Happy BURRthday!

Hey Vice-Precedence Blog Fans!

Well, yesterday was former VP Dan Quayles birthday as reported by Jason, and tomorrow, Feb. 6th is another VP's birthday-and not just any VP, but the first one who never became President! Thats right-its the birthday of the most infamous man to ever hold the office of VP-Aaron Burr!

Burr was born on Feb. 6, 1756 in Newark, NJ. His grandfather Jonathan Edwards was Colonial America's most famous pastor, the author of the definitive American Puritanical sermon-"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", and is still considered, almost 300 years later, one of Americas greatest theologians. His father the Rev. Aaron Burr Sr. helped found, and was the president of Princeton University.

Aaron Burr is best known of course, for killing former Secretary of the Treasury, signer of the Constitution, head of the Federalist party, fellow Revolutionary War hero, and Major General/Senior Officer of the United States Army (the equivalent of the Joint Chief Of Staff)-Alexander Hamilton in a duel while he was Vice-President. Thats right-over 200 years before Dick Cheney shot a man while VP-the Vice-President of the United States shot and killed a man.

The duel is without a doubt the most famous in American history-made even more famous by the highly popular "Got Milk?" ad directed by my director on "Pearl Harbor" Michael Bay! Bay's work since then leads many to believe it would be a much better world if he had stuck to commercials. But that's a whole other ball of wax.

Burr is best known for the duel, but the life of this remarkable American is more than just a few seconds on the "Plains of Weehawken". Burr was the first truly prominent American feminist-advocating womens intelligence and equal education and opportunities for women throughout his life, and put his money where his mouth was-educating his daughter like a man.

Burr was a Revolutionary War hero in his own right, fighting bravely at the battles of Quebec and Monmouth, and numerous other smaller battles. He was an accomplished lawyer, congressman, Senator, and Vice-President. Here is a quote about his service as VP in presiding over the Senate:

"Mr. Burr, the Vice-President, presides in the Senate with great ease, dignity & propriety. He preserves good order, silence—& decorum in debate—he confines the speaker to the point. He has excluded all spectators from the area of the Senate chamber, except the members from the other House. A measure which contributes much to good order." Senator William Plumer (F-NH)

In case you're wondering, that "F" stands for "Federalist", and Burr was a Democratic-Republican-meaning this quote praising him is from someone in the opposing party. Pretty impressive eh?

Later in his life Burr was put on trial for treason against the U.S., accused of trying to carve out an empire for himself in parts of the Louisiana Purchase and Mexico. It was "The Trial of the Century" and Burr was acquitted, despite President Jefferson's efforts to make sure Burr was found guilty.

Burr was, without a doubt, an American Original-its hard to find any person in any other country's history like Burr. That's probably why he has so captured the American imagination-particularly in Gore Vidal's first novel in his "American Empire" series: BURR. Its also part of why the Aaron Burr Association was formed (as I talked about in another blog here) and why I joined it.

I called up the President of the Aaron Burr Association-Mr. Stuart Johnson and got this quote from him on the upcoming birthday of this amazing American:

"We here at the ABA want to wish Aaron Burr a happy 254th birthday. We've stood by you and will keep up the good fight promoting your life. Your depth and complexity never cease to amaze us and we will keep protecting your reputation and promoting your life to all Americans."

Thanks for the quote Mr. Johnson.

We here at Vice-Precedence are determined to show people the truth about Aaron Burr, and that's the focus of one of our upcoming projects. So lets all wish this truly distinctive American a "Happy Birthday"!

Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday Charlie Curtis!

Hey Vice-Precedence Blog Readers!

I apologize that there were no blogs last week. It was a very busy and hectic week for Jason and myself, but not for former VP Cheney or current VP Biden. As soon as anything breaks on either of them or anything Vice-Presidential-we'll post something here and update it on our Facebook page which is connected to our Twitter account-so you'll know ASAP. Remember to subscribe to us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest in all VP news.

Now, what with Americans short-attention spans, its hard for most Americans these days to think that any VP was as unpopular as Mr. Cheney. Sure, Dan Quayle was ridiculed a lot, but no one took him really seriously enough to truly despise him. However that wasn't the case with our 31st VP. Though you wouldn't know this if you only looked him up on Wikipedia.

