Newport, Christmas and Cuisine

December 25, 2009

Richard J. Garfunkel

Newport is a unique place which has many venues for the casual visitor to enjoy. It has the harbor, which offers boating, fishing and great shopping. It has Bellevue Avenue and the mansions, which during the Gilded Age were summer cottages for the rich, especially Mrs. Astor’s 400. Newport is also home to the Casino, which is an old name for its tennis club and courts. The Tennis Hall of Fame is a wonderful place to stroll through and its artifacts, old pictures, and displays are second to none. For a tennis player, Newport is nirvana. Besides all of the above, there is a lot of history that abounds in Newport. One could go to Touro Synagogue and its grounds which are in the heart of old Newport. Old Newport has a wonderful collection of 18^th century homes and commercial buildings along Spring and Division Streets. Down by the water, where we stayed at the Newport Bay Club and Hotel, one can walk all along Thames Street and buy any type of shirt, sweater or collectible commemorating Newport.

We came up for the Christmas weekend, and Newport was still recovering from a massive snow storm that buffeted the coastline from Virginia to Boston. Our drive up from Tarrytown along 1-95 was quite uneventful; the traffic was pleasantly light after we passed through Fairfield, Norwalk and New Haven. The City was inundated with about two feet of the white stuff, and when we arrived on Thursday evening of the 24^th much of it was still on the ground. We checked into the Newport Bay Club and went for a walk in the damp and misty evening air towards the Brick Market. We learned that one of the few restaurants open on Christmas Eve was the Sea Shai Hibachi Garden at the Black Market Mall, http://www.seashai.com/.

After making our way around the piles of snow and the numerous puddles we found our destination. The place is huge, but since we wanted Japanese-style cuisine, we had to wait until our table was filled. It didn’t take long, because a family of eight, which included three generations, including people from Seattle, NYC, and New England, sauntered in and before long we were all served. They offered a special hibachi chicken dinner for $10 and we ordered a few of the appetizers. Along with the miso soup, the traditional salad, and the usual Japanese grilled vegetables and shrimp the bill came to less than $38.  It was a very fulfilling and reasonably priced meal, especially since our choices were quite limited. We walked back to the Bay Club and slipped into the arms of Morpheus.

Christmas Day, was a bit brighter, and we had breakfast in our rooms. The hotel offered all sorts of muffins, fruits and juice. We brought our own eggs, cereal and milk. Since everything in Newport was basically closed, it was a perfect day for a driving tour which took us along Bellevue Avenue. The streets were virtually empty and we cruised to the end, where the late Doris Duke’s mansion, Rough Point is located. The famous blond and lanky socialite departed Newport and the world in 1993 at the age of 81, and her mansion is now open to the public through early November. She also had a few other places to “crash” when she was on the road.

Over the years Doris acquired a number of homes. One, which was her official principal residence, was Duke Farms, her father's 2,700 acre estate in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey. Here she created Duke Gardens, 60,000-square-foot public Display Gardens that were among the largest in America. Duke's other residences were private during her lifetime: she spent summer weekends working on her Newport Restoration Foundation projects while staying at Rough Point, the 115-room English manor-style mansion that she inherited from her father. Winters were spent at an estate she built in the 1930s and named “Shangri La” in Honolulu, Hawaii; and at “Falcon's Lair” in Beverly Hills, California, once the home of Rudolph Valentino. She also maintained two apartments in Manhattan: a 9-room penthouse with a 1,000-square veranda at 475 Park Avenue that is currently owned by journalist Cindy Adams ^]; and another apartment near Times Square that she used exclusively as an office for the management of her financial affairs. She purchased her own Boeing 737 jet and redecorated the interior to travel between homes and on her trips to collect art and plants. Rough Point was deeded to the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1999 and opened to the public in 2000. Tours are limited to 12 people each.

As Bellevue curves to the right from Rough Point the vistas of the Newport coastline opened up as we drove onto Ocean Drive. There are some wonderful views of the craggy coastline, and over the years the hills that look down upon the ocean have become dotted with some magnificent homes. They are not like the “cottages of Bellevue Avenue, but all in all they are quite nice. In our earlier trips we would drive out to Ocean Drive and swim at one of the public beaches that are at the beginning of the “Drive.” In the past we visited Hammersmith Farm, where Jackie Bouvier Kennedy lived with her mother, and her sister Lee.

Hammersmith Farm is a Victorian mansion that hosted the wedding reception of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy. Linda’s cousin, the late Frederick W. Rosen,  Lt. Cdr, USNR (Ret.) was a friend of JFK and joined the PT Boat with him on the same day. Fred commanded PT 207 in the Mediterranean and was one of the 2000 guests invited to his wedding reception at the Farm. During his presidency, Kennedy spent enough time at Hammersmith Farm that it was referred to as the “Summer White House.” Hammersmith Farm was built in 1887 for John W. Auchincloss, the great-grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy's stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss. The house was located in an area in Newport known as “Hammersmith” after the hometown of the first settler of the region, William Brenton, a 17th century governor. The house was opened for public tours in 1978. Following the death of Hugh Auchincloss, Jr., Fruit of the Loom executive William F. Farley bought the main house for $6.675 million in 1997. In 1999, he sold it for over $8 million to Peter Kiernan, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, who converted the home back to private use. The furnishings of the Farm were sold off in a Christie's auction in 2000 that fetched $233,620. We were there the last day it was open to the public!

After enjoying the sights along Ocean Drive, we turned back into Bellevue, and headed toward Ruggles which leads to the Ocean and the Breakers. The Breakers, which is the crown jewel of Newport, was closed for the holiday, though it is opened for touring throughout the winter. The Breakers is a Vanderbilt mansion located on Ochre Point Avenue. It is a National Historic Landmark, a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, and is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

The Breakers was built as the Newport summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy United States Vanderbilt family. Designed by renowned architectRichard Morris Hunt and with interior decoration by Jules Allard and Sons and Ogden Codman, Jr., the 70-room mansion boasts approximately 65,000 sq ft of living space. The home was constructed between 1893 and 1895 at a cost of more than $7 million (approximately $150 million in today's dollars adjusted for inflation). The Ochre Point Avenue entrance is marked by sculpted iron gates and 30-foot high walkway gates are part of a 12-foot-high limestone and iron fence that borders the property on all but the ocean side. The 250' x 120' dimensions of the five-story mansion are aligned symmetrically around a central Great Hall.

I parked on Ruggles and stepped over the snow and onto the famous Cliff Walk, which was impassable. I was able to take a few photos before we headed back into town. We turned right from Bellevue to Memorial Drive and drove down the land bridge to Easton’s Beach and Middletown. Incredibly there were a handful of surfers who were braving the wind, chilly air and frigid waters. From Easton’s beach it was back again to Memorial Drive. This time we turned right at Bellevue, which became Touro Street and we drove passed Touro Synagogue and the old part of Newport. On Touro Street is the old and venerable Viking Hotel, which at one time was one of the nicest places in Newport. Jackie Bouvier’s father, who was a handsomely tanned alcoholic, a notorious womanizer and Wall Street manipulator named John Vernou Bouvier III. His nickname was “Black Jack” because of his deep tan and he stayed at the Viking Hotel for the wedding. It was said that his former wife reportedly did not want him to escort Jacqueline down the aisle for her wedding to John F. Kennedy. Jacqueline was instead escorted by her stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss. It was rumored that some of the Kennedys helped “Black Jack” Bouvier become to intoxicated to escort his daughter, and this was the reason Auchincloss stepped in to give the bride away.

Within walking distance from Newport Harbor the Viking is nestled in the Historic Hill district off famed Bellevue Avenue. Once the summering destination of America’s wealthiest, the Hotel was opened in 1926 to accommodate their haute monde guests. With the most recent multi-million dollar renovation finished in 2007 this hotel is a convenient choice for a historic stay in the heart of historic Newport. It was quiet in the Viking, but for whoever was there, the Christmas trees, warm sitting areas, and wood paneled bar were great places to congregate.

We went back to our rooms at the Newport Bay Club, and Linda found an advertisement for lobsters and fresh fish. We headed down to America’s Cup Way, turned left into Bannister’s Wharf and walked along to Bowen’s Wharf where we found the fresh fish purveyor, and we bought a 1.5 pound lobster, had it boiled, and brought it back to our rooms, where we had New England clam chowder, salad and the lobster. We were a bit worried how to crack the shell, so we went to CVS to look for a nutcracker. We wound up buying a small hammer, which we wound up not needing, and we brought back, but I was able to use a manual can opener to break the claws. We melted butter, enjoyed that delicious crustacean and rested until late afternoon when we headed out to see “Sherlock Holmes.”

The movie was quite enjoyable, and Robert Downey Jr and the whole cast was marvelous. Again it was a challenge to find a restaurant in Newport on Christmas Day. But there is a wonderful one called Sardella’s which was founded in 1980, and is located right on Memorial Drive, about halfway between our hotel on Thames and Bellevue Avenue. The restaurant was crowded, and we had a small table, which was quite adequate. We ordered lobster bisque soup which was quite reasonable at $6 for a bowl, and Linda chose a Caesar salad with chicken, and I chose a linguini with Bolognese sauce. The total bill was $46 and we had a pleasant time talking to the people sitting next to us. Here are the reviews for Sardella’s; http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60978-d443215-Reviews-Sardella_s_Italian_Restaurant-Newport_Rhode_Island.html.

On Saturday we again had breakfast in our rooms, and we headed out to visit the newly opened stores on Thames Street. We headed toward the Armory Market, an antiques mall, where we found a sailing ship, a Breakers Hotel cup, a wrought-iron plate holder, a chopping bowl and a few other items. I brought them back to the car we continued our tour of the stores of Newport. We then headed for the Tennis Hall of Fame, where we spent an entertaining two hours.The Newport Casino, which opened up on August 2, 1880, still sits on Bellevue Avenue across from where Bennett’s home used to be. Now there is a shopping center. It was immediately a great success. One can still sit today in the La Forge Restaurant and look out on the original lawn tennis court. Newport and tennis became synonymous and the first United States National lawn tennis championships were held there in 1881. Richard Sears, a 19-year old Harvard student won the inaugural event and went on to win six more championships without losing a set. Eventually there was doubles competition and Sears entered into it in 1882, and with both James Dwight and Joseph Clark, won five titles in a row. The championships stayed there until the onset of World War I and after 1914 never returned. Time and democracy moved on, and the Nationals moved to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY for the next 63 years. Even the Forest Hills facility became antiquated as the Nationals eventually became an “Open” and the professionals started to dominate the game. The National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows became the next and present venue.

The reason The Casino was built in the first place was a strange incident, involving the quirky newspaper man James Gordon Bennett, Jr., who had earlier caused a stir by sending reporter Henry Stanley to Africa to find the lost and reclusive Dr. David Livingston, of “Dr. Livingston, I presume!” One dull day in 1879, in a fit of spirited good times and fun, Bennett dared Captain Candy, a visiting polo player, to bring his horse into Bennett’s club, The Reading Room. His fellow members weren’t amused by having a horse cantering around their sanctum and threw the horse out along with Bennett. Therefore since they couldn’t take a joke, Bennett established his own place, The Casino. Years later, another Candy- Candace Van Alen, asked her tennis-playing enthusiast husband, Jimmy Van Alen, “Why doesn’t tennis have a Hall of Fame like baseball.” A year later, in 1954, Van Alen posed the question to the US Tennis Association. Therefore, with that question posed, the Tennis Hall of Fame started to come into existence. A few of the early inductees were Oliver Campbell, James Dwight, Richard Sears, the first champion, Henry Slocum, Jr., Malcolm Whitman and Robert Wrenn. Even Jimmy Van Alen was inducted in 1965. It only took another 21 years, for the Hall of Fame to be renamed the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1975 with the induction of the great Englishman Fred Perry.

After our self-guided tour, we headed back to our hotel for lunch. This time it was sandwiches and salad. After lunch we drove over to Beechwood, the Astor’s mansion and made the 2pm tour. One of Newport's oldest, oceanfront summer “cottages”, Astors' Beechwood Mansion was originally built in 1851 for a New York merchant, Daniel Parish. The Italianate-style mansion was destroyed by fire in 1855 and two years later, a replica was constructed on the property closer to the Atlantic Ocean frontage. Real estate mogul William Backhouse Astor, Jr., the grandson of John Jacob Astor, purchased the mansion in 1890 as an anniversary gift for his wife, Caroline. More commonly referred to as “The Mrs. Astor”, the undisputed Queen of American Society, Caroline hired architect Richard Morris Hunt and spent two million dollars renovating Beechwood into a place worthy of America's highest society.

Although Mrs. Astor only spent two months of the summer at Beechwood, she packed them full of social activities, including her renowned “Summer Ball.” For 25 years during the Gilded Age, Astors' Beechwood Mansion was the center of American Society, with Caroline reigning as its Queen. She was the creator of the first American social register, “The 400.” a list of 213 families and individuals whose lineage could be traced back at least three generations, she was the mother of John Jacob Astor, IV, the richest man to perish on the RMS Titanic. The Mrs. Astor’s 400 (all who could fit in her ballroom) has all but disappeared, except for a small mention in the paper regarding the conviction of one Anthony Marshall, who couldn’t wait until his mama, the legendary Brooke Astor departed from her earthly journey. Mrs. Astor, whose third husband was Vincent Astor, who was the great-great grandson of John Jacob Astor, America’s first multi-millionaire, died 50 years ago. Brooke, who lived to 105 years young, left an estimated $168 million. She had intended to give it all to charities, and that obviously frightened her only son. In his 80’s he decided to loot as much as he could before the needy got their “greedy” hands on his 2^nd step-father’s loot.

Beechwood is unique because all the hosts are in period piece costumes, and their characters are frozen in the year of 1891. This is the only “cottage” among the Newport mansions that provides a living history tour. The cast of The Beechwood Theatre Company takes on the roles of servants, guests and members of the Astor family in the year 1891 (or 1920s on Tuesdays). We were on a self-guided tour through the home by the cast as if you were a guest coming to call on the Astor family. Through interaction with the actors, a wealth of information on the dress, customs, activities, class structure and opulence of the era is shared in an intimate and interesting format. Once you enter the mansion, you have stepped back in time, and it is virtually impossible to get the actors out of character. Meanwhile at the end of the tour, we were entertained by wonderful singing and a cotillion in the Great Hall. The cast of characters were talented, good-looking, charming, young  and recent college graduates.

After Beechwood, it was off to Washington Square where we parked. We visited the Brick Market Museum and Shop. Being fans of British Royal history, our next choice was to see the afternoon, 4:30 pm showing of Young Victoria, with Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend at the Jane Pickens Threater which is right on Washington Square. It was a sumptuous film chronicling the ascension of the young Victoria, the niece of William the IV of England to the throne after his death in 1837. The film depicted her early struggles with her family, her ascension to the throne and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in 1819. At the time of her birth, her grandfather, George III, was on the throne, but his three eldest sons, the Prince Regent (later George IV), the Duke of York, and the Duke of Clarence (later William IV), had no surviving legitimate children. Her godparents were Emperor Alexander I of Russia, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom (her uncle), Queen Charlotte of Württemberg and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield. The film was enjoyable, well-constructed, and Victoria was beautifully portrayed by Ms. Blunt. At its conclusion, we walked directly across Washington Square to Yesterday’s Ale House & Restaurant where we had eaten twice before on earlier visits to Newport. Yesterday’s is a comfortable eatery, founded in 1974, with the look of a 19^th Century ale house, constructed with wooden beams and comfortable booths. There are plenty of reviews for Yesterday’s at this site: http://www.yelp.com/biz/yesterdays-and-the-place-newport.

On Sunday, after breakfast, we packed up our car, and headed down to the Bannister’s Wharf, stopped in a few stores, and got on the road to meet our children, Dana and Jon in Providence. We had arranged to meet them for lunch at around 2:00 pm. In between, we decided to drive to Fall River, MA, which is about 20 miles north of Newport. I wanted to see the battleship Massachusetts, which is docked at the Battleship Cove. TheMassachusetts was built in Quincy, Massachusetts at the Fore River Shipyard of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The ship was launched on September 23, 1941, and holds the record as the heaviest ship ever launched in Quincy. “Big Mamie”, as her crew knew her, was delivered to the Boston Navy Yard in April 1942 and commissioned the following month.

Following her shakedown period Battleship Massachusetts went into action on November 8, 1942, as part of Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. While cruising off the city of Casablanca, Morocco, the Battleship engaged in a gun duel with the unfinished French battleship Jean Bart, moored at a Casablanca pier. In this battle, Massachusetts fired the first American 16″ projectile in anger of World War II. Five hits from Big Mamie silenced the enemy battleship, and other 16″ shells from Battleship Massachusetts helped sink two destroyers, two merchant ships, a floating dry-dock, and heavily damaged buildings and docks in Casablanca. Along with Massachusetts one can board both thesubmarine USS Lionfish and the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., which are also anchored in the cove.

We had been to see the Massachusetts on previous trips, and we then headed north east to Providence, the capital of Rhode Island. Providence is a very interesting city that has gone through a major renaissance. Providence, the home to over 170,000 souls was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams and used to be a known as the “Bee Hive of Industry.” Today it has re-created itself into an arts and creative center. It is the home to Brown University, Providence College and the Rhode Island School of Design. Once we arrived in the city, we met our children at the Red Stripe, http://redstriperestaurants.com/?page_id=34 , an American Brasserie restaurant at 465 Angell Street. It was busy, noisy, but convenient. The menu was a bit limited, but the food was good. I had lox and bagels, and the nova scotia was plentiful and tasty. Linda, Dana, and Jon had omelets, vegetable wraps, and a tomato soup. The bill came to $59. All in all, we enjoyed the brunch and we walked to our cars which were parked right on Angell Street and made our way to the Rhode Island School of Design museum, http://www.risdmuseum.org/ , at 224 Benefit Street. RISD’s museum is a real gem. They have great collections of modern art, Egyptian artifacts, bronzes and interior design creations. It was a great place to spend an afternoon. We finally finished with RISD, Providence, and our weekend in Newport, and it was time to go home. Jon went back to Boston, and Dana joined us for a ride to New York. Happy New Year- 2010, a new year, a new decade!

New York in Early December.

