WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.519 --> 00:00:12.480 All right, it is President's Day twenty twenty five. Remember 2 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:14.880 in the good old days used to get Lincoln's birthday 3 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:20.000 and Washington's birthday. It makes you wonder wherever they are 4 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.039 in the great Beyond, if they're having a conversation right 5 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:25.800 now saying what did we do wrong? How do we 6 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:29.199 get lumped together? I didn't even like you, But yet 7 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:31.000 that's what we have. We have President's Day to day 8 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:34.039 twenty twenty five when we remember some of the great 9 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:36.640 and some of the not so great presidents in the 10 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:38.679 history of our country. By the way, it's the average 11 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:41.079 American in for the great American. I'm glad wherever you 12 00:00:41.159 --> 00:00:43.759 are you've chosen to join us in police. Whoever left 13 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:46.799 the air conditioning on outside? Could they turn it off? 14 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:47.079 Place? 15 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:51.679 We are not done with winter yet, but it is 16 00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:54.840 a day when we, you know, take time off. I'm 17 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:56.920 not sure how many people are reflecting on the great 18 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.399 leaders this country has had, or even takes the time 19 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:02.039 to figure out who's done, what went and to whom 20 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:06.000 and why where they actually rank in the great list 21 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:10.079 of effective presidents. But I know somebody who has, because 22 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:13.840 he has authored a book called Presidential Power and the 23 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:18.840 American political system. He is a presidential historian, and he's 24 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.599 also a great guest of this program. This day, on 25 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:23.920 any day, would be the perfect day to welcome in 26 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:27.920 doctor Frank M. Sorrentino. How are you on this glorious 27 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:28.680 President's day. 28 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:32.959 I'm doing great. Can It's a pleasure to be with you. 29 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.719 You know, I know, what did we have to lump 30 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.480 Lincoln and Washington together? We don't even know if these 31 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:40.560 two people liked each other, and now all of a sudden, 32 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:42.560 instead of getting two holidays, we get one. 33 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:43.519 How did that happen? 34 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.760 Well, I think it's a matter of you could almost say, 35 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:56.959 adi situation where all the presidents are celebrated regardless of 36 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:02.359 their merit or demerit. Before we were able to distinguish 37 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:07.640 how Washington and Lincoln were outstanding. They had their flaws, 38 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:10.960 but they were outstanding. And to put them in with 39 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:16.479 James Buchanan, Woodrow Wilson, Joseph Biden, I mean, I think 40 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:21.039 there's some judgment that needs to be presented here. 41 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:25.840 Absolutely, this club should have exclusivity. But no, nevertheless, that's 42 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:28.039 our federal government at work. You know, I took some 43 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:32.560 time a doctor before this interview. I took some time 44 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:34.560 over the last few days to do a little research, 45 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:37.159 try to figure out who did what in their presidency 46 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:41.960 and why we should consider this president an outstanding president 47 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:44.759 and this president, you know, kind of a buffoon who 48 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:47.840 just for somehow, some way wound up in the White House. 49 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:51.080 I think, by most accounts, the worst president in my 50 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:53.719 lifetime is the guy that just left office. I don't 51 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:57.280 think there's any question about it. Internationally. Domestically, I'm not 52 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.360 even sure he was president. I think he was a 53 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:03.000 trojan horn. I think he arrived in Washington with a cabal. 54 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:07.240 I think it was an anointment by in South Carolina 55 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:12.639 election year twenty twenty, James Clyburne, the congressman from South Carolina, 56 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:16.520 basically anointed Joe Biden as the candidate, and then COVID 57 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:19.719 and then Trump weariness, whatever you want to say. He 58 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:22.719 arrived as a trojan horse with all of these special 59 00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:26.000 interest groups jumping out of his horse. He's the worst 60 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.800 by far in my lifetime. The worst by far that 61 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:30.879 I could figure out in the history of this country 62 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:34.360 was James Buchanan. I mean, this is the guy that 63 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:38.759 led this country, and it doesn't seem unwittingly led this country. 64 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:42.520 Into the Civil War. As a presidential historian, would you 65 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:45.639 rate James Buchanan the worst president in the history of 66 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:46.199 this country? 