"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object." Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, 1801
"We must keep steadily in mind that no people were ever yet benefitted by riches if their prosperity corrupted their virtue." Theodore Roosevelt, speech to July 4th, 1886 celebration in Dickinson, ND
... ... ... ...
Sometimes it seems as if the old time politicians were the only ones who knew how to get things right. The Jefferson quote should have been referred to by those who wrote the "bail out bill" for Wall Street. I'm glad the legislators reacted to the language in that bill that says no oversight or legal recourse may be taken. It seems outrageous to fork over $700 billion and never have anything to say after the fact.
Roosevelt's words were spoken while he was still ranching in the Badlands, before he rose to national prominence. He held a strong moral ethic that was recognized in this region and was invited to be the main speaker at the July 4th gathering. A good book outlining Roosevelt's early career, including his stay in North Dakota, is Edmund Morris's The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt.
I'm rambling today, but there's so much floating around the air waves I have trouble concentrating on one thing. Talk radio always gets around to callers who say we should have a third political party, that we are not well served by the two major parties. I learned in Political Science 101 at UND that that probably will never come to pass in this country. If some splinter group comes up with an attractive idea, it simply gets adopted as a plank on a major party's platform which erases further need for a small third voice on the matter.
This is what Ole says: "Vhy don't yew play golf with Sven anymore, Ole?" --- "Vell, vould yew play golf with a sneak who moves da golf ball and puts down the wrong score?" said Ole --- "Vell, certainly not!" replied Lena. --- "Vell, neither vill Sven!" grumbled Ole.
