The Grant administration was possibly the most corrupt in our nation’s history. So much graft and bribery occurred under his watch that “Grantism” is how some came to describe greed and corruption. Major scandals rocked his administration, including “Black Friday,” a scheme to corner the gold market in which his brother-in-law was involved (Grant did act to foil the scheme, but not before thousands were harmed). The “Whiskey Ring, “scandal saw over 100 federal officials convicted in connection with the selling of whiskey stamps to distillers at huge discounts (Grant sullied his reputation by shielding his personal secretary). The “Credit Mobilier,” scam in which a phony company was set up to help construct the transcontinental railway, but in reality, bilked the government out of $20 million with Grant’s vice president, Schuyler Colfax, taking bribes. One of the worst was the “Indian Ring,” scandal where Secretary of War William Belknap took bribes from c
Plenty of would-be presidents have called Pennsylvania home, from Philander Knox and Milton Shapp to William Scranton and Rick Santorum.
But James Buchanan, long regarded by scholars as the worst or close-to-worst president in the countryâs history, is the only Pennsylvanian to make it all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The state hasnât fared much better when it comes to vice presidents.
Only one Pennsylvanian has stood a heartbeat away from the presidency. In March 1845, George Mifflin Dallas of Philadelphia was sworn-in to become President James Polkâs second-in-command. He came to the job with a sterling pedigree and a prodigious resume: the son of Alexander Dallas, the sixth U.S. Treasury secretary, Dallas was raised in privileged circumstances, and went on to serve in a host of appointed positions, including Philadelphia mayor, district attorney, attorney general of Pennsylvania and envoy to Russia. He was also a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania when they were
Vice President Kamala Harris could kill the filibuster herself
She s president of the Senate under the Constitution. That could be useful. Actual Senate gavel not pictured.Anjali Nair / MSNBC; Getty Images
Feb. 8, 2021, 10:34 AM UTC
It was 5:30 a.m. on Friday and all eyes were on Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Constitution has given Harris, as vice president, a second job a side gig to most modern observers. She s not just President Joe Biden s No. 2; she s also president of the Senate. And it s not a role she should overlook. It may, in fact, be the key to transforming Biden s agenda from notions into laws. In the right hands, in a Senate as closely divided as this one, it s a job that can finally break the chamber s famed deadlock and transform Washington.
The Trump Trial Wouldnât Have Been Possible Without This Impeachment
The House managers in 1876 thought they had established a precedent. They did not count on modern Republicans.
Secretary of War William Belknap resigned moments before being impeached in 1876.Credit.Library of Congress/Corbis VCG, via Getty Images
By Richard White
Mr. White is a historian who has written extensively about Reconstruction, the Gilded Age and the making of modern America. He has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Feb. 8, 2021
What is the purpose of impeachment? Is it remedial â a political measure designed to protect the country from the actions of corrupt officials and prevent them from doing future harm? Or is it punitive â a judicial measure designed only to punish current officeholders by stripping them of office?
How did Minneapolis end up with a street named after a Persian king?
The names of some Minneapolis roadways fit their locations in a geographic, historic or popular context. Other roads are named for famous places or people. Then there s Xerxes Avenue. February 5, 2021 8:47am Related coverage
The names of some Minneapolis roadways fit their locations in a geographic, historic or popular context. There s Lake Street, which leads to the Chain of Lakes. Minnehaha Avenue ends near Minnehaha Falls. The Mississippi River boulevards straddle the national waterway in each of the Twin Cities.
Other roads are named for famous places or people like France and Penn.