On this day in 1861 the tiny European country of San Marino presented President Abraham Lincoln with honorary citizenship.
There’s another leader named Lincoln who’s aspiring to greatness, and may yet achieve it – if, like Honest Abe, she can clean up the big mess in front of her.
I’m talking about the new mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont, Lincoln the goat.
She won the most votes in a field of 16 candidates, all animals. Fair Haven’s mayor is an honorary position, and the town decided to choose an animal as part of a fundraiser.
Mayor Lincoln was sworn in earlier this month, and her first act in office was to, shall we say, make a mess.
Fortunately the police chief had a broom and a dustpan, just in case. Not the first or last time someone in city government has had to clean up after a mayor.
Here’s another story on leadership for the week from Brian Chirls, who took the approval ratings from Richard Nixon’s presidency and matched them up with music and sound effects from the original Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda.
It starts out pretty adventurous sounding, and then, as Watergate grows bigger and bigger, it gets pretty intense.
Lincoln the goat sworn in as Fair Haven’s new mayor, immediately defecates (Burlington Free Press)
To The Regent Captains of San Marino (University of Michigan Library)
The Legend of Nixon (Kottke.org)
