This group has included blacksmiths, bankers, lawyers, plantation tutors, derivatives salesmen and professional politicians. Many served in seemingly modest offices like Northampton County Recorder of Deeds. One became our Governor. Another, a U.S. Senator.No convicted felons for some reason.
I'm referring to Lehigh Valley citizens who have served in the U.S. House of Representatives, from Samuel Sitgreaves, the first person to have that honor, to incumbent Charlie Dent. Steve Barron has an interesting history at his blog, Roadside Americana. Joe DeRaymond, who recently passed away, has another short history, strictly limited to the 15th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, at Counterpunch.
The scariest of these creatures, hands down, is Democrat Francis "Tad" Walter, elected during FDR's second term. He chaired the powerful House Committee on Un-American Activities. Along with senatorial counterpart Joe McCarthy, Walter presided over a star chamber that blacklisted and ruined the lives of many Americans in an anti-Communist witch hunt.During one such 1960 hearing in San Francisco, where police fire hosed and dragged student protesters away, Sovietologist William Mandel was asked the usual "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" His eloquent reply?
"Honorable beaters of children, sadists, uniformed and in plain clothes, distinguished Dixiecrat wearing the clothing of a gentleman, eminent Republican who opposes an accommodation with the one country with which we must live at peace in order for us and all our children to survive. My boy of fifteen left this room a few minutes ago in sound health and not jailed, solely because I asked him to be in here to learn something about the procedures of the United States government and one of its committees. Had he been outside where a son of a friend of mine had his head split by these goons operating under your orders, my boy today might have paid the penalty of permanent injury or a police record for desiring to come here and hear how this committee operates. If you think that I am going to cooperate with this collection of Judases, of men who sit there in violation of the United States Constitution, if you think I will cooperate with you in any way, you are insane!"
OK, so Walter was the scariest, but who took the most abuse? We are in the midst of another Congressional race, and things are already getting heated. But imagine how one-time plantation tutor Phillip Johnson must have felt, when rushed by an Easton mob during the Civil War. Here's an excerpt from an Evening Express account: "At an early hour in the evening, a party of men, many of them returned volunteers, proceeded to the residence, in Centre Square, of Hon. Philip Johnson, member of Congress from this District, and elevating an effigy of Mr. J., they set fire to and burned it, in the presence of Mr Johnson, who sat upon his front step with one or two friends. After the burning of the effigy the crowd made a rush in the direction of Mr. J., who fled into the house on their approach, and escaped."
Wow! And I thought I knew American history, especially my Pennsylvanian history.
ReplyDeleteBern, thanks for the lesson.
Wow. And I thought Dent was bad.
ReplyDeleteToday was a busy day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and celebrate it.
ReplyDeleteWe entertained the President of Lebanon, two of his cabinet members (one being the Minister of Defense), all of the Lebanese Ambassadors to the United States, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and his wife,
the U.S. Secret Service men and women, State Department aides and security, and Security to the Lebanese President as detailed from the Lebanese Embassy.
We made the news in the Middle East, especially and of course, in Lebanon, the Vatican, and some stations in D.C.
I, as usual, was the attendant to the celebrant and the Bishop. If you have Dish Network, look for me on L.B.C. (Lebanese Broadcasting Channel.)
Whenever a dignitary comes to our facilities, a security detail is provided for them. Now thanks to the secret service and their detail for their hospitality; I officially have a lapel pin for every security agency in the U.S.
Maybe I should do something special with all of those pins. Like put them on a hat, a card, or on my lapel? Can you image the face of the agent to notices those mementos when I go through customs or have to be detained for any reason? That might put me in detention, faster!
P.S. - Finals stink!
Wasn't Bobby Kennedy a staff lawyer for that committee?
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
He was Scott... Here is an article about it from the Village Voice!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.villagevoice.com/2001-01-23/news/the-man-who-stood-up-to-bobby-kennedy/
This is pretty amazing. Thanks for posting Bernie. Apparently the LV has always been a fertile ground for what Richard Hofstadter called the "paranoid style" in American politics, so much so that we sent a red-baiter to Congress. Allentown was also ground zero for the cranks who feared flouridation was a Communist mind control plot. The same class of rubes are still Republicans' primary base of political support in the LV, and people should understand that voting for Republican candidates is tantamount to making common cause with these overheated mouthbreathers. Remember this video of the hardcore Dentards who turned out for Palin's stop at Lehigh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqb3mNNy9LI
ReplyDeleteThese are the people who win if Dent is reelected.
Jonathan Geeting,
ReplyDeleteI was present when that video was shot, standing there. I posted a blog about it. At the time, there were some Obama supporters across from the crowd filing in to see McCain. This crowd was taunting the Palin crowd with some prertty vulgar stuff. Mike Morrill chose only to record the responses being made. It was completely distorted. Dishonest. In truth, both sides were acting like assholes.
If anyone wants proof of that, all one needs do is read some of your own inflammatory remarks onm this very blog, which add nothing to anything.
Bernie, in fairness isn't that what you do on a consistent basis? Mike Morrill is at least talented. He is does just what you do. He picks and chooses the convenient truth to push his agenda or project. I would say you are much less honest and fair than he.
ReplyDeleteNo. I was there that day and wrote a blog tagging both sides for the venom hurled at each other. The truth that day is that it was mostly good natured. There was some venom, from both sides. That's how I reported it. Then Morrill's slanted video appeared, attempting to marginalize just one side. I certainly have my POV, but you confuse an admitted bias with deception. In Morrill's case, it was both bias and deception.
ReplyDeleteTypical stuff today, Captain.
ReplyDeleteBoth in terms of articles and reader comments.
Yawn. Your fans need to come up with some new insults.
Romper Room was always better anyway.
Have a pleasant week.
Wow. Francis Tad Walter a Democrat that a Jonnie Geeting could love.
ReplyDeleteHey, he supported FDR, so he's probably good to go in the Geetster's little red book of "Kool-Aid Swallowers I Can Chug With."
Great post, Bernie.
And now communists run the country. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked since most bigoted anti-semite whack jobs are Republicans.
ReplyDelete"I'm shocked since most bigoted anti-semite whack jobs are Republicans."
ReplyDeleteYeah, like Jesse Jackson and Lyndon Baines Johnson. Or hey, how about Congressman Moran from VA -- one of Nancy Pelosi's key allies.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney -- do you reall want to go down this path?
Epic Fail. Jerk.
Really, LBJ, really??? The best President for Blacks since Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteI would think you would love LBJ, he helped solidify the Southern Strategy and made sure Republicans have the racists since the late 1960's.
No, I am happy for my statment to stand. In the 21st Century the bigoted, anti-semite Republican Party with its mouthpiece FOX Noise has proven itself again and again. The election of an African American President has brought out the true venom in the Republican ranks. So much so you have resorted to teabaging(Fox words not mine) to make your point.
You'd be just like "Tad" if anyone was ever stupid to put you in power.
ReplyDelete"Teabagging" is CNN's Anderson Cooper's word, obviously.
ReplyDeleteTad Walters was my grandfather's uncle on my mother's side of the family
ReplyDeleteAnderson Cooper had nothing to do with the Teabagging word use (weak attempt at homophobic humor) it was Ann Marie Cox who created Wonkette sold it for millions and now works for Air America and shows up on MSNBC from time to time