Fairweather

In all fairness, you have to really measure all these guys against their era. In effect , you could consider Lincoln a racist today, since he didn't really support abolition until it seemed nescessary to hold the union together. One of Teddy's big accomplishments was stemming the tide of big business gaining more and more power. Unfortunately the trend seems to be reversing today... Lincoln was an abolishionist all along. This is (mostly) why the south hated him so. He just didn't issue his emancipation proclamation as law until it became politically expedient to do so.

Teddy was a conservationist, but I doubt he would submit to the label, environmentalist.

"Progressive" only by the standards of his day. Certainly not a liberal by standards applied then, or now.

Theodore Roosevelt. Most "moral" president: Jimmy Carter

A nice quotable! And how true.

Since you asked.... 1860/61. Lincoln stumbled headlong into a civil war that his very election helped create. He raised an army to suppress the southern rebellion, and then pushed them into offense before they were prepared. McLellan was right to hold back. Lincoln relieved him of his command. Consider this: a Union Army, superior in both sheer numbers and weaponry, was largely slaughtered - by an almost 2:1 margin! - and by a fairly rag-tag southern fighting force, under brilliant southern generalship. Lincoln had his victory in the end, but at a horrible.. and avoidable cost. 1863. Lincoln had draft riots in New York put down with brute force. 1000 dead. (Mostly new Irish immigrants unwilling to fight as draftees for the union.) Closed unfriendly newspapers and suspended Writ of Habeas Corpus. 1864. Unleashed General Sherman on the south. During his 'march to the sea' he vowed to "make Georgia Howl". Untold thousands of southern civilians died at the hands of union troops. Southern cities burned and looted. The slaughter of American Indians by union troops continued unabated in the west, including the massacre of Arapaho and Cheyenne as they awaited surrender terms on Nov 29, 1864 at Sand Creek. Only when public support for the war was waining did Lincoln issue his Emancipation Proclamation. Remember, four Union States had remained slave states prior to this! Don't get me wrong, I think The Confederacy was an abomination. And I think the credit Lincoln gets for holding the United States together is well deserved. But the price he paid was very, very high.

....Back to the thread title: I have given this some serious thought over the years and I believe that the worst and the best American president is one-in-the-same....

Did I say censorship? Re-read the post, asswipe. Then go bury your head in the sand so you don't have to hear ideas and opinions you don't like.

Yes to all. If supplying < than one-half of one percent of Saddams fighting capacity (versus France and USSR contributions that were many times greater)constitutes "arming Saddam". Get a clue, Dru.

Actually, Matt, Bush Sr. was in office when the USSR imploded. But then you never have been much for research and/or facts when it comes to facing your political biases as demonstrated here, once again. Ronald Reagan: Right about communism. Right about the 70% top marginal tax rate being an obstacle to economic growth. Right about central america. Right about the middle east. Wrong about forest policy and raw log exports.

Do we really need to listen to this insulting spew? I, for one, am going to ignore FT starting now. Anyone care to join me? Hey Skeezix, Shall I ignore posts from all the left-wing kooks like you, Dru, Dr Flash, Iain, Winter, j_b, Sex Choc, etc?? I think this suggestion you have put forth reveals a lot about the mind-set of those (like yourself) who profess to be so enlightened and claim to be the protectors of free speech. Indeed.

This is about as dumb as me trying to put every single republican into one group. I'm also not sure how you group canadians and liberals into one group. Both are distinct and vary within those groups. Ummm.... actually, Josh, you do this on a very regular basis, IMHO. I'll give you credit for not joining the "let's piss on Reagan" bandwagon with Dru, Bug, others who have revealed themselves to be the intolerant, hate-filled bastards that I once only suspected them to be.

Good comments, Merv. And how true!

In the butt, in the mouth, in the pussy....but hey, no rough stuff! I'm curious. Do you think if GWB threw his dental records over the White House wall...do yo think anybody would give a shit? So why won't John Kerry release his military service records to the public????

Of course johndavidjr, if it is in print...then it must be true! You are even more of a tool now than you were in my above post. Why do so many of those on the left dance on the graves of those they hate politically? I don't see the same level of hatred from the right. I certainly would not feel joy if Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy passed on. Dru epitomizes the 'culture of death' that is the left. BTW, that picture you posted was an outrage. Again.... fuck off, Canadian.

Dru and johndavidjr; you are both idiot-tools. Ronald Reagan: When I was in college Reagan-bashing was in full swing. Being the mindless drone that most students are, I bought into the whole scene. Only later, with the real world around me did I realize how great a man, and president he really was. The greatest president of my lifetime. His face belongs on Mount Rushmore. Rest In Peace.

Perhaps to allay her fears, you should consider her request. Especially if you have children. Given that two very experienced climbers have met tragedy on this route recently, I certainly don't consider myself beyond the reach of a similar fate. Give me a call and we'll climb something safer and just as rewarding. ....Just my worthless thoughts.

Are you kidding me!? More than 1 shot is great if you are looking to kill a bunch of your coworkers or engage in a school shotting. You can take a whole crowd out pretty easily; hence the name street sweeper. Josh, Respectfully, I believe you are buying into some common misconceptions... myths even, about the capabilities, uses, and legalities of firearms in general, and shotguns in particular.

...

Boobs are nice, but let's talk fishin'!!

"Hello hot American chicas! My name is Harry Pi, and in spite of my small asian penis, I have no compensation issues...as you can plainly see! Come ride with me now, and lets party!"

Eye dont theenk I be abal too reed it if its spelt like the tietle of yure thred.... I usually don't slam spelling errata, but could you possibly compliment at least some of your anti-Bush rants with the appearance of personal intellect? Main Entry: 1ar·ti·cle Pronunciation: 'är-ti-k&l Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin articulus joint, division, diminutive of artus joint, limb; akin to Greek arariskein to fit -- more at ARM 1 a : a distinct often numbered section of a writing b : a separate clause c : a stipulation in a document (as a contract or a creed) d : a nonfictional prose composition usually forming an independent part of a publication (as a magazine) 2 : an item of business : MATTER 3 : any of a small set of words or affixes (as a, an, and the) used with nouns to limit or give definiteness to the application 4 : a member of a class of things; especially : an item of goods <articles of value> 5 : a thing of a particular and distinctive kind <the genuine article>

Are you talking about GWBush, or Abraham Lincoln?

Ain't the sharpest marble in the baggie now are we? Scott: Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't marbles supposed to be round (you know like a hemisphere)? Why would one desire a "sharp" marble? Are you trying to make a point? Just a minor point, NOLSe: a 'hemisphere' would only constitute half of a marble.