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America's Greatest Presidents
The American Thinker ^ | February 20th, 2006 | Steven M. Warshawsky

Posted on 02/20/2006 11:01:16 AM PST by RightCanuck

Today is “President’s Day.” A holiday originally intended to honor George Washington (and in some states Abraham Lincoln), President’s Day has degenerated into just another day off for government employees and an excuse for large retailers to hold sales.

More destructive to our national consciousness, it has become a day that purports to “celebrate” all presidents equally, the dismal failures along with the towering giants. Perhaps this is why hardly any celebration occurs at all. This is a shame, because the truly great men who have led this nation throughout our history deserve the American people’s most heartfelt thanks for a job well done.

There have been several presidents who have earned the appellation “great” for the leadership and vision they demonstrated during their service in the White House, including Thomas Jefferson, James K. Polk, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and George W. Bush (still a work in progress). Today, however, we must honor three presidents above all others: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan. Each of these men led the United States through a period of deep national crisis, and each time the nation emerged stronger, freer, and more committed to its founding ideals.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: greatestpresidents; presidentsday; reagan
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When I got to that third paragraph and read "George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and ronald Reagan", I just choked up. Wow, I agree, and I got to live at the same time and learn so much. I miss him. He is truly one of the greatest.
1 posted on 02/20/2006 11:01:17 AM PST by RightCanuck
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To: RightCanuck

I pulled out my flamethrower when I noticed the absence of Reagan in the first list, then put it away when I saw his name in the second list.


2 posted on 02/20/2006 11:04:24 AM PST by Gordongekko909 (I know. Let's cut his WHOLE BODY off.)
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To: RightCanuck
>>>>On this President’s Day 2006, let us remember, and take inspiration from, our three greatest presidents: Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. All hail the chief!

MegaDitto`s !

3 posted on 02/20/2006 11:06:35 AM PST by Reagan Man (Secure our borders;punish employers who hire illegals;stop all welfare to illegals)
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To: RightCanuck

Abe Lincoln invaded the South and suspended habeas corpus. For those sins he must be eternally damned.


4 posted on 02/20/2006 11:09:20 AM PST by Mr Ramsbotham (Bend over and think of England.)
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To: RightCanuck

Hey, did someone forget to mention Clinton? He was, after all, the first black president.


5 posted on 02/20/2006 11:09:53 AM PST by adorno
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To: RightCanuck

For Best Presidents, I would have to nominate Chester A. Arthur (enacted the first general Federal immigration law. Arthur approved a measure in 1882 excluding paupers, criminals, and lunatics), William Henry Harrison (only a couple months in office – couldn’t mess things up) and Ronald Reagan (for his contribution to the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War).


6 posted on 02/20/2006 11:10:04 AM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: RightCanuck
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan

Only one of these leaders saw fit to wage war against the states of this Republic.

7 posted on 02/20/2006 11:10:08 AM PST by stainlessbanner (Downhome Dixie)
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To: RightCanuck

I can tell you that Carter and Clinton are the worst presidents that this world has ever seen....carter couldn't do anything without Ms. Lillian's permission....clinton couldn't do anything with his pants zipped up.....


8 posted on 02/20/2006 11:10:12 AM PST by HarleyLady27 (My ? to libs: "Do they ever shut up on your planet?" "Grow your own DOPE: Plant a LIB!")
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To: Gordongekko909

It totally sucks that on President's Day, Washington, Reagan have to share the honor with the like of Jimmy Carter and LBJ.


9 posted on 02/20/2006 11:10:48 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: RightCanuck

Let's see. When I was a child, Abraham Lincoln's birthday was February 12 and George Washington's was February 22. Two of our greats, one day (3-day weekend) to celebrate. Less filling, imo.


10 posted on 02/20/2006 11:11:36 AM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: RightCanuck
As usual my favorite president gets dissed. I think the last really great president we had was Calvin Coolidge.
11 posted on 02/20/2006 11:13:55 AM PST by jecIIny (You faithful, let us pray for the Catechumens! Lord Have Mercy)
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To: Mr Ramsbotham
"Abe Lincoln invaded the South and suspended habeas corpus. For those sins he must be eternally damned."

I seam to recall that Jefferson Davis might have had something to do with starting the war by firing on United States troops in a United States Fort. And while we are on that subject he also suspended the writ of habeus corpus.
12 posted on 02/20/2006 11:16:20 AM PST by jecIIny (You faithful, let us pray for the Catechumens! Lord Have Mercy)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi
Let's see. When I was a child, Abraham Lincoln's birthday was February 12 and George Washington's was February 22. Two of our greats, one day (3-day weekend) to celebrate. Less filling, imo.

Only one day to celebrate, but February was surely the month for the birth of great presidents as Pres. Reagan was also born in February (the 6th).
13 posted on 02/20/2006 11:19:15 AM PST by Anti-MSM (Conservatives wish 9-11 never happened-liberals pretend it didn't!)
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To: RightCanuck

Why is Kennedy on the list? Other than giving a few inspirational speeches, what did he do that was noteworthy, apart from his foreign-policy screwups and not getting us into WWIII?


14 posted on 02/20/2006 11:19:20 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: jecIIny

Actually, the South declared it's independence, and requested the North to vacate their forts in the South. When they refused, they were fired on.

On a completely unrelated note, how the heck did JFK make the list? When reading the history books, I can't see much that he actually did. The philandering, makeup-wearing ponce owes more to the mystique of the Kennedys than to anything he ever did.


15 posted on 02/20/2006 11:21:17 AM PST by stan the beaver (We will kill the ones who eat us, and eat the ones we kill!!)
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To: R. Scott

The modern US Navy also began to take shape during the Arthur administration.


16 posted on 02/20/2006 11:22:21 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Mr Ramsbotham
Abe Lincoln invaded the South

Ever hear of the battle for Ft. Sumter?
17 posted on 02/20/2006 11:24:23 AM PST by HEY4QDEMS (Learn from the past, don't live in it.)
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To: jecIIny

I, too, like Calvin Coolidge--the last president to see himself as a chief magistrate as opposed to an elected king.


18 posted on 02/20/2006 11:26:43 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: RightCanuck
John Kennedy does not fare well in review of history. Khruschev's son indicates that his father saw Kennedy as weak, indecisive and inept. In retrospect, the cold war started to get much hotter when Kennedy was in office and stayed that way until President Reagan's election.

We remember him for facing Khruschev down in the Cuban Missile Crisis. In fact, we gave up missiles in Turkey in trade for the missiles in Cuba. Kennedy totaly screwed the Cuban Brigade in the Bay of Pigs invasion by withdrawing air support that was promised. He did this after they were on the beach.

Kennedy's camelot would never survive if scrutinized at the same level that W experiences today (Although we know it would never happen). We saw him take nepotism to a level that would never be tolerated today, when he appointed his brother Bobbie as Attorney General.

We now know Kennedy had Addison's disease, a fatal disorder. We now know he was a drug addicted womanizer. These facts were completely concealed from the public by a incompetent or complicit press.

The main reason he got a "pass" on all this was Jackie. The public and press were starry eyed over her grace and charm then her martyred heroine status. His memory was untouchable as long as she was alive.

19 posted on 02/20/2006 11:30:44 AM PST by pfflier
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To: jecIIny

Calvin Coolidge. Absolutely. He was the one who said
that he was proud of his administration mainly because
he minded his own business.


20 posted on 02/20/2006 11:31:51 AM PST by Gennaro
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