67 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:52.560 I agree with that. Not only did he do nothing, 68 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.479 but he actually encouraged the divisions and the contact with 69 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:02.800 Roger Taney, who was the Chief Justice, in supporting the 70 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:09.400 Judge Scott decision, which was known to inflame the passions 71 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:12.240 in the South and the passions in the North. He 72 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:16.480 did more to polarize the nation than any other single 73 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.959 individual at that time. So not only did he not 74 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:25.480 do anything to alleviate to ameliorate, but he did the 75 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:29.839 exact opposite. So I think that prize does belong to him. 76 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.199 Others would say that perhaps Andrew Johnson, who followed Abraham 77 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:37.399 Lincoln after Lincoln was murdered, might be the worst. He 78 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:41.519 was impeached, was acquitted by only one vote in the Senate. 79 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.920 But I give Andrew Johnson a little leeway. I mean, 80 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:48.680 this country was torn apart, The South was an absolute mess. 81 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:52.240 In some cases, it was reduced to rubble, and the 82 00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:55.240 country had to be pieced back together again. I look 83 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:57.959 at Andrew Johnson kind of the same way I look 84 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:03.600 at Gerald Ford. Herided a presidency and there was really 85 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:06.360 a no win situation for either of those guys. I'm 86 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.199 not quite sure that Andrew Johnson was the brightest bull 87 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.920 in the circuit. I think Ford was much brighter and 88 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.720 deserves much more credit than Andrew Johnson. But they were 89 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.079 kind of in the same situation, weren't they. 90 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:22.240 Yes, But I think it's worse than that that can 91 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:27.399 He was a Democrat on the ticket with Abraham Lincoln, 92 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:32.199 and this was Abraham Lincoln's great plan to unify the country. 93 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.560 And nobody ever thought of the vice presidency as a 94 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:39.920 important position, you know, we you know the notion it's 95 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.439 office not worth a bucket of warm spit. I am nothing, 96 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:47.839 but I could be everything. No one expected him, and 97 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:52.839 when he became president after Lincoln's assassination, he had no 98 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:57.920 political party to support him. Now, he was inebriated, perhaps 99 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:01.720 at the time of his inauguration as vice president, and 100 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:06.839 maybe that there was part of his problem is inability 101 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:11.759 to deal effectively with the political class. But I think 102 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:18.519 in all senses he was way above his league. You know, 103 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:21.800 a week always league, I should say, in terms of competition, 104 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:24.959 and no one would have ever taken him seriously if 105 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:30.439 it wasn't for Lincoln would have counted on being assassinated. Yeah, 106 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:31.399 that's a big take. 107 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.480 Yeah, I'm sure, Yeah, I'm sure he never He never said, hey, 108 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:36.199 you know what, today's a good day to die. I'm 109 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:39.639 sure that didn't that didn't cross his mind. And actually 110 00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:44.519 you could throw Harry Truman into that mix. Because FDR died, 111 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:48.120 Truman then was left with how to finish off World 112 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.199 War Two and left with the unenviable decision to drop 113 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:53.680 nuclear weapons on Japan the first time that they had 114 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:57.360 been used. But Truman, I think was a much more 115 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:01.920 likable guy and somebody that went ahead and what his 116 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:05.319 own election. So I think I think Harry Truman, although 117 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:08.959 in a similar circumstance it was of the three, I 118 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:11.240 think was probably the best of the three. 119 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:12.680 Would you would you agree? 120 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:17.639 I think he also rose to the occasion. He was 121 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:24.240 basically selected because Franklin Roosevelt believed that Burns was too 122 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:28.879 far left and would not be able to settle the 123 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.800 issues at the post war. He kept Truman in the dark. 124 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:36.120 Truman didn't know any of the agreements that were made 125 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:40.480 with Churchill or Stalin. He didn't know anything about the 126 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:48.920 Manhattan Project. So Truman, despite that, maybe some crude aspects 127 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:53.959 of him and lack of education. He rose to the occasion, 128 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:57.920 and many people believe he was a quite effective president, 129 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:02.160 although I think there's some serious problems in his presidency. 