Does Rudy Giuliani Think He's Lincoln?

Seems as if Rudy Giuliani can't quit talking about Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." Just weeks after bringing the book up in a town hall meeting, he once more discussed the book without prompting at another one in New Hampshire.

Is Rudy implying that he's just like Abraham Lincoln? Is he infatuated with the book? Does he truly think he's going to win his party's nomination for president?

Giuliani first and foremost is famous of course because he became "America's Mayor" after the terrorism attacks of 9/11. Ever since, he's draped himself in both the flag and the tragedies from that day and has positioned himself for a run at the White House. Perhaps we as a nation who so desperately needs a good leader should take a closer look at his leadership abilities.

The most telling story about his leadership of New York City in the days and weeks after 9/11 stems from the fact that the city police and the city firefighters, New York's "finest" do not even support him. After more than 300 firefighters were killed in New York on 9/11, Giuliani on November 2, 2001 ordered the number of firefighters who were assisting in the search for their fallen comrades reduced from 200 to 25, and also ordered cleanup procedures which most likely disturbed or even obliterated many human remains.

Giuliani was also appointed to the Iraq Study Group, the commission set up by Congress to investigate the war effort and policy in Iraq. Giuliani missed nearly all the meetings and finally was pressured to resign by the chairman, James Baker. It turns out that while the Group was meeting, Giuliani was out earning millions in speeches.

Rudy Giuliani seems to want to liken himself to Lincoln. Thus far, his leadership absolutely pales in comparison to Abe's. Does he suffer from delusions of grandeur?

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Spinning Bush Into Lincoln

Today's Washington Post contains an op-ed piece from Michael Gerson which claims that Democrats are in denial about Iraq. Mr. Gerson was the chief speech writer for George W. Bush until 2006, at which time he joined the editorial board of the Post.

As many other Bush supporters are doing these days, Mr. Gerson tries to desperately spin President Bush into near Lincolnesque proportions by claiming that Bush has found his "General Grant" in General Petraeus. He cites figures (which are accurate) which imply on the surface that Iraq is becoming safer for U.S. troops, other coalition forces, and Iraqi civilians.

Of course, Mr. Gerson conveniently leaves out the fact that 2007 was the deadliest year yet in Iraq for U.S. forces.

This isn't the only article which claims Bush has found his General Grant. Only time will tell if he has, but trying to imply that Bush is just like Lincoln is comical in the least. Big difference is that Lincoln had a war thrust upon him while George W. Bush chose to launch one.

Of course, that won't stop the Bushies from trying to equate their hero to Lincoln.

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Lincoln's Ford's Theater Clothing Moved To Storage

After my recent political comments about Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, and Barack Obama and how they are commenting on or comparing themselves to Lincoln, I want to step back and talk about just Abe himself.

My post from November 3, 2007 talks about the current renovation of Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. The theater is undergoing restoration plus expansion which will permit a larger permanent exhibit about Lincoln's assassination and life.

Part of the preparations for the renovation included moving the clothing and boots he wore on that fateful night to the theater into a National Park Service storage unit. This article from the September 7, 2007 edition of The Washington Post details how the items were moved from Ford's Theater to the storage facility under armed police protection. A curator showed the article writer Lincoln's size boots, which are equivalent to modern-day size 14. They are of excellent quality, but were worn at the heels.

Lincoln's overcoat he wore that night was actually made and worn for his second inauguration, held just 6 weeks before the assassination. The lining contains embroidery which reads: "One Country, One Destiny." Prophetic words indeed.

The curator also pointed out bloodstains on the knees of the pants and of course on the frock coat (suit coat) Lincoln wore that night. Museum officials didn't realize that there were bloodstains on the knees, but it would make sense considering that Lincoln probably pitched forward after being shot.

Finally, the article quotes a couple of the movers, who were quite awestruck at the items they were responsible for transporting.

Once the renovations to Ford's Theater are complete in 18 months or so, the clothing and boots will be moved back to the new larger museum.

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How Lincoln Dealt With His Rivals

Today's assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto at an opposition rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan brings to mind dictat....er, President Pervez Musharraf's recent claims that his crackdowns on freedom and on opposition parties were just what Lincoln did.

Dictator.....er, President Musharraf should read Doris Kearns Goodwin's excellent "Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" to see exactly how Lincoln handled his rivals. He incorporated them into his cabinet in order to prevent their active opposition as well as to have the best political minds available in order to help the country.

There's a novel approach: let your rivals live so they can assist you in running your country instead of letting your supporters kill them. Dictato.....er, President Musharraf, you are still no Abraham Lincoln. Click here to see Musharraf's laughable claims to be just like Abe.

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Ron Paul's Bizarre Opinion On Lincoln And Civil War

Presidential candidate and Republican Congressman Ron Paul appeared on yesterday's "Meet The Press" for an interview held by Tim Russert. Congressman Paul has been running a somewhat dark horse campaign for president, but has recently been the recipient of millions of dollars from Internet contributions from his fans. Paul is running on "freedom," and back-to-basics tenets which appeal to some among the populace.

