Good old Harry Truman

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, 'My choice early in
life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to
tell the truth, there's hardly any difference.'

When President Truman retired from office in 1952, his income was
substantially a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72
a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally
licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension
of $25,000 per year.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating,
'You don't want me. You want the office of the president, and that doesn't
belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.' Even
later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of
Honor on his 87th birthd ay, he refused to accept it, writing,

'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason
for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'

We now see that the Clintons have found a new level of success in cashing
in on the presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress
also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of
their offices. Political offices are now for sale.
Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, 'My choice early in
life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to
tell the truth, there's hardly any difference.'