From: elwin@ai.mit.edu (Lee Campbell)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton
Subject: Re: Clinton blunder
Date: 3 Sep 92 18:14:22 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

In article <1992Aug26.222301.4269@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>, mjb10@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael J. Bumbulis) writes:
- ~
- 
- Remember how the media made a minor fuss about Reagan's mis-quote
- of Lincoln.  Well, consider the following:
- 
- 
- According to the USA Today (8-26-92)           
-                                                                
- "The American Legionnaires barely applauded as Clinton listed other
- presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, who never served in the military
- but still led the nation to war".                                 
-                                     
-                                            
- It looks like Bill needs to go back to school.  Collier's Encyclopedia
- reads:                                                                 
-                                                   
- "In 1832 the Indian chief Black Hawk brought his tribe from Iowa in an
- effort to reclaim their Illinois lands.  The militia was called out,
- Lincoln volunteered, and was immediately elected captain of a local
- company."                                                          
-   ~
- 
- 
- Hmmm.  If Quayl had made such a mistake, don't you think the media
- would have been parading it?  But since the media is at work trying
- to get Clinton elected, they passed over this faux pas!  
- 
- Then again, given the typical liberal revisionism that predominates
- today, why not rewrite the history of a great president to help
- Clinton's personal political cause, right?  
- 
- Send Bill back to school!  
-    
- -- 
- Michael        


Actually, you were misled by USA Today on this point. Here is
an excerpt from the transcript of Clinton's speech; you'll see
Clinton got it right and USA Today summarized it away. Try The
New York Times; that's a *real* newspaper.

Here is the excerpt; the speech was posted to the net a few
days ago.

 ...

     The other question that arises, of course, is
perhaps inevitable, not just in this election, but
in other elections to come, as the post-World War
II generation comes to leadership. And it is:  Can
someone who has never served in the military serve
as Commander in Chief?

     Lincoln might have thought the question odd.
He used to joke about his lack of military
experience, saying the only blood he lost in
defense of his country was to mosquitoes.  As a
Congressman, he had been a passionate critic of the
Mexican War, and the sum total of his military
experience consisted of a few weeks as a militiaman
called to service during the Black Hawk War, in
which he saw no action.  And yet he had the
judgment and the wisdom and the strength of
conviction to lead America through its bloodiest
and most painful conflict.

     In our own century, the professorial Woodrow
Wilson -- a Governor who was never in the service -
- led America and its allies to "make the world
safe for democracy" in the First World War, and
another Governor Franklin Roosevelt proved himself
one of history's greatest wartime commanders,
though he had never served in the military.

     In 1980, still another Governor, Ronald
Reagan, was derided for having spent more time
filming "Hellcats of the Navy" than actually
serving in the armed forces during Word War II.
And yet he never wavered from the use of American
might when he felt it was right.

     In President Bush's administration, Secretary
of Defense Dick Cheney, who had deferments during
the Vietnam era, has served with genuine
distinction, especially during the Gulf War.

     Our history -- and common sense -- tell us
that competent commanders draw their wisdom from
the strength of our country -- and our countrymen
and countrywomen.
			...
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