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http://www.creators.com/opinion/alexander-cockburn/this-will-be-obama-s-legacy.htmlWith the impending departure from the U.S. Supreme Court of Justice John Paul Stevens at the age of 89, we lose one of the nation's last substantive ties to the Great Depression and to the effect of that disaster on the political outlook of a couple of generations.
Stevens' father, Ernest, owned a famous hotel in Chicago — the Stevens, with 3,000 rooms, now the Hilton. It was built in 1927, and there, young John Paul met Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth.
But by 1934, hard times took their toll. The hotel went bankrupt. John Paul's father, grandfather and uncle were all indicted on charges that they'd diverted money from the Illinois Life Insurance Co. (founded by the grandfather) to try and bail out the hotel. The uncle committed suicide, and Stevens' father was convicted. The Illinois Supreme Court exonerated him two years later, stating, "there's not a scintilla of evidence of any concealment or fraud."
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