Great Image Of President Obama Trampling The Constitution—Bill Clinton And FDR Are Glad To See It Happen

I really enjoy this image I found on Facebook of Barack Obama trampling on what appears to be a torn-up copy of the Constitution.

There is also money strewn about. I guess that is to indicate Mr. Obama’s carelessness with tax dollars.

Around Mr. Obama are all the Presidents who served before 2009.

The Founding Father Presidents are beside themselves at Mr. Obama’s actions.

They miss the days when the Constitution protected slavery.

Abe Lincoln is mad.

I wonder what Mr. Lincoln would think today about all the states rights appeals we are hearing for the right.

Andy Jackson is engaging in angry finger-pointing.

Ronald Reagan looks a bit confused.

That part at least is true to life.

And Joe Whiteman is despondent and alone on the bench —and no doubt unemployed— as Mr. Obama stomps on our liberties and tosses cash around like it is worthless.

Applauding Mr. Obama’s terrible actions are Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt and what looks to be Teddy Roosevelt.

These folks want to take us back not just before the Great Society and the New Deal, they want to take us back all the way even before the Progresssive Era of Teddy Roosevelt.

That way we can have dead rats in our meat again as Upton Sinclair detailed in The Jungle. 

I think Lyndon Johnson is smiling as well.

Richard Nixon does not seem very glad about this disregard of our Constitution. You’d think Mr. Nixon would be cheering right along.

This illustration made my day.

A great way to learn about the Presidents is from the Miller Center  at the U. of Virginia. 

The National Archives has great web resources to learn about our Constitution.

Many conservatives sure do get into a tizzy over Barack Obama.

President’s Day 2012—Resources To Learn More About Our U.S. Presidents

Blogger’s Note—This is–with a few minor changes –the President’s Day post I run each year.  I very much enjoy sharing with the blog reading public the illustration you see above of Lincoln and Washington hugging. It is indeed a great work of art. Please have a safe holiday. Thanks for reading Texas Liberal.

President’s Day 2012 is Monday, February 20.

Here is a history of the President’s Day holiday. 

Above you see George Washington and Abe Lincoln hugging in the afterlife.

Where can you learn more about the Presidents?

I have four suggestions. Two of these resources are books and two can be found online.

The book The American Presidency–The Authoritative Reference is very useful.

Edited by Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer, American Presidency is a collection of essays about each President up until George W. Bush.

The book offers up a small measure of biography and a larger portion of analysis. With the essays running between 10 and 20 pages, this book is a good path to a reasonably complex understanding of the Presidents in a manageable amount of time.

A great deal of information about the Presidents can be found in The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents by William Degregoiro.

I’m not sure that any book has more facts about our Presidents than Complete Book. Here you’ll learn not just about the Presidents and their terms of office, but also about their cabinets, spouses and children, and various love affairs. It is one of the most enjoyable books I know.

The best online resource I’m aware of about the Presidents can be found at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. There you’ll find biographical information, essays and  a multimedia gallery. It is very well done.

Finally, C-Span offers the excellent American Presidents website. There are broadcasts you can watch showing where the Presidents lived, as well as programs where experts talk about the Presidents and take phone calls from viewers.

It is fine entertainment.

Make use of these top-notch resources, and you’ll know plenty about our Presidents and the impact each had on American history.

Even better, you can make use of these resources as a springboard to additional studies of American history.

The decision to learn more and understand more is up to you.

Should Abe Lincoln Have Given Jefferson Davis Everything He Wanted?—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Us

Should Abe Lincoln have given into everything that Jefferson Davis and the South wanted in order to solve a great national problem?

President Obama has likely compromised more than he should on the debt ceiling debate. And yet still it is not enough for Republicans.

Mr. Obama may not be another Lincoln, but today’s Republican Party of States Rights and mindless government bashing would have fit in just fine with the Confederacy.

Just how far backwards are we going to go in this country?

President Obama got it right tonight that we as citizens need to take action ourselves.

Call your U.S. Representative and your two U.S. Senators and demand a solution that involves sacrifice by all and that does not exempt the most wealthy from having to pay a fair share.

But don’t stop there.

Every American has the ability to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family, start a blog, donate money, write a letter to the editor, volunteer for candidates and causes, engage in acts of civil disobedience, and even run for public office.

