Can you imagine this happening today????

[bonnie]

Can you imagine this happening today???? I will let the historians argue the accuracy of this, but it would sure be nice to see this today.

Harry & Bess

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence , Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouriby themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale (cf. Illinois ).

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!

I say dig him up and clone him!

 

[Tom Wetmore]

Times were a bit different then...  But maybe not so different in some ways supporting the saying that the more things change the more they stay the same...

 

Harry also said this about the Republican Party - 

 

Quote

 

Today the forces of liberalism face a crisis. The people of the United States must make a choice between two ways of living — a decision which will affect us the rest of our lives and our children and our grandchildren after us. 

On the other side, there is the Wall Street way of life and politics. Trust the leader! Let big business take care of prices and profits! Measure all things by money! That is the philosophy of the masters of the Republican Party. 

Well, I have been studying the Republican Party for over  12 years  at close hand in the Capital of the United States. And by this time, I have discovered where the Republicans stand on most of the major issues. 

Since they won't tell you themselves, I am going to tell you. 

They approve of the American farmer — but they are willing to help him go broke. 

They stand four-square for the American home — but not for 

housing. 

They are strong for labor — but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. 

They favor a minimum wage — the smaller the minimum the better. 

They indorse educational opportunity for all — but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools. 

They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine — for people who can afford them. 

They approve of Social Security benefits — so much so that they took them away from almost a million people. 

They believe in international trade — so much so that they crippled our reciprocal trade program, and killed our International Wheat Agreement. 

They favor the admission of displaced persons — but only within shameful racial and religious limitations. 

They consider electric power a great blessing — but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. 

They say TVA is wonderful — but we ought never to try it again. 

They condemn "cruelly high prices" — but fight to the death every effort to bring them down. 

They think the American standard of living is a fine thing — so long as it doesn't spread to all the people. 

And they admire the Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it. 

Now, my friends, that is the Wall Street Republican way of life. But there is another way — there is another way — the Democratic way, the way of the Democratic Party.

 

 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Interestingly, the above quote by Harry Truman was from a speech he made on October 13, 1948, less than a month before the presidential election where he was running against Dewey.

I'm not so sure he would have said those things had it not been at election time.  Candidates on both sides tend to throw the most verbose, exaggerated, and condemning morsels of vitriol at the opposing party.

The speech was probably in part written by James Sundquist, who later memorialized Truman as saying to him, "I just wondered what stuff you're planning to put in the President's mouth tomorrow..."

[bonnie]

22 minutes ago, Tom Wetmore said:

Times were a bit different then...  But maybe not so different in some ways supporting the saying that the more things change the more they stay the same...

 

Harry also said this about the Republican Party - 

 

 

I appreciate the fact you didn't disappoint in your response. I anticipated exactly this when I posted it as I am very familiar with the presidency of Truman.  Most I think knew it wasn't a statement directed at either party and could read it without turning it into a political food fight

I believe you realized that as well but wanted to turn it into a political argument. I don't think there is anything in that statement that would lead you to believe that anyone that appreciates the thought behind the words also believes that every word out of the mouth of Truman is to be considered gospel or is in agreement with everything Truman said.

Interesting response for one that has frequently referred  the political forum in derogatory terms

 

[Tom Wetmore]

Of course, if you did not intend it as a bit of backhanded political commentary, why post it in the politics forum?  ( I suppose that a currently retired president's spouse, whose wealth has been in the spotlight in this political season, had no relevancy to prompting this comparison from history.)

[bonnie]

If you felt it in the wrong forum you could simply have moved it as you have done countless times before.

I am generally direct in saying something so don't really feel the need to imply or make a not so subtle point as "some " do.

It was meant  simply as posted,nothing more,nothing less. You really need to apply your own standard as to innocence or guilt to more than Hillary Clinton.

[Tom Wetmore]