The Solitary “No”
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Cross-posted from Blog Them Out of the Stone Age.
According to Technorati, yesterday over 2,500 blog posts made mention of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I thought that probably the world could do without one more, but at least one of my readers disagreed, albeit without sufficient guts to offer his name or a valid email address. Of my post on political jui jitsu, he wrote, “This is the best post you could come up with…. typical.”
At first I thought this was merely an attempt to bait me. Then I noticed that preceding the sentence was the notation, “12/7/41.”
Although I can’t slake his thirst for one more remembrance of the day that FDR correctly predicted would live in infamy, I can at least commemorate the day on which FDR asked Congress for a declaration of war. That event occurred sixty-six years ago today.
Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress at 12:30 p.m. His address took six and a half minutes to deliver, after which the Senate and House of Representatives met separately to vote on a joint resolution for war. In the Senate, the resolution passed unanimously. Not so in the House. Majority Leader John W. McCormack (Democrat - Massachusetts), presented the resolution and urged suspension of the rules so that it could be voted upon immediately. Jeannette Rankin (Republican - Montana) instantly objected. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn (Democrat - Texas) instantly ruled her out of order.
Minority Leader Joseph W. Martin (Republican - Massachusetts) rose to endorse the resolution in a seven paragraph statement, commencing with the sentence, “Our country is today in the gravest crisis since its establishment as a republic.” Seven more members of congress, including the prominent isolationist Hamilton Fish (Republican - New York), also went on record with statements of support. Throughout the “debate,” Rankin repeatedly tried to gain the floor to register her dissent. Rayburn repeatedly refused to recognize her.
“Sit down, sister,” came a voice from the Democratic side of the aisle.
