Today is the birthday in 1827 of Lew Wallace
and today Wallace is known primarily for his authorship of Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. But he played a significant role in American history, both in Civil War times and later, and - like the title character of his famous novel - suffered mightily for an incident without malice.
Wallace rose to the rank of Major General in the Union Army, despite not having gone to West Point. His father, a ranking politician in Indiana where he was born, had attended the Military Academy. Wallace trained as a lawyer. In 1846 he left his studies to join Indiana volunteers for the Mexican War, where he eventually was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army of Zachary Taylor, although he did not see combat.
After the war he returned to his law studies, became a federal prosecutor and then a state legislator, and met Abraham Lincoln, who so impressed him that he became a Republican.
Then came the Civil War.
Wallace rose to the rank of Major General in the Union Army, despite not having gone to West Point. His father, a ranking politician in Indiana where he was born, had attended the Military Academy. Wallace trained as a lawyer. In 1846 he left his studies to join Indiana volunteers for the Mexican War, where he eventually was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army of Zachary Taylor, although he did not see combat.
After the war he returned to his law studies, became a federal prosecutor and then a state legislator, and met Abraham Lincoln, who so impressed him that he became a Republican.
Then came the Civil War.
Dear Mitch,
I hope you don't mind the familiarity but you've been around the national political scene for so long I feel as if I know you, even if apparently you don't know me - or most of the other American people.
I have been active in politics perhaps as long as you have - I grew up in a political family and was involved - believe it or not as a Republican - before I was a teenager. I have been in enough campaigns over the years, enough strategy sessions, to know that people float all kinds of ideas. After all, we know from Watergate that Gordon Liddy floated some really crazy ideas that were even too much for John Mitchell. Thus I am not shocked in listening to the tape released by Mother Jones that some on your staff would suggest going after Ashley Judd for her self-disclosed descriptions of dealing with depression. After all, we have seen these lines of attacks on those who would seek psychological or psychiatric support at a national level before, oddly enough usually by Republicans against Democrats such as Tom Eagleton, Tom Turnipseed, and Michael Dukakis. But certainly at a time when we are worried about those truly mentally disturbed and the potential for violent acts we would want to encourage people to seek psychological support when they are troubled - and we know that many Americans experience some periods of depression and we should be glad they receive the assistance they need to again become productive members of society.
That is not what bothers me about that tape.
Perhaps I can put it in a different context, and that is what we learned about your colleague John McCain from
I have been active in politics perhaps as long as you have - I grew up in a political family and was involved - believe it or not as a Republican - before I was a teenager. I have been in enough campaigns over the years, enough strategy sessions, to know that people float all kinds of ideas. After all, we know from Watergate that Gordon Liddy floated some really crazy ideas that were even too much for John Mitchell. Thus I am not shocked in listening to the tape released by Mother Jones that some on your staff would suggest going after Ashley Judd for her self-disclosed descriptions of dealing with depression. After all, we have seen these lines of attacks on those who would seek psychological or psychiatric support at a national level before, oddly enough usually by Republicans against Democrats such as Tom Eagleton, Tom Turnipseed, and Michael Dukakis. But certainly at a time when we are worried about those truly mentally disturbed and the potential for violent acts we would want to encourage people to seek psychological support when they are troubled - and we know that many Americans experience some periods of depression and we should be glad they receive the assistance they need to again become productive members of society.
That is not what bothers me about that tape.
Perhaps I can put it in a different context, and that is what we learned about your colleague John McCain from