The term “legacy” has been used quite a bit in the past few years.  In fact, in terms of Presidential legacies, it’s usage is almost unknown before the Presidency of William Jefferson Clinton.  I do not remember anyone speaking of the legacy of Jimmy Carter while he was in office.  He left a legacy, but they didn’t speak of it until he was out of office.

 The word “legacy”, according to Dictionary.com means several possible things.  Here is the list that was given:See web results for legacy

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1.

Law. a gift of property, esp. personal property, as money, by will; a bequest.

 

2.

anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor: the legacy of ancient Rome.

 

3.

an applicant to or student at a school that was attended by his or her parent.

 I just wanted to review the legacies of our recent presidents.  

 John Fitzgerald Kennedy will be known for several things besides the fact that he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in November, 1963.  He will be remembered for his facing down Nikita Khrushcev during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962.  He will also be remembered for the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and his willingness to admit to the American Public that it had been a mistake when all the generals wanted to keep it quiet.

 Lyndon Baines Johnson will be remembered as the president that escalated the Viet Nam War, created an increased welfare state in his “War on Poverty”, and personally stifled free speech in the church with his legislation to limit the political free speech of churches by challenging their tax-exempt status if they engaged in the political process from the pulpit.  His intent was to silence the churches that had supported his opponent, Dudley Dougherty, during the 1954 primary elections.  Before 1954, churches did not have to file with the IRS as they are exempt from taxation by the U.S. Constitution.  His “Great Society “agenda increased the amount of people on welfare and caused incalculable damage to the black family as many black men abdicated their role as father and dominant male figure because they saw the government providing that role to black women and children.

 Richard Milhouse Nixon will probably be best known as the only president to resign from office after the Watergate scandal.  Interestingly enough, Nixon had nothing to do with the actual break in at the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1972.  However, Nixon and his staff orchestrated a cover-up that brought about his downfall.  It also led to the arrest of numerous key staffers, such as E. Howard Hunt and J. Gordon Liddy.  If this scandal had not happened, Nixon would probably have been remembered as the president that opened negotiations with China, negotiated détente with the USSR and got us out of the quagmire that was the Viet Nam War.  Although he is the face of the Viet Nam War, that legacy should probably be laid on Johnson’s shoulders, as he escalated the fight. 

James Earl Carter is probably best known for being president during the Iranian Hostage Crisis between November 1979 and January 1981.  This is probably because he failed to support the Shah of Iran, who was an ally to the United States and a stabilizing influence in the Middle East during that time.  He was responsible for the failed rescue attempt.  He was president during the Invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union and the subsequent American absence in the 1980 Olympic Games   He also negotiated the Camp David Peace Accord between Israel and Egypt, and returned the Panama Canal to Panama. 

 Ronal Wilson Reagan, although already known as an actor, became better known in his later years as the Governor of California that became President during the end of the Iranian Hostage Crisis which brought the American hostages home.  He also presided over the beginning of America’s economic boom in the 1980’s, his economic policies known as “supply side economics”, or “Reaganomincs”.  He will also be known as the president that once again stared down the Soviet Union and helped to end that empire.  He presided during the Grenada Invasion and the bombing of Libya after the bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, of Pan Am Flight 103, and the Iran-Contra Scandal.   

 George Herbert Walker Bush, vice-president to Ronald Reagan, will probably be best known as President during the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein in August, 1990, which led to Operation Desert Shield/Storm.  He saw the Fall of the Berlin Wall in November, 1989.  He is famous for his “read my lips, No new taxes” campaign slogan, which he reneged on and it cost him the election in 1992. 

 William Jefferson Clinton will probably always be associated with intern Monica Lewinsky and Paula Jones.  Travelgate, the Whitewater Investigation and the White House FBI files are just a few of the scandals that surround this president.   A very popular two-term president, he is also only the second president to be impeached, other than Andrew Johnson, although he was acquitted by the U.S. Senate.   He is also married to the current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.   

 George W. Bush is only second president who is the son of a former president.  He will be known for his part in protecting the United States after September 11, 2001.  He presided over the hunt for Al Queda and Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq.  He also saw the capture and removal of Saddam Hussein from power and the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast states.

 Barak Hussein Obama is the first African American to serve as president of the United States.  He has only been in office for a little over 7 months, so his legacy has yet to even begun to formulate.

 All this talk of legacies brings me to another well known politician who recently died.  I am speaking about Senator Edward Moore Kennedy, brother of John and Robert.  He has been called the “Lion of the Senate”.  People have said that his legacy will be healthcare reform.  I think his legacy was written 40 years ago on a bridge from Chappaquiddick to Edgartown, Massachusetts, in the name of a young secretary named Mary Jo Kopechne.   

 It’s kind of like the old joke about the guy complaining at the bar and the bartender comes over and asks, “What’s wrong?”  The guy goes on with all of his accomplishments, “I’ve built at least twenty houses, but do they call me ‘Bob, the house builder’.  Noooo. I’ve run in a dozen marathons, but do they call me ‘Bob, the marathoner’?  Noooo. I’ve sold at least 40 cars, buy do they call me ‘Bob, the car salesman’? Noooo. I’ve given thousands of dollars to hospital charities.  But do they call me ‘Bob, the philanthropist’?  Noooo.  But you get caught screwing ONE goat…”

 Unfortunately for Senator Kennedy, all his good deeds on this side of Chappaquiddick probably will not erase THAT legacy.  He’s just not that wealthy.

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