Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican reverence for religious freedom. November 13th 1889, Benjamin Harrison attended ceremonies for the opening of Catholic University, in the nation's capital. Entering what is now Caldwell Hall, to Hail to the Chief and applause, the President expressed his thanks. Secretary of State James Blaine then delivered formal remarks, that stressed "the impartiality of the American government in dealing with all forms of religion." He spoke of "reverence for learning and for religion, both necessary conditions for her sure and safe." In later years, President William McKinley and President Calvin Coolidge also paid their respects at the Catholic University of America. 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...

Grand Old Partisan  highlights Republican respect for taxpayers. November 12th 2024, President-elect Donald Trump declared: "I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency ("DOGE"). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the "Save America" Movement. It will become, potentially, 'The Manhattan Project' of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of "DOGE" for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive l...

Grand Old Partisan appreciates the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Statues – Three Soldiers . November 11th 1984, President Ronald Reagan keynoted dedication ceremonies for that classic monument adjacent to The Wall : "The memorial reflects as a mirror reflects, so that when you find the name you're searching for you find it in your own reflection. And as you touch it, from certain angles, you're touching, too, the reflection of the Washington Monument or the chair in which great Abe Lincoln sits. The fighting men depicted in the statue we dedicate today, the three young American servicemen, are individual only in terms of their battle dress; all are as one, with eyes fixed upon the memorial bearing the names of their brothers in arms. On their youthful faces, faces too young to have experienced war, we see expressions of loneliness and profound love and a fierce determination never to forget. Today we pay homage not only to those who...

Grand Old Partisan  celebrates more than SEVENTEEN decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I commemorate the dedication of the Marine Corps War Memorial. It depicts raising the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima during WWII. The ceremony took place on November 10th 1954, the 179th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. Presiding was President Dwight Eisenhower. Other dignitaries included Vice President Richard Nixon, the three surviving servicemen and the Marine Corps Commandant. Here is a video of the event –> https://youtu.be/8uCFN-4ijAQ?si=VCdXdHQQBQcvUxV0 This 100-ton, 78-foot tall monument is the largest bronze statue in the world. Casting the 108 pieces took three years. 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 information, see  www.grand...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than SEVENTEEN decades of Republican heroes and heroics.  Today, I salute Newton Knight, born in Jones County, Mississippi, November 10th 1829. He worked a small farm in anonymity until the Civil War. Unusually for the time and place, he opposed slavery. Knight was forced into the rebel army. While on furlough, impoverishment of civilians and depredations by tax collectors shocked him. That many slave-holders were exempt from conscription was another outrage. October 1862, Knight deserted and went home. To protect former rebel soldiers and escaped slaves hiding from the Confederates, he organized a militia company, who elected him its commander. His one hundred twenty-five men battled against their oppressors more than a dozen times. Leading the secessionists against them was a future Democrat governor. March 1864, Knight hoisted Old Glory over the county courthouse. Peace restored, Knight supported the Republican Party. He served as...

Grand Old Partisan spotlights the first time an American chief executive traveled outside the United States while in office. November 9th 1906, Theodore Roosevelt and his wife Edith departed our nation aboard the battleship USS Louisiana, bound for Central America. observed the President: "So far the trip has been a great success, and I think Mother has really enjoyed it. As for me I of course feel a little bored as I always do on shipboard, but I have brought a great variety of books... Mother and I walk briskly up and down the deck together or else sit aft under the awning or in the aftercabin, with the gun ports open and read; and I also spend a good deal of time on the bridge, and of course have gone over the ship to inspect it with the Captain. said the First Lady: "We have had wonderful weather and I spend my time walking up and down the deck or sitting at the stern and watching the two great cruisers which are Theodore’s convoy, and feeling very magnificen...