The U.S. Already Had A Woman President!

[DJ Psychomike]

The amazing story of Edith Wilson. She hid her husbands state from the world and instead of getting help handled the Versailles Treaty herself. A decision that would lead to over 50 million dead in World War 2.

Let's hope the next woman President does better:

Sometime in the near future, U. S. citizens will elect their first female president. Despite that official mandate, though, said woman would not be the first female to govern and set policy for the country. That honor goes to Edith Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson, who held the job from 1913-1921.

In an amazing and long-rumored chapter in American history --- only fully brought to light in documents released in 1991 --- the second Mrs. Wilson acted as de facto Commander in Chief while her husband floated in and out of a comatose state during the last year and a half of his presidency. Unthinkable in today's mass media, she shielded the extent of the President's illness and ability to function both mentally and physically not only from the American people, but government and White House staff.

With Woodrow vacillating being an alert weakness and a vegetable-like state, Edith controlled all incoming visitors, mail, and official documents. And even then only choosing which ones to bring to her husband's attention and which to answer on her own. Her numerous directives --- always hastily handwritten and beginning with the phrase "The President says..." --- became inescapable as the former brilliant orator and political leader slowly disintegrated into a shuffling, slack-jawed, barley coherent shadow of his former self.

Policy decisions, signed treaties, presidential directives, and strong opinions, all in Edith's hand, flowed from the shut off sickbed room.

Why history has not hailed Edith Wilson as a role model is one of the most interesting aspects of Levin's book. Her personal pettiness, roughshod authority, and haughtiness often made her wholly unsympathetic. And her one-woman decision to hide the true extent of her husband's mental abilities not only prevented the established political succession and the daily business of government, but left the country essentially leaderless during a very critical time.

http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0743211588.asp