Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy gave impassioned speeches in a style that seems to be missing in modern politics. (Associated Press)
Exhibit: "Washington: Symbol and City" D.C. Mayor Vince Gray likely celebrated the one-year anniversary of his office with a sigh and a sip of something flat. It's been a rough year, what with allegations of bribery, cronyism, and nepotism, not to mention several small skirmishes with the Republican-led House. Gray's tenure thus far would fit neatly in a multi-volume set about the dichotomous nature of Washington, D.C., "a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm," according to President John F. Kennedy. An exhibit at the National Building Museum will suffice for laypeople. "Washington: Symbol and City" analyzes the city from its swampy roots to present: Migratory patterns into and out of the District that corresponded to wars and boom and bust cycles; the "alternative downtown" that evolved in the Shaw neighborhood after the Civil War but before the Civil Rights movement; the development of new urban planning strategies needed to organize, protect, and house a constantly growing federal government; and the chronically near-simmering tensions between Washington (where national politics happen) and D.C. (where local people live). Ongoing at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Phone: 202.272.2448. Web: www.nbm.org
ASSOCIATED PRESS President Obama acknowledges the crowd gathered inside the Muniz Air National Guard Base hangar shortly after his arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday. His visit marked the first one by a sitting president since John F. Kennedy in 1961. The Puerto Rican flag provided half the backdrop for the podium.
In this publicity image released by ReelzChannel, Greg Kinnear portrays John F. Kennedy in a scene from the eight-part movie, "The Kennedys," premiering Sunday, April 3, 2011 on cable's ReelzChannel network. (AP Photo/ReelzChannel)
Greg Kinnear portrays President John F. Kennedy in "The Kennedys," originally intended for airing on the History Channel. (www.reelzchannel.com)
Sen. John F. Kennedy, center, D-Mass., and his brothers Edward Kennedy, left, a student at the University of Virginia, and Robert F. Kennedy, chief counsel to the Senate Rackets Committee, attend the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 1958. (Photo: Associated Press)
** FILE ** Caroline Kennedy speaks about the launch of the JFK Digital Archive, as part of the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, at the National Archives in Washington, on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
** FILE ** President John F. Kennedy delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1961 (AP Photo, File)
FILE - This file photo taken Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010, shows the wooden coffin in which John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was buried in, seen at the Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles. The ghoulish piece of American history is expected to be purchased at auction by the end of the day Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
