In today’s Impromptus, I have many notes on U.S. politics — Republican politics, in particular — and mentions of two Coopers: James Fenimore and Bradley. (The latter is a movie actor.) I finish the column with William H. Seward. And there is a connection between JFC (James Fenimore Cooper) and Seward, which I will relate here.

Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Seward worked as an attorney. In 1845, he defended Horace Greeley in a libel suit brought by Cooper. What was the outcome? “Each side could claim victory of sorts,” says one source.

Let’s turn to some mail. In yesterday’s Impromptus, I brought up John Roche, the political scientist and adviser to presidents. Nicholas Dujmovic writes,

Wow. Your reference to John Roche in a piece also mentioning FDR’s alleged conspiracy to “allow” the Pearl Harbor attack brought back memories.

John Roche was my political-theory professor in grad school (Fletcher, at Tufts). I remember well his teaching about politics (e.g., Rousseau was “cogent nonsense”) but even more his asides on other matters.

On Pearl Harbor, he dismissed the idea that FDR engineered a fight with Japan in order to get us into a war . . . with Germany? He reminded us that Hitler declared war on the U.S. days later, all on his own.

I also remember his pro-life stance: “It’s human. It’s not a panda.”

Most memorably, he said, “I grew up in a different country,” i.e., the U.S. of the 1920s. And this was in the 1980s. What would he say about this age?

Thanks for the “way back” experience.

Also in yesterday’s Impromptus, I defended “I could care less” as an American idiom. Idioms don’t have to make sense. They’re idioms. But those who wrote me about the matter, disagree.

They certainly agreed with me about the greatness of Mickey Mantle — who took a modest trot around the bases, after hitting a home run, so as not to embarrass the pitcher further. They agreed, too, about the greatness of Boo Weekley, the golfer, who just joined the senior tour.

A lady in Cary, N.C., writes,

I watched that Boo Weekley video twice. Made my day. His charming accent and colloquialisms are like honey on a biscuit.

My friend Paul writes,

Why does Boo Weekley not have his own reality show?

In a post on Wednesday, I mentioned my efforts to read Bleak House (efforts not altogether successful). A reader writes,

I read Bleak House earlier this year (actually, I cheated and listened to it on Audible — a great performance, by the way). I lost a dear friend at the beginning of the year and one of his long-expressed desires was to read Bleak House. Despite my urgings, he never acted on his desire and died without reading it. I took it upon myself to complete his wish by reading it myself. It was an enjoyable and worthwhile read (listen).

After reading my Salzburg journal, my man Sherm Johnson in Indiana wrote to say,

Glad you went there instead of visiting the Indiana State Fair this year with its new $50 million swine barn. It’s really nice!

Why am I glad you didn’t come here? Well — there was no World’s Largest Boar contest. No Red Wattles.

The Budweiser Clydesdales were here. I got up close and personal with them — one weighs over 2,100 pounds.

All in all, a disappointing 2023 State Fair. I didn’t even get my elephant ear, and the beignets were $10 — $8 last year.

Maybe next year the WLB show will return. Keep your schedule open!

Hog-wild in the Land of Pence . . .

Marvelous. Thanks to one and all.