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IN this summer of town hall disruptions and birth-certificate controversies, a summer when it seemed as if the Republican Party had been captured by its extremist wing, it is worth recalling a now-obscure letter from President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Although Eisenhower is commonly remembered for a farewell address that raised concerns about the military-industrial complex, his letter offers an equally important and relevant warning: to beware the danger posed by those seeking freedom from the mental stress and burden of democracy.
The story began in 1958, when Eisenhower received a letter from Robert Biggs, a terminally ill World War II veteran. Biggs told the president that he felt from your recent speeches the feeling of hedging and a little uncertainty. He added, We wait for someone to speak for us and back