12-6-09

Richard J. Garfunkel

Since yesterday was Linda’s birthday, we had decided to drive into New York and see some of the sights. For all of you former New Yorkers, the Henry Hudson toll is now $3.00. It seems like yesterday that it cost only a thin dime. We traveled down to historic Fraunces Tavern, which is located at 54 Pearl Street. There was little traffic on the Henry Hudson, the West Side Drive and 12^th Avenue which leads directly past the old World Trade center site, and the “new” Stuyvesant HS, the most expensive high school built in history. At Battery Place we circled past the Staten Island Ferry slips to Water Street and we found parking in lower Manhattan at a premium. But persistence won the morning and we squeezed into a spot only two short blocks just east of Pearl Street and facing directly at the East River.

We made a brisk walk to 54 Pearl Street where the restaurant museum stands. It was sunny and brisk outside, but even though cars were parked every where it was eerily lonely in this part of town. The quaint weekday lunchtime eateries were mostly bordered up on this pre-Christmas Sunday. The shoppers and tourists were somewhere else, and one could look at the ancient Magna Carta in the solitude on loneliness. So we had plenty of time to gaze at many of revolutionary era paintings and some of the artifacts from that bygone age, now over 230 long years ago.

After coming downstairs, we thought about eating at the restaurant, but there was no one there, and it was still early so we decided to leave and decide whether to cross into Brooklyn and stroll around Boro Park or go for lunch on City Island. While we were making up our minds, we made our way up Water Street and decided we would stop at a Jewish bakery named Moishe’s on 2^nd Avenue and 7^th Street. On our way north on the Bowery, we also figured that we would look for a pickle outlet like the Pickleman or Guss’s I knew that if we could find Essex Street, we would find pickles. We turned right on Houston and headed east towards the East River. Not far up the block was Essex and we turned right and headed straight down that wide street until on the right was the Pickle Guy. Linda hopped out, bought a mixed quart of half-sours and sour pickles and we made a u-turn and headed back to Houston.  

Back on Houston Linda forbade me from stepping a foot into Katz’s Deli, so once on Houston, we headed west to 1^st Avenue, drove up to 7^th Street and found a space directly in front of Moishe’s where they were happy to see us. With a little questioning we found out they make pletzels, a type of onion board, during the week, but if you really wanted one, you could order it during the week, and they could hold it for you. Since the famous Gertel’s, which was located at 53 Hester Street for years closed in June of 2007, to make room for another “badly needed” high rise, this type of delicacy has been not easy to find. So after getting a sliced seeded rye, a few egg rolls, an onion roll and a small piece of seven-layer cake, it was off to 23^rd Street and the FDR Drive.

Why the New Deal and Its Enduring Legacy!

October 23, 2009

Richard J. Garfunkel

As to the New Deal it has remained popular because it basically worked and brought stability to an unstable environment. That Depression era destroyed democracy all over the world. Countries that had elected parliaments or at least had nominally representative government failed in wake of the economic cataclysm of WWI. In the United States our democratic ideas of representative government endured. By the late 1930’s, even with the set back of the recession of late 1937, world wide events were catching the attention of the public. The emergence of a powerful and dangerous Germany, the Spanish Civil War, Italian invasion of Ethiopia, Japan’s aggression first in Manchuria and then in China started to change perceptions in the American populace. FDR was seen as a stable world level leader. But the country was overwhelmingly isolationist and becoming more and xenophobic and race conscious. That is why it opposed immigration, especially of Jews or Eastern Europeans. Its attitude towards Japan and Japanese-Americans or Japanese resident aliens was fraught with racial fears and hatred. American sympathies toward China exacerbated that hatred towards the aggressive Japanese warlords. This attitude would foreshadow the Japanese internment.

Therefore the regulation of the New Deal, and the concerns over foreign problems and military defense started to take over the thinking of the public. In fact, the WPA and the CCC employment strengthened the physicality of many Americans who had been malnourished during years of the depression. The building up of public works, though both the PWA and the WPA all over America, which included airports, the railroads, the roads and the airline and the automobile industries allowed America to eventually become “The Arsenal of Democracy.” In fact, without the New Deal we would have never been prepared for the build-up needed to equip a modern army, build a vast naval fleet and prepare to win the greatest war in history. That is one reason why the New Deal is remembered with a high level of positive nostalgia.

As to FDR, his leadership of America, the United Nations, and the free world was unprecedented. His military appointments were considered, by all historians, as second to none. He put excellent and sometimes controversial people, like King, Marshall, Leahy and Arnold as his top leadership corps and staff, and his support for successful theater commanders deserves and gets high marks from history. The next level of commanders, Nimitz, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Clark, and Stillwell were not all loved, but respected and that success translated down to Halsey, Spruance, Hodges, Patton, Bradley, Eaker, Doolittle, and many others.

FDR was re-elected overwhelmingly in 1936, and faced a greater electoral challenge in 1940. It is true, if there had not been the threat of war, most feel that FDR would have retired. There was no legal inhibition against anyone running for a third term. It was just tradition. Most American presidents were elected in their late 50’s and the toll on their health was always an issue. But remember, no president had served out two consecutive terms other than Wilson, who became quite ill and disabled in his last two years in office since, since Andrew Jackson 100 years earlier.

As to FDR’s popularity, on a personal level it was always quite high. On a political level the conservatives and Wall Street did not like him. But as to respect, he engendered high levels in every poll with almost every demographic group. He still remains to the seminal figure of modern history. James MacGregor Burns, the well-respected and renowned historian called him in his two great biographical books, “The Lion and the Fox,” and “The Soldier of Freedom,” and little has changed regarding that view. He was called the “Indispensible Man” by his idolaters, and later said in a well-known speech that there was no “indispensible man.”  But to many of us that was just sheer modesty, and in fact, he may have been just that “man.” The world has never seen his type of leadership since. His premature death at 63 was as great a loss to the world as Lincoln’s. I am sure, as a student of FDR, that had he been healthy he would have served out his term, seen to the nurturing of the UN and would have retired to work on the issue of world peace and reconciliation.

The American Presidency

October 19, 2009

Richard J. Garfunkel

With regards to the Presidency, a subject that I have long studied, I decided to add my views regarding the intellectualism of our 20th Century Presidents and how their mental skills related to their success. As to our earlier history, other than Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Jackson and maybe Polk few stand out. Certainly almost all of American’s recognized historians, through the decades of the Schlesinger Poll and others less regarded polls rank Washington, Lincoln and FDR in the top three with Jackson, TR, Wilson, Jefferson, Truman following in no solid order. As to the last slots, Polk, Clinton, and even Eisenhower have gotten high marks. Jackson and Wilson have suffered in recent days over racial issues, the Indians and African Americans. Jefferson also has his detractors. Eisenhower has moved up because of the failures of most of the post-war presidents. As to the bottom rung, Pierce, Buchanan, Harding, Coolidge, Nixon, Hoover, Bush II, will be vying for last place over the next number of years! Carter was stuck with the oil embargo and the hostage crisis, and his legacy is poor but not on the bottom rung.

I am glad people still think seriously about the IQ and mental health of our leaders. It would surprise me greatly, and almost everyone else I have known, that George W. Bush was reported to have an IQ near JFK. If George W. Bush has IQ of 115 and that sounds reasonable, then Bill Clinton has one of 215. I know of no example that George W. Bush has ever read a book of any consequence and he was by all accounts a barely passing student in college (560 Verbal on his SATs and a legacy!). I do not know what his core curriculum was, or whether he just didn't care, as many rich boys (and poor boys) don't. But, all in all, it is the poor boys that must excel to succeed. Certainly Bill Clinton was a poor boy, and he excelled, was incredibly well read, and his language and overall skills reflected that intellect. Yes, he was flawed, like many of us.

But, all in all, good political leaders do not have to be intellects, and in a sense the public has a tendency to mistrust them. Certainly Stevenson was labeled an “egg head” and the country rejected him, by wide margins, over the affable, but non-intellectual Dwight Eisenhower, who favored Zane Grey western novels as a way to intellectually test his gray matter or just relax. He spent more days on vacation, and away from work then any President, except maybe Calvin Coolidge or GW Bush in his term up to 9/11.

Jack Kennedy was a bright, and talented young man, who had many more advantages then most of his presidential peers. His great communicative skills were not hurt by his Hollywood good looks, and he had terrific political instincts fostered by his close connection to world events and the political theater of his upbringing. FDR raised himself to be President in the model of his cousin TR, but JFK, after the death of his brother, was fast-tracked to the job by the incredible heavy-hitting Kennedy political machine. Despite his incredible advantages he still had to produce, and he was quite capable of reflecting those skills on all of his campaign venues. As President he was inexperienced, a bit too young, and therefore pushed around by his own Congress. In a potential second term he would have had a short window of opportunity to succeed before morphing into the traditional lame-duck status that befits presidential 2nd terms. Certainly Michael Dukakis, who was and is quite bright, suffered from some of the same fear that the public has of intellectual superiority. In the modern era, only Teddy Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson, two true intellects were elected to the Presidency. Few people saw TR as an intellect and he was elevated initially by assassination, and not the direct will of the electorate. Ironically Wilson, former President of Princeton, an intellectual reformer, historian, and a writer, besides being the popular reform Governor of New Jersey, was elected as a true minority President, when his eventual political enemy, the former president, Teddy Roosevelt, split the vote in  the three-way election of 1912.

So we do not have a long wonderful history of electing truly bright people. Maybe, in his own way, Nixon would be considered bright, a law school graduate from Duke, along with the highly educated and successful businessmen and engineers Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter. Certainly anyone smart enough to captain a nuclear submarine and to pass Admiral Hyman Rickover's rigorous tests was no dope. But few give or gave him good marks as a President, and he was never perceived as an intellect. Most people saw him as a country-boy peanut farmer! William Howard Taft, our largest president was an educated man, a lawyer, territorial governor, a cabinet official and also a Supreme Court Justice. But no one accused him of being overly gifted as an intellect. Warren Harding was a handsome fellow, with an eye for the ladies, and a political hack, as was Gerald Ford. Harry S Truman, like Coolidge, Teddy Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and Gerald Ford was elevated to the job and unlike those I just mentioned, did not attend college. But Truman, who was never thought of as an intellect, was certainly not a fool, and now is widely recognized as near-great President, but still an unpopular one. LBJ was a political animal with a minor college education, who was quite bright, and incredibly energetic and ambitious, but not an intellect either. Coolidge was a dour fellow who slept through most of his five years in the job and had little vision or transferable ideals. Reagan certainly would never be accused of being well educated or bright, and was at best a line-reciting puppet with a primitive understanding of almost anything. His familiarity with the scientific world was appalling and his total inability to react with a spontaneous thought was embarrassing. Again he never had high marks regarding his reputation of being well read or an intellect, but he was and remains popular. He certainly could deliver a quippish line and was well-liked as a genial non-malevolent soul. History may just flay him to shreds as he will probably fall significantly in the minds of future generations of historians. This recent meltdown of our financial system may relegate him as being a modern day Coolidge to Hoover. Of course no two circumstances in history are exactly the same.

Of course we are left with one President who has always confounded everyone. FDR, the most successful politician and statesman in the history of the western world, was not an intellect. Everyone remembers Oliver Wendell Holmes “supposed” remark that he (FDR) was “a second rate intellect, but (had) a first-class temperament.” (Denied by Oliver Wendell Holmes to his death!) According to Thomas Corcoran, his former and favorite clerk when he was on the Court, Holmes, when he met FDR at his home, confused him for a moment with his old rival Theodore Roosevelt. Holmes was thinking of TR has a “first rate-rate intellect with a second rate temperament.” Then in contemplation he reversed it with FDR. He never thought FDR was a “second-rate” intellect, but second to his 5th cousin!

FDR was reasonably better educated then most, and had very high communication skills. His great strength really resided in his exceptional “people” skills. He knew how to get good people to do good and loyal work. He engendered great loyalty and love from his staff, and even received grudgingly given respect from his political enemies. Even the Japanese, in the midst of the war and on the edge of defeat, offered moments of silence, over the radio, at the news of his death and recognized him as a “great” man. No man in history had the combination of domestic, worldwide and posthumous acclaim. He owned the office and almost no one, even his great and most vicious opponents, could discount his power and skills. In a sense, an eternally healthy FDR would have gone on and on. His supporters were never tired of him, and his opponents were plum worn out by his skills, charm and worldwide support. Today he remains an almost unchallenged icon, far above his contemporaries and all who have followed. Most collective memories of FDR are unique and reverential. Though he was secretive, at times vindictive, and often politically too bold, his legacy remains unprecedented in history

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Magna Carta, the Divine Right of Kings, Fraunces Tavern,

and the Development of Individual Rights

by

Richard J. Garfunkel

October 14, 2009

(Charles Lucas of the Sons of the American Revolution

Is a guest on the Advocates)

On Monday, September 14, 2009, WVOX Radio, celebrated its 50^th anniversary. Bill O’Shaughnessy, who runs this station, has established a long and respected reputation as a defender of free speech. Throughout the past 50 years WVOX, (vox populi – the voice of the people) has been the home for commentary from every possible perspective, and Bill O’Shaughnessy has been its head cheer leader and a most vocal proponent of freedom of speech and the press. With this in mind it was fitting that I was invited down to the Fraunces Tavern to see the latest unveiling of the Magna Carta, one of the great symbols of freedom that we have in the world.

This same day, the almost 800 year old Magna Carta’s made its latest visit, ending a long journey from Lincoln Cathedral, a new generation of Americans were now able to view this most precious document. The Magna Carta is known by most students of history as the first document that articulated a break away from the power of the divine right of the monarchy. Its crafting was arguably the most important primary influence in the long, involved and almost tortured history that led to the rule of codified law today in the Anglo-American and English speaking world. Many would say that with the Petition of Right in 1628 and the later English Bill of Rights in 1689 the foundations were build for our Constitution. In a sense the rule of law that emanates from the people was germinated with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. With the development of common law, its influence on how legal systems evolved during the Middle Ages was profound. Of course the original concepts articulated in the Magna Carta were modified greatly through the ages and most of its provisions disappeared in the later part of the 19^th Century. To read the Magna Carta, please open this attachment: http://www.constitution.org/eng/magnacar.htm .

As its temporary home for the next three months, no more historical place could be found in New York than Fraunces Tavern. It was originally constructed in 1719, and built as an elegant residence for the Frenchman Stephan Delancey, a New York merchant and his growing family. In those days pirates boosted the sagging local economy. New York merchants, Dutchman Frederick Flyspe, and Steven Delancy, financed wind-powered ships that sailed across the Atlantic and halfway around the world to sell foodstuffs and arms to New York pirates operating out of the African island of Madagascar. Potential large returns on investments–some promising great multiples–were publicly traded in bourses within taverns not too far from the town wall that still stood on Wall Street. The most famous of these American brigands was one Scotsman Captain Kidd.On the fourth of July, 1696, Captain Kidd in the Adventure Galley entered New York harbor, and saluted the people of Manhattan with a couple of  cannon blasts to announcing his triumphant return to the city. As he had hoped, the boom of his guns helped awaken the local community.

Captain William Kidd, who would eventually become the most famous of the American pirates, often felt he never was adequately respected by his adopted home town. His vessel, the Adventure Galley, was an immense ship-of the-line was laced with over thirty cannon. It was an impressive site as it sailed into Manhattan harbor. Kidd, who called New York his home port, had left almost a year earlier in a dinky lightly gunned merchant ship, and now he was returning in this incredible personal man-of-war. Tax records of that day reveal Captain Kidd to be amongst the wealthiest citizens in his affluent neighborhood. Kidd had certainly earned some money from his merchant sailing days, but was helped mightily by his marriage five years earlier to an attractive, young wealthy widow. With her financial help, they purchased five prime parcels of lower Manhattan real estate, including 56 Wall Street and a large tanning mill.

Later on in 1762, and many years after Captain Kidd’s hanging as a pirate, Samuel Fraunces (1722–1795), bought the tavern. It was here, on December 4, 1783 that General George Washington, in the famous Long Room, said farewell to his officers at the close of the Revolutionary War. When Washington became the first President of the United States in 1789, he selected Fraunces to be the steward of his executive mansion. Fraunces Tavern is located still at 54 Pearl Street not far from today’s South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. After the American Revolution, it was used to house a number of government offices. At one time, or another, the Department of War, Treasury and Foreign Affairs (State) were housed there.  

Samuel Fraunces's origins are somewhat nebulous. He was born about 1722-23 in the West Indies, and was of French ancestry. Although the U.S. Census and other records document Fraunces as having been white, there remains some question about his racial identity. There are historical references in which Fraunces is referred to as Black Sam, but there are no contemporaneous references in which Fraunces is described as being of African descent. Every citing, in which he is portrayed as having been of African blood, dates from much later.

Though Washington’s Farewell forever links him to the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution, and many patriots, it is his part in feeding and supporting the 13,000 prisoners kept by the British in NYC that really honors him in history. Many of these men were kept on prison ships in New York harbor. One of whom was the poet, Captain Philip Freneau (1752-1832 later editor of the National Gazette) who wrote the poem,  The British Prison Ship and also immortalized Fraunces with the name Black Sam.

There is a tradition that Fraunces's daughter Elizabeth “Phoebe” saved Washington's life during the Revolutionary War by having her father remove poison peas intended for Washington. There are multiple versions of this event including a fictional children's book. One Jacob Corwin reports the event in his application for a service pension. Jacob Corwin was the Pastor at Wading River Church in Wading River NY and had been a witness to the execution of Thomas Hickey. The poison pea incident is then reported again by Benson John Lossing in 1870. This story was relayed to Lossing by Peter Embry who was born about 1766 and was a contemporary of Elizabeth “Phoebe” Fraunces. “Phoebe” Fraunces was a 10-year-old in June 1776, the time of the Hickey execution.

In 1904, the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York purchased the tavern and hired preservation architect William Mersereau to return the building to its colonial appearance. The Fraunces Tavern Museum opened to the public in 1907. Today, the museum complex includes four 19th century buildings in addition to the 18th century Fraunces Tavern building. Over its long history, The Sons of the Revolution has devoted it organization to educating the public about the struggle to achieve American liberty. Members are descendants of someone who fought in the Revolutionary War or otherwise placed themselves at risk for the American cause. For 125 years, the society has been involved in preserving the memory of the Revolutionary Patriots. Major projects have included erecting the statue of Nathan Hale in City Hall Park, purchasing, restoring and preserving Fraunces Tavern, purchasing and restoring Nathan Hale's Schoolhouse in Connecticut and placing plaques and memorials at important Revolutionary War sites in New York City.  In Magna Carta’s first visit to the United States it was displayed in one of the two buildings that housed the British Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair, held in Flushing Meadows, NYC. During the royal visit of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, they were hosted by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt both at Hyde Park and the White House. In June of 1939 they visited the British Pavilion which not only displayed the Magna Carta, but also coinage from the Royal Mint and replicas of the crown jewels. During its stay at the New York World Fair in 1939-40, where it became a sensation, thousands lined up daily to see the parchment. However, within months Britain was engaged in World War II, and it was deemed safer for it to remain in America until the end of hostilities. It was carefully stored away in Fort Knox – next to the original copy of the American Constitution, until 1947.

