Grand Old Partisan

Obama the Destroyer

After the polls closed on election night 2008, I was answering the phone at the McCain/Palin national campaign office. A woman called to say she was “now glad to have a terminal disease because [she] won't live to see how Obama will destroy this great country.” The pain and rage and sorrow in her voice came through loud and clear.

Ma'am, whoever and wherever you are, I salute you.

Michael Zak, author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, also wrote the often-copied, never-cited 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar. Each day, his Grand Old Partisan blog celebrates more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far.

a Republican was the First President to Address the National Association of Manufacturers

Grand Old Partisan spotlights Republican commitment to promoting economic growth. This day of 1898, William McKinley made a speech at the National Association of Manufacturers annual meeting. He was the first president to do so. Addressing a thousand businessmen at... Read more →

the Democrats Legalized Slavery in New Mexico

Grand Old Partisan denounces Democrat devilry. This day of 1859, the Democrat Governor of New Mexico Territory signed into law a bill passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature. Known as An Act for the Protection of Property in Slaves, it legalized... Read more →

Republicans know that School Choice is Educational Emancipation

Grand Old Partisan highlights the GOP's dedication to freeing students from Democrat shackles. This day of 2001, the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee declared school choice to be "Educational Emancipation". Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube:... Read more →

lauding Moses Kinkaid, one of Nebraska's greatest benefactors

Grand Old Partisan lauds Moses Kinkaid, born in what is now West Virginia this day of 1856. He graduated from University of Michigan Law School and eventually settled in Nebraska. The ambitious Republican became a state senator and judge. In... Read more →

President Trump is Saving the Lives of Babies Overseas

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican respect for human life. This day of 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban government funding of foreign pro-abortion groups. It was his fourth day in office. President Ronald Reagan had enacted... Read more →

honoring Morton Wilkinson, the first Republican Senator from Minnesota

Grand Old Partisan honors Morton Wilkinson, born in upstate New York this day of 1819. After working for a railroad, he studied law and relocated to frontier Minnesota. He later served in the territorial legislature and helped write a legal... Read more →

saluting John Bingham, early Republican Congressman and Principal Author of the Fourteenth Amendment

Grand Old Partisan salutes John Bingham, born this day of 1815. Age twelve, he moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. There, he apprenticed to a printer and studied law. The state's first African-American college graduate was a life-long friend. Bingham campaigned... Read more →

a Republican was the First Woman to Testify before Congress

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican Senator James Harlan inviting Elizabeth Cady Stanton to address his Committee on the District of Columbia. This day of 1869, she became the first woman to testify before Congress. Speaking on behalf of the Women's... Read more →

saluting John Broomall, exemplary Pennsylvania Republican Activist and Congressman

Grand Old Partisan salutes John Broomall, born near Philadelphia this day of 1816. He taught school and studied law under supervision of a former congressman. A Whig state administration named him deputy attorney general. This was followed by a term... Read more →

the Republican Party — "exponent of honor, of liberty, of enlightenment, of progress, and of humanity"

Grand Old Partisan highlights a classic appreciation of the Republican Party. This day of 1904, Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon declared: "The Republican Party is constructed on the principle laid down by Abraham Lincoln that this is 'a government... Read more →

the DCGOP helped establish the Republican Party throughout the United States

Grand Old Partisan spotlights the DCGOP's critical role in establishing the Republican Party nationwide. This day of 1856, the Republican Association of Washington issued a CIRCULAR TO THE FRIENDS OF THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. These patriots addressed... Read more →

saluting Ralza Manly, compassionate Virginia Republican Educator

Grand Old Partisan salutes Ralza Manly, born in Vermont this day of 1822. Graduating from Wesleyan University, he became a Methodist Episcopal minister and teacher. During the Civil War, he enlisted as chaplain for the 16th Regiment New Hampshire Volunteer... Read more →

saluting Ozora Stearns, resolute Minnesota Republican Soldier and Mayor and Senator and Judge

Grand Old Partisan salutes Ozora Stearns, born in upstate New York this day of 1831. He studied at Oberlin College and the University of Michigan Law Department, then was elected county prosecutor. Outbreak of civil war, Stearns enlisted as an... Read more →

President Richard Nixon gave the National Cathedral its Moon Rock

Grand Old Partisan admires the Space Window at the National Cathedral. Its stars and planets attest to mankind's spiritual connection with the cosmos. Prominent in this magnificent stained glass work of art is a moon rock – an actual piece... Read more →

saluting Seth Ledyard Phelps – "a man of remarkable executive ability, in every fiber a man"

Grand Old Partisan salutes Seth Ledyard Phelps, born in Ohio this day of 1824. Midshipman at age seventeen, he served aboard a ship patrolling the African coast to suppress the slave trade. Other naval deployments included the Mexican War and... Read more →

spotlighting a Lincoln administration effort to protect emancipated slaves from Democrats

