom's House, 1881. Garfield took office on March 4, 1881 and was President for less than a year, but was a seasoned veteran in Congressional maneuvering, having served as a representative from Ohio for 18 years. Before the enactment of any Civil Service acts, Presidents, for the most part, appointed party allies to various positions. The process was very political and had evolved to the point where the President nominated those who the senators from each state had chosen. Garfield believed such a practice was corrupt and nominated his own choice, William H. Robertson, for the position of Collector for the Port of New York. Robertson was the rival of New York Senator, Roscoe Conkling, who was considered the "dispenser" of patronage in New York. Conkling tried to defeat the nomination by several measures. First, he attempted to persuade the senate to vote on all nominations except for that of the port commissioner. Garfield countered by withdrawing all nominations except for that office, leaving Congress with the pivotal choice of deciding between Conkling's now one single selection or following Garfield's desire to bring more control to the Office of the President. Such a move would have denied positions to even more of Conkling's underlings. Conkling then mis-calculated and countered by resigning his position, thinking the Senate would re-appointment him. Instead, it approved Garfield's choice and appointed someone else to the Senate seat from New York. Garfield had won the battle. Victorious, he stated, "This...will settle the question whether the President is registering clerk of the Senate or the Executive of the United States.... shall the principal port of entry ... be under the control of the administration or under the local control of a factional senator." Several weeks later, on July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by an rejected office seeker, who had been judged to be unqualified for the diplomatic position he had tried to obtain. Garfield died mainly from infection on September 19. In an attempt to find and remove the bullet lodged in Garfield's body, Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, tried to locate the bullet with the aid of a metal detector he developed. In 1883, under Garfield's successor, Chester A. Arthur, Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.
September 26
"When there is lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned."
Herbert Hoover, 31st President, 1929-1933. Most likely from an interview with the New York Times just before his 90th birthday on August 9, 1964. He died only two months later on October 20, 1964. Other parts of the articles contained his thoughts on America and freedom. "Freedom is the window from which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and of human dignity. With the preservation of these moral and spiritual qualities and with God's grace will come further greatness for our country." Around him in 1964 swirled headlines of the Presidential election pitting Lyndon Johnson against Barry Goldwater, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and its violence, Nelson Mandela being imprisoned in South Africa, and the growing popularity of the Beatles.
Herbert Hoover, 31st President, 1929-1933. Most likely from an interview with the New York Times just before his 90th birthday on August 9, 1964. He died only two months later on October 20, 1964. Other parts of the articles contained his thoughts on America and freedom. "Freedom is the window from which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and of human dignity. With the preservation of these moral and spiritual qualities and with God's grace will come further greatness for our country." Around him in 1964 swirled headlines of the Presidential election pitting Lyndon Johnson against Barry Goldwater, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and its violence, Nelson Mandela being imprisoned in South Africa, and the growing popularity of the Beatles.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
September 25
"You don't win campaigns with a diet of dish water and milk toast."
Richard Nixon, 37th President, 1969-1974- It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. Vice-Presidents and Vice-Presidential candidates seem to be the ones to stir up controversy while the Presidents(here Eisenhower)stay above the fray. From a talk at a Republican campaign fundraiser September 30, 1958 in Indianapolis. Nixon Blasts Cheap Cracks Made by Truman INDIANAPOLIS Vice-President Richard M Nixon told Hoosier Republicans last night to came out slugging in the Congressional campaign by warning voters election of Democrats will result in higher taxes. Nixon said he disagreed with some Republican friends who suggested he pass up the congressional campaign to avoid being associated with a losing cause. "I can think of nothing more contemptible than running from a fight when things are tough.", the vice president told an Indiana Republican fundraising rally. "We will lose", Nixon said, "if we continue to backpedal and to allow ourselves to be a punching bag for the cheap cracks of Harry Truman and his like. We aren't going to win by giving the voters a diet of dish water and milk toast." He said, "If Democrats strengthen their hold on Congress this year it will be through election of radical Democrats who...drunk with visions of votes and pink but dead elephants means you are voting to raise your taxes, cheapen your money...and to say no the new investment and enterprise which means more and more progress for the American people. Under the Truman administration prices went up 38 per cent. The Truman prosperity, he said, was a war prosperity which occurred only in war years while the Eisenhower prosperity is a peace prosperity." From The El Paso Herald Post
Richard Nixon, 37th President, 1969-1974- It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. Vice-Presidents and Vice-Presidential candidates seem to be the ones to stir up controversy while the Presidents(here Eisenhower)stay above the fray. From a talk at a Republican campaign fundraiser September 30, 1958 in Indianapolis. Nixon Blasts Cheap Cracks Made by Truman INDIANAPOLIS Vice-President Richard M Nixon told Hoosier Republicans last night to came out slugging in the Congressional campaign by warning voters election of Democrats will result in higher taxes. Nixon said he disagreed with some Republican friends who suggested he pass up the congressional campaign to avoid being associated with a losing cause. "I can think of nothing more contemptible than running from a fight when things are tough.", the vice president told an Indiana Republican fundraising rally. "We will lose", Nixon said, "if we continue to backpedal and to allow ourselves to be a punching bag for the cheap cracks of Harry Truman and his like. We aren't going to win by giving the voters a diet of dish water and milk toast." He said, "If Democrats strengthen their hold on Congress this year it will be through election of radical Democrats who...drunk with visions of votes and pink but dead elephants means you are voting to raise your taxes, cheapen your money...and to say no the new investment and enterprise which means more and more progress for the American people. Under the Truman administration prices went up 38 per cent. The Truman prosperity, he said, was a war prosperity which occurred only in war years while the Eisenhower prosperity is a peace prosperity." From The El Paso Herald Post
September 24
"The law is the only sure protection of the weak and the only efficient restraint upon the strong."
Millard Fillmore, 13th President, 1850-1853. From his First Annual Message (December 2, 1850) Fillmore, as Zachary Taylor's Vice-President, ascended to the Presidency after Taylor's sudden sickness and death in the summer of 1850, most probably from food poisoning. Fillmore, from New York, generally opposed slavery but supported its extension into new territories as provided for in the Missouri Compromise. The law was unpopular and divisive and he was not re-elected in 1853. "...But it must be borne in mind that the country is extensive; that there may be local interests or prejudices rendering a law odious in one part which is not so in another, and that the thoughtless and inconsiderate, misled by their passions or their imaginations, may be induced madly to resist such laws as they disapprove. Such persons should recollect that without law there can be no real practical liberty; that when law is trampled under foot tyranny rules, whether it appears in the form of a military despotism or of popular violence. The law is the only sure protection of the weak and the only efficient restraint upon the strong. When impartially and faithfully administered, none is beneath its protection and none above its control."
Millard Fillmore, 13th President, 1850-1853. From his First Annual Message (December 2, 1850) Fillmore, as Zachary Taylor's Vice-President, ascended to the Presidency after Taylor's sudden sickness and death in the summer of 1850, most probably from food poisoning. Fillmore, from New York, generally opposed slavery but supported its extension into new territories as provided for in the Missouri Compromise. The law was unpopular and divisive and he was not re-elected in 1853. "...But it must be borne in mind that the country is extensive; that there may be local interests or prejudices rendering a law odious in one part which is not so in another, and that the thoughtless and inconsiderate, misled by their passions or their imaginations, may be induced madly to resist such laws as they disapprove. Such persons should recollect that without law there can be no real practical liberty; that when law is trampled under foot tyranny rules, whether it appears in the form of a military despotism or of popular violence. The law is the only sure protection of the weak and the only efficient restraint upon the strong. When impartially and faithfully administered, none is beneath its protection and none above its control."
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