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Political Hay
Requiem for a Columnist’s Dam
Tom Wicker’s Christmas rage at Reagan over a private dam and public dollars.
Requiem: Hymn or dirge for repose of the
dead.
— Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
Christmas, 1985.
Tom Wicker was upset.
The longtime New York Times political reporter turned columnist, an icon of liberal journalism in the day, was furious with President Ronald Reagan and his conservative administration. So he sat himself down during the Christmas season and penned a column titled “Requiem at Christmas.”
That would be requiem, as in a hymn for the dead.
The subject of Wicker’s fury is worth a look this Christmas, twenty-five years later. His tirade was delivered as Reagan and the conservative movement were riding a wave of public popularity just a year after Reagan’s 49-state re-election over former Vice President Walter Mondale.
Why is this important enough to take another look? Because this tale of a supposed political Scrooge and the Christmas Past of 1985 provides a glimpse of Christmas Future for conservatives in 2011.
Wicker, you see, was waxing eloquent about a pond at his rural retreat in historic Rappahannock County, Virginia. There, some twenty years earlier during the height of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the columnist built his pond on his own property. Perhaps understandably for a man who had spent his life as a liberal wordsmith, Wicker saw this moment of pond-building as “perhaps the single most constructive act of my life.”
He also paid for the construction of the pond himself. Good man. A liberal who believes in private sector job creation.
But wait! Paid for it all himself? Then why in the world was Tom Wicker so furious at Ronald Reagan and conservatives?
What was this business of a “Requiem at Christmas”?
Well, there was actually more than a pond involved, you see. First, the government of the Commonwealth of Virginia arrived to stock Wicker’s pond “with large mouth bass, bluegills and channel catfish,” the latter, Mr. Wicker assures us, “to establish a natural cycle” in his new private pond. But there was something else. There was also a dam. And instead of hiring a private sector contractor to design his dam, Mr. Wicker went somewhere else. Guesses, anyone?
That’s right. Instead of pumping his New York Times earnings into this task, Mr. Wicker turned to — you. You as in the taxpayers funding the federal government of the United States circa 1965. Specifically, in Wicker’s words, he turned to “Eddie Woods, the district agent for the Federal Soil Conservation Service, (who) designed the dam so well that the water eventually rose precisely to the little red flags he had set out to predict the shoreline of what he called a ‘water impoundment.’”
Said Wicker as his fury rose to what might be called the liberal anger impoundment shoreline of the Times print pond: “That’s only an infinitesimal incident in the annals of one of the Federal services dedicated to the American earth and to those who work and cherish it.” Indeed, indeed. “Infinitesimal” is precisely the word for whatever federal tax dollars were spent on his pond. Then, without missing a beat or evidencing a solitary thread of irony, Wicker moves his readers from the pond-designing Federal Soil Conservation Service to another agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture: the Agricultural Extension Service.
There, he fingers Scrooge. Otherwise known as President Ronald Reagan.
About the Author
Jeffrey Lord is a former Reagan White House political director and author. He writes from Pennsylvania at jlpa1@aol.com.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (33) | Leave a comment
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MoeBlotz| 12.21.10 @ 6:21AM
Yes,yes,yes,stop all the unnecessary spending.....after I get my slice of the big pie. Where is that money pile,anyway?
Alan Brooks| 12.21.10 @ 1:03PM
Reagan made many proud of America;
both Bushes make many more ASHAMED of America. Eight years they wasted, Obama couldn't do worse than the Bushes if he tried to destroy this country. The guilt at your voting for the Bushes is eating you up.
Alan Brooks| 12.21.10 @ 1:07PM
...Actually the Bushes wasted about 9.5 years: counting the 1 and 1/2 years of Bush 41 after the Soviet Union dissolved in Sept of '91, and the eight years of Dubya. Almost an entire decade down the drain so Dubya could write his fluffy memoirs. And you think we have to respect the GOP? guess again.
Publius| 12.21.10 @ 11:38PM
Wasted how, Alan? By not being George Dukakis, Al Gore or John Kerry? Thank God for that!
Any guilt I have is from treating people such as you with respect; respect that I now know is neither deserved nor reciprocated.
Time to call things as I see them: People like Alan are a blight on American values and must be opposed with the same venom that they unleash on the rest of us.
