Chris Matthews says: If you had to put a listing down for a time capsule to say, well, what was like putting a man on the moon or what was like the Peace Corps, or what was like the test ban treaty under Kennedy or the Alliance For Progress under Kennedy, the Cuban Missile Crisis, those were all monumental, landmark moments.



Chris Matthews says: If you had to put a listing down for a time capsule to say, well, what was like putting a man on the moon or what was like the Peace Corps, or what was like the test ban treaty under Kennedy or the Alliance For Progress under Kennedy, the Cuban Missile Crisis, those were all monumental, landmark moments.

MARANISS: Absolutely. The other thing is his political skills. I think that will stay.

MATTHEWS: But those are, those are you-have-to-be-there kinds of things. If you had to put a listing down for a time capsule to say, well, what was like putting a man on the moon or what was like the Peace Corps, or what was like the test ban treaty under Kennedy or the Alliance For Progress under Kennedy, the Cuban Missile Crisis, those were all monumental, landmark moments.

Do you have any of those? He did bring Yitzhak Rabin together with Yasser Arafat, but that didn‘t get anywhere.

MARANISS: He didn‘t quite get there.

MATTHEWS: He didn‘t quite—he almost got there with the...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: ... deal.

CRAWFORD: He missed his chance early in the first term when they lost the health care fight. Expanding the New Deal to universal health care is the missing piece of the New Deal. And he could have been the president to do that. He wanted to be. He campaigned on doing that.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: In terms of party building or party destruction, he started the tenure as president as head of a party which controlled the United States Senate, controlled the U.S. House of Representatives.

CRAWFORD: Yes.

MATTHEWS: And left his successors, if he has one on the Democratic side in the near future, with none of that. How can he claim to be a success if he kissed off 50 years of Democratic rule in the Congress, David?

MARANISS: Well, that‘s a rhetorical question.

(LAUGHTER)

MARANISS: But he was a success—he was a success as a survivor. He is better at sort of figuring out how to survive and counterpunch than he was at how to lead with his own...

(CROSSTALK)

CRAWFORD: Yes. His legacy is more political, as someone who was politically skilled, than I think any big policies.

(CROSSTALK)

MARANISS: But those political skills did end up serving a policies purpose. It‘s just that they weren‘t the policies that he was trying to promote. They‘re ones that he was trying to prevent.

When this story was posted in November 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

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Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

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November 27, 2004: This Week's Top Stories RPCV reaches out after Soccer attack 27 Nov Tony Hall serves cold rice to embassy guests 27 Nov Hope calms injured volunteer's family 26 Nov Journalist Russell Carollo plans book on Peace Corps 25 Nov Moyers says next 4 years will be golden age for reporters 24 Nov RPCV is new president of the Hawaii bar association 23 Nov Mark Gearan confirmed by Senate for CNS Board 23 Nov Chris Shays fits in the other Republican Party 22 Nov DC job a possibility for McPherson 22 Nov Sentence reduced for man who raped PCV in Vanuatu 21 Nov Frist criticizes provision in Omnibus Spending Bill 21 Nov Peace Corps to be funded at $320 million 19 Nov more top stories...

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Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference. RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls. Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate. Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before. Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.

Read the stories and leave your comments.