President Obama’s call for citizen-action  may be the most important thing he said in his debt ceiling speech.

Take up the President on his suggestion of getting involved, and keep up the involvement for the fights ahead.

The work of freedom is up to each of us.

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Here is the message I have sent to my terrible Congressperson John Culberson-–

Rep. Culberson: God Bless President Obama and freedom. You states rights extremists have always been about obstruction and treason. Stop holding our nation hostage for the benefit of the rich, and out of hatred for the multicultural future of our great nation as represented by Barack Obama. Thank you.

President’s Day—Washington And Lincoln Hugging

President’s Day is upon us.

Above you see George Washington and Abe Lincoln hugging in the afterlife.

Where can you learn more about the Presidents?

I have four suggestions. Two of these resources are books and the other two can be found online.

The book The American Presidency–The Authoritative Reference is very useful.

Edited by Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer, American Presidency is a collection of essays about each President up until George W. Bush.

The book offers up a small measure of biography and a larger portion of analysis. With the essays running between 10 and 20 pages, this book is a good path to a reasonably complex understanding of the Presidents in a manageable amount of time.

A great deal of information about the Presidents can be found in The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents by William Degregoiro.

I’m not sure that any book has more facts about our Presidents than Complete Book. Here you’ll learn not just about the Presidents and their terms of office, but also about their cabinets, spouses and children, and various love affairs. It is one of the most enjoyable books I know.

The best online resource I’m aware of about the Presidents can be found at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. There you’ll find biographical information, essays and  a multimedia gallery. It is very well done.

Finally, C-Span offers the excellent American Presidents website. There are broadcasts you can watch showing where the Presidents lived, as well as programs where experts talk about the Presidents and take phone calls from viewers.

It is fine entertainment.

Make use of these top-notch resources, and you’ll know plenty about the Presidents and the impact they had on American history.

Even better, you can make use of these resources as a springboard to your additional studies of our Presidents and of our American political history.

The decision to learn more and understand more is up to you.

First Woman President For Brazil—Third Consecutive Victory For Left In Nation Of 195 Million

For the first time, Brazil has elected a woman President. Dilma Rousseff  represents the left-of-center Worker’s Party.

(Above–Ms. Rousseff making a speech.)

Here is a profile of Ms. Rousseff from the BBC.

From the BBC—

“Ms Rousseff has a somewhat brusque manner and is reputed to have a short temper – attributes that have, perhaps unsurprisingly, led to her being dubbed the Iron Lady. Dilma Rousseff was born in 1947 and grew up in an upper middle class household in Belo Horizonte. Her father, Pedro Rousseff, was a Bulgarian immigrant. Her seemingly conventional background changed in the mid-1960s, when she was in her late teens. She became involved in left-wing politics and joined the underground resistance to the military dictatorship that seized power in 1964….Ms Rousseff, 62, joined President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government in 2003 as energy minister. In 2005, after a corruption scandal brought down key government figures, Mr Lula made her his chief of staff, a post she held until March 2010, when she launched her campaign for the presidency as the Workers Party (PT) candidate.”

Here, in English, is the web page of Brazilian Presidency

There are at the moment three women leaders in Latin America. Costa Rica and Argentina have female Presidents.

The election marks the third consecutive Presidential victory for the Worker’s Party. Brazil is the fifth most populous nation in the world with 193 million people.

The world’s largest democracy, India, also has a left-of-center government.

Here are some facts about population and wealth in Brazil.

Here is how the victory in Brazil was reported in the leading Indian newspaper The Hindu.

From The Hindu—

“Ms. Rousseff said her most “fundamental commitment” would be the eradication of poverty and the creation of opportunities for all. She emphasized economic development, the fight against “the protectionism of rich countries,” and he need to put an end to financial speculation which increases “the volatility of capital and currencies.”

Ms. Rousseff won election by 56%-44% in a runoff. The first round of voting, which involved three major candidates, had no representative of a right-wing party. There was Mr. Rouseff, a centrist and a Green.

The outgoing President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, likely could have been elected to a third term.  He was unable to run again due to term limits.

(Below—Ms. Rousseff shaking hands with President Obama with Lula, and Abe Lincoln, looking on.)

Lula, as he is known, may seek the office again in 2014.  Lula will remain a power in Brazil no matter what.

