In this case, I think that it is important to show the continuity between presidents, that President Trump isn't President Trump, President Trump represents the institution of the presidency, which 41 held so dear, so it's very appropriate that President Trump's there. My concern is strange tweets in the middle of it, because of all the Mueller investigation things coming out. He very well may be behaved during the ceremony and 15 minutes later be writing strange things.

Douglas Brinkley

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Politicians wanted to mine the Grand Canyon for zinc and copper, and Theodore Roosevelt said no.

Douglas Brinkley

canyons zinc politician

Do we pour $40 billion into grandiose Louisiana engineering projects or do we instead put up no trespassing- signs in the areas below sea level? All are hard choices with various merits and pains. The important thing, however, is for America to decide whether the current policy of inaction is really the way we want to deal with the worst natural disaster in our history.

Douglas Brinkley

engineering pain sea

Animals interest me more than anything else.

Douglas Brinkley

interest animal

I learned more about history and literature in the used bookstores in DC than in college libraries.

Douglas Brinkley

library bookstores college

Over the past four decades no reporter has critiqued the American South with such evocative sensitivity and bedrock honesty as Curtis Wilkie.

Douglas Brinkley

four honesty past

Hurricane Katrina is without question the worst natural disaster in American history.

Douglas Brinkley

american-history hurricanes natural

When I was 8 years old, I made my own encyclopedia of American biography - Johnny Appleseed, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Charles Lindbergh, my pantheon of favorite heroes. Then I would write my own things and sew them together and try to make my own book.

Douglas Brinkley

hero writing book

Forget politics. The real story is the advancements being made in medicine. We're on the verge of conquering cancer and Alzheimer's and numerous other diseases. The DNA revolution has just begun. Scientific advancement usually trumps politics.

Douglas Brinkley

cancer medicine real

John Kerry wants to be the hero in his own drama. He likes King Arthur and the Round Table. He likes the young swashbuckling Churchill, and he loved the early antics of Theodore Roosevelt.

Douglas Brinkley

kings hero drama

John Kerry doesn't think in terms of black-and-white. He's all gray, and he looks at all sides of the issues. That makes people think he likes to be devil's advocate. Whatever you say, he'll challenge you on.

Douglas Brinkley

issues black-and-white thinking

If you're a Kennedy and you go to Italy or you go to Argentina, you're treated as royalty. And in the United States, we're endlessly fascinated by the family.

Douglas Brinkley

argentina royalty united-states

I think there's a green side to John Kerry, if you like, that he's an environmental activist. His record on the environment is as best as you have on a pro-environment record of anybody in the U.S. Senate.

Douglas Brinkley

environmental records thinking

I think Ronald Reagan is what happened....The age of Reagan brought conservatism into the mainstream....It also brought us the beginning of the new media-talk radio, the internet, cable television.

Douglas Brinkley

media age thinking

There is nobody that's ever going to fill Ted Kennedy's shoes, and that's a tall order for somebody in the family to try to live up to.

Douglas Brinkley

shoes trying order

John Kerry can be absolutely ruthless. I would not want to be on his enemies list when he's ready to go after you.

Douglas Brinkley

lists want enemy

It is a long revisionist road up from the bottom for George W. Bush. He is ranked toward the bottom rung of presidents.

Douglas Brinkley

bottom president long

I have a lot of books I want to write.

Douglas Brinkley

want writing book

I feel like I'm always learning from people.

Douglas Brinkley

always-learning feels people

Demeanor-wise, Reagan was a conservative, but a pragmatic conservative, and he found silver linings in things. He liked to be a mediator. He didn't like to have enemies around him.

Douglas Brinkley

conservative wise enemy

People will have to endure the fact that President Trump is there, but it's good that President Trump's there.

Douglas Brinkley

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