Rutherford B. Hayes

In case you missed it, Mr. Obama...or his speechwriters... flubbed a bit of history.

Speaking about the need to develop new sources of American energy in Largo, Md., Obama used our 19th president as a failure of forward-thinking leadership.

"One of my predecessors, President Rutherford B. Hayes, reportedly said about the telephone: 'It’s a great invention but who would ever want to use one?'" Obama said. "That's why he's not on Mt. Rushmore."

"He's looking backwards, he's not looking forward. He's explaining why we can't do something instead of why we can do something," Obama said.

It fact, President Hayes was astonished and impressed with the telephone.  For his era, he was a bit of a technophile.

This whole kerfuffle has introduced some entertaining bits flotsam and jetsam.

Lots more here.