They Said it Better Than I Could, Chapter 3

News is out today about Theodore Roosevelt Heller, who died last week in Chicago, had included in his obituary this line:

"In lieu of flowers, please send acerbic letters to Republicans."

Thank you, Mr. Heller.

You can read the full story here.

If you read that article, you'll notice that there is also a quote from the Teddy Roosevelt:

"The president is merely the most important among a large number of public servants," Roosevelt explained in 1918. "He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able and disinterested service to the nation as a whole.

"Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

(emphasis mine)

Teddy was a man ahead of his time.

Thanks to DailyKos for finding this.