Yesterday, Jan 25th is the birthday of that truly despised VP (and one of Jasons favorites) Vice-President Charles Curtis of Kansas. Born Jan 25th in 1860. Almost 80 years before Barack Obama was elected President, Curtis, who had Native American blood from his mother-who was a mix of Kaw, Osage, and Potawattomie ancestry, was the first person with minority blood/Native American heritage to be elected to the Executive Branch back in 1929 when he was elected VP along with Herbert Hoover.

Curtis was raised for a time by his grandmother on a Kaw Reservation where he learned to ride horses in prairie races "Indian-style"-or bareback-for miles and miles. Curtis was very proud of his Native-American heritage and during the 1929 Presidential campaign co-wrote a book on his life with a Republican ghost-writer titled "From Kaw Teepee to Capitol: The Life Story of Charles Curtis, Indian, who has risen to high estate". Every opportunity he got through the campaign he wore head-dresses and other Indian garb to show his pride in his heritage.

Curtis was chosen as VP by the Republican party because they worried that Herbert Hoover was both too inexperienced (he had never held elected office before) and too liberal (Hoover had been in charge of feeding starving Europeans in the destructive wake of World War 1), and if there is anyone Republicans don't trust-its some millionaire who cares about and works to feed poor people. Joking! Joking! Take it easy Republican "Vice-Precedence" Fans. With Curtis, the Republicans felt that they at least had someone with experience whom they knew and trusted in the White House-Curtis had been in Congress since 1893, and was very popular with his fellow Republicans-having been Senate Majority Whip, Senate President Pro Tempore, and was the first Senate Majority Leader to ever become VP.

These are all things you CAN see on Curtis' Wikipedia page. However, what that page WON'T show you is that to many historians and VP scholars-Curtis was a joke. It can basically be summed up with the following quote:

"Charles Curtis of Kansas, one/eighth Kaw and seven/eighths incompetent."
Sol Barzman, VP scholar, author of "Madmen and Geniuses: The Vice-Presidents of the United States"

In his book, Bland Ambition-Vice-Precedence interview subject and friend of the film, Professor Steve Tally ripped Curtis up so badly and made him such a laughing-stock that the Curtis family threatened to sue Tally for disparaging the name of their illustrious ancestor.

But long before that, legendary American composers the Gershwin brothers: George and Ira-had made Curtis a joke by basing the ridiculous, pitiable, and non-entity Vice-President Alexander Throttlebottom in their Pulitzer-Prize winning musical Of Thee I Sing on Curtis. In the musical Vice-President Throttlebottom is recognized by no one, is unable to get a library card because he doesn't have any ID, and can only get into the White House by coming in with the public tour.

Curtis had no one to blame for himself for his portrayal as a buffoon and bully. As soon as he became VP he insisted that everyone-including men whom he had served with in the Senate for decades call him "Mr. Vice-President". He became so arrogant that one reporter wrote:
"His humility turned inside out."

Curtis was a widower and his married sister Dolly Gann became his official escort to state dinners and other official functions-horrifying polite Washington society. Not only was it kind of creepy, (brother and sister acting like husband and wife...eeewww) but Dolly had a perfectly healthy living husband who was basically cut out of the picture. The whole thing became a tempest in a teapot in Washington with people picking sides about who was right and who wasn't. In our interview Gore Vidal talked about how his family was involved in the whole argument.

Dolly, being rich and not all that bright, wasn't exactly in touch with the fact that a Depression was going on and that the stock market had plummeted and people across the country were out of work, starving, and suffering. She thought it was all a big hullabaloo that was being made too big a deal of-then she announced this opinion to the press-leading a newspaper to bitterly publish the headline-"Dolly Calls It Off!"

Curtis further made himself look like a cruel bully by calling out the Marines on the Bonus Army members outside his office building-the WW 1 veterans who marched to Washington and camped all around the city in the hopes that the government would pay them the bonus they had earned through their service in the war earlier than scheduled in light of the economic crisis of the Depression. President Hoover followed Curtis in calling out the U.S. Army to attack their own veterans in what I think is one of the worst actions in U.S. military history. When Curtis was questioned about this during the 1933 Presidential campaign he yelled:

"I've fed more than you have, you dirty cowards! I'm not afraid of any of you!"

as he shook his fists at the crowd and screamed, the crowd responded with boos and by throwing things at him. Is it any wonder FDR and Garner crushed Hoover and Curtis in the election that year?