Grand Old Partisan spotlights a Republican effort to defend African-Americans from Democrats. This day of 1865, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton met with General William Sherman. President Abraham Lincoln had sent him to Georgia for discussions on the plight of... Read more →

highlighting Ronald Reagan's magnificent Farewell Address

Grand Old Partisan highlights Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address. This day of 1989, he spoke to the nation from the Oval Office for the thirty-fourth and last time. The President emphasized his triumphs at proving economic growth and restoring American morale:... Read more →

Congressman Abraham Lincoln introduced a bill to Abolish Slavery in Washington, DC

Grand Old Partisan commemorates an important step toward emancipation. This day of 1849, Representative Abraham Lincoln introduced a bill to abolish slavery in the nation's capital. It was immediately tabled and never voted on, due to ferocious opposition from Democrats.... Read more →

honoring John Usher, early Indiana Republican statesman

Grand Old Partisan honors John Usher, born in upstate New York this day of 1816. He studied law, then moved to Terre Haute. He became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln on the Illinois legal circuit. An early member of the Whig... Read more →

honoring Eliphalet Trask, the first Republican Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

Grand Old Partisan honors Eliphalet Trask, born in Massachusetts this day of 1806. His occupation was proprietor of an iron foundry. He entered politics on the Springfield town council, and would be elected mayor. Several terms in the state house... Read more →

saluting James Madison Wells, the first Republican Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

Grand Old Partisan salutes James Madison Wells, born in Louisiana this day of 1808. He studied in Connecticut and Kentucky and at Cincinnati Law School, before returning home to manage the family plantations. Years later, a Whig governor appointed him... Read more →

honoring Charles Sumner, heroic Massachusetts Republican Senator

Grand Old Partisan honors Charles Sumner, born in Boston this day of 1811. This skilled orator graduated from Harvard Law School. He is one of four heroes on the cover of Back to Basics for the Republican Party. In 1851,... Read more →

Wyoming was named by a Republican Congressman

Grand Old Partisan spotlights a Republican contribution to what would become the Equality State. This day of 1865, Representative James Ashley introduced legislation to establish a territorial government for the area south of Montana and north of Colorado. He proposed... Read more →

honoring Maureen Reagan, fiery First Daughter

Grand Old Partisan honors Maureen Reagan, born in Los Angeles this day of 1941. Her parents were Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman. Beginning with Dwight Eisenhower's first election, Reagan enthusiastically campaigned for Republican candidates around the country.... Read more →

Republicans voted against making a Democrat Klansman third-in-line for the Presidency

Grand Old Partisan denounces Democrat devilry. This day of 2007, Slavery Party Senators voted unanimously for elevating Robert Byrd to President pro tempore of the United States Senate. This made a Ku Klux Klan recruiter third-in-line for the presidency. In... Read more →

applauding Oscar Micheaux, the "Czar of Black Hollywood"

Grand Old Partisan applauds Oscar Devereaux Micheaux, born in southern Illinois this day of 1884. His parents had been slaves in Kentucky. Age seventeen, he left the family farm for Chicago and became a Pullman train porter. Later, he farmed... Read more →

celebrating a REPUBLICAN President signing the Emancipation Proclamation

Grand Old Partisan celebrates the Republican Party's Emancipation Proclamation. It went into effect on New Year's Day 1863. President Abraham Lincoln observed: "I never in my life felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing... Read more →

honoring Richard Field, a Republican Senator and Federal Judge and Big Fan of Abraham Lincoln

Grand Old Partisan honors Richard Field, born this day of 1803. After two terms in the New Jersey house of representatives, he was named attorney general by the Whig governor. He later returned to his alma mater, Princeton University, as... Read more →

honoring Alexander Stuart Wallace, from South Carolina Unionist to Republican Congressman

"a good citizen, a consistent Christian, a friend of the poor" Grand Old Partisan honors Alexander Stuart Wallace, born in South Carolina this day of 1810. While opposing secessionism, he managed to win several terms in the state house. The... Read more →

Democrat Congressman defends Slavery

Grand Old Partisan spotlights an infamous speech in Congress this day of 1859. Racist Democrat Congressman Roger Pryor bellowed: "We are all familiar with the principles of the Black Republican party. That it proposes the eventual extinction of slavery; that... Read more →

honoring Thomy Lafon, early African-American Republican philanthropist

Grand Old Partisan honors Thomy Lafon, born in New Orleans this day of 1810. Son of a white Frenchman and a free black woman, he was considered a personne de couleur libres. Starting with nothing, he invested in real estate... Read more →

President Theodore Roosevelt began diplomatic relations with Ethiopia

Grand Old Partisan lauds Republican diplomatic initiatives with Sub-Saharan African countries. This day of 1903, the Theodore Roosevelt administration began diplomatic relations with Ethiopia. Presidential envoy Robert Skinner signed a treaty with King Menelik II. Accompanied by four aides and... Read more →

saluting Morgan Bulkeley, patriotic Republican Governor and old-timey Baseball Hall of Famer

