When I went to college General Grant was regarded as a good general but a lousy President. Imagine my shock when I read Sean Wilentz yesterday on why he might be one of our greatest Presidents. Yglesias posts on the article. Wilentz deprecates the corruption charges and focuses on civil rights.
I'm sure George W. Bush took great comfort from the article, as showing the way for his reputation to rebound.
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Although Grant had the misfortune of having various friends who dabbled in illegal activities, he himself was clean, which is one reason he was re-elected in 1872.
One historian notes, "On the national level the two Grant administrations established a woeful record, although few doubted the president's personal honesty.
In any event, the fact that so many scams and schemes occurred in the post-war period -- in and out of government, was beyond the scope of any one man to stop.
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