Copshaholm

I visited the Copshaholm Mansion today. Roger Ebert had written about it, and I related that I had been there quite a few times, taught in South Bend, etc..

I got a postcard for Roger, too bad it wasn't a Golden Hawk, his dream car.

I noticed something, though, and I think what I noticed is more important than any of the fine works of art or ornate fixtures the Oliver family had collected over the years. In the office of JD Oliver (millionaire plow industrialist), there was a signed picture of Calvin Coolidge. Calvin's most famous quote, after "You lose," is "The business of government is business." Coolidge's hands-off policies were almost assuredly embraced by JD Oliver.

After the tour, our guide asked if we wanted to see a worker's house. My Mom skipped it, it was really cold, but I went with my brother and his friend. When we walked across the very cold parking lot, we entered the back dorr. I said to our guide, "This looks just like my grandparent's house." She told me everybody says that.

When I went in, I noticed the furniture looked really familiar, too. As did the plateware. You know what else I noticed? I noticed a single picture of FDR next to a well-worn calendar. When I walked out with the guide, I told her I was more moved by the two bedroom worker's house than JP's collection of all the famous people he knew. She told me people say stuff like that a lot. She told me she was worried about her job. I told her to hang there, there were better times around the corner.

Times haven't changed much, have they?

Make no mistake: The Republicans are the party for the Olivers.

The Democrats are the party for the rest of us.