James Knox Polk 1845 to 1849 Polk wanted to wrest California and New Mexico from Mexico. He forced the Mexicans into war by duplicitous negotiations and was surprised at the stiff resistance they offered. His prosecution of the Mexican War cost thousands of lives and permanently soured our relations with Mexico. There is some evidence that Polk lied to Congress in his request for a declaration of war against Mexico similar to the way Lyndon Johnson, another Democrat would “exaggerate” the Tonkin Gulf incident to expand the Viet Nam War 120 years later. [13] In fairness it must be said...