Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Correcting a distinguished historian

Steve Hayward misquotes Nixon’s line on Laugh-In: I believe he said "Sock it to me?" But others present for this world-historical moment may have yet another account.

As Charles Kesler’s annual Christmas party wound down (raves to Sally for the wonderful menu, though there was no turducken), I managed to catch part of Gore’s appearance on SNL. I can no more imagine him being a good comedian than being a good President.

Discussions - 5 Comments

Mr. Masugi is correct. Nixon indeed said "Sock it to me?"

Nixon indeed said "Sock it to me?"

I remember it well (I was twelve at the time). And, imho, this is a serious gaffe on the part of Mr. Haywood. Laugh In should be no laughing matter to serious historians. Something like this can wreck a career, if The New York Times and the NRO get hold of this story, Haywood is fini!

I suggest he spare this great institution alot of trouble and step down, as an adjunct fellow of the Ashbrook Center, immediately.

Times have "changed," gentlemen, these sorts of errors aren’t funny anymore. Nothing is.

Sorry, Mr. Hayward, I couldn’t "hep mysef."

bearing an elephant logo. The same happy elephant appeared on the bags, its head raised to the sky, the trunk curved like an S.
"Elephant," Todd said.
He said it because a laborer was staring at it intently. Which meant he wasn't working.
"That's right," the man said. "I couldn't remember the word."
He was the only other human at the loading dock this morning. The man didn't have a name, just a number, like the rest of the robots.
"Let's get back to it, 8831, okay?"
"Yessir," the man said.
That could be me, Todd thought as he watched him work side by side with his silent mechanical counterparts, lifting, carrying, and dropping bags of rice from the back of the truck to the warehouse. A bad car accident, a bad fall from a ladder, and that could be me.
Or a bad memrip.

T LUNCH, Todd thought of things he could sell. Everything he owned of any value, he could touch: his grandfather's watch, his grandmother's wedding ring, a gold necklace belonging to some forgotten relative. His car, too, but that was out of the question as he needed it to work.
He got up from his chair and scanned the floor below, the robots still working away, a sea of metallic shoulders rising and falling in unison, strangely beautiful in a way. Over by the forklift sat 8831, his eyes as blank as the piece of bread he was eating.
Two weeks from today was Todd's thirtieth wedding anniversary, and even if he were to pawn the watch, the ring, and the necklace, he knew he wouldn't even come close to having enough for Paris. That's where Sue had wanted to go for as long as he could remember. They didn't have the money to honeymoon there, but that was okay because back then, there had been plenty of time. They were young, both healthy and working, so they would save a little here and there and in a couple of years, they would be walking up to the Eiffel Tower at night arm in arm, find themselves underneath the arch and look up at the beacon that shined on this city of lights.
But then came two sons and three recessions and a second mortgage. A hysterectomy for her, a double bypass for him, and now here he was, nine years short of retirement, supervising a team of robots and a retarded man, thinking about folks who could sell things they couldn't touch, like stocks and bonds and whatever else he couldn't even fathom, people with money who would pay to experience another's most cherished moments. short story

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