How did a simple letter swing an entire presidential election? In eighteen eighty-eight, President Grover Cleveland was in a tight race against Benjamin Harrison. The most volatile voters were Irish Americans, who held a deep animosity toward Great Britain. All it would take was one political dirty trick to turn them against the president.

In this episode of Monday Madness, Stephen and Leah unpack the story of the Murchison Letter, one of the most effective "October surprises" in political history. Discover how a Republican activist penned a fake letter to the British Ambassador, baiting him into a trap. Learn how the ambassador's foolish reply was published just weeks before the election, creating a massive scandal that proved Cleveland was "pro-British" and costing him the critical state of New York and the presidency.

University of Virginia | Miller Center | The Election of 1888 | https://millercenter.org/president/grover-cleveland/the-election-of-1888

Encyclopedia Britannica | Murchison Letter | https://www.britannica.com/event/murchison-letter

Dickinson College | The Murchison Letter | https://www.dickinson.edu/homepage/1026/the_murchison_letter

Key Takeaways (Click to Expand)

Before entering politics, Dr. John Joyce practiced dermatology in Altoona, PA, for 25 years, running his own practice.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Corps.

He holds a key position on the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee, serving on the critical Health Subcommittee.

His legislative priorities are heavily informed by his medical background, focusing on healthcare reform (especially rural health), energy policy, and economic issues relevant to his south-central Pennsylvania district.

“From diagnosing patients in the exam room to diagnosing policy on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Dr. John Joyce brings a lifetime of medical expertise to Congress.”

John Joyce: The Doctor Is In the House

Representative John Joyce’s career before Congress was not spent in political circles, but in the exam rooms of his own dermatology practice. For a quarter-century, Dr. Joyce served patients in his hometown of Altoona and the surrounding rural communities of south-central Pennsylvania. This deep, practical experience in medicine, combined with his service in the Navy Reserve Medical Corps, provides him with a unique and valuable perspective in Washington.

Joyce built a successful dermatology practice from the ground up, giving him firsthand insight into the challenges faced by both patients navigating the healthcare system and small business owners managing a practice. His desire to fix what he saw as a broken healthcare system was a primary motivator for his run for office.

Elected in 2018, Dr. Joyce quickly secured a coveted spot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the oldest and most powerful committees in Congress with broad jurisdiction over healthcare, energy, telecommunications, and consumer protection. His assignment to the Health Subcommittee is a natural fit, allowing him to directly apply his decades of medical knowledge to legislative debates on prescription drug pricing, rural healthcare access, and medical innovation.

As a representative of a largely rural district heavily reliant on agriculture and energy production, Rep. Joyce is also a key voice on energy policy and rural economic development. A mainstream conservative, his work is defined by his real-world experience as a doctor and small business owner, bringing a pragmatic and knowledgeable approach to the complex issues before Congress.

Sources Used Official Biography: https://johnjoyce.house.gov/about

Ballotpedia Profile: https://ballotpedia.org/John_Joyce_(Pennsylvania)

GovTrack.us Legislative Record: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/john_joyce/412798

#Representative #Pennsylvania #Republican #JohnJoyce

Key Takeaways (Click to Expand)

Mario Diaz-Balart is the longest-serving Republican in Florida’s congressional delegation, first elected in 2002.

He comes from a prominent Cuban-American political family; his aunt was Fidel Castro’s first wife, and his brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, also served in Congress.

He is a powerful “cardinal” on the House Appropriations Committee, serving as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, which oversees the State Department and foreign aid budget.

A leading voice on U.S. policy toward Cuba and Latin America, he is known for his staunchly anti-communist and anti-Castro stance.

“A pillar of the South Florida political establishment and a key architect of U.S. foreign policy funding, Mario Diaz-Balart’s career bridges the worlds of exile politics and congressional power.”

Mario Diaz-Balart: A Legacy of Anti-Communism and Appropriations Power

Representative Mario Diaz-Balart is one of the most senior and influential members of Florida’s congressional delegation. His career is defined by his deep roots in the Cuban exile community, his rise to become a powerful appropriator in Congress, and his unwavering focus on U.S. policy toward Latin America, particularly Cuba.

Diaz-Balart hails from one of the most prominent families in Cuban and Cuban-American political history. His father was a politician in pre-Castro Cuba, and his aunt, Mirta Diaz-Balart, was Fidel Castro’s first wife before becoming a critic of his regime. His brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, preceded him in Congress. This background instilled in him a lifelong, staunch opposition to communism. Before entering federal politics, Diaz-Balart served for 14 years in the Florida state legislature, rising to leadership positions in both the State House and State Senate.

First elected to the U.S. House in 2002, Diaz-Balart has steadily climbed the ranks of seniority. His most significant role is on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he is one of the 12 subcommittee chairmen known as “cardinals” who control federal spending. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, he has direct oversight of the entire budget for the U.S. State Department, USAID, and all related foreign assistance programs. This makes him a central figure in shaping America’s diplomatic and foreign aid priorities.

In addition to his appropriations work, Rep. Diaz-Balart is a leading congressional voice on Latin American policy. He is arguably the most prominent advocate for maintaining a hardline stance against the Cuban regime, opposing any normalization of relations and pushing for policies that support democracy activists on the island. Representing a South Florida district with large Cuban-American and Hispanic populations, his work is a direct reflection of his constituents’ deeply held beliefs and experiences.

Sources Used Official Biography: https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/biography

Ballotpedia Profile: https://ballotpedia.org/Mario_Diaz-Balart

GovTrack.us Legislative Record: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/mario_diaz-balart/400108

#Representative #Florida #Republican #MarioDiazBalart