DNA testing has reportedly settled one of the longest running scandals in presidential history: Warren Harding’s fathering of a daughter with mistress Nan Brittan. The Harding family and supporters long trashed Brittan for her account of a long affair and child, but the testing of the grandchildren of Brittan has confirmed her account.
It turns out that Warren G. Harding was not only a uniquely poor excuse for a president (according to historians in various polls) but a uniquely poor excuse for a person. While popular before his death in office, Harding is now viewed as the worst president by many historians and regularly listed among the worse failures. Various scandals like Teapot Dome undermined that legacy, but it was not until after his death that his affairs came to light.
He was of course married to Florence Mabel Harding (left). However, he had an extramarital affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips of Marion (right), which lasted about fifteen years until 1920. Despite letters clearly showing the existence of the affair, Hardings family and supporters fought to destroy or bury the letters to protect his reputation. There was a lawsuit over the letters which eventually were handed over to the Library of Congress.
Harding later had the affair with Nan Britton, the daughter of one of his best friends. What is truly astonishing is that her father, Dr. Britton, had told Harding that his young daughter had a crush on him. Harding met with her and said that he discouraged her. He was still having an affair with Phillips at the time. Later however he began an affair with his friend’s daughter. After she graduated from high school, she went to New York and began the affair with Harding while working as a secretary. She would later write the first tell-all book entitled The President’s Daughter after she was left with nothing to support herself or her daughter. This included an account of making love in a coat closet with the president.
Britton said that Harding promised to support her but that the First Lady saw to it that she received nothing. The blame on Florence Harding however missed the point. Harding took no steps to support his mistress (or his daughter) after his serial adulterous relationships. The family and friends of Harding attacked Britton — even claiming that Harding was sterile and could not produce children. Like the earlier affair, the Britton affair resulted in its own lawsuit — a defamation lawsuit (Britton v. Klunk) where she alleged defamation over the claims that she made up the affair. She lost due to the lack of evidence to support her account. That evidence now exists in the form of DNA with a 99.9 percent certainty.
Elizabeth Ann Blaesing died in 2005. Her mother Britton died in 1991. However, Britton’s grandson, James Blaesing, 65, is still living and fought to vindicate his grandmother and mother. He has succeeded against the determined efforts of the Hardings and their supporters.
James Blaesing insists that this is a “true love, especially on her side, and I know he felt the same way. And he got trapped.” I hope that that is true but I am less generous toward Blaesing’s new found grandfather. While taking care in every other aspect of his life, Harding did nothing to ensure the future for his mistress or their child. He also had an adulterous affair with his best friend’s daughter after a long affair with another woman. That does not offer one much faith in Harding as a person or a president.
“I recognize society engendered different mores ninety years ago, but the Hardings dishonored themselves greatly in their abandonment of his daughter and her mother. How loyal to one’s country can a president be when he will not recognize his own child?”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha #SoOutOfTouch #WhereToBegin
it’s kind of creepy you know this much about this dude’s personal life and how it’s portrayed as mysterious and interesting.
I bet this blog hates Sally Hemmings… The values are clear though, Thomas Jefferson had a relationship with a slave…. liberty??? At minimum, there are many questions about the capacity for passionate love.
“I bet this blog hates Sally Hemmings… The values are clear though, Thomas Jefferson had a relationship with a slave…. liberty??? At minimum, there are many questions about the capacity for passionate love.”
chipkelly” First, why Leibniz?
Second, your statement above made me recall my evolving perception of Jefferson. When I first read that Jefferson had kept a slave for a mistress and had children with her, I was absolutely outraged. Spray-painting his memorial certainly wouldn’t have been good enough to resolve my disgust.
Now, though, I’m more tempered by the context of that period in history. Jefferson was certainly not worried about wealth: he was devoted to and sacrificed for good government his entire life, not business, and he died leaving a big house but as an upside-down pauper in every other way.
I’ve read where he was very reticent to discipline his labor, and Sally may very well have been his confidante rather than a servant. Knowing some of the good he did engender: his penchant for educating (“raking from the rubbish”) the common man, local as opposed to federal oversight, and lack of retribution for hostile political activity, I’d have to guess he was very much the introverted non-violent pacifist and way ahead of his time, when perhaps more than not the aristocracy resorted to slavery.
The “capacity for passionate love”? Would you care to define that before further exploring why it is you insist on something more than a marriage of convenience occupying the White House?
chipkelly – Sally Hemmings had sexual relations with A Jefferson. Birthdates fit better with Randolph than Thomas. Her first child was not by a Jefferson.
