Land of Lincoln

The misadventures of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (and the newscasts that expressed such dismay about the state of affairs in the Land of Lincoln) reminded me of Simon Cameron, Lincoln's first Secretary of War. Lincoln once asked Thaddeus Stevens what he thought about Cameron. Stevens's reply: "I do not believe he would steal a red hot stove." Lincoln repeated the line a few times, and Cameron heard about it and demanded an apology. Stevens admitted that he might have been mistaken -- not much of an apology, implying that Cameron might actually steal a red hot stove if given the opportunity.