The Ike quote that finally landed here reminds me of an earlier blog entry I put together elsewhere. Its point was to make clear the obvious lack of moral character of the Republicans today. A man should be judged by how he stands and accepts responsibility on his worst days, not on his best moments.
Harry S. Truman, The Buck Stops Here
John Kennedy, who inherited the Bay of Pigs plan from Ike, after its spectacular failure: "We intend to accept full responsibility for our errors, and we expect you to point them out when we miss them."
Lyndon B. Johnson, We have talked long enough in this country about equal rights. It is time now to write the next chapter-and to write it in the books of law.
Jimmy Carter, following the failed Delta force rescue of hostages, It was my responsibility as president to launch this mission. It was my responsibility to terminate the mission.
Bill Clinton, on his pardon of Rich, I take full responsibility for it. It was my decision. Nobody else made the decision.
As for current Republicans...
I have some below the break, but would appreciate any you could add.
What was going on in the midnight shift in Abu Ghraib prison halfway across the world is something that clearly someone in Washington, D.C., can't manage or deal with,. I have no regrets. Donald Rumsfeld
Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties. Bush to his top advisor, Pat Robertson before the Iraqi war.
I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain -- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president. --George W. Bush, as quoted in Bob Woodward's "Bush at War"
I know it was attributed somehow to some ingenious advance man from my staff -- they weren't that ingenious, by the way. President Bush on "Mission Accomplished" banner.
We will not do anything that harms our economy, because first things first are the people who live in America. President Bush on Kyoto.
God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them. According to Mahmoud Abbas, said by Bush to him as reported by Haaretz, June 26, 2003.
You know, I just - I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet. Bush in response to the famous, have you made mistakes question.