This seems similar to the situation in Russia where Vladimir Putin may have left the top job, but seems likely to return at some point.

The contrast being that Lula has kept Brazil on a path to democracy, while Mr. Putin has in mind a different direction.

Congratulations to the people of Brazil on a successful election and on the absence of any serious right-wing contender for the highest office.

Please pass on your secret chucking the conservatives for a Presidential elections.

Here are some basic facts about Brazil. Here is a history of Brazil.

(Below—Rio de Janeiro. Must be quite a place to visit. Photo by LecomteB)

If In Illinois, You Might Want To See A Park Named After Lincoln

If you are in Illinois, it seems right that you see a park named after Abe Lincoln.

Here is such a park in Wheaton, Ilinois that I saw a few hours ago.

Intersection Of Roosevelt & Lincoln

I’m in the Chicago suburb of Lombard, Illinois. I’m here for a family emergency.

One good thing is that my hotel is near the intersection of Roosevelt & Lincoln. You see the picture below.

Whenever you pass the intersection of Roosevelt & Lincoln, you can give thought to progress and freedom in our nation.

Today’s Conservatives Falsely Claiming Boston Tea Party Legacy

Far-right activists are staging so-called “tea parties” on April 15 to protest the fact that in a free society one must pay taxes and abide by the decisions of the electorate.  (Old-time image of tea party above.)

The claim being made by these extreme elements, when they are not advocating violence, is that somehow we are moving towards tyranny.

By trying to steal the symbolism of the Boston Tea Party, Republicans and the extreme right (no distinction appears to exist between the two) are confusing the idea of  no taxation without representation with bitterness about losing last November’s election.

(Here is the link to the Boston Tea Party Historical Society.)

Below is from the web home of a tea party web site. They say here that “Revolution is brewing.” Just what does that mean? Is it violence? What do they think a revolution is in this context?  

The actual New Englanders who were part of the real Boston Tea Party are the same people, or the fathers of the people, who would later become Federalists, Unitarians and abolitionists.  

Today’s Southern-based overwhelmingly white American right has nothing to do with the legacy of the Boston Tea Party.

The only historical  tradition these people are drawing upon is that of the treason of the first shot fired on Fort Sumter in 1861  to begin the Civil War. (Engraving below.)

America does have a visible representative of the best and most inclusive traditions of American History— The America of Thomas Paine, William Lloyd Garrison, Abe Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Sitting Bull, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King and Caesar Chavez. 

That leader is the President of the United States and his name is Barack Hussein Obama. 

The First Inauguration/Washington Hugging Lincoln Because They Are Both Happy

The first Presidential inauguration took place on April 30, 1789 in New York City. The above painting of the event was completed in 1899.  It does not appear that the general public was invited. 

I guess the bloggers and media of the day had to stand out on street corners ringing bells and yelling out the day’s events.

Though members of the public who wished to mark and remember the event could buy buttons to note the day. The souvenir trade is a longstanding enterprise. 

Here is some good information about George Washington from the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. 

Here is President Washington’s first inaugural address.  

And here are pictures of the handwritten text of that address.

The swearing in took place in Federal Hall which is located at 26 Wall Street. This building, which still stands, was the first capitol of the United States. Below is what Federal Hall looks like today. Federal Hall is now run by the National Park Service. Here is the web home for Federal Hall.

Below is a rendering of George Washington and Abe Lincoln celebrating the election of Barack Obama. They are very happy.

While progress is not inevitable, nor once made irreversible, there is much to be said from the progression, and I think progression is the correct word, from the days of George Washington to the days of Barack Obama.

It is progress from the closed circle in 1789 evident in the painting at the top of this post, to the open festivities we will see later this month. ( Though what would President Washington have made of all the security our celebrations later this month will require?) 

Hopefully, President-elect Obama will conduct the office in a way that will continue to enlarge the circle of American opportunity in these hard times.  Though we hope that we can trust Mr. Oabma, we must not forget that we as citizens will need to keep on him all the time.

Houston Political Consultant Marc Campos Rips Me, But Fails To Provide Link

Houston political consultant Marc Campos has blasted me, but, lacking a true sense of sportsmanship, failed to provide a link. This is in sharp contrast to the nice folks at the right-wing blog Lone Star Times who once mocked a poem I wrote with a link that generated a lot of traffic. 

