Honest Abe Meets Lyin' George

[MannyGoldstein]

"All this shows that the President is, in no ways, satisfied with his own positions. First he takes up one, and in attempting to argue us into it, he argues himself out of it; then seizes another, and goes through the same process; and then, confused at being able to think of nothing new, he snatches up the old one again, which he has some time before cast off. His mind, tasked beyond it's power, is running hither and thither, like some tortured creature, on a burning surface, finding no position, on which it can settle down, and be at ease" - Rep. Abe Lincoln on Pres. Polk (or was he just anticipating Lyin' George?)

[JuniperLea]

1. Sure fits, doesn't it?

Thanks for that quote. Bush is a cat on a hot tim roof alright.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. GREAT quote! thank you. n/t

[unblock]

3. except that polk could think for himself

shrub needs a pollster to tell him that the people aren't buying his latest lie.
and he needs a think tank to tell him what lie to try next.

[AnnInLa]

4. From Doris Kearns Goodwin: Team of Rivals:

1. "When Congress reconvened, they (Polk and Co.) immediately introduced a resolution blaming the war on Mexican aggression......Nine days later, Lincoln introduced a resolution calling on President Polk to inform the House 'whether the particular spot of soil on which the blood of our citizens was so shed' belonged to Mexico or to the US. He challenged the Pres to present EVIDENCE that 'MX herself became the aggressor'..." (Polk ignored Lincoln's demand for evidence that the country of Mexico had attacked the country of the US.)

2. A Congressman from MA introduced a resolution stating that the war had been "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally" initiated by the President. Lincoln voted for the resolution, and in a speech the next week, said that since Polk refused, or was unable, to produce evidence of MX aggression, that the entire matter was, "from beginning to end, the sheerest deception." "Lincoln charged that the pres had hoped to 'escape scrutiny, by fixing the public gaze upon the exceeding brightness of military glory...He went on to liken the pres's war message to the 'half insane mumbling of a fever-dream.' "

3. "The newspaper, the Illinois State Register charged that Lincoln had disgraced his district with his 'TREASONABLE ASSAULT UPON PRESIDENT POLK," and would "henceforth" be known as "Benedict Arnold." ..."Lincoln sought to clarify his polition, arguing that although he had challenged the instigation of the war, he had never voted against supplies for the soldiers. TO ACCEPT POLK'S POSITION WITHOUT QUESTION, HE CLAIMED, WAS TO 'ALLOW THE PRESIDENT TO INVADE A NATION...WHENEVER HE MAY CHOOSE TO SAY THAT HE DEEMS IT NECESSARY.' "

Anyhoo, Lincoln's anti-war stance caused him to take a lot of flack, and he was perpetually defending his resolution (Feingold?)...his own party backed away from him, fearing that the anti-war rhetoric would taint them in future elections.

I guess history does make a circle, and that is a scary prospect, and a heartening one, at the same time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=700993&mesg_id=700993

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Astonishing!

Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...