One has to wonder why none of that is on the Wikipedia page for Curtis? Could it be more meddling by the Curtis family? Any way-it does need to be said, that way back in 1929, a man who proudly displayed his minority background was elected to national office. In this way, Curtis is something of a predecessor to President Obama-hard to believe, but true in a way. So there you have it:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICE-PRESIDENT CURTIS!

Thanks for reading!
Matt Saxe

Triple VP Birthdays Today!

This is one of those things where people would say-"You're making that up".

We hear that a lot with "Vice-Precedence", that we're just making stuff up when we tell someone how John Breckinridge disguised himself as a pirate and then got attacked by actual pirates, or how William Rufus De Vane King was called "Miss Nancy" because he wore jewelry, silk scarves, and wigs all around Washington, or even how Lyndon Johnson made Hubert Humphrey dress up in cowboy clothes complete with a 10-gallon hat and paraded him in front of the press laughing the whole time.

Well, its all true and just goes to prove that "Truth is stranger than fiction" and so is this. Today, August 27th is the birthday of not one, not even two, but THREE Vice-Presidents!

Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincolns first VP was born today-August 27th in 1809 in Maine. Hamlin was added to the ticket with Lincoln to provide East coast balance to a Western ticket and because Maine was a very strong Republican state, it was the first state to become a truly Republican state-electing Hamlin governor at the very beginning of the party's existence.

Hamlin is best known for spending the majority of his time as VP back home in Maine and only coming to Washington when he absolutely had to. Feeling he had to give something to the war effort, Hamlin served as an enlisted man-a buck private really, as a cook on a ship for the Maine Coast Guard for 60 days. Steve Tally pointed out in "Bland Ambition" that had Lincoln been assassinated while VP Hamlin was in the Coast Guard (and it almost happened-Twice!) it would have been the largest promotion in U.S. military/political history. From enlisted potato-peeler to Commander in Chief in a snap!

The second VP born today was Charles G. Dawes, born August 27th 1865 in Marietta, Ohio. His picture graces this edition of the blog. Dawes served as Vice-President under Calvin Coolidge from 1925 to 1929. The two men hated each other however and this led to Dawes being a very ineffectual VP.

Dawes was nicknamed "Hell and Maria" because of his famous statement to the U.S. Senate at hearings on overspending during World War I. When pressed about the issue in a heated moment, Dawes burst out-"Hell and Maria, we weren't trying to keep a set of books over there! We were trying to win a war!"

Dawes was the creator of the Dawes Plan which was a program to help restore the economies of Europe after WWI, and for his efforts Dawes won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925. Unfortunately, the plan was so harsh on Germany and its economy and people, and so unworkable that it fell apart and helped to lead to World War II. Oh well, at least he tried.

Finally, the third VP born on this day of August 27th in 1908 in Stonewall, Texas was Lyndon Baines Johnson. The Legendary LBJ himself, "Landslide" Lyndon. LBJ of course went on to become President after the tragic assassination of President Kennedy, so he won't be someone we focus on in the film. LBJ has been the subject of many books and even a TV movie where he was played by Randy Quaid, and there are many well known anecdotes about him. However I would be remiss if I didn't list some fact about him here, so here's what I'll leave you with. LBJ was very proud of "Little" LBJ, mostly because it wasn't little at all, he nicknamed it "Jumbo".

So on that note-Join us here at Vice-Precedence in saying:

Happy Birthday Hannibal Hamlin!

Happy Birthday Charles Dawes!

Happy Birthday LBJ!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday George M. Dallas!

Hey Vice-Precedence Readers! Well, July is a big month for Vice-President birthdays. 6 Vice-Presidents have their birthdays this month!

On Wed-July 8th it was Nelson Rockefellers birthday. Today, July 10th is the birthday of Vice-President George Mifflin Dallas! Born today, July 10th 1792 in Philadelphia, PA. Vice President under President James K. Polk (D) from 1845-1849.