Harding of course appointed a number of well-regarded figures, including Andrew Mellon at the Treasury Secretary. You just can’t make this crap up. Sound familiar to our current state of affairs at Treasury. A revolving door for those who work with Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase.
It is interesting that just about every one of these scoundrels have banking connections; His Wife was born Florence Kling in Marion, Ohio, the eldest of three children of Amos Kling, a prominent Marion banker of German descent. He was a newspaper man. Propaganda and banking seem to go hand and hand.
Paul C
Just the truth. 🙂
Paul C
It’s useless. Why bother to expell energy on those who will criticize that with which they are totally unfamiliar? HenryH would rather call those who wish to read books a moron. He appears to be a classic example of that which he accuses others of being. Ignore him. You are far from a moron, and anyone familiar with this blog knows that. Your comments are always well-reasoned and thoughtful.
bam bam – Thank you for the kind words. 😉
HenryH – being today’s grammar Nazi does not advance the argument. There is an argument, if you read the books.
Paul C
Your time would be better spent researching the use of the apostrophe. Then you might consider improving your reading choices.
HenryH – thank you for being today’s grammar Nazi. It always advances the argument. However, you did not answer my question.
Too late, Paul C.
You’re on record as turning to Hollywood Babylon (WITH PICTURES!) for a history text.
We can hardly wait for your next reveal.
HenryH – have you read either of the Hollywood Babylon’s?
I’ve read a book about the Teapot Dome scandal. Harding and his administration were extremely corrupt.
Hollywood Babylon. One AND Two. Our blessings are doubled. And what next shall I put on my reading list? Danielle Steele perhaps, or is that too challenging?
HenryH – given your logic pattern Danielle Steele might be above your level. I would suggest asking your librarian for some YA selections. With a dictionary, you should be able to handle those.
What a pitiful moronic bunch of liars on this site. You must make Professor Turley very proud.
BTW, Paul Newman gave millions to charity.
As to your in depth knowledge of celebrity infidelity – well I guess that is just a testament of the quality of your reading material.
HenryH – we are all at the mercy of what we read. Read Hollywood Babylon 1 and 2 to catch up on celebrity infidelity. Has fascinating photos.
“In all he had 23 wives and 54 children.”*
———-
There must be a better way for societies and nations to address human sexuality.
I’m not aware of a physical axiom restricting polygamy.
If the American Thesis is Freedom and Self-Reliance, how did the freedom of polygamy become illegal?
Seems like bodily functions are the purview of doctors not government.
———-
“If It Makes You Happy” – Sheryl Crow
“If it makes you happy
It can’t be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad”
———-
*An actual account of an Arab’s marital status.
“—– — ——- Father’s Family
Mohammed — —– kept four wives, often divorcing one so he could add another. In all he had 23 wives and 54 children. Most of the wives were Saudis or Egyptians. Each had their own house. Milton Viorst wrote in the Washington Post: “
Berrnie’s a national socialist. Good ol’ Uncle Bern.
By the way, Kennedy only got one dollar as his salary when he was President.
Paul C
Jackie Kennedy was, allegedly, involved with the openly bisexual ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, from 1962 until 1965. It is also alleged that he had affairs with her sister, Lee Radziwell, and with her brother-in-law, Bobby Kennedy, as well.
Like I said, Harding is a virtual saint compared with what transpired in the Kennedy clan.
I don’t recall the Kennedy’s stealing from the US government as happened with Harding or his other malfeasance in office. While Kennedy’s legislative agenda is mixed, I am grateful he was President than the crook I supported against him. We would not be having this conversation if Nixon had won since he would have invaded Cuba and started WWIII.
randyjet – Kennedy DID invade Cuba.
Paul C
Yeah, but he makes some good salad dressing! 🙂
HOW MANY HONEST MEN DO YOU KNOW? TAKE THE SINNERS AWAY FROM THE SAINTS, YOU’RE LUCKY TO END UP WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
PAUL NEWMAN
bam bam – Paul Newman was no saint.
Randyjet, they are too busy posting inane propaganda on social network sites that are focused on smearing socialists, progressives and Democrats to realize that their hypocrisy is SO easy to spot. The notion that they are more honorable than the next person is a total crock. Family Values, lol.
Socialists, progressives and Democrats are three words describing the same persons. You are being redundant.
Yes, they have things in common, but they are not identical, Paul. I like aspects of all three. Bernie Sanders is a socialist Democrat. He is drawing the largest crowds of any candidate, R or D.