The LuLac Edition #5, 564, February 4th, 2026

 

GEORGE WASHINGTON GETS THE NOD AS  

FIRST PRESIDENT ON THIS DATE

 

Following the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention of 1787, a fatigued George Washington returned to his estate in Virginia, Mount Vernon. He seemed intent on resuming his retirement and letting others govern the nation with its new frame of government. The American public at large, however, wanted Washington to be the nation's first president. The first U.S. presidential campaign was in essence what today would be called a grassroots effort to convince Washington to accept the office. Letters poured into Mount Vernon – from the people, from former comrades in arms, and from across the Atlantic – informing him of public sentiment and imploring him to accept. Gouverneur Morris urged Washington to accept, writing "[Among the] thirteen horses now about to be coupled together, there are some of every race and character. They will listen to your voice and submit to your control. You therefore must, I say must mount this seat."  Alexander Hamilton was one of the most dedicated in his efforts to get Washington to accept the presidency, as he foresaw himself receiving a powerful position in the administration. The comte de Rochambeau urged Washington to accept, as did the Marquis de Lafayette, who exhorted Washington "not to deny your acceptance of the office of President for the first years." Washington replied, "Let those follow the pursuits of ambition and fame, who have a keener relish for them, or who may have more years, in-store, for the enjoyment." In an October 1788 letter, Washington further expounded on his feelings regarding the election, stating, “I should unfeignedly rejoice, in case the Electors, by giving their votes to another person would save me from the dreaded dilemma of being forced to accept or refuse... If that may not be–I am, in the next place, earnestly desirous of searching out the truth, and knowing whether there does not exist a probability that the government would be just as happily and effectually carried into execution without my aid."

Less certain was the choice for the vice presidency, which contained little definitive job description in the constitution. The only official role of the vice president was as the president of the United States Senate, a duty unrelated to the executive branch. The Constitution stipulated that the position would be awarded to the runner-up in the presidential election, or the person with the second highest number of electoral votes. Being from Virginia, Washington (who remained neutral on the candidates) assumed that a vice president would be chosen from Massachusetts to ease sectional tensions. In an August 1788 letter, Thomas Jefferson wrote that he considered John Adams, John Hancock, John Jay, James Madison, and John Rutledge to be contenders for the vice presidency. In January 1789, upon hearing that Adams would probably win the vice presidency, Washington wrote to Henry Knox, saying "[I am] entirely satisfied with the arrangement for filling the second office."

Each state's presidential electors gathered in their state's capital on February 4, 1789, to cast their votes for the president. As the election occurred before ratification of the Twelfth Amendment, each elector cast two votes for the presidency, though the electors were not allowed to cast both votes for the same person. Under the terms of the constitution, the individual who won the most electoral votes would become president while the individual with the second-most electoral votes would become vice president. Each state's votes were sealed and delivered to Congress to be counted.

Before the votes were counted, Washington had declared his willingness to serve and was preparing to leave Mount Vernon for New York City, the nation's temporary capital. On April 6, 1789, the House and Senate, meeting in joint session, counted the electoral votes and certified that Washington had been elected President of the United States with 69 electoral votes. They also certified that Adams, with 34 electoral votes, had been elected as vice president. The other 35 electoral votes were scattered. Informed of his election on April 14, Washington wrote in a letter to Edward Rutledge that in accepting the presidency, he had given up "all expectations of private happiness in this world."

235 years later on this date, George Washington accepted the responsibility of the Presidency.

The LuLac Edition #5, 563, February 4th, 2026

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo

This week we are going to feature a letter from a local man who’s story is not unique. As a matter of fact, it mirrors almost the entire population of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The true minority here are the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. Every body else is an immigrant.

The issue I feel is that the sons and daughters of first generation parents did not know the slurs and obstacles their grand parents faced. Having been born on third base and thinking they hit a home run, they play into the fears stoked by bigots and people with the attitude “I got mine, now you can’t have yours unless you look like me!” aving bwwm H

The letter writer makes a very good point. The ignorant are united in the hatred and division stoked by one man. The rest of us know that this country in totality can be selfish and violent. But as the writer indicates, do not confuse our concern for the direction of this country as unpatriotic behavior.  It is a growing concern that needs to be called out.

 

 

A “FRANK” LETTER

TO THE EDITOR

I am an American. I was born in this country. Both my parents were born in this country. I cannot say the same for my grandparents. It’s a familiar immigrant story. An American tale. I am living the American dream.

It is the only country I have ever known. I suppose that I can say that I love my country, although that is not the way I usually speak or think about my nation. I mostly take America for granted. I never served in the military, but then again, neither did my president, so I suppose I’m still ok.

I do not support violence. I do not support illegal activity. I agree with those who say that our government is inefficient, that our national debt is a real problem, that healthcare is too expensive, and that we have an immigration problem. I believe that the United States of America was founded on great ideals by men and women who were not perfect, and so it is incumbent upon me to continue to strive for a more perfect Union.

I can believe in all of those ideas and say that I no longer trust my government. I am brought to my knees when I see masked military roam American cities arresting gardeners, warehouse workers, beauticians, waiters and children. I am brought to tears when I see masked thugs shoot civilians and my government reflexively calls those lying dead terrorists.

We (I think) can agree on our nation’s problems. What we seem unable to agree upon are solutions and the appropriate tactics to employ in order to fix those problems. When did we become a nation that condoned the tactics employed by ICE? When did protesting and blowing a referee’s whistle become cause for being shot? When did running from a policeman become a death sentence?

I love my country but it is alienating me. It is pushing me away. It is forcing me to question its motives.

 

Alec Frank

Wilkes-Barre

The LuLac Edition #5 562, February 3rd, 2026

 

OH BABY!!!!!

 

Since Donald Trump behaves like a baby, I guess he felt a compelling need to hand out a thousand bucks to every newborn in the United States of America. Now this is the same guy and party that has cut back on Medicaid and SNAP to feed children already in their formative years. But now he wants to send some money out from the government to give them a head start in life.

A few questions here.

Where will he get the information on every newborn in the states? Isn’t there a HIPPA concern for privacy?

How will that delivery of the $1,000 occur? Check? On line bank account?

How will it be enforced? What’s to stop the parents from using the money for drugs, care for other children in an emergency, high food prices from his tariffs or just careless parents?

Here’s one. If the baby is born to an illegal or a person of color and they get a check, does ICE come, separate the family and deport the kid?

What happens if less than competent parents start reproducing just to get that grand?  This might incentivize poorer people to have more kids who will then wind up on the welfare that the GOP has been railing about as far as the Depression.

That $1,000 won’t pay a dividend until the child is eligible to work, right? So, the deficit will balloon on his watch.

Like always, Trump’s ideas are never thought out. Plus, it has all the earmarks of not going anywhere or costing more money than it should. 

 

 

TRUMP SHUTS DOWN TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER FOR “REMODELING”

Trump has closed the Kennedy Center for “remodeling”. The real story here is when the stupid prick renamed a living memorial to the late President John F. Kennedy, entertainers left in droves.

Now to add insult to injury the pig President wants to put marble handrails on all of the seats. His reasoning?  “It’ll be something like people have never seen before!”

 

BRUCE WEIGHS IN

Bruce Springsteen did a music video on the killings in Minnesota. Here it is: