They Killed Lincoln Too Soon...

and America suffered for decades -- some say a century plus, even -- because his Reconstruction plans* died with him.

I wonder if we've the same fate planned for Libya, in their NATO-assisted Civil War.

After the Civil War congress was controlled by a group called the "Radical Republicans." Lincoln was able to control them and had proposed a plan for reconstruction that looked to treating the South more like a lost brother returning home. Lincoln looked to reconstruction as a time of healing. The Radical Republicans, however, looked at reconstruction as an opportunity to teach the South a lesson and to punish them. In 1866 Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill which called for rather draconian Reconstruction measures. Lincoln vetoed the bill but the debate raged.

In other news, Hillary "Boss" Clinton lost her mother in the past few days. I hear she was permitted a dignified death, of natural causes with family surrounding her.

This scene from Cool Hand Luke comes to mind, if you play around with the roles some:

"I wanna say a prayer for your Ma, Luke...
Sorry, Luke. Just doin' my job. You gotta appreciate that."

Luke reminds the man: "Aw, callin' it your job don't make it right... boss."

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* Not plans necessarily, attitude of mercy or non-vengeance, perhaps.