Albert| 12.22.10 @ 6:41PM
Neither of the Bushes nor both of them combined even come close to the damage wrought by Bill Clinton. The Communist Chinese are now building the largest and most powerful military in the World with advanced technologies they bought from Clinton with illegal campaign contributions. And that military is offensive in nature as China plans hegemony in the Far East in similar fashion to Japan of the 1920's and 30's. And now we have President Bozo, the stupidest man to ever set foot in the White House, building on Clinton's legacy with rule by executive orders and "Czars" and a wholesale sellout to Global Socialists. At least the Bushes are loyal Americans. Clinton is not, nor is President Bozo.
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Curly Smith| 12.21.10 @ 8:52AM
Actually, the way out of this mess is freedom. Our country was the most prosperous in history because of the unprecedented freedom allowed by the restrictions the founding documents placed on the Federal Government. Our forebears came from the tyranny of Europe for the economic opportunities that freedom bring. They were the same people in Europe, with the same ideas, the same hopes, the same dreams, the same burning desire for success but they couldn't reach their potential because of the stifling nature of the central government.
Until the early part of the last century our forebears had a healthy distrust of both Central Governments and guilds (or unions) as both greatly restricted opportunity for anyone not connected to the ruling class. Both stifled creativity and innovation. Both controlled not only who could work but also what work could be done. Both were great impediments to progress and both are the tools of "Progressives".
But freedom died in the last century, one law at a time, one unionized factory at a time. Innovation and creativity kept us alive for a time but as we "progressed" more, we faced more and more restrictions on our liberty. The more we advanced, the more freedom we lost until we created Serfdom USA.
Yes, lower spending and lower taxes are needed but they're just a few of the tools of freedom and lowering them will do nothing to lessen the regulatory, statutory and bureaucratic burdens that have destroyed prosperity. We've allowed the Federal Government to turn us into a "Can't Do" nation. And you hear nothing from Washington except the need for more legislation...
Serfs Up!... and get to working in the fields.
Alan Brooks| 12.21.10 @ 2:31PM
But you want laws that protect your family at others' expense- and now everyone can see it.
Hypocrisy only works if no one knows they are being tricked, which is NOT the case anymore..
Publius| 12.21.10 @ 11:40PM
And how exactly, Alan, do you know the mind of Curly? Another mindless comment from the bombthrower that deserves neither our respect nor our consideration. I do, however, have a measure of contempt that has Alan's name on it.
WGMOW| 12.22.10 @ 1:00AM
Well Alan, those of your ilk want to protect and subsidize non-families headed by women who breed for dollars, and spend their time getting fat, getting manicures, and getting effed by a succession of live-in freeloader thug baby-daddies.
So yes, people like Curly and me want to keep our money and get those fat slugs off their assets and force them to get their money the old-fashioned way - earn it!
Albert| 12.22.10 @ 6:33PM
Mr. Brooks evidently has taken a petty contrariness and developed it into a pathological psychosis. There is no purpose served by this post other than to slam someone needlessly and unjustifiably. You need help Mr. Brooks.
Brian Mc| 12.21.10 @ 9:03AM
It's about time that the Internal Revenue Service did just that; go internal. Instead of making honest Americans prove that they are innocent, should it not force its government to justify where it is spending OUR $? Was this monstrosity once a government of the people, by the people and for the people? When did it come to pass that we the people would fear it? For every audit that is sent forth, unto the unwashed masses, there should be one that points inward to protect the money that was taken from us by force, and it's high time it started yesterday.
bpo jobs pune | 12.21.10 @ 9:18AM
It is very informative. Thanks a lot for sharing it.
Not an idiot| 12.21.10 @ 9:32AM
What a worthless article.
Trotter| 12.21.10 @ 10:40AM
As opposed to your comment?
Not an idiot| 12.21.10 @ 10:43AM
No, as opposed to your comment.
JimBob7| 12.21.10 @ 12:47PM
No, you are an ideological leftwing idiot
Not an idiot| 12.21.10 @ 12:57PM
No, you are just an idiot.
Harvey3| 12.21.10 @ 2:36PM
Pls don't feed the trolls.
Negro X| 12.21.10 @ 6:24PM
You are indeed an idiot, a useless one at that.
Henry David| 12.21.10 @ 9:41AM
as a Federal dam, can anyone come and fish in the pond? Can anyone swim in it? Will Tom have to provide public access? Life Guards?
Richard Baker| 12.21.10 @ 10:01AM
Liberals somehow seem to think that the messes they create will not affect themselves. Wicker himself probably still doesn't get it. Liberals don't seem to understand the meaning of irony.
Anthony| 12.21.10 @ 10:45AM
Well Wicker will soon be able to commiserate with another misguided lefty of the Times, Walter Durante. What an absolute parade of misfits and morons the Alice-in- Wonderland NY Times has produced over the years for our entertainment.
