HugeAss Presidential
Name That Year in US History: The President of the United States is being accused of starting a War on false pretenses. The President precipitates the War – believing that the military will prevail easily – but claims publicly that the enemy provoked the hostilities. The opposition party supports the War at first, and continues to support the funding of the troops, but eventually comes to oppose the War, and, finally, a prominent Senator in the Opposition directly accuses the President of initiating the violence. Then an unknown, freshman congressman, also of the opposition (Whigs) from Illinois (Lincoln himself!) rails against the President, challenging him to prove that he has not lied to the American people. The speech is widely published, but wins him no friends.
Of course, nothing comes of this controversy, and the Mexican War is concluded in glorious victory, Texas is annexed as War booty, and, not One, but Two Mexican War veterans would eventually become President, while Mr. Lincoln accomplished nothing except putting his career at risk and, so quits the Congress the next year to enter a political quasi-retirement.
The year: 1847. The President: Polk.
Of course, the whole thing was a land-grab. At a time when land-grabbing was political red meat. Good Stuff. If today’s Iraq can be seen as an Oil-grab, then I suppose it’s not unlikely that permanent bases can be accomplished for the same reason. It can be equated with National Security and Well Being.
File Under: The Ends Justify the Means.
Happy Presidents Day!