Greetings from Russell's Remnant:

Abraham Lincoln had "persistence to an inordinate degree" - a phrase Russell Whitesell used. The value of courage, persistence, and perseverance has rarely been illustrated more convincingly than in the life story of this man: Failed in business - age 22, Ran for Legislature - defeated - age 23, Again failed in business - age 24, Elected to Legislature - age 25, Sweetheart died - age 26, Had a nervous breakdown - age 27, Defeated for Speaker - age 29, Defeated for Elector - age 31, Defeated for Congress - age 34, Elected to Congress - age 37, Defeated for Congress - age 39, Defeated for Senate - age 46, Defeated for Vice President - age 47, Defeated for Senate - age 49, and Elected President of the U.S. - age 51.

Lincoln was elected in 1860. Kennedy was elected in 1960. On the night of Kennedy's inauguration, he slept in Lincoln's bed.

Lincoln was the first Gemini president. Kennedy was the first Catholic president.

Both Lincoln and Kennedy were in their thirties when they married pretty, 24 year old brunettes who both spoke French fluently.

Both President's wives lost a child while living in the White House.

Both President had the legality of elections contested.

Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who advised him not to go to the theater. Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln who advised him not to go to Dallas.

Lincoln had a cousin who became a U.S. senator, and another cousin who was mayor of Boston. Another relative Levi Lincoln, was a Harvard graduate who became U.S. Attorney General. Robert Lincoln, his son, was minister to London for four years. Kennedy had relatives with similar positions. Teddy Kennedy was a U.S. senator. Bobby Kennedy, a Harvard graduate, was Attorney General and a U.S. senator. Kennedy's grandfather was mayor of Boston; and his father was ambassador to London.

Both Presidents were elected to Congress in '47 a century apart.

Both men competed for Vice Presidential nominations also a century apart.

The campaigns of Lincoln and Kennedy were marked by dramatic debates - Lincoln with Douglas and Kennedy with Nixon.

Both men were deeply involved with the Negro problem and civil rights.

Both men were shot in the head - and in the presence of their wives. Both men died on Fridays.

Both Lincoln and Kennedy were carried in death on the same caisson.

The successors to each President were Southern Democrats named Johnson and both Johnsons had served in the U.S. Senate. Andrew Johnson was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908.

Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson both have thirteen letters in their names.

John Wilkes Booth was a malcontent born in 1839; Lee Harvey Oswald, also was a malcontent, was born in 1939, a century apart.

John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald both have names which contain fifteen letters.

Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse. Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater.

Both Booth and Oswald were assassinated before going to trial.

Both assassinations created conspiracy theories.

Oswald's body was exhumed to answer family questions about the identity of the body. Booth's family is seeking exhumation to answer family questions about the identity of the body.

However there is at least one major difference - Lincoln was an initiate, Kenndy was not. In fact, when asked about the Kennedy's, Russell said that the U.S. does not need any more of the Kenndy karma. We need more Lincolns.