Thursday, February 24, 2011

US Presidential Trivia: What President assumed responsibility for an illegitimate child?

Presidents and infidelity go together like peanut butter and jelly.  Thankfully, our past two President's have been relatively removed from affair allegations, but the Clinton years were certain full of them!  That being said, most President's are smart enough - or careful enough - to avoid the Maury-like allegations of YOU ARE MY BABY'S DADDY!

You'll note I said most - but not all.  From Pocket Trivia: US Presidents:  What President assumed responsibility for an illegitimate child?  Is the answer Bill Clinton, Grover Cleveland, Franklin Roosevelt or Zachary Taylor?

Clinton & Roosevelt each had mistresses & affairs (Roosevelt actually died his his mistress, not his wife, in the  room), but there have never been any credible stories about either fathering children out of Wedlock.  Taylor...I got nothing, I just threw him in there, so it wasn't him.

The answer is Grover Cleveland, and its a pretty interesting story.  While a lawyer in Buffalo (before he was married or President), Cleveland had a relationship with Maria Crofts Halpin.  Halpin had a child, who she named Oscar Folsom Cleveland - obviously believing Cleveland could be the father.  However, Halpin was involved with several men, including Cleveland's law partner, Oscar Folsom (anyone else seeing a Springer show out of this).

With no proof of paternity, Cleveland still took the higher road: he assumed responsibility for the child and helped cover expenses and his education.  The scandal was used against Cleveland during the Election of 1884, when supporters of Cleveland's opponent, James Blaine, used the scandal against him (see comic below).  It also gave birth to one of the funniest slogan's ever - in reference to Cleveland, Blaine supporters would chant "Ma, ma, where's my pa?"  After Cleveland won the 1884 Elections, the response became "Gone to the White House.  Ha ha ha!"

Why can't all slogans and rejoinders be that clever?

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