I was invited to see the first viewing of the Magna Carta since its last visit in the 1980’s. It was also here in the United States in 1976 for the Bi-Centennial. In the museum, besides the Magna Carta, there are fabulous artifacts from the Federalist Era, George Washington’s time and the American Revolution. Also, for the first time on display is one of the original four copies of the Declaration of Independence. For the Magna Carta’s fifth visit to America, since its signing in 1215, it will be on view for all to see through December 15^th, 2009. The Magna Carta, was assisted in its travels by Mr. Chris Woods, an archive conservation consultant, who also just arrived from London. Mr. Woods consults for the Lincoln Cathedral, which owns the British document. It was carried in a steel briefcase lined with climate-controlled boxes and tissue paper. He traveled with an armed escort from London to Heathrow Airport, and as he travelled first class it was placed in the front cloakroom of the British Airway’s plane. Normally, the document, which is insured for $30 million, rests at Lincoln Castle, an 11^th Century Norman fortress. At its arrival, Mr. Woods and the staff at Fraunces Tavern spent an hour preparing it for safe keeping and its display in a $70,000 vacuum-sealed display case. Finally when the museum’s president Charles C. Lucas, closed the lid an audible sigh was heard.

Historically the Magna Carta was the first document thrust successfully onto an English monarch by a group of his subjects. These subjects were not specifically the voice or even representatives of the people, but landed gentry, or barons, who sought to limit or restrict his authority by law. It was preceded by the Charter of Liberties in which King Henry I in 1100 CE, voluntarily stated that he was also limited by the rule of law. Realistically the Magna Carta did not cause a “sea change” regarding the relationship of the King and his subjects, nor his power and relationship with the powerful landed and title gentry of that day.

Latin for Great Charter, the Magna Carta set lasting precedents for English and subsequently for American law regarding trial by jury, representative government, and freedom of the church,. It also addressed rights of women and ironically Jewish money lenders (Lincoln, in that day was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in England.). Former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said, “To this day, the Magna Carta remains a beacon for nations and peoples committed to the ideals of democracy and individual freedom.” Colonel Charles C. Lucas, the president of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York and Fraunces Tavern Museum president said, “Fraunces Tavern Museum wanted to bring the Magna Carta to New York, because this document is at the root of the American Revolution-which is what our Museum is about. Even though it was drafted over five centuries earlier, the Magna Carta established rights and principles on which The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution rest.”  

The signer of the Magna Carta, was King John, the brother of Richard I, the Lion-Hearted, who reigned from April 6, 1199 until his death in 1216. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of Richard , who died without any heirs. Richard, known as the Lion-Hearted, lived from 1157 to 1199, and reigned from 1189 to his death. John was the youngest of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine. He was their second surviving son to ascend the throne; thus, he continued the line of Plantagenet or Angevin kings of England. Prior to his coronation, he was Earl of Cornwall and Gloucester, but this title reverted to the Crown once he became King. Apart from entering popular legend as the enemy of Robin Hood, he is perhaps best-known for having acquiesced —to the barons of English nobility— to seal Magna Carta. Before his accession, John had already acquired a reputation for treachery, having conspired sometimes with and sometimes against his elder brothers, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey. In 1184, John and Richard both claimed that they were the rightful heir to Aquitaine, one of many unfriendly encounters between the two. In 1185, John became the ruler of Ireland, whose people grew to despise him, causing John to leave after only eight months. During King Richard's long absence on the Third Crusade from 1190 to 1194, John attempted to overthrow William Longchamp, the Bishop of Ely and Richard's designated justice minister. This was one of the events that inspired later writers to cast John as the villain in their reworking of the legend of Robin Hood.

The first and oldest mention of Robin Hood is not codified in written accounts, or even traditionally sung lyrics regaling his life and legend, but vague remembrances found in various works. From 1228 onwards, the names Robinhood, Robehod or Hobbehod are seen in some ancient judicial documents. The most of these accounts emanate from the latter third of the 13^th Century.. Between 1261 and 1300 there are more than a few references to Rabunhod in various parts of England, from Berkshire in the southern part of Britain to York in the north. The term seems to be applied to any fugitive or miscreant coming in conflict with the established order. Basically, a Robinhood was a law breaker or felon. Early on it seems that the name Robin Hood is used for a proto-typical individual who breaks the law, or is a highwayman. This catch-all name seems to be of common use throughout the Middle Ages. Parliament, in 1439, was presented with a document officially describing that the name is to describe an itinerant felon. The name was still used to describe sedition and treachery in 1605, when Guy Fawkes (1570-1606, hung, drawn and quartered for his involvement in a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.) and his associates were branded “Robin Hoods” by Robert Cecil. The legend of Robin Hood seems to dart in and out of historical reference and there are numerous references in the 16^th Century to even King Edward, but it could have been any of the first three Edwards. The names Robert Earl of Huntington, Robert of Locksley, or even Robert Fitz Ooth are often associated by legend to Robin Hood. Other sources pictured him as from the yeoman class. In the 15^th Century his name became associated with May Day celebrations with men dressed up as Robin or members of his band. In this same 16^th Century the prevailing common view was that Robin was a character from the late 12^th Century at the time when Richard I was fighting in the Crusades.

By the Victorian Age, new and distinct versions of Robin Hood started to evolve. The traditional tales were often adapted for children, and most of these versions characterized Robin as a man who takes from the rich to give to the poor. Often King Richard's participation in the Crusades is mentioned in passing, but Robin takes no issue with Prince John, and the raising of funds from the Normans through extortion or robbery to bring Richard back from the Holy Land is never mentioned. These conclusions regarding the evolution of Robin Hood are part of the 20th Century myth. The concept of a nativist Robin Hood as a high-minded Saxon fighting Norman lords also originates in the 19th century. Much of this thought emerges from works by Jacques Nicolas Augustin Thierry and Sir Walter Scott.  

The 20th century has grafted still further details on to the original legends. The 1938 film, with Errol Flynn, Oliva de Havilland, Claude Raines, and BasilRathbone,portrayed Robin as a hero on a larger-than-life national scale, leading the oppressed Saxons in revolt against their Norman overlords while Richard the Lion-Heart fought valiantly against the Saracens in the Crusades. This classic Hollywood favorite established itself so definitively that generations of viewers, fans, and other film producers accepted its story as a historical truth.

As to the real King John, he was more popular than William of Longchamp, who was Bishop of Ely, and Richard’s appointed regent while he was off fighting in the 3^rd Crusade. In October 1191, the leading citizens of the city opened the gates to him while they confined Longchamp in the Tower of London. John gave assurances to the city regarding the right to govern itself in return for recognition as being Richard's heir. Unfortunately, while returning from the most recent Crusade, (The 3^rd Crusade, 1187-1192, was promulgated after Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt, recaptured Jerusalem.) Richard was captured by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, and handed over to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who held him and demanded the payment of a huge ransom. Meanwhile, John had no real interest in the return of his brother to England and the throne and joined forces with Philip Augustus, King of France to delay any effort to free him. They sent a joint letter to Henry asking him to keep Richard in his custody for as long as possible and even offering a large bribe to keep Richard sequestered indefinitely. Henry refused to their offer, and once Richard's ransom was paid by his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, he was set free. It was said she placed the Crown Jewels with pawnbrokers to raise the capital. Upon Richard’s release and return to England, John pleaded for forgiveness from Richard, who granted it and strangely named him heir presumptive.

Years later, as king, in November of 1209, John fell into disfavor with Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated. In February 1213, the same Pope threatened stronger measures unless John submitted to Papal edict. John accepted the papal terms for submission and they were accepted in the presence of the papal legate Pandulph in May 1213. With this submission, formalized in the Bulla Aurea (Golden Bull), John gained the valuable support of Pope Innocent III in his new dispute with the English barons. Coming to terms with Llywelyn I, Prince of Gwynedd, following the Welsh Uprising of 1211 and settling his dispute with the papacy, John turned his attentions back to his overseas interests. The European wars culminated in an English defeat at the Battle of Bouvines (1214), which forced the king to accept an unfavorable peace with France.

This finally turned the barons against John (some had already rebelled against him after he was excommunicated), and he met their leaders along with their French and Scots allies at Runnymede, near London on June 15, 1215, to seal the Great Charter, called in Latin Magna Carta. Because he had sealed under duress, however, John received approval from the Pope to break his word as soon as hostilities had ceased, provoking the First Barons' War and an invited French invasion by Prince Louis of France (whom the majority of the English barons had invited to replace John on the throne). John travelled around the country to oppose the rebel forces, directing, among other operations, a two-month siege of the rebel-held Rochester Castle. In practice, the Magna Carta, in the medieval period, mostly did not restrict the power of Kings; or bring him under the control of another equal branch of government.

