THREE FORMER PRESIDENTS WHO RETURNED TO FEDERAL SERVICE

As Presidents Day Weekend draws to a close here’s one last seasonal post from Balladeer’s Blog. This item looks at the three former presidents who occupied other United States federal government positions after their years in the White House.

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT

Gang Affiliation: Republican

Post-Presidency Office: Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Comment: In July of 1921, President Warren G Harding took time out from letting his criminal cronies run the country to appoint former President Taft as the new Chief Justice.

Among the Associate Justices serving on the Court when Taft took the position were three of the legends of the Court – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, Louis Brandeis and Willis Van Devanter (insert your own “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” joke here).

Taft stepped down as Chief Justice in February of 1930.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

Gang Affiliation: See below.

Post-Presidency Office: Congressman from Massachusetts

Comment: After having started his political career in the Federalist Party, John Quincy Adams won the Presidency as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, was elected to Congress as a member of the Anti-Mason Party (really) but later switched to the Whig Party. The man was a party animal! 

Adams served in the House of Representatives from March of 1831 until his death in February of 1848. Among the political giants that J.Q. served with in Congress was future President Abraham Lincoln, who coined Adams’ Congressional nickname “Old Man Eloquent.”

In the “See How He Apes His Father” Department, Congressman Adams led the fight against the Democrats’ Gag Rule, which stopped Congress from debating petitions to abolish slavery. Like his father, J.Q. never backed down from a fight and was ultimately victorious over the pro-slavery Democrats, no doubt after much singing of a reprise of Sit Down, John for this younger Adams. (1776 fans will get it.)

John Quincy Adams died of a stroke while in the House railing against the Mexican War.  

ANDREW JOHNSON

Gang Affiliation: Democrat

Post-Presidency Office: Senator from Tennessee

Comment: After barely surviving in the Senate trial following his impeachment, Johnson served out the remainder of the late President Lincoln’s second term.

Always an insecure man obsessed with real or perceived slights, Johnson sought a form of redemptive approval in the form of being returned to Washington as a United States Senator, one of the offices he had held on his way to the presidency. After a few failed attempts, Andrew finally got what he wanted in January of 1875.

In one of those amusing historical oddities, the new Senator Johnson was sworn in by Vice President Henry Wilson who, as a Senator, had voted guilty in Johnson’s impeachment trial.

Andrew’s bizarre paranoia was still intact and in a truly strange move the Senator from Tennessee traveled to Ohio for speaking appearances because he felt that candidates in the state’s gubernatorial race were slandering him. (Did I mention he was always an insecure man obsessed with real or perceived slights?)

Johnson died on that odd “Stop talking about me, bitches!” speaking tour on July 31st of 1875.  

FOR PART ONE – WASHINGTON TO CLEVELAND, ROUND ONE, CLICK HERE:  https://glitternight.com/2012/02/19/balladeers-blogs-presidential-pros-and-cons/

FOR ALL 44 CLICK HERE:  https://glitternight.com/2013/02/14/presidential-pros-and-cons-from-balladeers-blog-washington-to-cleveland/

AND FOR MORE OF MY TAKES ON MINDLESS LIBERALS AND MINDLESS CONSERVATIVES CLICK HERE:  https://glitternight.com/category/liberals-and-conservatives/

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