Posted on 05/27/2003 1:48:25 PM PDT by arual
President Bush draws regular criticism for his reliance on his brilliant aides and advisors. But he’s hardly the first chief executive to depend on powerful, largely unseen assistants. In his award-winning book, "The Shadow Presidents," Michael Medved exposed for the first time the secret history of the White House, providing fascinating, often shocking accounts of the little-known individuals who stood behind the Presidents of the United States and helped determine the success or failure of their administrations. Published in 1979 by New York Times Books, universally acclaimed by critics and historians, "The Shadow Presidents" has been out of print for more than 15 years and unavailable in any form until now. In this series of history broadcasts, Medved updates and dramatizes his ground-breaking research, telling the amazing and riveting story of the odd assortment of public servants who toiled in the White House Shadows. PART ONE: RAISING THE CURTAIN, LINCOLN’S SHADOW AND ORVILLE THE INCREDIBLE This section includes an overview of the White House staff and how it developed. Before 1857 Congress stubbornly refused to pay for any assistant to the President not even a secretary to help him with letters! Early White House assistants received their pay from the President’s own pocket, like Tobias Lear, faithful secretary to George Washington, who sat with the great man at his death bed, and then measured his body after his demise, so posterity would know his true dimensions. Part I of this exciting new series of First Person History broadcasts details the history of the White House staff from its beginnings, through the Grant administration. The main characters include the two brilliant, dedicated, but immature young men (both in their twenties!) who lived in the White House and served Lincoln during the War Between the States, and the charismatic, handsome and dashing scoundrel who almost single-handedly destroyed the Grant administration. You’ll hear the amazing story of how a young White House aide, with no authorization at all, negotiated for the US to take over an independent, sovereign foreign nation and how he almost succeeded in making the land grab stick! Intimate, nostalgic, inspiring and hugely informative, this first installment of the new Shadow Presidents series will delight anyone who has previously enjoyed the history broadcasts of the Michael Medved show.
I concur!
Great country we have isn't it? We've come so close to losing it but, always, at the right time the right person comes in and/or the voters come to their senses.
Read an account of Reagan during this era which I cannot find. It went like this: A friend of Reagan's called on him in his office and found Reagan slumped at his desk with his head in his hands. He kept saying "I don't know what is going to happen to America, I just don't know". Are you familiar with this? I believe Reagan was referring to Wallace but am not sure.
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