Harry Truman

Ghosts of Transitions Past

John Tepper Marlin | Posted 11.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, War in Vietnam, Richard Nixon, Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, Obama Transition, Lyndon Johnson, Barack Obama, Carl Brauer, Presidential Transitions, Politics News
John Tepper Marlin

President-elect Obama appointed old hands to his top economic posts, explaining Wednesday that "the vision for change" comes from him. That's a way to deal with a central problem of transitions.

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Obama to the World: Yes We Can

Charles J. Brown | Posted 11.07.2008 | Politics

Read More: Bill Clinton, Obama Election Day, Dean Acheson, President Obama, George W. Bush, Harry Truman, Barack Obama, Obama Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, George Marshall, Politics News
Charles J. Brown

Obama has the opportunity to remake the way the United States pursues its interests in the world, and to restructure the institutions that make it happen. Obama to the world: yes we can.

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The Untold History of "Dewey Defeats Truman"

Craig Silverman | Posted 11.04.2008 | Media

Read More: Polls, Pollsters, History, Politics, Harry Truman, Election Results, Thomas Dewey, Press, Media News
Craig Silverman

Calling it too early is nothing new. In the 1876 race between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, many papers mistakenly gave the victory to Tilden.

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Don't Do It, Rahm!

William Klein | Posted 10.31.2008 | Politics

Read More: Great Mentioner, Robert Caro, Sarah Lawrence College, Rahm Emanuel, Russell Baker, 2008 Presidential Race, Harry Truman, Tom Daschle, Lyndon Johnson, Sam Rayburn, 2008 Election, Crumhorn, Barack Obama, Politics News
William Klein

Even if helping Obama means more to Rahm Emanuel than his personal political career, he can do more for Barack by staying in the House.

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Out on the Campaign Trail with the McMuppets

Andy Ostroy | Posted 10.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: George Bush, Joe the Plumber, John McCain, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Clinton, Harry Truman, Harry Reid, Rfk, Joe Biden, Jfk, Richared Nixon, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Fdr, Politics News
Andy Ostroy

These days, its hard to tell the difference between Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and Sesame Street. The award winning children's educatio...

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Republicans -- Good At Winning, Not So Much At Governing

Bruce Tenenbaum | Posted 10.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: Herbert Hoover, John McCain, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy, George W. Bush, Harry Truman, Woodrow Wilson, Breaking Politics News, Jimmy Carter, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Politics News
Bruce Tenenbaum

McCain has guaranteed he would win the election. It's understandable why he may think victory is still within his grasp. Republicans have proven most adept at winning elections by following a simple formula.

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Jimmy Carter Should Receive the Truman Legacy Award for His Energy Positions

Byron Williams | Posted 10.16.2008 | Green

Read More: Green, Jimmy Carter, Harry Truman, Revisionist History, George Bush, Environment, Environmentalism, Green Energy, Green News
Byron Williams

America eschewed Carter's clarion call for conservation, opting instead to see itself as a shining city on a hill that required no change in its energy consumption.

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Turning Disaster Into Opportunity

Gary Hart | Posted 10.08.2008 | Politics

Read More: George Bush, Global Economy, Economy, Harry Truman, Financial Crisis, 2008 Election, Republicans, Foreign Policy, Wall Stree Crisis, Politics News
Gary Hart

The Wall Street disaster is a metaphor for excess and greed, but also for a time gone by. The world of the new century requires not just a new Democratic administration, but one that is prepared to transform our nation.

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Sarah Palin--The Next "Great McGinty"?

Roger Smith | Posted 10.03.2008 | Politics

Read More: Preston Sturges, Election '08, Sarah Palin, Chauncey Gardiner, Harry Truman, American Idol, Politics News

Sarah Palin--The Next "Great McGinty"? By Roger Smith Like most of America, I awoke this morning to read/hear the usual voices of the commentariat...

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McCain's Maverick Left Eye and a History of Presidential Infirmity

Peter J Burns | Posted 10.02.2008 | Home

Read More: Health Concerns, Depression, Sickness, John McCain, Ronald Reagan, Woodrow Wilson, George Bush, Obesity, Fdr, Harry Truman, George Washington, John Kennedy, Calivn Coolidge, Sarah Palin, John Adams, Health Records, Roosevelt, Home News
Peter J Burns

William H. Taft suffered from a condition probably most relevant to modern Americans - hyper-obesity. He weighed in at over 400 lbs. This condition caused hypersomnolence - he'd fall asleep mid-conversation, sometimes with foreign heads of state.

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"Dear Sarah Palin: When the Myth Becomes Legend, What Should We Print?"