King John's reign has been traditionally characterized as one of the most disastrous in English history, earning him the nickname Bad King John. It began poorly with military defeats — he lost Normandy to Philip Augustus of France in his first five years on the throne — and ended with England torn by civil war and himself on the verge of being forced out of power. In 1213, he made England a papal fiefdom to resolve a conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, and his rebellious barons forced him to sign and seal the Magna Carta in 1215, the act for which he is best remembered.

As far as the administration of his kingdom, John functioned as an efficient ruler, but he lost approval of the English barons by taxing them in ways outside those traditionally allowed by feudal overlords. The tax known as scutage, payment made instead of providing knights (as required by feudal law), became particularly unpopular. John was a very fair-minded and well informed king however, often acting as a judge in the Royal Courts, and his justice was much sought after and admired. Also, John's employment of an able Chancellor and certain clerks resulted in the first proper set of records, the Pipe Rolls. Tudor historiography was particularly interested in John’s reign, for his independence from the papacy (or lack of it) – this atmosphere produced not only Shakespeare's own King John, but also its model The Troublesome Reign of King John and John Bale's Kynge Johan. Winston Churchill summarized the legacy of John's reign: “When the long tally is added, it will be seen that the British nation and the English-speaking world owe far more to the vices of John than to the labors of virtuous sovereigns.” Medieval historian C. Warren Hollister called John an “enigmatic figure.”

As to the Magna Carta itself, one copy resides at the Lincoln Cathedral. The Bishop of Lincoln was one of the signatories to the Magna Carta and for hundreds of years the Cathedral has held one of the four remaining copies of the original. One copy has resided at the Ronald Reagan Museum in Simi Valley California until June of 2009 when it returned to the Lincoln Castle, Lincoln Castle is a major castle constructed in Lincoln, England during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. It remained in use as a prison and law court into modern times, and today it is one of the better preserved castles in England. There are three other surviving copies, two at the British Library and one at Salisbury Cathedral. Lincoln Cathedral (in full The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, or sometimes St. Mary's Cathedral) is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln and  seat of the Bishop of Lincoln of the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for nearly a quarter of a millennium (1300–1549), though this height has been questioned. The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt. It is highly regarded by architectural scholars; the eminent Victorian writer John Ruskin declared, “I have always held… that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have.”

By the time of the English Civil War, the Magna Carta had become an important symbol for those who wished to show that the King was bound by the law. Generally speaking the Magna Carta was thought of as being a single document, but over the next 80 or so years until 1297 it had been amended into various versions. During the English Civil War, which lasted for ten years from 1641 through 1651, many changes regarding the English Monarchy were put in place.

In this period there was a series of battles and political restructuring between Parliamentarians and Royalists, which involved the supporters of King Charles I against the adherents of the Long Parliament. In the last historical segment of this struggle, the third war (1649–51) saw a prolonged struggle between King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651.

Historically, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, James I (formerly James VI of Scotland) ascended to the unified thrown, and had described kings as “little Gods on Earth,” ordained by the Almighty to rule with the power and the authority of the doctrine of the “Divine Right of Kings.” Charles I, James’s son certainly believed in that inherent right. One of the first events to cause concern about Charles I came with his marriage to a French Roman Catholic princess, Henrietta-Marie de Bourbon. The marriage occurred in 1625, right after Charles came to the throne. Charles' marriage raised the possibility that his children, including the heir to the throne, could grow up as Catholics, a frightening prospect to Protestant England.  

Charles also wanted to take part in the conflicts underway in Europe, then immersed in the Thirty Years' War (1618 – 1648). Foreign wars, then as now, required heavy sources of revenue, and the Crown could raise the necessary taxes only with Parliamentary concurrence and imperator. In fact it was always the gentry that enabled the crown to raise and collect taxes. Charles had even more financial difficulty and financial constrictions on his actions when Parliament refused to allow him the right to collect customs duties in perpetuity for the length of his reign. They decided to grant him that right on a year to year basis. Forced with problems of funding expeditions to Europe, he dissolved Parliament. Having dissolved Parliament, and being unable to raise money without it, the king assembled a new one in 1628. The elected members, including Oliver Cromwell, drew up the Petition of Right, and Charles was forced to accept it as a concession in order to get his funding. Amongst other things, the Petition referred to the Magna Carta. Therein the Magna Carta served as a useful precedent regarding future Parliamentary checks and balances over the monarch. Furious that Parliament continued to countenance Charles as a ruler the Army marched on Parliament and conducted “Pride's Purge” (named after the commanding officer of the operation, Thomas Pride) in December 1648. Troops arrested 45 Members of Parliament and kept 146 out of the chamber. They allowed only 75 Members in, and then only at the Army's bidding. This Rump Parliament received orders to set up, in the name of the people of England, a High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I for treason. Therefore, as a consequence,the Civil War, or the Great Rebellion, brought about the arrest, indictment, trial, of Charles I. At the end of the trial, Charles I  was found guilty of high treason, as a “tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy” His beheading took place on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall on January 30, 1649.

This period of what is now collectively known as the Protectorate brought about the removal of the monarchy with first, the Commonwealth of England (1649–53), and then with a Protectorate (1653–59), under Oliver Cromwell's personal rule. The dominance of the Church of England ended with the victorious Parliament consolidating the established Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. Constitutionally, the Civil War, which was fought in three separate periods, established the precedent that an English monarch cannot govern without Parliament's consent, although this concept was legally established only with the Glorious Revolution (1689) later in the century.

Following the deaths of Oliver Cromwell and his heir, his son Richard, the monarchy was restored, with Charles II on the throne. But his rule would only be with the consent of Parliament. The civil wars effectively established England and Scotland to be the basis of the Kingdom of Great Britain under the rule of law and a parliamentary monarchy form of government. Eventually in 1707 under the Acts of Union, this law would manage to forestall the kind of often-bloody revolutions, typical of European republican movements that followed the Jacobin revolution in 18th century France. Specifically, future monarchs were leery of pushing Parliament aggressively. The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament in December 1689 and was a re-statement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right, presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1688, inviting them to become joint sovereigns of England.

The bill was enacted to a degree regarding the events of the Glorious Revolution. The revolution had occurred due to a religious conflict in England regarding the death of Charles II in 1685, and the ascension of his Catholic brother King James II.  Because of intense opposition from the English Protestants, numerous groups pressed for the Dutch Protestant Prince William of Orange to replace King James II. In November 1688, William landed in England with a sufficiently large, invading force, and was successful in ousting James II and was crowned king. The Bill of Rights enumerates certain rights to which subjects of a constitutional monarchy were believed to be entitled to in the late 17th century. It asserted the subjects' right to petition the monarch, as well as to bear arms in defense of the realm or their hearth and home. It also restates again certain constitutional requirements of the monarch to seek the consent of the people through their representatives in parliament. Parliament also effectively established its right to determine the line of royal succession with the Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights, and in the 1701 Act of Settlement.

Of course, not all insanity, bigotry and enlightenment ended with the signing of the Magna Carta. In 1255, not long after the signing of the Magna Carta, not far from, England where it has been preserved and protected, all the Jews of Lincoln, England, gathered for a wedding. The next day, the body of a boy named Hugh, who had been missing for a month, was found. He had probably drowned in a cesspool, but the Jews were accused of abducting him, hiding him for a month and fattening him up. It was charged that the wedding party was really a celebration of Hugh’s crucifixion and that everyone had partaken of his blood. Nineteen Jews were hung without benefit of a trial.

More blood libels followed in London and Gloucester. By a decree signed on Tishah b’Av, July 18, 1290, all Jews were banished from England, not to be legally readmitted until the middle of the nineteenth century. Even in their absence, however, the blood libel accusation was perpetuated and the deleterious image of the Jew reinforced. A century after the banishment of the Jews of England, Chaucer wrote The Prioress’ Tale, which centered around, “Jew demons” who were handmaidens of the devil and murdered Christian children.

The enemies of the Jews promulgated these false accusations for a variety of reasons, whether as a solution for an unsolved murder or to create an opportunity for the confiscation of Jewish property or to divert the attention of a restless populace from the injustices of their own societies. And by and large, the validity of the blood libel went unquestioned, even if a particular accusation was disproved. Perhaps this particular Jew had been found innocent, but there was no doubt that the Jews and their religion still bore the guilt of the blood libel.

As the charges flourished, so did the accompanying literature, further validating the authenticity of these attacks. One theory, published by a Dominican monk in 1263, purported the Jews would have to commit this crime on a yearly basis, because as a punishment for having shed the blood of the Christian savior, they were afflicted with a terrible disease that could only be treated with innocent Christian blood. The ritual lie and the portrayal of the Jew as a bloodthirsty demon to be hated and feared had become an accepted part of Christian dogma. Holy shrines were erected to honor innocent Christian victims, and well into the twentieth century, churches throughout Europe displayed knives and other instruments that Jews purportedly used for these rituals. Caricatures of hunchbacked Jews with horns and fangs were depicted in works of art and carved into stone decorating bridges. Proclaimed by parish priests to be the gospel truth, each recurrence of the blood libel charge added to its credence, thus prompting yet more accusations. This vicious cycle continued to spiral. 

