Date:  Sun, 16 Nov 1997 22:40:48 -0500
From:  "Barry A. Popik" <Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: "I Would/Had Rather Be Right Than Be President"

   Oops! I'm sorry!
   SAFIRE'S NEW POLITICAL DICTIONARY has:

   "I would rather be right than be President." Kentucky Senator Clay made
this statement several times to his friends, in a letter in 1839, and in a
Senate speech in 1850.

   Unfortunately, Safire doesn't give a citation. Anyway, my citation is
"I had."
   The American Heritage Dictionary of American Quotations was published
several years after Safire's New Political Dictionary, so I turned to Hugh
Rawson's book first. I'm truly sorry.
   However, I'm still confused. It would be nice to get "Right" right!