Edwin Meese Quotes

On his trip to Germany, Reagan was invited to lay a memorial wreath at the German military cemetery in Bitberg. His staff assistant Michael Deaver had set the trip up but did not know that German Waffen SS Officers were also buried at the cemetery along with the far more numerous Wehrmacht. American Jews and Veterans Groups protested this honor to the SS murderers of millions of people including American prisoners of war. The proposed trip was covered very heavily by the press and editorials throughout the country called for the President to cancel the cemetery part of his trip. He did not. This quotation shows how symbols can take on a meaning that was never intended by the parties.

Barstow the Democratic Governor who had no serious opposition in 1853 found himself challenged for reelection by Coles Bashford of the new Republican Party. The Board of Canvassers reported that Governor Barstow had won reelection but by less than 200 votes in the whole state. The Republicans charged that there had been fraud in some of the rural districts and petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court which ruled that nonexistent precincts had indeed voted for the Governor. Barstow however refused to recognize the decisions of the court claiming that the court had no jurisdiction over the Board of Canvassers who were part of the executive branch. The Republicans held their own inauguration and two men claimed to be Governor. But the Governor claimed that the state constitution did not give the court any authority to deal with the crisis, He even called out the State Militia to maintain his office and intimidate the Supreme Court and keep the “other governor” from the state house. Nonetheless the court ruled that even the Governor had to obey the law and the Supreme Court would determine what the law was. Barstow finally “resigned.” See {587915} & {587917}.

Refusing to negotiate with terrorist kidnappers of Americans: