POLITICO Nightly: Nikki Haley’s long shadow

 

BY DAVID SIDERS NIKKI HALEY is a DIRTY ENERGY KOCH SOCK PUPPET, carefully scripted and no one asks about her history. Refuses to release her tax returns - what's she hiding? What the source of her WEALTH? It's public record. NIKKI HALEY raised taxes as Governor. $9 BILLION? How come no one is asking? SOUTH CAROLINA SPENT $9 BILLION TO DIG A HOLE IN THE GROUND AND THEN FILL IT BACK IN https://theintercept.com/2019/02/06/south-caroline-green-new-deal-south-carolina-nuclear-energy/ Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks to members of the media during a campaign event in Elgin, S.C. on Monday. | Sean Rayford/AP THE BERNIE EFFECT — If Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination and goes on to beat Joe Biden in November, it’ll be hard, looking back, to argue Nikki Haley’s campaign meant much of anything. But if Republicans hitch themselves to Trump and he loses in the general election, Haley’s quixotic campaign will likely be viewed in a different light — and so will her political future. In that sense, Haley’s 2024 effort might, on a smaller scale, have some of the same effect on the GOP that Bernie Sanders had on the Democratic Party in 2016. It seems preposterous at first. In just about every ideological and stylistic way, Haley and Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, are in different galaxies. His electoral record in the 2016 Democratic primary was far more successful than Haley’s. Whereas Sanders won states, Haley lost decisively in Iowa and New Hampshire and, in Nevada, got pummeled by “none of these candidates. ” Haley doesn’t have the same pull with Republicans that Sanders had with Democrats to sway the party’s frontrunner on policy . But as the last serious alternative to Trump, Haley is performing one of the key functions Sanders fulfilled in 2016 — especially as she has stepped up her criticism of Trump in recent weeks . Like Sanders, she is a vessel for the disaffected in her party. And while Haley’s numbers may be weaker than his — Trump’s hold on the GOP is firmer than Hillary Clinton’s ever was – they aren’t nothing, either. In New Hampshire, Haley drew 43 percent of the primary vote . And even if she gets blown out in her home state of South Carolina, polling averages suggest she’s still pulling close to a third of the vote . She is, in some ways, a “statement” candidate — not like Sanders was, in terms of ideology, but as a vote of resistance to Trump. Today, her campaign was fundraising off Republicans’ loss in a special election in New York , calling Trump a “huge weight” on the party and warning that “Until Republicans wake up, we will continue to lose.” Such warnings, in the event of a Trump loss, would look prescient, and could lead to subtle directional changes and primary reforms in the party, just as Sanders accomplished after 2016. It’s valuable that she keeps running, one Republican National Committee member granted anonymity to speak freely told Nightly, “because those of us who don’t want Biden or Trump have to hold out some kind of hope.” “My heart wants her to keep going,” the member said, even if “my head knows this is probably a waste of time.” Even Haley supporters who maintain, against all odds, that she still has a shot at winning can see the dual benefit of staying in the race. For Haley to serve as a “champion of traditional conservative positions” and “show there’s still support for those issues in the Republican Party,” said Art Pope, the former chair of Americans for Prosperity and a Raleigh, N.C.-based donor, “is, I think, a good end in and of itself.” A Trump defeat — which would mark a fourth consecutive election disappointment for the GOP — would amplify Haley’s voice and, if she played it right, could lead to a rethinking of party rules and practices that enabled Trump to subsume the party and bend it to his personal will. Much of the effect that Sanders had on the Democratic Party came from the ashes of Clinton’s loss to Trump in the general election, when Democrats voted to strip superdelegates of much of their power in the presidential nominating process. Those superdelegates, including Democratic National Committee members and other top Democrats, had gone heavily for Clinton, and their weakening was a major, lasting victory for the party’s progressive left. In 2024, Haley’s version of the progressive left would be the Republican Party’s old establishment. To have such an impact, she’d have to grit her teeth and endorse Trump at some point, as Sanders did with Clinton, and then do just enough to shut down accusations that her supporters cost Trump the election. That should be relatively easy for her . And at 52, Haley can afford to play the long game. Sanders maintained his viability for one more campaign in 2020 – a campaign in which he was the front-runner at one point. Another option is to do what Sanders and his supporters did with superdelegates at the DNC -- taking her fight to the Republican National Committee. Earlier this week, she gave an indication of what that might look like. After Trump announced he was endorsing North Carolina’s Michael Whatley , who supported Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud in 2020 , for RNC chair, and Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, for co-chair, Betsy Ankney, Haley’s campaign manager, released a statement outlining Haley’s plan for the RNC. “Blow it all up,” she said. “Everyone at the RNC will be fired, there will be a full and complete audit of the gross misuse of funds, and there will be a formal application process to become RNC chair based on MERIT, not on back scratching. The days of overpaid consultants getting rich off of the RNC while losing elections will be over, and Republicans will finally get back to WINNING.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at dsiders@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @davidsiders .   YOUR VIP PASS TO THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE : Dive into the heart of global security with POLITICO's Global Playbook at the 2024 Munich Security Conference. Gain exclusive insights and in-depth analysis as author Suzanne Lynch navigates the crucial discussions, key players and emerging trends that will shape the international security landscape. Subscribe now to Global Playbook and stay informed .     