The thing about James K. Polk is that you could, sorry, this is the memory palace I'm

Nate Demail.

The thing about James K. Polk is that you could quibble with what he did.

I mean, you could make a case for founding whole political movements opposing what he did,

but the thing is he got stuff done.

He was this grouchy little guy from Tennessee who managed to squeak his way into the presidency

because he promised he would make Texas and Oregon part of the United States in one

term, and then he would go home.

And he did.

And that is remarkable.

Also looking back from this time, when you have to wrangle 60 votes in the Senate just

to order a tuna sandwich.

And then at the end of the whole wrangling process, all you really got is a pickle and a coupon

for 25% off a can of tuna that you can't redeem until 2014.

And Nebraska is allowed to opt out of the pickle on moral grounds.

But James K. Polk got stuff done.

He worked around the clock.

He didn't take vacations.

During his four years in office, he never traveled farther than four miles beyond the White

House.

And during that time, he managed to stiff iron the British into giving up Oregon and Washington

in Idaho and a bunch of Montana and Wyoming.

...