Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Horacio Rivero, born in Puerto Rico, May 16th 1910. Graduating third in his class at the U.S. Naval Academy, he served aboard two cruisers and three battleships. He later studied electrical engineering at MIT. During the Second World War, Rivero served as gunnery officer in the Pacific. He saved his ship damaged by a typhoon. He commanded a destroyer during the Korean War. President Dwight Eisenhower promoted him to Rear Admiral. Throughout most of the 1960s, he was Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Rivero retired as Four-Star Admiral. He merited praise for being "an inspiration to everyone." President Richard Nixon appointed him Ambassador to Spain. Back to Basics for the Republican Party  is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more D...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I appreciate Republican resolve. May 14th 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower and one hundred thousand others welcomed home the Vice President and his wife on their return from an eight-country South American tour. Richard and Pat Nixon had nearly been murdered in Caracas. They were well received before their final stop in Venezuela. Communist agitators attacked Nixon's motorcade and tried to kill him. They shattered his car windows and tried to overturn the vehicle. Secret Service agents drew their weapons, but the calm and cool Vice President ordered them not to fire. Venezuelan soldiers eventually arrived. In response, U.S. naval ships and troops had been ordered to the region, but military action proved not to be necessary. Back to Basics for the Republican Party  is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I highlight the Women’s Loyal National League, the country’s first political organization for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony had called for it in a newspaper editorial, an  Appeal to the Women of the Republic . They recognized a role for women in supporting the Union cause during the Civil War. May 14th 1863, activists gathered in New York City. Morning session was at a church, with afternoon session at the Cooper Institute. Lucy Stone, another Republican icon, presided. Attendees passed an important resolution: "There can never be true peace in this republic until the civil and political rights of all citizens of African descent and all Women are practically established." Funds were raised by selling metallic pins featuring the words "In Emancipation is National Unity" and the image of a slave breaking h...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I highlight Republican integrity. May 14th 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. President Trump announced: "On December 6th 2017, at my direction, the United States finally and officially recognized Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel. Today we follow through on this recognition and open our embassy in the historic and sacred land of Jerusalem." "This city and its entire nation is a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people. The United States will always be a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace." Back to Basics for the Republican Party  is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more infor...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Melvin Maas, born in Duluth, May 14th 1898. During WWI, he flew reconnaissance missions over the Atlantic. Restoration of peace brought him back to the family insurance business. Age twenty-eight, this conservative Republican won first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Weeks before leaving Congress, he disarmed a crazed gunman in the visitors gallery. One term out of office, and his constituents returned him for five more terms. While a Member of Congress during WWII, Maas flew combat missions in the Pacific. Losing for another term, he commanded an airbase at Okinawa. Shrapnel wounds eventually caused total blindness. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower named him to chair his Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. Back to Basics for the Republican Party  is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the ...