Grand Old Partisan salutes Morgan Bulkeley, born in Hartford this day of 1837. His father, Eliphalet, who established the Aetna Insurance Company, also co-founded the Connecticut Republican Party. During the Civil War, Morgan joined the 13th New York Volunteer Infantry... Read more →

saluting Edward Selig Salomon, Union Colonel and Republican Governor

Grand Old Partisan salutes Edward Selig Salomon, born in Germany this day of 1836. He immigrated to Chicago at age nineteen. Within five years, he was elected to the city council. Outbreak of civil war, this Jewish patriot volunteered for... Read more →

Republicans established Alaska's first Wildlife Refuge

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican commitment to protecting the environment. This day of 1892, President Benjamin Harrison signed an executive order establishing Alaska's first wildlife reserve. An island south of Anchorage and nearby waters became the Afognak Forest & Fish... Read more →

President Warren Harding released Socialist Eugene Debs from Prison

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican clemency toward political opponents. This day of 1921, President Warren Harding commuted the prison sentence of labor leader Eugene Debs. Also released were another twenty-three socialist agitators. Debs had been imprisoned by the Woodrow Wilson... Read more →

celebrating the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

Grand Old Partisan celebrates the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. President Donald Trump signed it into law this day of 2017. The legislation had been introduced by Representative Kevin Brady and passed by the GOP-controlled 115th Congress. Republicans had brought... Read more →

thanking the Republican Party for Hoover Dam

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Hoover Dam, which generates electricity for California, Arizona and Nevada. This day of 1928, President Calvin Coolidge signed into law a colossal $165 million appropriation for the project. The bill had been written by Republican Representative... Read more →

honoring Washington Ellsworth Lindsey, first Republican Governor of New Mexico

Grand Old Partisan honors Washington Ellsworth Lindsey, born in Ohio this day of 1862. He taught school in three states, then studied law at the University of Michigan. After a decade in Chicago, he relocated to New Mexico. President William... Read more →

honoring Mary Livermore, tireless Republican Journalist and Suffrage Activist

"Teacher, Author, Wife, Mother, Army Nurse, Soldier’s Friend, Lecturer, and Reformer" Grand Old Partisan honors Mary Livermore, born in Boston this day of 1820. She studied French, Latin, Greek and theology. Witnessing a slave being beaten, while in Virginia, heightened... Read more →

honoring James Lynch, first African-American to hold statewide office in Mississippi

"TRUE TO THE PUBLIC TRUST" Grand Old Partisan honors James Lynch, born in Baltimore to a slave and her white owner. He received an education and became an African Methodist Episcopal minister for an Illinois church. During the Civil War,... Read more →

honoring John Greenleaf Whittier, abolitionist Republican Poet

Grand Old Partisan honors John Greenleaf Whittier, born in Massachusetts this day of 1807. He worked his way through school by making shoes. Acclaimed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison hired him to edit two of his newspapers. He later edited the... Read more →

praising William Cooper Nell, the first African-American historian and the first African-American federal employee

Grand Old Partisan praises William Cooper Nell, born in Boston this day of 1816. He excelled at his studies and vowed to "do my best to hasten the day when the color of the skin would be no barrier to... Read more →

commemorating the National League of Republican Clubs

Grand Old Partisan commemorates the National League of Republican Clubs. This day of 1887, local Republican organizations formed a countrywide organization. One thousand three hundred fifty-three delegates, representing three hundred fifty local clubs, convened at Manhattan's Chickering Concert Hall. They... Read more →

saluting Thomas Young, a "manly man" Republican Governor of Ohio

"His whole career is another signal example of what energy, courage, and patriotism will enable a man to accomplish." Grand Old Partisan salutes Thomas Young, born in Ireland this day of 1832. Immigrating with his parents as a child, he... Read more →

Republicans established the Army-Navy Football Game

Grand Old Partisan cheers for the annual Army-Navy football game. The cadets of West Point and the midshipmen of Annapolis held their first gridiron matchup in 1890. It had been arranged by President Benjamin Harrison's Secretary of War, Redfield Proctor,... Read more →

saluting Robert Harlan, from blue-eyed slave to Republican activist

Grand Old Partisan salutes Robert Harlan, born in Kentucky this day of 1816. Though his father was white, his mother being a quarter-black slave made the pale, blue-eyed boy a slave too. He grew up at his father's home along... Read more →

the last day that the Ways and Means Committee handled both Ways and Means

Grand Old Partisan highlights an important development in congressional history. This day of 1865, the GOP-controlled 39th Congress established the House Appropriations Committee as well as the House Banking and Commerce Committee. This reduced the workload of the House Ways... Read more →

a Republican President hosted the first White House Hanukkah ceremony

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican respect for Judaism. This day of 2001, President George W. Bush hosted the first annual White House Hanukkah ceremony. "Tonight, for the first time in American history, the Hanukkah menorah will be lit at the... Read more →

Republicans 'coined' the phrase "In God We Trust"

Grand Old Partisan appreciates Republican reverence. This day of 1863, Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase instructed his Director of the Mint to place the motto In God We Trust on designs for U.S. coins: "I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that... Read more →