WHAT'D I MISS? MAGA GOP leaking classified information? — Warning from House Intel is about Russia’s space power: A vague warning by the chair of the House Intelligence Committee about a “serious national security threat ” today is related to Russia and space, according to three people familiar with the matter. The U.S. has been concerned about Russia’s advancement in space for years. While the people did not provide much in terms of details, one of them said the intelligence is related to Moscow’s weaponization of its orbital systems. In his statement this morning, Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said his committee had made available the information about the national security threat and called on the administration to declassify the intelligence so officials and lawmakers could discuss the matter with allies. MASS SHOOTING and the right wing continues to incite HATE and VIOLENCE! LAX gun regulations - just take a look! This is the cost of GUN ZEALOTS! — 1 killed, multiple people injured in Kansas City shooting near Chiefs parade: One person was killed and up to 15 were injured in a shooting at the end of the parade to celebrate the Super Bowl win by the Kansas City Chiefs , the city’s police chief said. Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a news conference that two people had been taken into custody and has heard that fans may have been involved in apprehending a suspect but couldn’t confirm that. — White House denies Johnson’s requests to meet with Biden on border: The White House has denied multiple requests from Speaker Mike Johnson to meet with President Joe Biden over border security , according to a person familiar with the requests. Johnson’s team has issued “multiple” requests to the White House for a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders, according to the person, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about a sensitive situation. MAGA GOP incapable of governing and the Self-Declared New Moses can't lead! — Johnson pulls spy powers bill amid GOP infighting: Speaker Mike Johnson is punting a controversial spy powers bill as GOP infighting threatens to derail his plans once again . The House was expected to hold a floor vote on legislation to reauthorize Section 702 on Thursday. The authority is meant to target foreigners abroad but has come under scrutiny for its ability to sweep in Americans’ information. But GOP leadership knew they would have a hard time pushing the bill through, at best. Republican security hawks on the Intelligence Committee were threatening to prevent the bill from even coming up for debate — a detail first reported by POLITICO — while privacy advocates on the Judiciary Committee were vowing to oppose it unless they got amendment votes to further protect Americans’ information. NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 Notice the US MEDIA inflammatory labels - it's alway Pro-Palestians not opponents of ISRAEL's GENOCIDE and ETHNIC CLEANSING! It's never about KILLING CIVILIANS! It's never about HUMANITARIAN AID - the withholding of FOOD, WATER, MEDICINE & FUEL! DON’T READ THE COMMENTS — President Joe Biden launched a TikTok account this week to connect with young voters, and the pro-Palestinian protests that have beset his recent in-person events are now following him online , reports NBC News. The TikTok account @bidenhq has posted nine videos since its launch Sunday. Many of those comment sections are flooded with notes about Gaza, airstrikes on Rafah and Palestinians who’ve been caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Hamas war. AROUND THE WORLD France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy arrives for the verdict in his appeal trial in Paris today. | Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images GUILTY, STILL — An appeals court in Paris confirmed sentencing of former President Nicolas Sarkozy to six months in prison , with six months suspended, over his 2012 reelection campaign overspend, reports POLITICO EU. The ruling upholds a lower court decision agreeing with prosecutors charging that Sarkozy’s team exceeded the spending limit by billing his right-wing Les Républicains party instead of the campaign. Sarkozy received a one-year prison sentence, while further party and campaign officials were also sentenced to prison and banned from running for office. Throughout the proceedings, Sarkozy — who served as French president from 2007 to 2012 — maintained his innocence, insisting he was unaware of any false billing. Given the short duration of the prison term, it could be replaced with an alternative such as electronic monitoring.   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      NIGHTLY NUMBER 124,220 The number of U.S. Border Patrol arrests for illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border in January . That’s down 50 percent from December, when there were 249,735 arrests, and welcome news for the Biden administration, though it could prove temporary. RADAR SWEEP LOVE IS IN THE BOOKSTORES — Over the past five years, even as the broader publishing industry sputters along, one kind of book has found a surge in popularity : The romance novel. Once confined to small sections of bookstores, romance is taking over — and leading to more brick and mortar bookstore interest as well. Six years ago, one dedicated romance novel bookstore existed in the entire United States: the Ripped Bodice in Los Angeles. Now, there are at least 15, with surging interest. For The Guardian, Lois Beckett explores what’s behind the phenomenon, whether it’s sustainable and what it means for the broader publishing industry. PARTING IMAGE On this date in 1970: Defendant Abbie Hoffman, wearing a fringed leather jacket, strides to entrance of Federal Building in Chicago for the 100th day of the trial of he and six others charged with conspiracy to riot at time of 1968 Democratic National Convention. | Jim Palmer/AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh Mia McCarthy @Reporter_Mia   FOLLOW US

