President Lincoln and Mandelson

Abraham Lincoln and Peter Mendelson

But Peter, what really sets Lincoln apart from others, including you, was that he had principles that formed his political talk. He believed in equality of black and white, which wasn’t negotiable.
The Spielberg film Lincoln is being launched in the UK.
Was Lincoln ever on the gravy train?
I’d like to think he wasn’t, and that for him conviction politics meant that you followed your principles and were not tempted to compromise them by the offer of a few shekels.
Today we see Peter Mandelson doing an ad for the  film, comparing his own sacrifices with those of Abraham Lincoln.
As a Labour voter it’s embarrassing to listen to Mandelson say: “When I look back at Lincoln’s presidency and what he had to struggle through, I see a man who had a great sense of conviction, of moral certitude, that he was right and changes that needed to be made were absolutely necessary for the US at the time. He was somebody who was also prepared to use pragmatic means to arrive at his goal. Recruiting his rivals and his adversaries to the cause he was pursuing… This is the art and skill of politics.”