A Man
Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,
Casting to South his eye across the bourne
Of his dominion (where the Palmiped,
With leathers 'twixt his toes, paddles his marsh,
Amphibious) saw a rising cloud of hats,
And heard a faint, far sound of distant cheers
Below the swell of the horizon. 'Lo,'
Cried one, 'the President! the President!'
All footed webwise then took up the word-
The hill tribes and the tribes lacustrine and
The folk riparian and littoral,
Cried with one voice: 'The President! He comes!'
And some there were who flung their headgear up
In emulation of the Southern mob;
While some, more soberly disposed, stood still
And silently had fits; and others made
Such reverent genuflexions as they could,
Having that climate in their bones. Then spake
The Court Dunce, humbly, as became him: 'Sire,
If thou, as heretofore thou hast, wilt deign
To reap advantage of a fool's advice
By action ordered after nature's way,
As in thy people manifest (for still
Stupidity's the only wisdom) thou
Wilt get thee straight unto to the border land
To mark the President's approach with such
Due, decent courtesy as it shall seem
We have in custom the best warrant for.'
Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,
Eyeing the storm of hats which darkened all
The Southern sky, and hearing far hurrahs
Of an exulting people, answered not.
Then some there were who fell upon their knees,
And some upon their Governor, and sought
Each in his way, by blandishment or force,
To gain his action to their end. 'Behold,'
They said, 'thy brother Governor to South
Met him even at the gateway of his realm,
Crook-kneed, magnetic-handed and agrin,
Backed like a rainbow-all things done in form
Of due observance and respect. Shall we
Alone of all his servitors refuse
Swift welcome to our master and our lord?'
Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,
Answered them not, but turned his back to them
And as if speaking to himself, the while
He started to retire, said: 'He be damned!'
To that High Place o'er Portland's central block,
Where the Recording Angel stands to view
The sinning world, nor thinks to move his feet
Aside and look below, came flocking up
Inferior angels, all aghast, and cried:
'Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon,
Has said, O what an awful word!-too bad
To be by us repeated!' 'Yes, I know,'
Said the superior bird-'I heard it too,
And have already booked it. Pray observe.'
Splitting the giant tome, whose covers fell
Apart, o'ershadowing to right and left
The Eastern and the Western world, he showed
The newly written entry, black and big,
Upon the credit side of thine account,
Pennoyer, Governor of Oregon.
poem by Ambrose Bierce
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
You know, my dad served in the President's Cabinet after his time as a governor. He told me he enjoyed being governor a lot more. Now, I understand why. If I do my job well, I can make a difference in people's lives and I can help our children realize their dreams.
quote by Mitt Romney
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The best governor in the world is the person who never really planned to be governor.
quote by Rob Simmons
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When you meet the president, you ask yourself, How did it ever occur to anybody that he should be governor much less president
quote by Henry Kissinger
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The voters reward good performance. So, I'm going to go out and focus, if I become the governor, to do the very best job I can as governor. The rest of it will take care of itself.
quote by Dave Heineman
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When I'm governor... I'll be the first governor with a listed telephone number.
quote by Kinky Friedman
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The job of mayor and Governor is becoming more and more like the job of university president, which I used to be; it looks like you are in charge, but you are not.
quote by Lamar Alexander
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We have the Terminator as governor, and we had an actor as president, so why shouldn't we have a fashion designer as a senator?
Oregon
Oregon is bad
Stop it if you can
Here it comes
Here it comes
Now its after you
Flee to someplace new
Run away
Run away
From the penthouse to the prison
To the humble piedterre
Are they taking up the cry
In the brothel
In the castle
On the crowded boulevard
Do they sing the dreadful words
Oregon is bad
Stop it if you can
Here it comes
Here it comes
Oregon is bad
Stop it if you can
Run away
Run away
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I am not prejudiced against the Negro. When I was governor, I did more to help the Negroes in our State than any previous Governor, and I think you can find Negro leaders in the State who will attest to this fact.
quote by Strom Thurmond
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Geronimos Cadillac
Put geronimo in jail down south
Where he couldnt look
A gift horse in the mouth
Took old geronimo by storm
Ripped off the feathers from his uniform
Chorus:
Oh boys, take me back
I wanna ride in geronimos cadillac
Oh boys, take me back
I wanna ride in geronimos cadillac
Sergeant, sergeant, oh dont you feel
Theres something wrong with your automobile
Warden, warden, oh listen to me
Be brave and set geronimo free
Governor, governor, oh isnt it strange
You never seen a car on the indian range
(chorus)
People, people, oh dont you know
The indians got no place to go
Jesus told me, and I believe its true
The red mans in the sunset too
Took our land, now they wont give it back
They sent geronimo a cadillac
(chorus)
song performed by by Cher
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Whether fuel cell system development in central Oregon, wind power generation along the Columbia Gorge, or geothermal energy in southern Oregon, investing in new energy sources makes America more energy independent while creating good paying, environmentally friendly jobs.
quote by Greg Walden
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For example, I spent a lot of time with Reagan, both before he ran for governor and when he was running for president. As a print reporter without the cameras, I was able to really test the quality of their minds and their knowledge base.
quote by Robert Scheer
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The mayor has got to work closely with a wide variety of people, his city council, state legislature, governor, business community, labor community, president and the congress in order to be able to do this.
quote by Marc Morial
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The guy who owned that island was from Oregon and he decided that he wanted to have an Oregon feeling to it, so he planted pine trees all over the place!
quote by Christopher Atkins
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The Devoted
It was a beautiful turn given by a great lady, who being asked where
her husband was, when he lay concealed for having been deeply concerned
in a conspiracy, resolutely answered, that she had hidden him. This confession
caused her to be carried before the governor, who told her that
nought but confessing where she had hidden him, could save her from the
torture. “And will that do?” said she. “Yes,” replied the governor, “I
will pass my word for your safety, on that condition.” “Then,” replied
she, “I have hidden him in my heart, where you may find him.”
