You served the people shamefully. The people thought they were electing a mayor.

You reached for that honey pot and you got stung.

The thought was to have people who have made an extraordinary contribution in scholarship, public service and judging, because Oscar did, ... Yale Law School stands for excellence in scholarship and teaching, a close knit faculty and staff, public service, and close ties to the profession of law. Oscar's magnificent gift will help us achieve this.

It's a scintillating stratagem. Language is actually employed to keep thought at bay. The words 'the American people' provide a truly voluptuous cushion of reassurance. You don't need to think. Just lie back on the cushion. The cushion may be suffocating your intelligence and your critical faculties but it's very comfortable.

I thought the best thing to do was to settle up these little local difficulties, and then turn to the wider vision of the Commonwealth.

That's what I thought when I wrote it,