[CLUE-Talk] Roosevelt's Quote about criticising the President

[Kevin Cullis]

Thought this would be of interest to the Iraq comments and the Dixie
Chicks controversy.


Presidential Criticism

Recently several people have written to ask us about a viewpoint TR had
on criticism of the presidency. This quote was part of an editorial he
wrote for the "Kansas City Star" durning World War I.

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of
public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree
which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or
inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the
Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there
should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means
that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to
praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen
is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of
the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the
American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any
one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or
unpleasant, about him than about any one else."
        
"Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star", 149
May 7, 1918

Source: http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/quotes.htm

I agree and have leaned something new.

Kevin
        
-- 
Kevin Cullis <kevincu at orci.com>