Steven Denlinger | Posted 09.22.2008 | Home

Read More: Print the Legend, Washington, George W. Bush, Harry Truman, Rorschach Test, Lion in Winter, Cowboy Myth, Power, Schmidt & Bounds, Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Robert Frost, New Covenant, Dick Nixon, Tucker Bounds, Russia, Jibjab, Old Testament, Left, People of Israel, " Commander Adama, Rove, Sarah Barracuda, Battlestar Galactica, Right, Bambi, John McCain, Karl Rove, Alaska, House, Gone With the Wind, Texas, Annie Oakley, Joe Biden, God, John Ford, Barack Obama, Old West, Pride Worm, It's Time for Some Campaigning, Bible, "Guns and Religion, Steven Schmidt, Fox News, Westerns, Joe Lieberman, Southerners, Home News
Steven Denlinger

THE PRIDE WORM Power's a funny thing. It's like one of those worms on the television show House, which goes in through your upturned nose and invade...

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On 9/10 Obama Found His Theme: Now Stay On It and Stay Angry

Paul Abrams | Posted 09.11.2008 | Politics

Read More: Karl Rove, John McCain, Healthcare, Education, Barack Obama, Election Campaign, Harry Truman, Politics News
Paul Abrams

Over-and-over-and-over until he gets bored hearing himself say it, and then he needs to continue. And, when the McCain campaign changes its tune, he still keeps it up.

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John McCain Channels Reagan: Both the Good and the Troubling

Steve Clemons | Posted 09.04.2008 | Politics

Read More: John McCain, Dwight Eisenhower, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Billl Kristol, John Kerry, Joseph Lieberman, Harry Truman, Lindsey Graham, Republican National Convention, Barack Obama, Robert Kagan, Randy Scheunemann, Fred Kagan, Politics News
Steve Clemons

Tonight, McCain gave us a big dose of Reagan's national greatness flourish in a dignified, genteel and pleasant manner. His speaking style was reminiscent of Reagan -- without the memorable lines.

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A Historical Perspective On Divided Democratic Conventions

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.25.2008 | Politics

Read More: Dewey Defeats Truman, Blue Dog, Truman, 1964, Civil Rights Act, Thomas Dewey, Campaign, Civil War, Hubert Humphrey, Franklin D Roosevelt, South, Military, 2008, 1948 Convention, Do Nothing Congress, Plank, Ralph Nader, Lincoln, Democratic Convention, Dncc, Democratic National Convention, Dixiecrat, Alabama, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Wwii, 08, Henry Wallace, Platform, Barack Obama, Election, Fdr, Yellow Dog, 08 Election, Elections, Lyndon B Johnson, Hillary, Gallup, Humphrey, Desegregation, Hillary Clinton, Lbj, Chicago Tribune, World War II, Party Unity, Strom Thurmond, 1948, Nader, Speech, Divided, Civil Rights, Harry Truman, Democratic, Democratic Party, Denver, Republican, War of Northern Aggression, Wallace, Clinton, Dadt, Alben Barkley, Lost the South for a Generation, Abraham Lincoln, 2008 Campaign, Johnson, Progressive Party, Naacp, John McCain, Give Em Hell Harry, 1948 Democratic Convention, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Puma, 08 Campaign, Don't Ask Don't Tell, 2008 Presidential Race, Convention, Democratic Convention 2008, Nominee, Gays, Roosevelt, Barkley, Dewey, Thurmond, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Don't buy into the media narrative that this is some sort of "divided party" -- because today's Democrats aren't. All true Democrats are pulling hard to defeat the legacy of George W. Bush.

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Popular Vote v. Electoral College (Why The Media Badly Needs A History Lesson)

Mark Nickolas | Posted 08.07.2008 | Politics

Read More: Polls, John McCain, National Polls, Harry Truman, Michael Dukakis, Obama Popular Vote, Media Coverage, Polling Data, Media, Electoral Map, Barack Obama, National Popular Vote, Polling, Media Coverage of 2008 Election, Electoral College, President Bush, Media Bias, Popular Vote, Politics News
Mark Nickolas

It's painful to watch these fools -- they don't know how a five-point popular vote victory almost always translates when it comes to the only metric that matters -- the Electoral College. (Hint: landslide).

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Sixty Years After Desegregation, Ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: 1948, Dewey Defeats Truman, Executive Order 9981, Homosexual, Civil Rights, Sexual Orientation, Harry Truman, Racial, Campaign, Race, 1948 Election, 9981, Dadt, Military, 2008, 2008 Campaign, Integration, Black, Democratic Convention, Dixiecrat, 2008 Elections, Gay, 08, 2008 Election, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Army, 08 Campaign, Morale, African American, Segregation, Don't Ask Don't Tell, 2008 Presidential Race, Desegregation, Elaine Donnelly, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Being gay should be no more of a barrier to serving the United States military than being black now is. My guess is that sixty years from now, people will wonder what took us so long.