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SENIOR DISCOUNTS

 

BORROWED

I was at Wendy's recently, I heard the man ahead of me ask for his senior discount. The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over age 55 ...get 10% off everything on the menu, every day. (But you need to ASK for your discount.)

Being of 'that' age myself, I figured I might as well ask for the discount too.

this incident prompted me to do some research, and I came across a list of restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other types of offers giving various discounts with different age requirements. I was actually surprised to see how many there are and howsome of them start at the young age of 50 .

This list may not only be useful for you, but for your friends and family too.

Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55 .

If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it for FREE.

YOU must ASK for your discount !

RESTAURANTS:

Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)

Arby's: 10% off ( 55 +)

Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)

Bennigan's: discount varies by location (60+)

Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)

Boston Market: 10% off (65+)

Burger King: 10% off (60+)

Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+)

Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)

CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members ( 55 +)

Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee ( 55+)

Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)

Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter ( 55+)

Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)

Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)

IHOP: 10% off ( 55+)

Jack in the Box: up to 20% off ( 55+)

KFC: free small drink with any meal ( 55+)

Krispy Kreme: 10% off ( 50+)

Long John Silver's: various discounts at locations ( 55+)

McDonald's: discounts on coffee everyday ( 55+)

Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)

Shoney's: 10% off

Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)

Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+)

Subway: 10% off (60+)

Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)

Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)

TCBY: 10% off ( 55+)

Tea Room Cafe: 10% off ( 50+)

Village Inn: 10% off (60+)

Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)

Wendy's: 10% off ( 55 +)

Whataburger: 10% off (62+)

White Castle: 10% off (62+) This is for me ... if I ever see one again.

