Eisenhower
“Mamie, once determined to see her husband retire after the first term, now wondered how he would respond to being forced out by illness. She was afraid, as he put it, that “idleness would be fatal for my temperament.” On the other hand, Sherman Adams wondered: “After a close brush with death, would Eisenhower have the courage to face four more years of punishing physical strain in the White House?” Put that way, the question nearly answered itself.Nearly, but not quite. In early January, while ...still in Key West, Eisenhower prepared for his annual address to Congress, an exercise that gave him reason to review his record and potential legacy. He took justifiable pride in his achievements. The nation was at peace. Taxes had been reduced. Standards of living were rising. The federal budget, after years of deficits, was balanced. There was, to be sure, work to do—some areas of the country lagged in prosperity, farmers were struggling, the Soviet leaders were forever fomenting trouble—but progress was evident.Against that backdrop, Eisenhower returned to “the full duties of the presidency”MoreLess
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