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

Reader Comments

Back to blog

"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

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

Michael Barone

Michael Barone

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.

advertisement

Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Obamacare Opponents Have to Keep Pushing Repeal

The way to repeal Obamacare is to hasten its ugly results.

Can Obama's Berlin Speech Match John F. Kennedy's and Ronald Reagan's?

The two famous Berlin speeches almost never were.

Reform Conservatives Need to Tackle Unemployment and Jobs

"Reform conservatives" are doing good work, but need to think about the ills of long-term unemployment.

If Background Checks are Good Enough for Guns, They're Good Enough for Jobs

Employers need to be able to consider all factors before making a hire.

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Is Neither a Whistle-Blower Nor a Civil Disobeyer

Resisters who break a law must accept that they may be arrested and have a duty to submit to punishment.

Obama Should Bring Small Business Owners on His Trip to Africa

This country needs a national reality show.

Syria, Israel and the Obama Administration's Absentee Foreign Policy

Creating a mess you are going to leave for someone else to clean up is not a good way to manage U.S. foreign policy.

advertisement