#1. “The Republicans believe in the minimum wage — the more the minimum, the better.”
#2. “Richard Nixon is a no good, lying bastard. He can lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time, and if he ever caught himself telling the truth, he’d lie just to keep his hand in.”
#3. “A bureaucrat is a Democrat who holds some office that a Republican wants.”
#4. “Republicans don’t like people who talk about depressions. You can hardly blame them for that. You remember the old saying: Don’t talk about rope in the house where somebody has been hanged.”
#5. “It's an old political trick: "If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em." But this time it won't work.”
#6. “A leader in the Democratic Party is a boss, in the Republican Party he is a leader.”
#7. "Carry the battle to them, don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don't ever apologize for anything."
#8. "When a fellow tells me he's bipartisan, I know he's going to vote against me."
#9. "Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home--but not for housing. They are strong for labor--but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. They favor minimum wage--the smaller the minimum wage the better. They endorse educational opportunity for all--but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine--for people who can afford them. They consider electrical power a great blessing--but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. They think American standard of living is a fine thing--so long as it doesn't spread to all the people. And they admire the Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it."
#10. “The Republicans … will try to make people believe that everything the Government has done for the country is socialism. They will go to the people and say: "Did you see that social security check you received the other day—you thought that was good for you, didn't you? That's just too bad! That's nothing in the world but socialism. Did you see that new flood control dam the Government is building over there for the protection of your property? Sorry—that's awful socialism! That new hospital that they are building is socialism. Price supports, more socialism for the farmers! Minimum wage laws? Socialism for labor! Socialism is bad for you, my friend. Everybody knows that. And here you are, with your new car, and your home, and better opportunities for the kids, and a television set—you are just surrounded by socialism! Now the Republicans say, ‘That's a terrible thing, my friend, and the only way out of this sinkhole of socialism is to vote for the Republican ticket.’"
Just goes to show that the more things change, the more they are the same.
Indeed . . . . . .:
ReplyDeleteWhenever a Democrat wants to run for office, he or she should have to memorize these immutable facts about Republicans. Harry Truman is maligned by many but he was a great and astute politician.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
"[Republicans] admire the Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it." said Harry Truman -- and they just have. Congratulations, non-voters, you sold it cheap.
ReplyDeleteHarry Truman is one of my favorite Presidents. He just laid it right out there and let you make up your own mind.
ReplyDeleteAll as true today as when Harry said them. However, I have to add one more Truman saying, especially after a lot of the Dems pretended like he didn't exist during the 2014 election:
ReplyDeleteIf you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.
Hope this goes viral -- we need this no so badly.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans exhibit many of the characteristics of sociopaths.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad grew up during the depression, was overseas 3 1/2 yrs during the Second WW, and as he would say was helped by the efforts of the Democratic Party with the GI Bill, and such.
ReplyDeleteWithout the leadership of Roosevelt and Truman none of what he and his fellow WWll veterans received in benefits would have existed had the Rethuglikans been in power.
And though, like so many people, he admired and respected Roosevelt he loved him some Harry Truman. My Dad would quote facts about Truman with the same reverence and love as he did in regards to Joe DiMaggio or Rocky Marciano (Yeah, we're Italian).
My Old Man came from a generation that accepted their responsibilities, shut their mouths and got the job done not looking for fuss or fury over what they had done, but gained their satisfaction from having done it well. For this reason he loved Truman. "Give 'em Hell Harry" exemplified the credo of the WWll generation of men, as well as anyone could have.
Thanks for posting this, Gryphen! I live in Harry's hometown! He was no friend of Republicans.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite sayings of Truman's:
Truman's first words when told of the death of President Roosevelt...
"Oh, Shit!"
Eleanor and Harry, on the death of FDR:
Delete" A calm and quiet Eleanor said, "Harry, the president is dead." He asked if there was anything he could do for her, to which she replied, "Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now."
My Grandpa was quiet man. Honest as the day was long and pleasant to a fault. He was a farmer and Superintendent of the local school. He was a man of principles! And he was the only Democrat of Story County, Iowa back in the early 1900's. I can just see him sitting in his chair, slapping his knee and saying, "That's a good one!" He would do that every time Fibbermagee would open the closet door!
ReplyDeleteHe loved Harry Truman. My brother took movie pictures of Harry and Bess when they made a "whistle stop" on the train in Ottumwa, IA on a very, very cold morning in January. I can still see him standing on that train and waving goodbye with Bess freezing by his side....he smiled and waved to John with his camera until they were out of sight. My Grandpa was so happy he had done that for him. "He was a man of principles and did what he said!" Grandpa never swore a word, but liked to call him "Give em hell Harry"!
He was so sad when Harry ordered the bombing of Hiroshima, but felt it was good it ended the war. He did find it in his heart to forgive him. And that was the last he said about Harry.
My brother put all his home movies on an 8-track and I enjoy seeing that part of Harry and Bess and I smile. Those movies have kept my memories of my family so live in my mind. You can see and hear them talking....you don't get that from a photographers picture. It made Grandpa feel he was standing there freezing waiting to hear Harry speak to him and waving to him when they pulled out of the station.
Otherwise, all the news we had was on the front page of the Des Moines Register delivered to our front door at 6 every morning and it was several days old and the pictures were blurry. Sometimes it is better for war pictures to be blurry. The R&T softened that blow by always having the editorial cartoon on the upper-fold of the paper with Mouldin's "GI Joe's" view of the war from the trenches. Of course, we all gathered around the radio when Walter Cronkite brought us the news at 6 PM and heard the voice of FDR telling us what was going on and to buy War Bonds to support our troops. And Mom would sit over the ration books trying to figure out how she was going to feed us with those coupons and tokens every Saturday night. "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." FDR died and a man named Harry Truman took over. He was from Missouri and made hats. Then one day they told us we dropped an atomic bomb of Japan and there was a mushroom cloud that killed about everyone. The picture of that cloud replaced the cartoon on the front page. Soon the town whistle blew forever and Mom said the war was over. That guy with the funny mustache had killed himself and Germany surrendered. In a 5 year old's mind Germany and Japan was in the same place. I asked Mom if we didn't have to eat ham anymore. Harry Truman was a hero and our boys came home and started farming.
Then Harry and Bess and Margaret went home to Missouri and things were nice until Korea decided we needed a war again and I LIKE IKE happened. More boys went off to wars. They threatened to drop more Atomic bombs and it was hot and cold wars for years in countries I had never heard of. Guess we never learn. Beware of the Military Industrial Complex. I didn't know what country that was but they always seem to start things. They keep throwing up this fear thing so we have to go there so we don't have them come here.....
I remember, as a young child, standing near the train tracks one fall evening in Norristown, PA, to see former President Truman during a "whistle stop" campaign event for area Democratic candidates and for Adlai Stevenson. My father was on the train as a candidate for the State House. He did not win; no Democrat had ever won the district but he did get more votes than any other Democratic candidate ever before. Talk about Harry Truman brings back memories.
DeleteBeaglemom
Thanks for sharing this. President Truman's witticisms are so timeless and timely. This should be made into a poster, t-shirt, coffee mug....
ReplyDeleteJennifer K
Spot on, great read, good job
ReplyDeleteWingnuts are so good at taking control of the language and Democrats are so good at letting them.
ReplyDeleteCall a religious fundamentalist what he is, not his mild, nebulous preferred label of "evangelical".
The truth never get's old or changes.
ReplyDeleteHarry was a plain speaker and said what he thought without filtering it. The closest we have to him today is Joe Biden.
ReplyDelete