Moron Alert! Possible new RW Talking Point!. Kinda Long (Sorry)

[MarianJack]

As I'm sure many of you have noticed, one way the bushbots try to elevate their pride & joy is to demean the legacy of any Democratic President.

Yesterday, a ** lover at my wife's school came up with the "fact" that John F. Kennedy stole "...ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country." from, of all people, Warren G. freaking Harding. The man who was considered by many to be the worst president in history before **.

I looked up Harding's inaugural speech. In it he said "Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much of government, and at the same time do too little for it."
http://www.americanpresidents.org/inaugural/28.asp
(my first time trying to post a link. Please forgive me if it doesn't work)

Similar words, yes, but while JFK was issuing a call/challenge to national service, Harding's "mandate" was to get America "back to normalcy". He was also apparently, asking the public to do for Government, not country.

My suggested return for my wife comes from none other than good ole' trickie dickie. In his second inaugural, he said "In our own lives, let each of us ask-- not just what will government do for me, but what can I do for myself?"
http://www.americanpresidents.org/inaugural/36b.asp

I remember my father watching that and saying how it was typical nixon (he HATED nixon with an all consuming PASSION!), advocating selfishness and a "screw the other guy, I'm looking out for number 1" attitude.

Regardless, my opinion is that even if Kennedy's words were similar to Harding's, the intent and meaning was the same. Anybody who looks at the 2 administrations could see the HUGE differences.

If the words were borrowed by Kennedy from Harding, than at least you have to say that nixon's were lifted pretty heavily from Kennedy also.

Pardon my long-windiness, but this may be a new rightie talking point. Hopefully, this is a little ammo against it. At least I feel good writing about 3 actual presidents, instead of this contemptible moron being crowned today.

[prodigal_green]

1. It is a fairly common rhetorical device

juxtaposing opposite ideas within a sentence. Makes it more memorable. Jeez, and where did Clinton "steal" "My fellow Americans" from?