Posted by
Gamecock on Sunday, February 25, 2007 8:57:34 AM
First of all, this is not a list of who I deem the best Presidents per se, in terms of accomplishments in office.
Secondly, I deem only George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as worthy of having national holidays celebrated in their honor.
Thirdly, I have always allowed my office employees to be off on all days banks are closed, except for this day after it was changed from Washington's Birthday to Presidents Day.
Those I deem worthy of celebrating today and why:
1 - Washington for his military leadership, character, conduct in office and his voluntary relinquishment of power which sealed the greatest political revolution in Earth's history.
2 - Adams for his religious faith, steadfast loyalty to the Revolution, and his sacrifices for the revolution.
3 - Jefferson for his Declaration of Independence, unilateral defeat of the radical Muslim Barbary Pirates (without congressional approval) that sought to control access to sea trade lanes, and Louisiana Purchase.
4 - Jackson for his military leadership including his actions that saved New Orleans and put an exclamation point of defeat on the British in the War of 1812, his removal actions that prevented the Cherokee Nation for being eliminated by angry Georgians due to the Indian's violation of private property rights, his defiance of an unconstitutional Supreme Court ruling that sought to prevent him from said action, his expansion of democratic rights and participation beyond the aristocratic class, being born in South Carolina and for not invading his home state over disputes with John C. Calhoun over nullification.
5 - Polk for Texas, 54.40 or fight and the Gadsden Purchase
6- Lincoln for saving what Washington made possible.
7 - FDR for leading us through the Great Depression and WWII, and for bringing the South back into the United States.
8 - JFK for his "this issue is as old as the Bible" Oval Office speech on race that framed the issue in moral terms that Southerners understood.
9 - Reagan for standing up to communists that tried to take over his union in Hollywood and until his death, supply side tax cuts, Strategic Defense, i.e. Star Wars, rebuilding the US military, lifting the American spirit, calling Evil by its name, defeating the evil USSR and liberating nearly half the world, aiding the Contras, his Christian faith, walking out on Gorby in Iceland, making the moral case against abortion and for Knute Rockne, All American and Heaven's Gate.
10 - George W. Bush for his strong leadership after 9/11 thru today, for never showing weakness to the enemy, for liberating two countries, for making the case for freedom and self government for all, tax cuts, great judges, refusing to cave on opposing carving up new fetuses for science, for running a color blind administration, and for his living witness of the power of faith in Christ.
see also discussion at Redstate
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
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