Dear Mr. President

During a recent visit to Washington DC with my family, I took every opportunity to visit the bookstores located in most of the city's wonderful museums. Naturally, The offerings at each was reflective of the theme of that particular museum. But being a person of eclectic tastes, I took an interest in (and purchased a book at) almost all of them.

My favorite, however, was the store at the National Archives. While there, I selected a title called "Dear Mr.President: From the Files of the National Archives." The Archives, which occupies a prime location between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues, is best know as the place where the Charters of Freedom are on public display: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In addition to these treasures, a recently opened exhibit call The Public Vaults exhibits and offers commentary on numerous other documents: the Instruments of Surrender signed by Japan at the close of world War II, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, etc. The larger portion of the building reserved for researchers contains literally millions of pages of manuscripts, memos, multimedia documents, etc. documenting the working of the federal government throughout the nation's history.

Letters featured in the book are written by citizens and non citizens, both famous and obscure and speak volumes about the writer, the era of its authorship, as well as the chief executive to whom it was sent.

Of the millions of letters addressed to the President, some 85 were selected for the book, spanning from 1861 until Clinton administration. To add realism, each letter is presented as an actual reproduction of the original-showing its letterhead, typeface and, in some cases, penmanship.

Examples include a correspondence from Annie Oakley to William McKinley in 1898 offering the service of "fifty lady sharpshooters" to help in the Spanish American War. Another is from Rabbi Steven Wise of the American Jewish Congress to Franklin Roosevelt in December of 1942 expressing deep concerns over stories that had begun to circulate reporting the mass extermination of Jews in Europe under Hitler. The word "holocaust" had not yet been appropriated to the event.

On a lighter note, a letter to Lyndon Johnson dated October 31, 1968 from Tom and Dick Smothers offers their apologies for their occasionally over the top anti war parodies. My personal favorite is from Queen Elizabeth II to Dwight Eisenhower and dated January 24, 1960. It gives her personal recipe for scones she had promised to send to him during his recent visit to Balmoral.

"Dear Mr. President" along with a host of other interesting titles can be ordered online from the National Archives at the National Archives website, www.archives.gov

As Oakland Goes, So Goes the State?

In recent decades, much has been made of Macomb County being a "bellwether" of state and national political trends. But in my observation this title seems to be misplaced. Macomb County seems to be a former Democratic area that merely switched to the GOP.

Oakland County is far more deserving of the title. Once thought as a bastion of Republicanism, the face of the electorate in Michigan's second largest county has most definitely changed in recent decades. Since the early nineties, Oakland County has evolved into having a more diverse, bipartisan electorate. More significantly, the county has voted with the winner in three of the last four presidential elections (recognizing Al Gore in 2000, the winner of the popular vote). In the Gubernatorial races, Oakland voted for Jennifer Granholm in both 2002 and 2006.

If this trend continues its level of accuracy, 2010 may not be too kind to the Democrats. According to the latest data from Rasmussen, a hypothetical November match up between Democrat Andy Dillon and Republican Mike Cox shows Cox at two points ahead in Oakland County; a very slender lead, but in keeping with the overall trend of recent weeks. When Dillon is stacked against Rep. Peter Hokestra, the Republicans wins, by five points. Clearly the Democrats have a great deal of catching up to do, in both Oakland and the state at large.

As an interesting aside, a general election contest between Dillon and Cox would be an unusual type of high school reunion for the two gentlemen. Both are members of the Detroit Catholic Central class of 1980.

Sen. McGovern Speaks in Bloomfield Hills

On Tuesday, June 8 Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills played host to a very distinguished guest when former US Senator George McGovern (D-SD) spoke to an audience of over one thousand admirers.  His talk, although billed as “an evening with Sen. George McGovern and Abraham Lincoln,” covered several topics, only one of which was the nation’s sixteenth president.

In 2009, McGovern released his most recent book, “Abraham Lincoln.”  The book is part of a series of short 150 page tomes on each president in our nation’s history, edited by famed historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr.  In the book, McGovern challenges a popular stereotype of Lincoln, the idea that his inspiring, eloquent speeches and his shrewd political skills came easily to him.  In fact, Lincoln successes came despite two enormous personal difficulties: his lack of a formal education and his frequent bouts with depression, then commonly referred to as “melancholy.”    With the help of his step mother while growing up, Lincoln learned the mechanics of reading and went on to develop a love for it as well as a passion for writing, much to the disapproval of his father.  

The challenges presented by his periods of depression were especially taxing.  At one point, Lincoln is said to have told a friend that he did not dare carry a knife; for fear that he may use it to commit suicide.

McGovern related this story to his own life.  In 1994 his daughter Terry, who had long suffered from a combination of depression and alcoholism, fell into a snow bank on the campus of the University of Wisconsin and eventually succumbed to hypothermia.  Soon after, McGovern wrote her biography and used the royalties to establish the Terry McGovern Center, a treatment facility for those suffering from alcoholism and mental health issues.  In the years since, he has contributed all earnings from subsequent books to the Center.

McGovern also spoke of his lifelong crusade to reduce world hunger.  In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed him director of the newly created Food For Peace initiative, a program based on the belief that combating hunger in developing countries would reduce conflict for scarce resources and promote American interests abroad.  Historians today view it as one of the most noteworthy achievements of the Kennedy administration.

McGovern also spoke briefly about his career in elective politics, particularly his unsuccessful White House bid in 1972.  He conceded that mistakes were made, especially with regard to his selection of a running mate.  The ensuing controversy proved to be a fatal distraction for the campaign.

After speaking, McGovern took questions submitted in advance by members of the audience. When asked what politician today most resembles Lincoln, he responded, “Barak Obama, in terms of his deep intellectual abilities and his sharp political skills.”

The last question, presented by Beth El’s senior rabbi, Daniel Syme asked McGovern how he would like to be remembered one hundred years from now.  His simple, yet eloquent answer: “as someone who always said what he believed to be right and true.”

After his presentation, McGovern stayed to sign copies of his latest book.

Return from Vacation

Just this past weekend I returned from a week long vacation with my wife and son in Washington DC.  As a tourist, I found the experience enjoyable but maddening--Washington's Byzantine street system, its inadequate road signage and its scarce parking were responsible for more than a little frustration.

As a citizen, however, I felt conflicted on a different level.  Majestic government government buildings, reminiscent of ancient Greece and Rome, symbolize American greatness and power.  One would expect no less in a city that represents the hopes and aspirations of 300 million people that's the world's only remaining superpower.  But the country represented by these structures is a democracy, a fact that often seems lost on the innumerable police and security guards.

In our post 9/11 world, security concerns must, of course, be paramount.  But all the while I occasionally sensed a sense of smugness amongst the security personnel. For example, while being taken on a tour of the Capitol by a staff member for the office of Rep. Sander Levin, (who was most gracious) our guide was curtly informed by a Capitol Police officer that "only members and staff" were allowed to walk onto the balcony of the building's west front, the area where recent presidential inaugurations have taken place.

In fact, I heard and read the word "member" so many times while on Capitol Hill I had a hard time remembering if I was in the heart of our nation's democracy or within the confines of a private club.

If any of you have been to Washington in recent years, I'd like to hear your perspectives.  With some pressure, maybe "Of the People, by the People and for the People" will be taken a bit more seriously.