Here is the link to Campos Communications. Here is the link to his Daily Commentary.

Below is what Marc said in his Daily Commentary today—

“Commentary’s recent takes on local Latino voter turnout has definitely ruffled a feather or two. The liberal blog fella has been suspicious of Commentary’s motives from the outset. He was the one that said I might be more interested in looking for a “gig” plus he threw in that dig questioning H-Town CM James Rodriguez’ political party affiliation. Hey, that’s his right. Here’s what he sent me yesterday:

“Are Hispanics in Houston and Harris County unable to vote without extra prodding? At what point does this become the fault of the community in question?”

Commentary thought about having a discussion with him to talk about how to get out the vote and what is involved but I decided against because I think he had already made up his mind on this issue so here’s what I sent him:

“Look, I don’t want to get into it with you because folks like you are determined to undermine a point I have been making for over a decade now – sorry.”

I think I hurt his feeling because here’s how he responded:

“Folks like me? You hardly have any idea who I am or what I think. I sure have never had great relations with my fellow bloggers. I’ve agreed with a number of things you’ve written over time. Often agreeing with some your views about statements of bravado by bloggers.

Between my own blog and my space on the Chronicle, I’ve got a bigger audfeince than any progressive Houston blogger than but Kuffner. I was open to a discussion and you chose to make an enemy. You’re a fool.”

Marc has the story half right. I did call him a fool. It seemed a good response to anybody who says “folks like me.”  (Though I guess it is better than a Ross Perot “you people.”) Marc leaves out where I apologized to him. Lincoln (Photo Above) said it was always wrong to speak in anger. I’m happy to apologize to Marc right here again. Though I will say Marc is a bit misguided to regard me as a player around here when I don’t really see myself as such. Thanks for the promotion. 

Marc is nice to highlight my traffic. I’ve run 889 page views a day for 2008. And over 2,100 a day for November so far. These are good numbers and I’m proud to discuss them. They reflect a lot of work and time for not a dollar’s worth of pay. I’ve told Kuffner I’ll catch up with him. Self-promotion is the coin of the realm for bloggers. If I don’t do it, who will? (Besides Mr. Campos. I hope he’s not going to charge me a fee for the plug. I hope he spends the same time on his paying clients. ) 

Here is the link to Kuffner. Here is a link to Julie Pippert at Momocrats. She also has very good traffic. Maybe higher than mine.

 

As for Councilman Rodriguez, here is the link to where he is a co-chair of the issues committee for Republican Bill King. (Picture Above. Mr Rodriguez is to the left of Mr. King. ) Mr. King is a former Mayor of Kemah who may well run for Mayor of Houston. According to the Chronicle, Mr. King has voted in Republican primaries for the last decade.  I’ve never posted on this issue before today. I might never have gotten around to it if not pressed. 

(Yes–I know Lincoln was a Republican as well. But that’s different.)

As for the question of Hispanic turnout in Houston, at what point does the Hispanic community itself bear some fault for the poor turnout? That was my question and it was a good one. Anyone got a thought?   

Mr. Campos gets it wrong in one big respect. I had not made my mind up about anything or anybody. I wanted to learn from the guy. That’s why I asked him a question. He seems unable to look past a George W. Bush black or white view of the world of are you with me or against me? If Marc is about outreach, doesn’t that mean talking to people?

In the year ahead I intend to post more than I have in the past about City of Houston politics. There are a number of people I figure I can learn from as we move ahead. If Marc would like to share his wisdom with me, I’d be more than happy to listen. I’ve e-mailed him saying that I would be happy to talk. I’m open to anybody who would like to talk.

As a matter of fact, I’ll give Mr. Campos and Mr. Rodriguez space on this blog to reply to anything I’ve said or to make any case they would like to make.

Many Presidents Have Died Early In Their Terms—President Palin

When a President has died in office, it has often been quite early in his term. This has often made a big difference in American history.

This is the Texas Liberal Election Fact of the Day.

The first President to die in office, William Henry Harrison, expired just a month into his term. Harrison died in 1841. President Harrison, at 68 the oldest President to that point, was a Whig. His Vice President, John Tyler, was a representative of the Southern planter class picked to help balance the ticket and not in full agreement with the Whig mainstream. As President, Tyler pursued policies, such a veto of a national bank, that greatly distressed Whig leaders such as Henry Clay.

