In a refreshing and somewhat unusual statement following President Obama\u2019s State of the Union address, Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay said, \u201cTonight\u2019s speech demonstrated President Obama\u2019s positive vision, and reminded me of Presidents Bill Clinton and Franklin Roosevelt.\u201d In recent years, Democrats have been hesitant to reference Franklin Roosevelt, the icon of the social and economic safety nets that are fundamental to protecting the needs of the least fortunate among us. Congressman Clay was willing to do it.<\/p>\n
Perhaps more remarkable and encouraging was Clay\u2019s citing of President Bill Clinton. Nearly twelve years removed from his last day in office, more and more people are becoming aware of the many accomplishments that he had during his eight years as president. It didn\u2019t hurt that he was followed by George W. Bush who lowered the bar for all. Still, it takes quite a bit of commitment and courage to honor him. After all, he is the only president other than Andrew Johnson in 1867 who was impeached. In many ways his name has been associated with scandal rather than social and economic progress. But Congressman Clay and others have been able to see his many accomplishments and to give them their appropriate respect.<\/p>\n
It has been easier for Republicans. They seem to have no trouble embellishing their so-called heroes with accolades, most particularly Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln. The big difference between what the Democrats and the Republicans do is that the Democrats actually believe much of what they say about their historic heroes. The Republicans tend to luxuriate in the names Lincoln and Reagan while in many regards, particularly with Lincoln, they distort the truth.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Abraham Lincoln was known as the Great Emancipator. While there is indeed some question as to his timing with regard to liberating the slaves, he stood foursquare behind the idea of, first, ending the expansion of slavery and, second, negotiating a way for southerners to free their slaves. He was even willing to make a financial settlement with them (technically called compensated emancipation<\/a>). Very few in the Confederacy had interest in negotiating with the Northerners who they saw as imperialistic and arrogant. They preferred to take out their rifles to fight a war that, while fruitless, was characterized by remarkable bravery on both sides, with each side having its fair share of victories.<\/p>\n The idea of today\u2019s Republicans worshiping Lincoln is in many ways ludicrous. Think of what Lincoln favored that are presently\u00a0 anathema to Republicans:<\/p>\n 1. He believed in the supremacy of the federal government over the states. Had he not, he would not have reluctantly supported the War Between the States.<\/p>\n 2. He favored a robust program of capital investment in the country\u2019s infrastructure. He played a key role in planning and implementing the transcontinental railroad. Today\u2019s Republicans support virtually no infrastructure development, unless it is a bridge to nowhere.<\/p>\n