“Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived.” So wrote Senator John F. Kennedy in his 1956 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage.

Courage can be defined as strength in the face of fear, pain, or grief. Political courage is showing such strength while doing what is right, even as pressure mounts from constituents, well-funded political action committees, or one’s political opponents. Kennedy well understood that elected officials face pressure to be liked, to be re-elected, and from special interest groups to do their bidding. 

James Madison called it “a powerful instrument” and a “most complete and effectual weapon” in the hands of Congress, giving them authority over the other two branches of government. And that power was control of the purse strings of the country.

Mississippi was once a solid Democratic state. From the days of Reconstruction until the 1960s, Mississippi voted for Democrats. That’s just the way it was. But the old Democratic Party is no more, a far cry from the days of Jefferson, Jackson, Cleveland, and even JFK. 

This article was originally published at FEE.org on March 5, 2022 and The Epoch Times on March 9, 2022.

One is viewed as among America’s greatest presidents; the other perhaps the worst of all. One is hailed as a savior; the other as a failure. One is given memorials to enshrine his name for all time; the other is pushed into the sea of forgetfulness.

*Originally published at Townhall.com on March 1, 2022:

The most disparaged, defamed, and denigrated American President was, without doubt, Warren G. Harding, who served as the 29^th President from 1921-1923. Leftwing historians and journalists have tarnished his reputation for a century, making it one of the great tragedies of American history.