130 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:09.000 We often talk about the Marshall Plan, which is a 131 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:13.639 great plan, the exact opposite of, let's say, what Woodrow 132 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.759 Wilson did at the end of World War One, although 133 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.720 he did have a stroke at that point. But the 134 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:25.120 Marshall Plan also allowed for a certain percentage of money 135 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:31.639 to go to intelligence and dirty tricks, and he got 136 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:35.960 himself involved in a situation which he said he would 137 00:08:36.039 --> 00:08:41.759 never do because he was opposed to intelligence capacity, called 138 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:46.559 that the American Gestapo. And then when we find out 139 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.799 that we're involved in fixing elections in Italy, were involved 140 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:55.759 in France, were involved in Greece and Turkey, and then 141 00:08:55.799 --> 00:09:00.039 of course the great tobacco of the Korean War, and 142 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:08.000 with Doublasmabatam. So I think he did show some greatness, 143 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:12.600 but at the same time, I don't think he could comprehend, 144 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:16.000 and I would have to say, in fairness, I'm not 145 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:20.480 sure anybody could comprehend the complexities of the post World 146 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:23.120 War through period. He tried his best style. 147 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:26.320 Yeah, no, I think he did, and I think I 148 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.519 think history has been very good to him. 149 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:30.039 Of course, you have Hoover. 150 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:33.279 The CBS did a ranking, and I don't know what 151 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:35.440 the metrics were. You've got to be careful with this 152 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:39.240 stuff because most of it is mind candy by usually 153 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:42.440 some intern or some low level at these news organizations. 154 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:46.000 But in twenty twenty two they did a ranking of presidents. 155 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:48.159 They had Herbert Hoover the ninth worst. 156 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:50.519 Of course, that was the man who presided over the 157 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.480 Great market crash of twenty twenty nine. They had Reagan eighteenth, 158 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:57.840 but I think the eighteenth best. I'm sorry, I think 159 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:00.960 Reagan was low there. I think Reagan was perfect for 160 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.159 the country what he needed when the country needed it. 161 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:06.519 His presidency did not start off well. A lot of 162 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:08.919 that was the remnants of what Carter left him from 163 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:13.200 an economic standpoint, and true he was scandal ridden towards 164 00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:15.480 the end, and during the middle he had a lot 165 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:18.360 of his I mean, I remember this. You know, Ronald 166 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:20.840 Reagan is the hero of the Republican Party. But I 167 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:22.159 you know, if you want to go back and be 168 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:25.279 honest about it, during his presidency, a lot of the 169 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.320 people that work for him, wound up involved in scandals. 170 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.960 He always stayed above the fray because of his personality. 171 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:36.279 But Reagan, who did great work for this country and 172 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:39.200 getting its back on its feet from a morale standpoint, 173 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:41.559 he wasn't pure either, was he. 174 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:47.360 You know, there's a great expression, No man is a 175 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:53.000 hero to his butler. And when you look both anybody, 176 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:57.399 you find the flaws. And certainly Reagan had his flaws, 177 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:03.200 But we can't underestimate the brilliance, the spirit that he 178 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:09.159 was able to engender, the quiet dignity of his assassination attempt, 179 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:17.720 the steadfastness on defeating inflation and moving the economy growing 180 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:22.919 at five and six percent. Those were outstanding achievements, and 181 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.960 he did preside. Although people give him credit for ending 182 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:32.360 the Cold War, I think the Soviet Union collapsed more 183 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:37.000 than the United States won. But the fact that he 184 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:43.039 managed that, and as Gorbachrow was making adjustments, he changed 185 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:47.759 his rhetoric and tried to cooperate with a peaceful resolution 186 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:54.080 of a dying empire and what was to succeed in Russia. 187 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:58.759 So I think on that basis, I think road Wagan 188 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:04.440 deserves very high marks. Now, Iran contrat is one of 189 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:09.159 the critical things and which I think it belies what's 190 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:15.240 really going on. Uh, they set up an intelligence operation 191 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:21.039 in which the CIA would buy they would set up 192 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:24.720 a corporation, and that corporation would buy defense equipment which 193 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:26.960 would then sell it to Iran, and then the profits 194 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:33.600 would go to Nicaragua fighting the U the Sandinistas. But 195 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:40.039 what that did was display that the financial ability of 196 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:45.240 the intelligence agency of the United States were somewhat independent 197 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:52.080 of congressional appropriations and authorization. Now that's not the first 198 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:57.360 time that happened. It happened in the Iron Triangle in 199 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:01.440 in Southeast Asia, that happened with the pop seeds in Afghanistan, 200 00:13:02.919 --> 00:13:06.840 it happened in South America where the CIA and his 201 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:12.320 attributed groups sometimes involved themselves in the sale of cocaine. 