Lewis is a Connection to King's 'I Have a Dream' Speech

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"President Kennedy was conspicuously away from Washington that weekend."

No, he wasn't. He watched King's address on television in the White House living quarters, then met with King and the rest of the major civil rights leadership in the Oval Office afterward. (He did not meet with them beforehand, fearing political fallout had the event erupted in violence - a distinct possibility.)

TA of DC 8:23PM August 29, 2008

Let's remember a couple of things. For years the Democratic Party was, in some regards, the conservative one. Even FDR didn't dare ruffle the Dixiecrat or other conservative Democrat feathers. But ruffle they finally did, first under Truman and then Kennedy, finally Johnson with the Civil Rights legislation. The Democrat conservatives left in a massive huff, became Republicans in a major flip-flop. MLK (not to mention Teddy Roosevelt or Lincoln) would not recognize the current Republican platform, rhetoric, or candidates as their own. At 74 and with a long memory, I am an ex-Republican for the above reason.

JWBrown of FL 10:31AM August 29, 2008

Yes and the Republicans were the ones who got the civil rights acts of 1963 and 64 passed against STRONG Democrat opposition.

There are more than 60 billboards up in Denver reminding the Democrats in Denver that MLK was a Republican.

fs tate of MN 10:55PM August 28, 2008

was a Republican, doesn't anyone remember?

Nancy Eisenhart of CA 10:22PM August 28, 2008

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Michael Barone

Michael Barone

U.S. News Weekly

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Michael Barone is a senior writer for U.S.News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. He has written for many publications—including the Economist and the New York Times.

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