Speaking of misfits and morons, since Mr. Lord mentioned the "No Labels" crowd, did any of you catch C-Span last night and the coming out of this new movement?
There was the diminutive billionaire mayor of NYC, Bloomberg, repleat with his purple tie, and the soon to be ex-governor of Florida, Charlie the "crisp" Crist, all waxing poetic on the polarization of our culture and the danger this portends for America's future.
How ironic that the "No Labels" crowd would be led by Bloomberg, who was a lefty D, who later became an R, and then a lefty I, all to stay in power, and of course, Charlie the R turned I, chameleon extraordinaire.
Added to this mix was the usual assortment of useful idiots, other lesser known has been pols, and "neutral" members of the MSM.
All in all it was a hoot to watch, especially with Bloomberg and Crist, front and center, drooling over the prospects of using this movement for their continued power grab.
I suppose it would be impolitic of me to label the "No Labels" crowd, but with these guys as leaders of the movement, I can't help but say that the "No Labels " crowd are a bunch of FRAUDS.
Petronius| 12.21.10 @ 10:53AM
Just because an electorate not heard from in the past kicks the beltway litter box into a different corner doesn't mean anybody else has learned a damned thing; least of all the Liberals. They are acting like Gene Wilder in The Producers screaming, "I'm wet!!" after the bucket of water is dumped on them.
This country now contains three generations of incompetent citizens who cannot make a good living in our new tech based economy. The one thing government can do to foster new growth is to back off and abolish all unnecessary regulations which simply produces unemployed bureaucrats from their point of view, and fat chance of that happening. Truth be known, the old goose along with the Federal sow have been on life support for far too long. As collective ignorance has killed the goose, concurring deprivation must put down the sow. The bottom is near, but recovery cannot and will not take hold and remain constant unless our spoiled populace accepts the conditions necessary to economic liberty; material and social inequality, and risk. A stake must be driven through the heart of the beliefs on which meretricious clock punchers won't yield an inch: that they have a right to the same standard of living as the company president.
They don't bear that level of responsibility, and sand lot softball players don't get 7 figure contracts in the Majors. Reality bites. Bind thy wounds and grow up!
Albert| 12.21.10 @ 11:23AM
"putting an end to the politics of class warfare and envy that liberals like New York's Congressman Anthony Weiner employ to keep their own middle-class constituents economically under-water for political benefit."
This is the single most important sentence in this column. It is in fact the Democrat Party Platform in a nutshell and accurately describes "progressive" (e.g. Socialist) governments from Washington DC to Venezuela to Zimbabwe to Somalia and elsewhere. Socialists deliberately suppress economic prosperity in order to artificailly keep people either poor or struggling, and consequently dependent on government for help. The net result is those who receive the help vote for those who provide the help: Democrat politicians. The problem we have in America is not a conflict of ideas on how prosperity is created. The problem is the Left actively and deliberately suppresses prosperity for personal political gain. Until Americans understand this in greater numbers than just the Tea Party, we will continue to be for rough times.
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.21.10 @ 1:59PM
albert,
Thank you.
Well spoken.
Yosemeti Sam| 12.21.10 @ 12:09PM
Wicker, as with other Leftoids, in and out of the blister set of HUMANS who COMPRISE what we address as GOVERNMENT - holds this truth above all others: what's mine is mine and what's yours I COVET: purely for the beneficence of all: cause we cook, er, keep the BOOKS!
stevenator| 12.21.10 @ 3:10PM
I would like to visit the national park we constructed in Wickers' backyard. Free and at anytime of my choosing... it's better to night-fish for those catfish. Maybe, he might open a bait shop and donate the profits back to the taxpayers!
David Thompson| 12.21.10 @ 3:16PM
"Not enough money. Not enough money. Not enough money."
NO! "Money" is currency, and Bernanke is giving us a boatload of it right now on QE2.
We need production. And not just any - we need goods and services with marketable value.
The government performed a service (landscape design) for Wicker back in 1965, but it had little or no market value - Wicker had the government do it so that he could get it at no cost to himself; i.e., its market value to him was near zero.
Production and distribution in the market are what create jobs.
Marc Jeric| 12.24.10 @ 2:48PM
A lot of people here are wasting their time on refuting that non-entity far-left goon Alan Brooks. My experience with communism (i am a former refugee froom a communist hell) indicates that fellows like that komrad Brooks are ideal candidates as commanders of our future Gulags and re-education work camps being prepared by Abu Hussein al-Mombassa (or wherever in Kenya that marxist Muslim was born).