202 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:17.399 And that sale of cocaine was a very lucrative thing 203 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:23.080 which allowed the intelligence agencies to have far more money 204 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:28.840 than anybody anticipated without any controls. And that is not 205 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:33.679 necessarily Reagan's fault, although you would have hoped that he 206 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:36.559 would have been more on top of that. But that 207 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:43.759 goes back to Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and certainly makes 208 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:45.919 and we could go all the way through and find 209 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:53.080 that once we created the national security state, it became 210 00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:55.440 less democratic and less accountable. 211 00:13:55.639 --> 00:13:58.320 We got about thirty seconds here doc This poll by 212 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:02.440 CBS said FDR the best president ever. I disagree with that. 213 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:07.080 I think socially he was a terrific president. But he 214 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:11.000 was a socialist. He led us and I'm not sure 215 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:14.240 it was unwittingly into World War Two. And he tried 216 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:18.159 to pack the Supreme Court and thankfully was stopped by 217 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:21.799 this by Congress. But would in your opinion, who was 218 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:24.600 of all of these presidents the forty seven? Now I 219 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:28.039 guess the forty six, because we have two Trump terms. 220 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:31.759 Of the forty of the forty of the forty six, 221 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:34.639 which which one do you think is the best? 222 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:43.159 I am partial towards Lincoln. I mean sounds cliche, but 223 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:47.600 he was an extraordinary man, and people forget that while 224 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:52.399 he violated the Constitution, he was willing to be impeached 225 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:56.240 and suffer all the consequences to be a matyl on 226 00:14:56.279 --> 00:15:01.240 the altar of democracy in American unity. His second inaugural address, 227 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:07.960 with malice towards none, is one of the great opportunities 228 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:12.879 of an American president to extend himself and extend the 229 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:19.039 nation to reconciliation, healing, and I think no one rhetorically 230 00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:22.919 or intellectually surpasses Lincoln. 231 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:25.320 No, I agree, one hundred one hundred percent. 232 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.279 And unfortunately the problem with history is that the farther 233 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.399 you get away from when history is made, the more 234 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:34.480 distant it becomes, and the voice has become more faint. 235 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:36.679 And it's up to people like you to make sure 236 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:39.120 that that is kept alive. And that's why we love you, 237 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:42.799 doctor Frank Sorrentino. We will do this again. Stay well 238 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:44.600 again if you want to get his book. And I 239 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:46.879 keep saying this, this is a great read. It's called 240 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.279 Presidential Power in the American political system. It is out 241 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:53.000 there right now, and it's a good study as to 242 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:55.919 how we got here and the people had helped it 243 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:58.399 along the way. Thank you, Doc, Stay well, we'll talk 244 00:15:58.440 --> 00:15:58.960 down the road. 245 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:01.360 Thank I appreciate it. 246 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:06.519 Yeah, this CBS newspooll had FDR number one No. At 247 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:09.919 Reagan eighteenth best. They're short selling him. They had Biden 248 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:12.919 nineteenth best. But of course this was in two thousand 249 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:15.559 and two and Biden had not not yet wrecked havoc 250 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:18.240 on the country. But I think for my money, the 251 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:21.759 worst is Buchanan, and I would have to in I 252 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:25.679 would have to go along with the doctor Sorrentino. You know, 253 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.279 unless you were lived through that time, which none of 254 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.360 us have, because everybody that did is gone. You can't 255 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.799 fully appreciate what Abraham Lincoln. 256 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:38.360 Did and why he got. 257 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:42.000 I can't say the word on radio out of his 258 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:47.279 own day. And you know what Georgia ought to feel 259 00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:51.519 that way too. Plus it would have given us one 260 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:57.679 more holiday. Twelve twenty five News Radio seven hundred WLW 261 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:02.399 twelve thirty seven News Radio, seven hundred WLW, Welcome back, 262 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:05.359 the average American in for the Great American Hiring rates 263 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:08.759 are down twenty two percent of unemployed out of work 264 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:14.000 workers in the last six months, twenty six percent of 265 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:18.559 them are not finding work. And if you're looking for work, 266 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.200 it is not the same climate as it was even 267 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:23.799 a year ago. So what's going on here? We'll talk 268 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.640 about that today. Also, dirtiest places on a plane. A 269 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:29.559 lot of people are getting ready to get on a 270 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:30.839 plane and get the. 271 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:33.480 Hell out away from cold weather. 