RETAIL & APPAREL :

Banana Republic: 30% off ( 50 +)

Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)

Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +)

Big Lots: 30% off

Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days ( 55 +)

C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (50+)

Clarks : 10% off (62+)

Dress Barn: 20% off ( 55+)

Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kmart: 40% off (Wednesdays only) ( 50+)

Kohl's: 15% off (60+)Modell's Sporting Goods: 30% off

Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions

Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday ( 55+)

The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+)

Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month ( 55 +)

GROCERY :

Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)

American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)

Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)

DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)

Food Lion: 60% off every Monday (60+)

Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday ( 55 +)

Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)

Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)

Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday ( 50 +)

Publix: 15% off every Wednesday ( 55 +)

Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)

Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 15% off (62+)

TRAVEL :

Airlines:

Alaska Airlines: 50% off (65+)

American Airlines: various discounts for 50% off non-peak periods (Tuesdays - Thursdays) (62+)and up (call before booking for discount)

Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations

Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Rail:

Amtrak: 15% off (62+)

Bus:

Greyhound: 15% off (62+)

Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+

Car Rental:

Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members

Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members

Budget Rental Cars: 40% off; up to 50% off for AARP members ( 50+)

Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members

National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Overnight Accommodations:

Holiday Inn: 20-40% off depending on location (62+)

Best Western: 40% off (55+)

Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Waldorf Astoria - NYC $5,000 off nightly rate for Presidential Suite (55 +)

Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Econo Lodge: 40% off (60+)

Hampton Inns & Suites: 40% off when booked 72 hours in advance

Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)

InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)

Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)

Marriott Hotels: 25% off (62+)

Motel 6: Stay Free Sunday nights (60+)

Myrtle Beach Resort: 30% off ( 55 +)

Quality Inn: 40%-50% off (60+)

Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Sleep Inn: 40% off (60+)

ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT ;:

AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)

Bally Total Fitness: $100 off memberships (62+)

Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $13 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)

Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)

Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off

Massage Envy - NYC 20% off all "Happy Endings" (62 +)

U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)

Regal Cinemas: 50% off Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket ( 55 +)

SeaWorld, Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)

CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS :

AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $19.99/month (65+)

Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service ( 50 +)

Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).

MISCELLANEOUS:

Great Clips: $8 off hair cuts (60+)

Supercuts: $8 off haircuts (60+)

NOW, go out there and claim your discounts - - and remember -- YOU must ASK for discount ---- no ask, no discount.

I Know everyone knows someone over 50 please pass the one on!!!!!

PET POISONS!

TEA TREE OIL IS INCLUDED IN A PET SHAMPOO! 

Dog Poisoned by the Diffuser

Saturday night I got home late and my dog didn't recognize me. Being a nanny I thought I woke him up and he was having a night terror. Sunday, he was still acting weird. I realized that I had been running my new diffuser and decided to turn it off. Sunday afternoon, he was feeling better.

Today at work, my dog sitter said that he wouldn't come out from under the bed. It was very odd as he is a happy dog.

I came from work early and again, he was very confused about who I was.

So I took him to emergency vet.

It turns out that the tea tree oil I was using in the diffuser is toxic for dogs. Thankfully the test showed that his liver was ok but we weren't out of the woods yet. He was given fluids under his skin to get the toxins out.

The vet and the poison control are saying that they see these cases often now that the popularity of essential oil is growing.

Please make sure that the essential oils you are burning are not toxic for your pets.

Here is a list of essential oils not to use if you have a dog at home

Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

Birch (Betula)

Bitter Almond (Prunus dulcis)

Boldo (Peumus boldus)

Calamus (Acorus calamus)

Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)

Cassia (Cassia fistula)

Chenopodium (Chenopodium album)

Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Goosefoot (Chenopodium murale)

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)

Hyssop (Hyssopus sp. with the exception of Decumbens)

Juniper (Juniperus sp. with the exception of Juniper Berry)

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Mustard (Brassica juncea)

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)

Red or White Thyme

Rue (Ruta graveolens)

Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Savory (Satureja)

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Terebinth (Pistacia palaestina)

Thuja (Thuja occidentalis)

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Please share this story as it may save someones precious furry family member!

12

 

February 14, 2024 (Wednesday) HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

 

I am at home for a short break, and Buddy and I have spent the day taking it easy, a plan I intend to continue for the next several hours. But rather than posting a picture and taking the night off, I am reposting one of my favorite pieces ever for what it says about love, loss, humanity... and history.

It feels appropriate these days.

On Valentine’s Day in 1884, Theodore Roosevelt lost both his wife and his mother.

