Things Noted Here and There
For the Washington Post, Allen C. Guelzo and, for the New York Times, James McPherson review Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Sir Martin Gilbert,"When Churchill Went to War – with America," Telegraph, 6 November. Indebtedness put tension in Winston Churchill's abiding confidence in the Anglo-American alliance, says Gilbert. The Free Press will publish his new book, Churchill and America, today. On 31 December, he notes, British taxpayers will finally have paid off their indebtedness for World War I and World War II in full. Thanks to RealClear Politics for the tip. [more ...]
There would be few historian/couples of greater distinction than Richard L. McCormick and Susan Lebsock. McCormick is the political historian son of a distinguished American political historian, Richard P. McCormick. He moved quickly up the ladder of academic success in his father's department at Rutgers and moved on to top administrative positions at UNC, Chapel Hill, and the University of Washington before returning to Rutgers as its president in 2002. He and Professor Lebsock both published distinguished work and received distinguished honors. After 21 years of marriage and considerable public embarrassment, she filed for a divorce on 27 October. His salary as president of Rutgers is $525,000, plus the use of a president's house. Her salary as Board of Governors Professor of History is $140,751. Her claim is that she cannot afford to support their two children, who are in private schools, on her own income. I'm going to give Richard some unsolicited pastoral advice: a) get off the sauce; and b) settle this thing, quickly, privately, and lovingly. You embarrassed yourself at the University of Washington and this threatens to destroy your career at Rutgers. Margaret Soltan at University Diaries is less sympathetic to Lebsock than I am.
Mike Allen,"A White House Without Rove?" Time, 6 November, anticipates a major shake-up in the Bush administration, with a new chief of staff, press secretary, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of the Treasury.