272 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:36.640 Well, if you're getting on a plane for spring break 273 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:40.480 or whatever it may be, a spring break season is 274 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:43.079 coming up here quickly. For some within the next three 275 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.799 three weeks. You're getting on a plane. What should you do? 276 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:51.000 Because planes are filthy, They just are. I mean maybe 277 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:54.079 the filthiest place in the world is a laboratory on 278 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:57.000 a plane, but even more so around your seat, around 279 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:02.119 the windows, trade tables, anyway, dirtiest places on a plane. 280 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.720 Maybe we get you get to where you're going, and 281 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:07.359 you don't get sick when you get there, and then 282 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:11.319 I don't think this is a shock, but there is 283 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.400 now a study that's out that too much screen time 284 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.079 hinders development in toddlers. How many times have you been 285 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:22.839 out at a restaurant, or been with friends, or just 286 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:25.720 been just paying attention to what goes on around you 287 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:29.640 and you see parents putting devices in front of kids, 288 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.640 phones or tablets or whatever it is to entertain the 289 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:37.359 kid while mom and dad probably whip out their devices 290 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:40.720 and start texting to other people. Too much screen time, 291 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:44.960 now we know, is bad for the verbal and psychological 292 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:49.440 development of toddler's So if you're a parent that is wondering, 293 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:51.599 gees share I keep doing that, The answer is no, 294 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.119 and we can tell you exactly what damage you've already 295 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:56.119 done to your kid that's coming up at two h six. 296 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:01.440 Getting back to presidents for a second again, I go 297 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:03.359 back to the CBS News poll. They say the worst 298 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:08.160 is Andrew Johnson, impeached acquitted by one vote. Then James 299 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:12.359 Buchanan led this country into the Civil War. Trump comes 300 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:15.039 next on the list. Now, yeah, this was done in 301 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:20.400 twenty twenty two, when he was impeached twice, acquitted by 302 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.400 the way twice. Sometimes people say, well, he was impeached twice, 303 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:28.359 he was acquitted twice, and I would think most reasonable 304 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:31.079 people would say, if you look at why he was 305 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:35.440 impeached both times in the first place, it was politically driven. 306 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:39.799 They had Carter the twenty fourth best. Jimmy Carter was 307 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:44.200 a brilliant man. He was inept as a president. He 308 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:50.279 couldn't he couldn't deal with inflation, and internationally he led 309 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:53.240 us right into the hostage crisis in Iran. Could never, couldn't, 310 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:56.640 couldn't solve it. Now, he had the he had the 311 00:19:56.680 --> 00:20:00.880 peace accords between Egypt and Israel. Okay, that's great, Camp 312 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:04.839 David Accord. What did that really lead to? Well, we 313 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:07.799 know now not much as we look at what that 314 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:10.759 area of the country is like right now, But at 315 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:13.640 the time it was hailed as a great piece of 316 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:22.519 international legislation and international success. And it was that Biden 317 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:25.559 the nineteenth best president in this poll in twenty twenty two. 318 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:29.160 In twenty twenty two, inflation was out of control. In 319 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:32.759 twenty twenty two, we were beginning to see what was 320 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:35.759 transpiring along the southern border. In twenty twenty two, we 321 00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:40.519 had the botched pull out of Afghanistan. So probably tells 322 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:43.559 you more about the political bent of CBS News than 323 00:20:43.720 --> 00:20:47.559 whether Joe Biden was nineteenth best. I would think there 324 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:50.720 are people inside the Biden family that would not say 325 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.599 that Joe Biden was the nineteenth best president in the 326 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:57.240 United States and only one spot worse than Ronald Rigan. 327 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:02.720 Don't think that's happening. FDR are and I was not 328 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:06.680 alive during FDR's presidency. I would doubt there are there's 329 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:09.160 anybody within the sound of my voice that was alive 330 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.519 when FDR was president. 331 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:15.920 He was He died in April of forty five. But 332 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:19.400 FDR was a bit of a dictator. 