Four years before, Roosevelt could not have imagined the tragedy that would stun him in 1884. February 14, 1880, marked one of the happiest days of his life. He and the woman he had courted for more than a year, Alice Hathaway Lee, had just announced their engagement. Roosevelt was over the moon: “I can scarcely realize that I can hold her in my arms and kiss her and caress her and love her as much as I choose,” he recorded in his diary. What followed were, according to Roosevelt, “three years of happiness greater and more unalloyed than I have ever known fall to the lot of others.”

After they married in fall 1880, the Roosevelts moved into the home of Theodore’s mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, in New York City. There they lived the life of wealthy young socialites, going to fancy parties and the opera and traveling to Europe.

When Roosevelt was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1881, they moved to the bustling town of Albany, where the state’s political wire-pullers worked their magic. Roosevelt’s machine politician colleagues derided the rich, Harvard-educated young man as a “dude,” and they tried to ignore his irritating interest in reforming society.

In the summer of 1883, Alice discovered that she was pregnant, and that fall she moved back to New York City to live with her mother-in-law. There she awaited the birth of the child who Theodore was certain would arrive on February 14.

As headstrong as her father, Roosevelt’s daughter beat her father’s prediction by two days. On February 12, Alice gave birth to the couple’s first child, who would be named after her.

Roosevelt was at work in Albany and learned the happy news by telegram. But Alice was only “fairly well,” Roosevelt noted. She soon began sliding downhill. She did not recover from the birth; she was suffering from something at the time called “Bright’s Disease,” an unspecified kidney illness.

Roosevelt rushed back to New York City, but by the time he got there at midnight on February 13, Alice was slipping into a coma. Distraught, he held her until he received word that his mother was dangerously ill downstairs. For more than a week, “Mittie” Roosevelt had been sick with typhoid. Roosevelt ran down to her room, where she died shortly after her son got to her bedside. With his mother gone, Roosevelt hurried back to Alice. Only hours later she, too, died.

On February 14, 1884, Roosevelt slashed a heavy black X in his diary and wrote “The light has gone out of my life.” He refused ever to mention Alice again.

Roosevelt’s profound personal tragedy turned out to have national significance. The diseases that killed his wife and mother were diseases of filth and crowding—the hallmarks of the growing Gilded Age American cities. Mittie contracted typhoid from either food or water that had been contaminated by sewage, since New York City did not yet treat or manage either sewage or drinking water. Alice’s disease was probably caused by a strep infection, which incubated in the teeming city’s tenements, where immigrants, whose wages barely kept food on the table, crowded together.

Roosevelt had been interested in urban reform because he worried that incessant work and unhealthy living conditions threatened the ability of young workers to become good citizens. Now, though, it was clear that he, and other rich New Yorkers, had a personal stake in cleaning up the cities and making sure employers paid workers a living wage.

The tragedy gave him a new political identity that enabled him to do just that. Ridiculed as a “dude” in his early career, Roosevelt changed his image in the wake of the events of February 1884.

Desperate to bury his feelings for Alice along with her, Roosevelt escaped to Dakota Territory, to a ranch in which he had invested the previous year. There he rode horses, roped cattle, and toyed with the idea of spending the rest of his life as a western rancher.

The brutal winter of 1886–1887 changed his mind. Months of blizzards and temperatures as low as –41 degrees killed off 80% of the Dakota cattle herds. More than half of Roosevelt’s cattle died.

Roosevelt decided to go back to eastern politics, but this time, no one would be able to make fun of him as a “dude.” In an era when the independent American cowboy dominated the popular imagination, Roosevelt now had credentials as a westerner. He ran for political office as a western cowboy taking on corruption in the East. And, with that cowboy image, he overtook his eastern rivals.

Eventually, Roosevelt’s successes made establishment politicians so nervous they tried to bury him in what was then seen as the graveyard of the vice presidency. Then, in 1901, an unemployed steelworker assassinated President William McKinley and put Roosevelt—“that damned cowboy,” as one of McKinley’s advisers called him—into the White House.

Once there, he worked to clean up the cities and stop the exploitation of workers, backing the urban reforms that were the hallmark of the Progressive Era.

[Photo of Theodore Roosevelt's diary, Library of Congress.]