However, Congressman Paul uttered some shocking, if not downright bizarre, comments yesterday during his interview. He claimed that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had everything to do with government taking over property rights and nothing to do with race relations. He claimed that Ronald Reagan was a "failure" because he didn't bring down the federal government to "constitutional levels," whatever that means.

Even more surprising and dismaying to me is Congressman Paul's complete lack of understanding about Abraham Lincoln and the reasons for the Civil War. Paul stated in the interview "Six hundred thousand Americans died in a senseless civil war…. [President Abraham Lincoln] did this just to enhance and get rid of the original intent of the republic," Paul said. "Every other major country in the world got rid of slavery without a civil war. I mean, that doesn't sound too radical to me. That sounds like a pretty reasonable approach."

Let's dissect this. Paul claims that Lincoln started the Civil War. In a matter of weeks after Lincoln was elected president, southern states began seceding from the Union. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln told the south that in their hands, not his, lay the "momentous decision of Civil War." The South responded by attacking federal government property, culminating with the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Dr. Paul either buys into neo-Confederate beliefs about the war or shows a complete lack of knowledge about it.

Additionally, anyone with even a basic knowledge of Lincoln and the Civil War understands that Lincoln's goal was to preserve the Union, not to end slavery, at least in the beginning of the war. Lincoln himself stated that if he could preserve the union by freeing all the slaves he would do so. Or if he could leave slavery intact and preserve the union, he would do that as well. And if he could save the union by freeing some slaves while leaving others alone, he would do that.

Paul also apparently buys into the commonly misheld belief that all the U.S. government had to do at the time was to buy all the slaves held in the south and that would've solved the problem. Again, he doesn't comprehend the issue. First of all, the southern states were such fervent believers in "states' rights" that they wanted NO interference from the federal government of any kind with their "peculiar institution." The southern states wanted the right to maintain, and even expand, slavery wherever they wished. Secondly, slavery was a critical part of the southern economy, which was after all mostly agricultural. Plantation owners and smaller-scale farmers strongly believed they could not afford to pay free labor for their operations.

Abraham Lincoln did not start the Civil War. Buying slaves and then freeing them wasn't possible in the charged political atmosphere of the times.

Congressman Paul displays a shocking lack of knowledge about the history of his own country and espouses extreme and inaccurate views about other events in our history as well. It's disturbing to me that such a candidate would be considered for the highest office in our land.

Paul isn't the only current candidate for president to either compare himself to Lincoln or be compared to Lincoln by others. Here's my post about Obama and here is one on Giuliani.

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The History Channel To Depict Hunt For John Wilkes Booth

According to today's Denver Post, The History Channel is presenting a two-hour documentary about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth. The film is based on Michael W. Kauffman's 2004 biography of Booth, titled "American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth And The Lincoln Conspiracies."

The general public may not know that originally Booth and his fellow conspirators intended on simply kidnapping Lincoln in order to obtain leverage for the Confederacy. It was only after Booth listened to Lincoln give his last public speech in which he advocated citizenship for former slaves that Booth changed the plot to include murdering Lincoln, Secretary of State Seward, and Vice President Johnson. Seward narrowly escaped death at the hands of Lewis Payne (or Powell) in a savage stabbing, and the attack on Johnson was never carried out.

Kauffman's book is an excellent resource into the mind of John Wilkes Booth and what possessed him to commit perhaps the most cowardly act in American history. Instead of avenging the South as he hoped, Booth, by murdering Lincoln, actually ended up giving free rein to the Radical Republicans in Congress to have a far harsher period of Reconstruction than Lincoln would have permitted.

Another major source for reading about the hunt and eventual killing of John Wilkes Booth is "Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer" by James Swanson. It reads more like a thrilling novel as opposed to a sterile history book.

The History Channel's presentation of "The Hunt For John Wilkes Booth" premieres on Sunday December 23, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

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Montage of Lincoln Pushed To Represent Indiana Lincoln Celebration

A montage depicting Abraham Lincoln's life and accomplishments has been issued by Indiana artist Thomas Kennedy. The montage is officially being unveiled in Indianapolis today by Sueellen Reed, the state superintendent of schools. This is part of her push for a literacy campaign in Indiana featuring books about the nation's 16th president. My post of December 11, 2007 discusses the annual recommended book list from Ms. Reed and how it includes numerous books about Lincoln.

Ms. Reed would like to see this montage be released in cheaper editions and placed in every public school in Indiana in order to remember the Hoosier heritage of Lincoln, who lived there for 14 years.

Additionally, the Land of Lincoln Indiana organization is going to push for this montage to be the official painting of the Indiana and national bicentennial celebrations of Lincoln's birth, coming up in 2009.

The montage depicts Lincoln's childhood in Kentucky, his residency in Indiana, his adulthood in Illinois, his ascendency to the presidency, the Civil War, and the ending of slavery. The painting is impressive.

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