333 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:23.759 He was a four term president, and because of that, 334 00:21:24.119 --> 00:21:30.119 legislation was enacted by Congress to limit presidents to two terms. 335 00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:33.960 For a number of reasons, it was almost an imperial rule. Yes, 336 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:36.799 he was guiding us through World War Two, but the 337 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:41.079 attack on Pearl Harbor, if you believe what historians have written, 338 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:43.680 a lot of that could be traced back to the 339 00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:46.680 ineptness of the army and the Navy at that time, 340 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:49.960 directly under the rule of who yes, the commander in chief. 341 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:54.119 Socially he was a terrific president, but he was a 342 00:21:54.119 --> 00:22:01.759 bit of a bit of a dictator, and Lincoln I 343 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:04.039 think was our best president. There's no question in my 344 00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:08.519 mind about that. Washington would be very close because what 345 00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:13.039 we are as a nation today is because of George Washington. 346 00:22:13.079 --> 00:22:15.880 We are not a democracy. If you hear anybody say 347 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:20.640 that this country is a democracy, they're obviously ill informed 348 00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:24.119 or they're just trying to foster a narrative. We are 349 00:22:24.119 --> 00:22:28.079 a republic. We are fifty states that make up one nation. 350 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:34.000 We are a republic. And Washington very easily back then 351 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:38.759 War Hero British defeated. There were those that wanted to 352 00:22:38.759 --> 00:22:43.880 make George Washington king. People in this country, believe it 353 00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:46.799 or not, wanted to make Kim king. And he said, no, 354 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:49.839 that's what we just got done fighting. We're not going 355 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.599 to have a monarchy. We're going to have a republic. 356 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:56.920 There were thirteen states in this case colonies, and they 357 00:22:56.920 --> 00:22:58.240 made up one and. 358 00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:59.160 Then we grew from there. 359 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.720 But without Washington saying that we might have had a 360 00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:06.799 monarchy like exists today in the United Kingdom. And all 361 00:23:06.839 --> 00:23:08.480 you need to do is look at what's going on 362 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:10.559 in the UK, look what's going on in London to 363 00:23:10.599 --> 00:23:15.039 see how that's working out. Not real well, by the 364 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:17.039 way I found this out too. This was pretty interesting. 365 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:18.680 Do you know in the history of our country there 366 00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:22.279 was one president that was arrested while he was president. 367 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:25.759 One president the history of our country who was arrested 368 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:31.960 while he was president, and he guesses us Grant Ulysses Grant. 369 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.240 He was arrested for speeding in his horse and buggy 370 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:41.640 in eighteen seventy two. He had been arrested twice twice 371 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:46.319 before while he was commanding US horses, but in eighteen 372 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:50.799 seventy two, when he was president, he was warned on 373 00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:53.640 one day and the next day the same cop caught 374 00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:56.119 him again speeding in his horse and buggy. Didn't care 375 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:58.799 that it was the president of the United States. They 376 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:02.640 hauled him into jail. He posted twenty dollars to get 377 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:05.480 out a lot of money at that time, didn't show 378 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:08.680 up in court the next day lost the twenty dollars. 379 00:24:09.079 --> 00:24:16.480 Further proceedings were not enforced anyway. That's my little president's 380 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:20.240 spiel on this President's Day. Here's something almost important fact. 381 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:23.960 I think this is even more important. You feel a 382 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:26.400 little down, you feel in a little blue nothing getting 383 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:29.680 up anymore. That makes you want to get out and 384 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:31.240 just say I want to tackle the world. You know 385 00:24:31.240 --> 00:24:34.359 what you should do. Get a dog. Get a dog. 386 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:39.839 Pet ownership, unconditional love, trust and loyalty from a canine 387 00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:44.640 companion not only is beneficial to your mental health, it 388 00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:47.519 can help you lose weight, it can help you meet people, 389 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:50.960 and it can help you make big decisions because of that. 390 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:54.319 Get a dog. Now you got to take care of 391 00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:56.759 the dog when you get the dog. But apparently we 392 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:59.880 now know after I wanted to make sure I've got 393 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.960 the right people that have done this survey. 394 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:03.640 There you go. 395 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:07.960 It's not even somebody that is tied to the canine world. 396 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:12.160 Gallup did this poll here in the last three weeks. 397 00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:16.160 Dogs are good for your health, mental and otherwise. You 398 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:20.720 know who knows that. My next guest, Lee Richardson, has 399 00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:22.839 been on the show a lot. She is a doctor. 400 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:25.359 She is a psychologist, and she is part of the 401 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:28.359