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Irony in the House Dead? Not Yet

Aubrey Sarvis | Posted 07.25.2008 | Politics

Read More: Don't Ask Don't Tell, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Elaine Donnelly, Phyllis Schlafly, Dana Milbank, Colin Powell, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Truman, Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, Gays in the Military, Politics News
Aubrey Sarvis

The very same arguments that were made in 1948 against mingling the races in the military were made Wednesday against mixing homosexuals and heterosexuals the way they mix in the real world.

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The Testimony of Three Witnesses

Aubrey Sarvis | Posted 07.22.2008 | Politics

Read More: Don't Ask Don't Tell, Eric Alva, Joan Darrah, John Shalikashvili, Vance Coleman, Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, Harry Truman, Politics News
Aubrey Sarvis

A person would have to have a heart of stone to read the opening statements of the three former service members who will testify Wednesday afternoon b...

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Real Homeland Security

Geoffrey R. Stone | Posted 06.30.2008 | Politics

Read More: Civil Liberties, Mukasey Civil Liberties, Civil Liberties Advisor, Homeland Security, Harry Truman, Woodrow Wilson, Patriot Act Civil Liberties, Ramsey Clark, Fdr, Habeas Corpus, Politics News
Geoffrey R. Stone

The next president should create a brand new position, which should become a permanent part of the Executive Branch in the future: a Civil Liberties Advisor.

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The Speech Obama Needs to Give

Leonce Gaiter | Posted 06.03.2008 | Home

Read More: Bill Clinton, Lbj, Hillary Clinton, Jfk, Democratic Party, Barack Obama, Harry Truman, Fdr, Home News
Leonce Gaiter

"Hillary Clinton is an exemplary Senator, a furious campaigner, and a great American. She has been a vital part of this moment in history, this moment when we showed the world what the 'land of opportunity' can mean."

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Friday Talking Points [33] -- If It Quacks Like A Lame Duck...

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.23.2008 | Politics

Read More: Syria, Byron Dorgan, Troops, Pentagon, Mccain, Lame Duckitude, Hitler, Campaign, Veterans, Military, 2008, Midotw, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Vet, Farm Bill, Override, John Conyers, Vets, Memorial Day, Appeaser, Democrat, Knesset, 08, Quack, Webb, Democrats, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Neville Chamberlain, Support the Troops, Mddotw, Obstructionist, Harry Reid, Israel, Senate, Iran/Contra, GI Bill, Ronald Reagan, Veteran, Harry Truman, Appeasement, Republican, Nazis, Duck, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Obstructionism, Karl Rove, House, Appease, Treason, 2008 Elections, Lame Duck, Henry Waxman, Iran Contra, 2008 Election, War Profiteering, Subpoena, 08 Campaign, Sheldon Whitehouse, 2008 Presidential Race, Veto, Nazi, Politics News
Chris Weigant

President George W. Bush, asked in a press conference why Republicans in the House and Senate are increasingly defying him, proven by the fact that do...

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The Veepstakes: Four Rules

Martin Nolan | Posted 04.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: Al Gore, John McCain, Harry Truman, Spiro Agnew, George W. Bush, Edmund Muskie, Vice Presidency John Kerry, Barack Obama, Hubert Humphrey, Charlie Crist, Ted Strickland, George H.W. Bush, Alben Barkley, Dock Gephardt, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, H. Ross Perot, Politics News
Martin Nolan

The vice presidency is a poor pulpit for a charismatic candidate, accustomed to cheering crowds. When a running mate makes major news, it's because the would-be veep has screwed up.

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Madness in Washington?

Andrei Cherny | Posted 04.22.2008 | Politics

Read More: Marshall Plan, The Candy Bombers, James Forrestal, Harry Truman, Politics News
Andrei Cherny

What would happen if one of the people in charge of the American military had gone mad? This really did happen sixty years ago.

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Much Much Less than Meets the Eye in Obama's Victories

Earl Ofari Hutchinson | Posted 04.08.2008 | Politics

Read More: Harry Truman, Red States, Barack Obama, White Houe, Wyoming, Dave Freudenthal, Democratic Primaries, Democrats, Caucuses, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics News
Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Clinton's strategy to win the nomination is the exact opposite of Obama's -- she recognized that the small Western and Southern states he won are not in play for the Democrats.

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Candy Bombers Sneak Peek No. 2: A Battle for the Democratic Party's Soul

Andrei Cherny | Posted 04.03.2008 | Politics

Read More: Video, The Candy Bombers, National Security, Harry Truman, Candy Bombers, Democrats, Democratic Party, 1948 Election, Politics News
Andrei Cherny

It turns out that Harry Truman won in 1948 on the issue of national security by exploiting a very real fear of war and by battling for the soul of the Democratic Party.

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