But, for sure over the next number of centuries, the Magna Carta influenced generations of free people.It has influenced international law as well: Eleanor Roosevelt referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as “a Magna Carta for all mankind.” The signing of the Magna Carta is thought to be that pivotal point in history where the effort to establish freedom becomes the essential element in the relationship between men/women and government. When Englishmen left their home and hearth to settle in the new world, they brought with them the traditions that were guaranteed first by the Magna Carta. These charters guaranteed that they and their progeny would “have and enjoy” all the natural “rights of Englishmen.” In 1606, Sir Edward Coke, who drafted the Virginia Charter, incorporated the values and themes into their colonial document. Colonists understood clearly the tradition of rights articulated in the Magna Carta. When American colonists objected to their treatment from the Crown, they were fighting, not so much for new freedom, but for the “rights of Englishmen” that dated from the 13th century Magna Carta. In 1787, when American representatives met at Philadelphia to draft a constitution, they certainly took into account the legal system they knew, understood and admired from English common law that had evolved from Magna Carta.

The United States Constitution is the “supreme law of the land,” recalling the manner in which Magna Carta had come to be regarded as fundamental law. This heritage is quite apparent. In comparing the Magna Carta with the Bill of Rights: the Fifth Amendment guarantees: “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” In addition, the United States Constitution included a similar writ in the Suspension Clause, article 1, section 9: “The privilege of the writ habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.” Written 575 years earlier, Magna Carta states, “No free man shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, not will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land.” Each of these proclaim, “No man may be imprisoned or detained without proof that they did wrong.” The connection is obvious, and the tradition is sound. We are a nation of laws, and when our laws are compromised our freedoms are challenged.

It would take centuries more of blood-letting, revolution, and World Wars along with the Petition of Right, the English Glorious Revolution. The American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the ratification of the United State Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Four Freedoms articulated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his January 6, 1941, State of the Union address, the Atlantic Charter signed by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the creation of the United Nations and the authorship by Eleanor Roosevelt of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  to articulate and broaden these freedoms to where they are today.

Traveling Here and There

October 13, 2009

Richard J. Garfunkel

Well it was a busy last few weeks. We were traveling fools. Our first trip was up to Boston to go to a Charlesbank Capital Partners party for the closing of their most recent fund, number VII, Michael Eisenson the lead partner invited all of the company and their significant others, spouses or guests to his lovely home in the woods of Wayland, Ma. We were able to see our kids, eat lunch in Jamaica Plain, and traipse around Concord, where the American Revolution got started for real at their famous bridge. The weather could have been a lot better, but in New England, any thing can happen. We had a comfortable evening at the Westin Hotel and after brunch with Dana and Jon we headed back to New York for Kol Nidre.

Two weeks ago we again headed north to the Berkshires and Jiminy Peak which is in Hancock, Ma. We stayed in a two-bedroom time-sharing unit called Country Village. We arrived on Friday night, ate dinner in a gin mill known as John Harvard’s Brew House and relaxed by watching a few division series baseball games. Though again it rained on Saturday, we were able to get into Lenox and Pittsfield where stopped at Guido’s a fabulous food emporium on Route 7 in Pittsfield, where we loaded up on provisions. Eventually we made our way to Stockbridge where we met Dana and her pediatrician friend Stacy who arrived from Boston. We had lunch at Once Upon a Table, which is right next to the historic Red Lion Inn, which dates back to the 18^th Century. After lunch we headed out to the “new” Norman Rockwell Museum. The last time we were in Stockbridge, the museum was downtown on Main Street. The museum was great and they had a special section devoted to Rockwell’s Four Freedoms, which were inspired by FDR’s January 6, 1941, State of the Union address. After the museum, we went shopping in Lenox. There’s a great leather, jewelry and hat store called Berkshire Classic on Main Street and we got ourselves some great buys. All that shopping and, leaf-peeping and walking around could tire anyone, and we headed back to Hancock for dinner in and a restful evening. The next day, the weather cleared, the sun came out, and we headed north to see Williams College in Williamstown, and after strolling around that beautiful campus we headed north up 7 and 22 to North Adams where we had the luck to run into their annual Fall Foliage Parade and a 5K run. The town and the main street were jumping. It seemed the whole region gathered in North Adams. We also found a great antique store called Hudson’s, and I bought a wonderful collection of early 20^th Century postcards (144) that chronicled someone’s long forgotten world tour. Eventually the girls had to get back to Boston and we had to get home. We made our way down Route 7 through great Barrington and on to the Taconic for the trip back to Tarrytown.

So the last week of this odyssey was played out in the Poconos. Linda found this fabulous place in Bushkill, We stayed in a wonderful townhouse with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fireplace, whirlpool and sauna in our bedrooms and a marvelous deck. It could easily sleep 10-12 people. We drove up the NY State Thruway to Route 287 and then went southwest to Route 80 which leads directly across New Jersey to Pennsylvania. We hait incredible traffic on parts of Route 80 and because of some local detours our trip was extended another 45 minutes, but we located the Fernwood property and the Fairway Villas. The weather was crisp, the trees were nicely turned to their autumnal hews and we headed out to the flea markets, the antique malls and the outlet stores for the perfect buy. I got an FDR plate five books, and some other useless trinkets. We drove through Stroudsberg, East Stroudsberg and Tannersville. There is nor recession in the Poconos, they were all incredibly jammed. We finally ate dinner in a very popular road house called Petrizzo’s on Route 209 and headed tiredly back home to read, and watch baseball and Bond movies. It was quite pleasant and very quiet. The next morning it was off for more adventures and the Bushkill Falls. We decided to head back a bit early, beat the traffic and get home and do some chores. All in all, there is life out of New York.

Night at the University Club

October 7, 2009

Richard J. Garfunkel

Linda and I had a great time with Jim and Vilma Caraley at the University Club which is located at 1 West 54th Street in old Manhattan. We were their guests for a great seafood dinner. We feasted on clams, oysters, shrimp and lobsters galore. Jim Caraley was one of Linda’s professors at Barnard College and lived for years in the village of North Tarrytown, now Sleepy Hollow. He also served as a village trustee. We had a great time talking about politics, FDR, and what is happening in the world. He was a guest on The Advocates this past June 17^th, talking about the “role of political journals in the world of media talking heads.” The broadcast can be heard at http://advocates-wvox.com .

Jim is the editor of Political Science Quarterly, published since 1886, and President of The Academy of Political Science, and is also Research Professor of Political Science at Barnard College.  For most of his career, he was Janet Robb Professor of the Social Science at Barnard College and Columbia University and Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia. (Information can be found at The Academy of PoliticalScience– website: www.psqonline.org .)

A specialist on American politics including city government and urban policies and problems and on congressional policies toward cities, Caraley has published numerous books and articles including Critical Issues for Clinton's Domestic Agenda, Doing More With Less: Cutback Management in New York City, and City Governments and Urban Problems. Caraley has been both an appointed and elected official in Westchester County local government.

Caraley has also published books in the field of national security policy, his latest one being the 2007 book, Terrorist Attacks and Nuclear Proliferation: Strategies for Overlapping Dangers.  He has published American Hegemony: Preventive War, Iraq, and Imposing Democracy; September 11, Terrorist Attacks, and U.S. Foreign Policy; The New American Interventionism; The President's War Powers; and The Politics of Military Unification.

Caraley was a Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholar for academic year 1995-96, where he worked on a continuing project called Washington Abandons the Cities and the Urban Poor. Among his recent major articles are “Washington Abandons the Cities” and “Dismantling the Federal Safety Net: Fictions versus Realities”. His article on “Ending Welfare as We Know It: A Reform Still in Progress”, published in the Winter 2001 issue of the Quarterly was awarded a prize by the New York State Academy of Public Administration as the “outstanding publication of 2001.”

Caraley was elected chairman of the Barnard Political Science Department for ten three-year terms. He also established the Columbia Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration in Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and was its founding director.

Who is the Greatest Tennis Player in History?

Richard J. Garfunkel

July 6, 2009

Update

September 15, 2009

Recently many of us witnessed all, or parts of the great Wimbledon Men’s Final, between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. Of course the debate over who is best in the history of the game will never end or be decided.  Bill Tilden, Donald Budge, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzalez, Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and maybe Bjorn Borg have been considered, at one time or another, the best in history. But each era is different and new equipment, every generation or so, changes the game. I never particularly thought that Sampras had the total game of many of his more modern predecessors. It seemed he had one of the worst records of any number one player in history when it came to winning non-Grand Slam events. With regards to his career, I do not have access to his statistics regarding when he exited tour events. But he was ranked number one for six straight years and Tennis Magazine named him the greatest player from 1965-2005. He did win 64 ATP Singles titles, which is 4^th on the all-time list. Because of the importance of the Grand Slam events, his place as number one player in history seems to have been eclipsed by Federer, who is quite healthy, and says he has the desire to continue to play. His form is smooth, he has the right demeanor and he is able to keep his great success in proportion. Federer accomplished his 15 Grand Slam titles in four years less time, and at a younger age than Sampras. Of course, he may have been helped considerably by the injury to his great nemesis and rival Rafael Nadel. Injuries are part of the game, it will be interesting to see if Nadel’s are chronic and his future is now limited. Ironically, Steffi Graf benefitted greatly by the knifing of Monica Seles, who when it happened Monica, she was at the peak of her game. Seles had won 10 Grand Slams in four years and her winning percentage was 83% compared to Sampras’s 77%. Graf, who won 22 Grand Slam titles, and had a lifetime winning percentage of 88%, was defeated by Seles in the Australia Open in 1993. After Seles was stabbed in Hamburg by a crazy Graf supporter, she missed two years of play, was never really the same, and Graf won the three remaining titles in 1993 and seven more over the next number of years.

