George Villiers Quotes
And as they pass, turn back and laugh at me.
Villiers, George. The Rehearsal. Thomas Dring, 1672, Act I, sc. 1.
The President had negotiated the League of Nations as a part of the treaty negotiations ending World War I. However, he could not sell the idea to the Republican controlled Senate and the treaty was never ratified. This was the death of the League of Nations, a predecessor organization to the United Nations. America had gone into a period of extreme isolationism which in many way enabled WWII to get started. After WWII, the nation did not make the same mistake and the establishment of the United Nations was ratified handily. President Truman, however, was a much better salesman than President Wilson had been, and perhaps more important, the Republicans and Congress had never been involved in the League of Nations negotiations, whereas Truman had involved them heavily in a bipartisan effort.
Calling for President George W. Bush to replace Dan Quayle as Vice President:
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910. This is why politicians fear ridicule worse than any other form of attack. If it is funny enough, the message sticks and is constantly remembered and repeated even if it is clearly exaggerated or untrue. Ridicule is however, very difficult to do well. Done poorly, it can backfire and appear mean-spirited and craven.
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, KG, was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and possibly also a lover of King James I of England. Buckingham remained at the height of royal favour for the first three years of the reign of James' son, King Charles I, until a disgruntled army officer assassinated him.