Before becoming VP, Dallas had served as the Mayor of Philadelphia, was a Senator for all of 15 months, and had also been minister to Russia. Oh, and for all you conspiracy theorists, he also was the Grandmaster of the Freemasons in Pennsylvania. He literally was given the nomination when the person they wanted-Senator Silas Wright of NY-turned it down. Twice.

The delegates didn't know what to do, until Senator Robert Walker of Mississippi suddenly came up with the idea that his uncle-in-law could fill the job. After all, he was breathing. The by now exhausted, bored, and pretty wasted delegates left at the convention in Baltimore just wanted to get it done and go home-so they figured-"Why not?"

The delegates left Baltimore and in a sort of 19th century version of a drunk college road trip-rode their horses and carriages all the way to Philadelphia and arrived at Mr. Dallas' doorstep at an hour that mostly only certain ladies of the night, rats, and of course-drunken slobs are out. The noise they made convinced Dallas that the only way to greet this mob at his door was with a loaded shotgun. Finally convinced they weren't a threat, Dallas let his fellow Democrats into his house, and right there at a perfectly ungodly hour and in his very own living room, Senator John Fairfield of Maine let him know that his party had honored him with their nomination for Vice-President of the United States!

So join us here at Vice-Precedence as we say "Happy Birthday Vice-President George M. Dallas!"

Happy Birthday William Wheeler!

Hey Vice-Precedence Blog Readers! First of all, big thanks to Paul Zaloom for his praise for "Vice-Precedence" we truly appreciate this incredible compliment from such a talented and accomplished man. Also, Thank You to all of you who have become Fans of "Vice-Precedence" on Facebook, we really appreciate it. If you haven't yet-what are you waiting for? Join the Race for Second Place! As we like to say.

Today, June 30th is the birthday of Vice-President William A. Wheeler, Vice-President under Rutherford B. Hayes from 1877-1881. Born June 30th, 1819 in Malone, NY.

Wheeler has been called "the most boring Republican Vice-President, of all the boring Republican Vice-Presidents in history." by "Bland Ambition" author and "Vice-Precedence" contributor Steve Tally. However, not to disagree with Steve-because Wheeler was not exactly a live-wire its true, I don't know how exciting or vibrant I would be if I were a widower who was given the Vice-Presidential nomination as a joke.

While Wheeler was undoubtedly boring, personally I prefer to think of Wheeler as one of the most honest and incorruptible men to ever serve in the Executive Branch. At this time in our nations history, political scandal ran wild with the spoils system, in the Reconstruction of the South after the Civil War, and most notoriously in the Credit Mobilier scandal which ruined many politicians on both sides of the aisle. New York Republicans were ruled by the all-powerful Senator Roscoe Conkling and his "Stalwarts"-if you wanted to be a Republican politician in New York-you had to work with Conkling and do what he said. Period. Yet Wheeler was never tarnished by any hint of scandal and refused to simply go along with Conkling. His stubborn independence and scrupulous honesty was legendary among his fellow Congressmen.

The only thing Wheeler may be known for...oh he's not known for this either-but it interesting at least, is for the story told about him in a book by a little known Massachusetts senator about acts of courage in politics that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and make Senator John F. Kennedy a national political figure-"Profiles in Courage". In the foreword by historian Allan Nevins, Nevins gives the most famous example of Wheelers commitment to honesty and political courage in this exchange between Wheeler and Senator Conkling:

Senator Conkling-Wheeler, if you act with us, there is nothing in the gift of the state of New York to which you may not reasonably aspire.

Congressman Wheeler-Mr. Conkling, there is nothing in the gift of the state of New York which will compensate me for the forfeiture of my self-respect.

Pretty impressive if you ask me.

So join us as we say Happy Birthday Vice-President Wheeler!

Matt Saxe

Happy Birthday Daniel Tompkins!

Today, June 21st, is not only Fathers Day, its also the birthday of our 6th Vice-President, under James Monroe, Daniel Tompkins of New York, Vice-President from 1817 to 1825!

He was the last Vice-President to be elected to 2 terms with the same President until Thomas R. Marshall would be elected with Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916.

Born this day in 1774 in Fox Meadow, NY. Tompkins Square in New York is named after him in honor of his services to his country. Happy Fathers Day and thanks for reading!

Matt Saxe