As to the longest match in Wimbledon history, that belongs to Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell. I can recall it to this day, and I was surprised that no one mentioned it during the long final set between Federer and Roddick. Gonzalez, who was on the less regarded professional tour from 1949 through 1967, missed many, many opportunities to win Grand Slam events. He certainly was the dominant pro player for eight consecutive years and he was still a potent force at Wimbledon at age 41.

As to Rod Laver, he swept all of the Grand Slam events in 1962 as an amateur and in 1969 a year after the Grand Slam events became open to professionals. Laver won a total of eleven Grand Slam titles and for sure would have won many more. His life-time winning percentage in ATP Open era events was 80%. When he returned to Wimbledon in 1968 he easily defeated both Arthur Ashe, the defending champion in the semi-finals, and Tony Roche in the finals, both in straight sets.

Yesterday- September 14, 2009

Did lightning strike, was there a slight tremor affecting the World of Tennis, or was there a sea change regarding the “Crisis of the Old Order?” Juan Martin Del Potro not only obliterated Rafa Nadal, the darling of all that exists now in the tennis universe, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, but dethroned an obviously shaken Roger Federer. Federer, who is probably the most controlled and unflappable champion since the era of the Swedes; Borg, Wilander, etc, showed an unusual side of his demeanor yesterday. Not only did he bad mouth the chair umpire, but he lost his edge to a seemingly tiring Del Potro. It was a match of extremes, and in the end Federer’s game seemed to deteriorate quickly. Besides his inability to get his first serve in, which has nothing to do with his opponent skills, he constantly missed backhands that used to parallel the alley and drive opponents to distraction. Maybe the injuries to Nadal really helped Federer climb over the Grand Slam mark help by Pete Sampras, who knows. Nadal, Federer, Roddick, Djokovic and some of the others may have to move over and bow to the emerging Del Potro Era. Ironically Del Potro didn’t serve that hard and therefore it was his powerful ground game, along with well-positioned serves that helped him win. Maybe at 20 years old it isn’t difficult to get a second wind!

If one only depends on a powerful serve, counter measures can be used to defeat it. We’ll have to wait awhile to see how things flesh out. But my guess is that if the Del Potro generation of tennis giants, along with players the size of Cilla, start to dominate, Federer’s days maybe numbered. He’s got the record, he’ll be 29, he’s a family man, he’s got oodles of money, he’s got the brains and demeanor, and he may not feel like losing and becoming a tennis has-been. If he starts to lose in 2010, he may feel that commercially it is better to go out on top. Strategically it is always nice to retire a winner, and my sense is that if he does  win another major he may hang up the NIKEs.

RJG

One of the greatest matches ever played

In 1969, however, it was Gonzales's turn to prevail in the longest match ever played till that time, one so long and arduous that it resulted in the advent of tie break scoring. As a 41-year-old at Wimbledon, Gonzales met the fine young amateur Charlie Pasarell, a Puerto Rican younger than Gonzales by 16 years who revered his opponent.

Pasarell won a titanic first set, 24-22, then with daylight fading, the 41-year-old Gonzalez argued that the match should be suspended. The referee didn't relent and thus the petulant Gonzalez virtually threw the second set, losing it 6-1. At the break, the referee agreed the players should stop. Gonzalez was booed as he walked off Centre Court.

The next day, the serves, the volleys and all the prowess that made Gonzales a fiery competitor surfaced with trademark vengeance. Pasarell, seeking to exploit Gonzalez's advanced years, tried to aim soft service returns at Gonzalez's feet and tire him with frequent lobs. Barked Gonzalez on a changeover, “Charlie, I know what you're doing — and it's not working!” Gonzalez rebounded to win three straight sets, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9. In the fifth set, Gonzales won all seven match points that Pasarell had against him, twice coming back from 0-40 deficits, to walk off the court from the 5-hour, 12-minute epic.^[2]

The final score was an improbable 22-24, 1–6, 16-14, 6–3, 11-9. Gonzales went on to the fourth round of the championship, where he was beaten in four sets by Arthur Ashe. The match with Pasarell, however, is still remembered as one of the highlights in the history of tennis and has been called one of “The Ten Greatest Matches of the Open Era” in the November/December 2003 issue of TENNIS magazine.^] But it was not this match alone which gave Gonzales the reputation, among the top players, of being the greatest long-match player in the history of the game.

“The Advocates”

 With

Richard J. Garfunkel

 WVOX – AM Radio 1460- 12 Noon Wednesday

August 12, 2009

All archived Shows at:

http://advocates-wvox.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at 12:00 Noon, I am hosting my show, The Advocates on WVOX- 1460 AM, or you can listen to the program’s live streaming at www.wvox.com. One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  Our guest is Mr. Michael A. Cohen, author and commentator about American politics and issues. Our subject will be President Obama’s report card after six months, healthcare reform and his views on Afghanistan.

Michael A. Cohen is a Senior Research Fellow at the New America Foundation where he co-helms the Privatization of Foreign Policy Initiative, which examines the growing influence and impact of non-state actors in U.S. foreign policy. He is also the author of Live From the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America (Walker Books: 2008).

Previously, Mr. Cohen served in the U.S. Department of State as chief speechwriter for U.S. Representative to the United Nations Bill Richardson and Undersecretary of State Stuart Eizenstat. He has worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Foreign Policy magazine, and as chief speechwriter for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT). Mr. Cohen serves on the board of the National Security Network and has taught at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

A frequent commentator on politics and international affairs his work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, the St. Petersburg Times, the World Policy Journal, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the New York Daily News, Forbes.com, Courier de la Planete, Talkingpointsmemo.com, Politico, Worth Magazine and he is a frequent blogger at www.democracyarsenal.org. During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign he was a regular contributor to the New York Times Campaign Stops blog.  He has also been featured on ABC News, Fox News, BBC TV and radio, South African television, Al Jazeera, Air America and XM Radio's Potus '08.

Mr. Cohen holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from American University and a master's degree from Columbia University.

Meanwhile, the mission of The Advocates is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy” issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow.

One can find my essays on FDR and other subjects at https://www.richardjgarfunkel.com. All of the archived shows can be found at: http://advocates-wvox.com. My guest next week is Robert Flower, PhD, and financial advisor, who will talk about health care reform in America, a conservative’s perspective. In following weeks I will have lawyer and legal scholar Michael Shapiro, of Carter, Ledyard, talking about newly appointed Justice Sototmayor and the Supreme Court, followed by renown newspaper man and columnist Milt Hoffman analyzing State, County and local politics.

One can find all of The Advocates programs archived at my show website: http://advocates-wvox.com.

Richard J. Garfunkel

“The Advocates”

 With

Richard J. Garfunkel

 WVOX – AM Radio 1460- 12 Noon Wednesday

August 5, 2009

All archived Shows at:

http://advocates-wvox.com

Wednesday, August 5, 2009, at 12:00 Noon, I am hosting my show, The Advocates on WVOX- 1460 AM, or you can listen to the program’s live streaming at www.wvox.com. One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  Our guests are Gary Leogrande and Steve Lamoreaux. Our subject is revisiting the housing market after 15 months, has it bottomed, and how will credit reflect any potential recovery?

Gary Leogrande is the Operating Principal at Keller Williams NY Realty, which is based in White Plains, NY.  Gary is a Licensed Real Estate Broker in both NY and CT and has sold hundreds of houses through out the area over the past 23 years.  Gary has prized himself at being the best he can be in his profession.  He has been a consistent multi-million dollar Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service (WPMLS) Award winner.   In addition to overseeing a dynamic office with over 100 agents he also has a team working with him specializing in foreclosure properties and residential re-sales.   Mastering his craft, Gary gives back to the Brokerage community by regularly teaching classes at the Westchester County Board of Realtors (WCBR) such as: New Agent Orientation, Ethics, Continuing Education, Salesperson and Brokers Classes.  He is the chair person of WPMLS Technology Committee, a director for WPLMS and chair of the Broker/Owner Managers Committee.  He has also served on the WCBR Professional Standards Committee for over 10 years.He has earned the following designations from the National Association of Realtors: Accredited Buyer Representative, Certified Residential Specialist and Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager.

Mr. Lamoreaux background consists of 14 years in the financial markets – both retail and institutional, and another decade in the mortgage arena (from hedging, to underwriting, to sales). He has focused these last 6 years solely on reverse mortgages, speaking at Senior Centers throughout Connecticut, southeastern New York State and the boroughs of NYC. He also speaks before, and works closely with, Elder Law and Trust & Estate Attorneys, Financial Planners, Insurance Agents, and CPA’s. Steve is an instructor of classes to the general public through local Adult Education programs in courses in NY and CT. He has also been the host and guest for a number of financial radio programs throughout this area. He last visited The Advocates on April 2, 2008.

Meanwhile, the mission of The Advocates is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy” issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow.

One can find my essays on FDR and other subjects at https://www.richardjgarfunkel.com. One can also listen to all of the archived shows at: http://advocates-wvox.com. Our guest next week is Michael Cohen, the author of Live From the Campaign Trail, who will talk about his recent perspectives on Afghanistan. One can find all of The Advocates programs archived at http://advocates-wvox.com.

Richard J. Garfunkel