President Zachary Taylor passed on in 1850 after serving just 17 months of his term. He was succeeded by Millard Filmore. 

Abe Lincoln’s (above)1865 assassination occurred just a month into his second term. His Vice President, Andrew Johnson (below), who had not been Lincoln’s first term VP, had very different views than Lincoln on Reconstruction, and how the South and Southerners should be handled after the Civil War.

Here is a stark difference between the person elected President and the person elected Vice President. The United States got one month of a great President and just under four years of a terrible President. And black folks got a century of Jim Crow.  

James Garfield was shot in the first year of his term in 1881. He died a few months later. Garfield’s successor, Chester Arthur, might well have been an improvement. President Arthur sought Civil Service reform and was surprisingly independeant despite a reputation as a machine politician.

William McKinley was shot and killed in the first year of his second term in 1901. McKinley’s Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt, who like Andrew Johnson had not been the first term VP, was a very different man than McKinley.

Franklin Roosevelt was shot at in 1933 in the time between his election and inauguration. Roosevelt’s Vice President-elect, John Nance Garner was far more conservative than F.D.R. You might never of had a New Deal if Garner had become President instead of Roosevelt.

Roosevelt would later die in the first weeks of his fourth term. Vice President Harry Truman who had not been VP in the first three F.D.R terms, took the White House and did a pretty good job.  

Also, Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded in his first year as President in 1981.

Let’s say you are less than a hardcore Republican, yet are still considering voting for 72 year old John McCain. American history shows us that you may feel you’re voting for Mr. McCain, but that what you really may get is President Sarah Palin.

John Q. Adams Won Presidency With 31% Of Vote in 1824—In My Darker Moments About Democracy, This Warms My Heart

In the famous “corrupt bargain” election of 1824, John Quincy Adams won the election even though he won only 30.9% of the popular vote.

This is the Texas Liberal Election Fact of the Day.

In a four-way race, Mr. Adams (photo above) finished second to Andrew Jackson in the popular vote total.

Final popular results were Mr. Jackson of Tennessee 41%, Mr. Adams of Massachusetts 31%, Henry Clay of Kentucky 13%, and William Crawford of Georgia 11%.

31% is the lowest popular percentage ever received by a successful candidate for the Presidency. 

Because no candidate won a majority of the electoral college, the race went to the House of Representatives. ( Here is information about the Electoral College including what happens when no candidate wins an electoral vote majority.)

In the House, Mr. Jackson’s arch-rival, Henry Clay, gave his support to Mr. Adams. This allowed Mr. Adams to win the election in the House. Mr. Clay was subsequently selected by Mr. Adams to serve as Secretary of State. The position of Secretary of State was seen then as a stepping stone to the Presidency.

The charge was made, denied by both President Adams and Secretary Clay of a “Corrupt Bargain.” The allegation was that a deal had been cut exchanging Mr. Clay’s support for the Secreatry of State’s office.

Corrupt Bargain or not, Andrew Jackson easily defeated President Adams in 1828 by a margin 0f 56%-44%.

Some days, when I am down on the people, I take a small measure of satisfaction from this 31% President. He made all those Indian-hating, slave-keeping Jacksonians wait another four years. 

Abe Lincoln won the White House with 39.9% of the vote in his 1860 four-way race. Mr. Lincoln ,however, won enough electoral votes on Election Day. Mr. Lincoln’s total is the second lowest percentage total for a winning candidate.

I believe in democracy, but sometimes, as we all realize, the majority gets it wrong.

Texas Liberal Prediction—Obama Will Win It All

Thomas Paine

Andrew Jackson

Abe Lincoln

Susan B. Anthony

Sitting Bull

Franklin Roosevelt

Lyndon Johnson & Martin Luther King

Cesar Chavez

Barack Obama

I believe—or at least I very much hope—that Senator Obama can offer new hope for people and a better way of doing things.

I remain a committed liberal who believes in partisan differences between the parties as essential to democracy.

I hope Senator Obama will find the courage that he has not yet fully found, for honest discussions about the meaning of the new global economy for America and the tough solutions required to address climate change.

I’m not certain how many chances we have left for the American people to believe in something hopeful.

(Texas Liberal is leading the way in political history blogging in 2008)