RBUD's Queries Answered

Ben Wade, who saved Oberlin.

Doug queries: Was the President Pro Tem of the Senate once after the Veep in order of accession?

Yes, RBUD, for 100+ years. But there were problems when presidents died at times when there were no vice president and no President pro tempore, so the rules were changed. You can read about it here.
While we are talking about Ben Wade, I just wanted to mention that, according to Toyplayer, who got this from Hans Trefousse's BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WADE, when my alma mater, Oberlin College, began admitting African Americans (before any other college), the Ohio legislature tried to shut it down, but Ben Wade kept it open.
And in case anyone was wondering about Benjamin Franklin Wade and Benjamin Franklin Butler having the same first and middle names, clearly there was a vogue around the turn of the century for naming boys after Revolutionary War heroes. Thaddeus Stevens was named after the Polish hero, Thaddeus Kosciuszko. Charles Sumner may have been the exception among Radical Republicans, but we can all remember him for having been caned into a coma on the floor of the Senate for his beliefs.*

*Anastasia wishes me to state that while the actions of Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina were clearly reprehensible, perhaps there was something in the WAY Senator Sumner expressed himself that might partially excuse such behavior.

Andrew Johnson: Hero No More

Benjamin Franklin Butler, Chairman of the House Managers Committee. Known to the South as "Beast Butler."

Karen wants to know how Andrew Johnson survived being impeached.
In a nutshell, bribery and corruption. As you may read in David O. Stewart's book, IMPEACHED: THE TRIAL OF PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON AND THE FIGHT FOR LINCOLN'S LEGACY, there were several slush funds raised by a shady group of men with ties to various sources of shady money, including customs house money, whiskey ring money, money from cheating the Indians (with the blessing of the Bureau of Indian Affairs), and Democratic machine (Boss Tweed, et al.) money. No one has ever traced most of the $100,000 that was raised, but Stewart has done a good job of showing that some of it, at least, most probably went to Senator Edmund Ross, one of the seven Republicans Johnson needed to vote against conviction. Johnson also promoted Ross and his friends after the trial.
Other reasons for votes for Johnson included sympathy for the white South, indifference to the plight of African Americans, concern for the cotton crop should freed slaves become independent farmers, a dislike of President of the Senate pro tem Ben Wade, who would have succeeded Johnson, a complacency based on the certainty of Grant's election ten months after the trial, and a general suspicion of the "extremist" Radical Republicans.

Weirsdo Bragging Again

Mr. S., Mall Diva, and colleagues at NSU's Violin Gala.

Let us congratulate Toyplayer on his first place win in the Very Red State HIstory Day competition for his individual performance project, "The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson: How He Survived." We look forward to attending the National History Day competition in June.
And we congratulate Mall Diva on winning first prize at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, Piano Festival today.

Our hero, Thaddeus Stevens: Scourge of the Very Blue (at the time) States.

Hard Solo Yankelevated

We congratulate Hard Solo on winning the GRAND PRIZE in the Yankelevitch International Violin Competition! Here's another clip for you:

In related news, we had a great time at Professor S.' Violin Gala at NSU last night. Mall Diva played very well and has improved amazingly over the year.
Mrs. Weirsdo

Hard Solo Going Up Hill

We wish Hard Solo the best in the finals of the Michael Hill International Competition.
He is playing the Fugue from the Bach SONATA IN G MINOR here.

Ask Weirsdo: Who Is Big Pooh?

Karen wants to know who Big Pooh is.
Big Pooh, a cousin of Pooh, is a Captist veteran of the Captist-UnCaptist War, known among Captists as the War of UnCaptist Aggression, or the War Between the States of the Soul. Despite being held by Hobbes Junior and other sensible denizens of Stuffed Animal Planet to be rather foolish, Big Pooh is a highly respected Captist because he sacrificed himself to be the Playfellow first of Christopher himself, and later of Lord Dumbledore, Angel of Captist Purity (pictured above). Big Pooh wears the stuffing leakage around his throat as a badge of honor.
After Annie stole Frederick from Elizabeth, Elizabeth married Big Pooh in a fit of pique and desperation. He is a leader in the Cat Claw Clan and figures in "Gone With the Captists" during the raid on Pansitown and its aftermath.

Awkward

There were Big Pooh and Elizabeth, their beady eyes blazing.

Annie Spun Around . . .

Big Pooh is open-mouthed with shock.

And Annie . . .

Elizabeth would love to pay Annie back for stealing Frederick. Big Pooh is scandalized by Annie's UnCaptist behavior.

Uh-Oh!!

Elizabeth and Big Pooh surprise Annie and Pooh.

and, leaning down, laid his cheek against hers. Annie relaxed against him and her forelegs went round his body, as far as they could reach.
Suddenly they heard footsteps outside, and Pooh wrenched himself from her,