Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute John Robert Thomas, born October 11th 1846. Outbreak of civil war, he enlisted in the Union Army and rose to captain. The regiment battled through Georgia and the Carolinas. Peace restored, Thomas moved to Illinois and was county prosecutor . In 1878, he won first of five congressional terms. His service on the naval affairs committee contributed to building innovative steel ships. Receiving his vote were the Antitrust Act, the Land-Grant Colleges Act and the Forest Reserve Act. President William McKinley named him federal judge for Oklahoma territory. He served on a commission that codified state laws. Age sixty-eight, prison inmates trying to escape killed the venerable Republican. a Sooner eulogy: "one of the best known and best loved men who ever lived in Oklahoma" Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Huan Nguyen. The teenager arrived in the United States after the fall of Saigon. As he recalled: "I was one of those refugees, apprehensive about an uncertain future, yet feeling extremely grateful that I was here at all. The images that I remember vividly when I arrived at Camp Asan, Guam, now Asan Beach Park, were of American sailors and Marines toiling in the hot sun, setting up tents and chow hall, distributing water and hot food, helping and caring for the people with dignity and respect. I thought to myself how lucky I am to be in a place like America. Those sailors inspired me to later serve in the United States Navy." Nguyen studied electrical engineering at Oklahoma State University and Southern Methodist University, manufacturing engineering at Purdue University and information technology at Carnegie Mellon University. He r...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor Sophia Holmes, born in Washington DC around 1830. She was a free African-American whose birthdate was not recorded. Her husband, an emancipated slave, was killed during the Civil War. James Wilson, a Republican Senator, and James Blaine, a Republican Representative, took action in support of Holmes and her two children. On their recommendation, the Treasury Department hired her as a janitor. Within weeks, she uncovered a plot to steal $200,000 in newly printed currency. In gratitude, the U.S. Treasurer appointed her to the official position of messenger, at three times her previous salary. Holmes was the federal government’s first African-American civilian employee. She remained at the Treasury Department thirty-two years. Death came on October 10th 1900. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote t...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor Myron Herrick, born in Ohio, October 9th 1854. The talented attorney started out working for a bank, rising to be its president. He co-founded prominent corporations including Union Carbide and Quaker Oats. Political activity began on the Cleveland city council. This protege of Republican titans William McKinley and Mark Hanna served on the Republican National Committee. Herrick cast an electoral vote for Benjamin Harrison. In 1903, he was elected Governor. President Taft appointed him Ambassador to France. While again Ambassador there during the Coolidge administration, Herrick welcomed Charles Lindbergh after his transatlantic flight. Paris named a street for him. 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 wor...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Leonard Wood, born October 9th 1860. Graduating from Harvard Medical School, he enlisted with the Army Medical Corps. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Apache conflict. His career flourished as personal physician to President Cleveland and President McKinley. Outbreak of the Spanish-American War, he recruited the Rough Rider regiment and left Theodore Roosevelt in command when promoted to brigadier general. A second star was conferred after service in the Philippines. President Taft appointed him Army Chief of Staff. After being considered for the 1916 Republican presidential nomination, Wood was a serious contender in 1920. He led five rounds of voting before losing to Warren Harding on the tenth ballot. The incoming president named him Governor-General of the Philippines. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is m...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I highlights Republican respect for our nation’s heritage. October 8th 1984, in Baltimore, Ronald Reagan dedicated a statue of Christopher Columbus. Its marble base featured his three ships – the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María – along with an inscription Discoverer of America .  This memorial was funded by the Italian American Organization United of Maryland and the city’s Italian American community. Reagan praised "the son of a Genoa weaver" as "a man of vision". He continued: "America has quit listening to the gloom and doomers. We’ve left self-doubt and pessimism aside. We’ve reclaimed our heritage, personified by individuals like Christopher Columbus." July 4th 2020, Democrat thugs destroyed the statue and dumped it into the harbor. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil r...