So, you’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again to include the, I don’t know, the hoaxes of Russia, Russia, Russia! Or the fine people on both sides hoax. Or suckers and losers hoax. So, this is a guy that peddles in garbage. This is what he does…Nobody was texting war plans. And that’s all I have to say about that. Thank you.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

“This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”

National Security Council Member

Like many of my friends who are MAGA supporters, I too wish for a return to the 1950s and 1960s. But for a different reason and perspective…I have listed a small group of political leaders and journalists who showed courage, integrity and judgement in the performance of their duties. They all possessed “backbone”, a quality that is so lacking in Washington D.C. and in many press rooms. These are individuals who did not necessarily toe the party line and displayed personal and professional courage in their political stands.

At my age, I wax nostalgic for the candor and probity in my youth as opposed to the pablum and lies I am subjected in my seasoned years.

Political Leadership:

Martin Luther King Jr. – moral leadership.

Robert F. Kennedy – major advocate for civil rights, poverty alleviation, and social justice before his assassination.

Barry Goldwater – though conservative, he was fiercely independent, opposed religious extremism, and later supported LGBTQ+ rights.

Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) – A trailblazer, she was the first woman to serve in both the House and Senate. She stood up to McCarthyism with her Declaration of Conscience speech in 1950, warning against the dangers of demagoguery and political extremism.

Frank Church (D-ID) – A leader in investigating government overreach and abuses of power (Church Committee). He’d be crucial in today’s discussions on government surveillance.

Howard Baker (R-TN) – Although his prime influence came in the 1970s, his approach to bipartisan leadership and honesty in government (Watergate hearings) would be crucial today.

Journalists

Edward R. Murrow– fearless in confronting McCarthyism, a standard-bearer for integrity in journalism.

Walter Cronkite – “the most trusted man in America,” his objective reporting shaped public opinion.

William F. Buckley Jr. – Founder of National Review, he shaped modern conservatism with sharp wit, deep intellect, and respect for debate

Mike Royko – A tough, blue-collar newspaper columnist from Chicago who took on corrupt politicians, injustice, and hypocrisy with biting humor.

Eric Sevareid- Candid and biting essays on political topics.

Mike Wallace (CBS) – Before 60 Minutes, he was an aggressive interviewer who exposed political deception.

James Reston (New York Times) – A Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist who had a major influence on political journalism.

Mary McCarthy (The New Republic, The New York Review of Books) – A brilliant and sharp political writer, she was an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy, McCarthyism, and the Vietnam War.

Dorothy Thompson (New York Herald Tribune, Ladies’ Home Journal) – One of the most influential political columnists of the mid-20th century. She was a fierce critic of fascism before and after WWII and tackled McCarthyism and Cold War paranoia.