Elizabeth Lauten Quotes
I get that you are both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class …. Rise to the occasion. Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar.
The two young girls, 16 and 13, were in the background of the White House ritual Pardoning of a Turkey for Thanksgiving. Lauten, one of the extremist right wing hyper partisans of the day became the first political figure to attack the children who had been prior to that “out of bounds” even for the Tea Party Partisans. This attack was so petty and cruel that she was forced to resign the next day. However, many of the rabid Republicans reading the attack agreed showing how far the anti-Obama feeling had spread amongst some on the extreme right. Many other rightists condemned the attack as both immoral for attacking young children who really had no part in politics and incorrect and petty in her criticism. It was a time of hyper partisanship where any attack was a good attack, independent of whether or not it was true or justified.
Elizabeth Lauten, Communications Director for Republican Congressman Stephen Fincher, Open Letter to the two Obama children Sasha and Malia, Facebook Entry, December 1, 2014
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
A reporter had uncovered the fact the President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was having an affair with Lucy Mercer. The publisher explained why the Washington Post would not print the story.
There was a social custom amongst the wealthy women of early American society where if they were moving to a new town, they would present their cards to the established female residents, who would then visit the newcomer at her home. Dolley Madison, anxious to bring some social civilization to Washington, still a rough swamp area, went out of her way to visit all comers and the Cabinet (Department) wives then did the same. However, as the government and Washington grew, this became more and more difficult, and subsequent first ladies wanted more of their privacy and time devoted to family. As America grew in importance, more counties sent ambassadors to Washington, and their wives all expected to be visited and invited. See {620648} for more on the “obligations” of a first lady and cabinet wives.
In the British Constitutional Monarchy of the Victorian Era, the Queen still possessed enormous power and many in Parliament was constantly trying to have Parliament assume many of the Queen’s powers. The Prime Minister was in an awkward position. On the one hand, he was the Queen’s Prime Minister and leader of HER government. At the same time he was the leader of the political party that had won the last Parliamentary election. His party was trying to usurp some of the Queen’s powers and Peel explained to the Queen’s assistant that he would generally side with the Queen against his own party. It is doubtful that Anson and the Queen believed Peel on this point as his position as Prime Minister depended not on his being elected by the voters but by his party members of Parliament. In modern times, the British monarch has few real powers but is still very influential so there are no struggles over power with Parliament.
Luce was the publisher of Life and Time Magazines, the two most important and influential magazines in the country. Mrs. Truman was a plain woman who most of the time of her husband’s presidency did not even live in Washington DC and she did not participate in politics, and never campaigned. Harry Truman resented the fact that she was be criticized by Mrs. Luce and would not have the Luce’s at the White House thereafter.