Stern faces were around them bent, and eyes of vengeful ire,
And fearful were the words they spake of torture, stake, and fire:
Yet calmly in the midst she stood, with eye undimm'd and clear,
And though her lip and cheek were white, she wore no sign of fear.
“Where is thy traitor spouse?” they said;—a half-form'd smile of scorn,
That curl'd upon her haughty lip, was back for answer borne;—
“Where is thy traitor spouse?” again, in fiercer notes, they said,
And sternly pointed to the rack, all rusted o'er with red!
Her heart and pulse beat firm and free—but in a crimson flood,
O'er pallid lip and cheek and brow, rush'd up the burning blood;
She spake, but proudly rose her tones, as when in hall or bower,
The haughtiest chief that round her stood had meekly own'd their power;
“My noble lord is placed within a safe and sure retreat”—
“Now tell us where, thou lady bright, as thou wouldst mercy meet,
Nor deem thy life can purchase his—he cannot ‘scape our wrath,
For many a warrior's watchful eye is placed o'er every path.
“But thou may'st win his broad estates to grace thine infant heir,
And life and honour to thyself, so thou his haunts declare.”
She laid her hand upon her heart; her eye flash'd proud and clear,
And firmer grew her haughty tread—“My lord is hidden here!
“And if ye seek to view his form, ye first must tear away,
From round his secret dwelling place these walls of living clay!”
They quail'd beneath her haughty glance, they silent turn'd aside,
And left her all unharm'd amidst her loveliness and pride!
poem by Elizabeth Margaret Chandler from Poetical Works (1836)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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In fact, I think that Governor Clinton, when he was running, and President Clinton, when he was serving, actually governed with a wide range of advisors and a perspective that blended the best of ideas from the center and the left.
quote by John Podesta
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Despite
The terrible things that the Governor
Of Kansas says alarm me;
And yet somehow we won the war
In spite of the Regular Army.
The things they say of the old N.G.
Are bitter and cruel and hard;
And yet we walloped the enemy
In spite of the National Guard.
Too late, too late, was our work begun;
Too late were our forces sent;
And yet we smeared the horrible Hun
In spite of the President.
"What a frightful flivver this Baker is!"
Cried many a senator;
And yet we handed the Kaiser his
In spite of the Sec. of War.
A sadly incompetent, sinful crew
Is that of the recent fight;
And yet we put it across, we do,
In spite of a lot of spite.
poem by Franklin P. Adams
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Well, I know I worked for Governor Rockefeller the last time he ran for his fourth term, and I obviously ran against Governor Cuomo the time he ran for his fourth term.
quote by George Pataki
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I'm truly worried about the country's direction. I can tell you this categorically, we've got the weakest president and the weakest governor in the history of my 50 years of public service.
quote by Fritz Hollings
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Tales Of A Wayside Inn : Part 1. The Spanish Jew's Tale; The Legend of Rabbi Ben Levi
Rabbi Ben Levi, on the Sabbath, read
A volume of the Law, in which it said,
'No man shall look upon my face and live.'
And as he read, he prayed that God would give
His faithful servant grace with mortal eye
To look upon His face and yet not die.
Then fell a sudden shadow on the page,
And, lifting up his eyes, grown dim with age,
He saw the Angel of Death before him stand,
Holding a naked sword in his right hand.
Rabbi Ben Levi was a righteous man,
Yet through his veins a chill of terror ran.
With trembling voice he said, 'What wilt thou here?'
The angel answered, 'Lo! the time draws near
When thou must die; yet first, by God's decree,
Whate'er thou askest shall be granted thee.'
Replied the Rabbi, 'Let these living eyes
First look upon my place in Paradise.'
Then said the Angel, 'Come with me and look.'
Rabbi Ben Levi closed the sacred book,
And rising, and uplifting his gray head,
'Give me thy sword,' he to the Angel said,
'Lest thou shouldst fall upon me by the way.'
The angel smiled and hastened to obey,
Then led him forth to the Celestial Town,
And set him on the wall, whence, gazing down,
Rabbi Ben Levi, with his living eyes,
Might look upon his place in Paradise.
Then straight into the city of the Lord
The Rabbi leaped with the Death-Angel's sword,
And through the streets there swept a sudden breath
Of something there unknown, which men call death.
Meanwhile the Angel stayed without and cried,
'Come back!' To which the Rabbi's voice replied,
'No! in the name of God, whom I adore,
I swear that hence I will depart no more!'
Then all the Angels cried, 'O Holy One,
See what the son of Levi here hath done!
The kingdom of Heaven he takes by violence,
And in Thy name refuses to go hence!'
The Lord replied, 'My Angels, be not wroth;
Did e'er the son of Levi break his oath?
Let him remain; for he with mortal eye
Shall look upon my face and yet not die.'
Beyond the outer wall the Angel of Death
Heard the great voice, and said, with panting breath,
'Give back the sword, and let me go my way.'
Whereat the Rabbi paused, and answered, 'Nay!
Anguish enough already hath it caused
Among the sons of men.' And while he paused
He heard the awful mandate of the Lord
Resounding through the air, 'Give back the sword!'
The Rabbi bowed his head in silent prayer;
Then said he to the dreadful Angel, 'Swear,
No human eye shall look on it again;
But when thou takest away the souls of men,
Thyself unseen, and with an unseen sword,
Thou wilt perform the bidding of the Lord.'
The Angel took the sword again, and swore,
And walks on earth unseen forevermore.
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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