Posted on 08/04/2021 11:05:24 PM PDT by Impy
In February 1958, the immense prime-time audience that tuned into Edward R. Murrow’s CBS program See It Now was treated to a historical first: a television interview with a former president of the United States. Among various other topics, the great journalist asked Harry Truman about how he was getting along financially.
As was his custom, the plainspoken Missourian minced no words about his situation. “You know,” Truman told Murrow, “the United States government turns its chief executives out to grass. They’re just allowed to starve.” Truman went on to claim that only his recent inheritance of the family farm was keeping him off the welfare rolls: “If I hadn’t inherited some property that finally paid things through, I’d be on relief right now.”
The tale of financial woe Truman was telling the television public was the same one he had been repeating privately to leaders of Congress, as he pushed for a bill to provide him with a pension. “Sam, I’m not lobbying for the bill,” Truman had written to Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn a few months earlier. But if the bill did not become law, he added ominously, he would have to “go ahead with some contracts to keep ahead of the hounds.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nymag.com ...
Oh yeah, he also embezzled a ton of money from an expense account while President. This may have been a factor in his not running again in 1952.
Ping
Not a Truman fan?
No. I remember reading his campaign spiel from ‘48 back in the year 2000, it was the same crap Gore was saying.
I think Truman realized that Ike was gonna win in a landslide. If he didn’t run he wouldn’t be embarrassed.
Sorry…I just read your homepage.
I withdraw the question, your honor.
Truman had an attorney friend complete the application for a law license but it was never notarized so he never practiced law (in 1996 he was granted a posthumous license). Had he but followed through he could have worked to pay his own bills, as we all do. Democrats are lazy. They also created this atmosphere where people who hate the USA get to represent it. I watched a video of LiberalHivemind on that woke hammer throw goon being crushed at the olympics, and you can check it out at Whatfinger News in crawler link top of page. Disrespect the American flag and I shun you like you were a bad Amish. Truman was a piece of work, and was involved with the klan (just like Hillary’s mentor Robert Byrd).
Why would anyone sane be?
Recycled BS. The left never want problems actually solved because then they would have nothing to run on next time.
If you can’t win, don’t play. I don’t gamble, I play poker. You are allowed to sit out, or fold. Can’t do that in other things.
New York Magazine is a lefr wing rag.
What does left wing rag New York Magazine have to say about
Bill Clinton?
Obama?
Weird stream of consciousness post,
Truman equls female hammer thower in 2021 Olympics.
It’s like saying public teachers are underpaid. They live paycheck to paycheck. Riiiiiight!
While they drive around in their $50000 automobiles and retire with million dollar pensions. /spit.
Truman was a good man. Asking for a pension for himself and future presidents could - in a better world - have stopped the kind of Presidential graft we see today: the 'big guy' and Hunter and the creepy Clinton grifters... Truman underestimated democrat greed.
Bump!
Well...how about that? Thank you!
He didn’t run in ‘52 because he knew, unlike Stevenson, he could not beat IKE. DDE was considered to be the hero of the ETO that defeated Germany and Italy. Sure, Truman ordered the bombs to be dropped on Japan, which finally ended the war, but DDE was a 5-star General who saved Europe.
I hope that makes sense. Just dragging from my memory and it’s waaaay past my bedtime. ...I was 10 in ‘52.
Truman was complicated. He was a competent president and an intelligent one, but he was also a very petty man who could be quite spiteful.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.