Rhodes Scholars

This evening we watched Cisco Pike (1972) with Kris Kristofferson in the title role. I told Rosie that Kris is a Rhodes Scholar. We also know that Dr. Rachel Maddow, our newly found media darling, is among that elite group, receiving a D.Phil. at the Lincoln College, Oxford, in the 1990s. The list gave a few surprises. One of the most pleasing was a 1910 recipient, from Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana: Aurora's own Elmer Davis. Mr. Davis was a newsman and director of the Office of War Information during World War II. Another newscaster of distinction was Howard K. Smith of Arkansas. I was also delighted to find the name of John Brademas, former Indiana Congressman from South Bend. The list also includes Senators Richard Lugar of Indiana and Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, House Speaker Carl Albert and Senator David Boren of Oklahoma, Senator William Fulbright of Arkansas, Justices John Marshall Harlan, Byron White, and David Souter, General Wesley Clark, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, and Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey. The only President who was a Rhodes Scholar is Bill Clinton. I used to play baseball with a kid who went on to Purdue, became a Rhodes Scholar, and has been in higher education ever since. It's a dazzling list.

I've been preoccupied with politics ever since the Democratic primary heated up and I cast my lot with Barack Obama, and it's good to know that there are those in politics who have distinguished themselves academically -- the elite, if you like. I hope -- pray -- that the elite -- which simply means the excellent or most capable people in society -- will prevail in the coming election.