In a letter to his brother,Eisenhower described the Tea Party & the possible effects on the country

[Whiskeytide]

13. You make good points....

... But Eisenhower was from an era where mainstream republicans generally believed that moderation in government was the ultimate goal. I think that's what he's really saying. He was calling out the fringe that seemed to want to destroy government all together - the Norquist goal of murder in a bathtub, for a more modern example. That fringe has grown into the TP supported cabal today.

This feeds into his views on the MIC. He was a part of it his entire career. That's why his warning has so much impact - its from an insider. He obviously believed the military was necessary, but he was apprehensive that, if left to its own devices, it would become too powerful in the political arena. He wanted a powerful military to enforce civilian policy, not a politically powerful military that shaped civilian policy.

As for whether he was decent, a "decent republican" is really a matter of perspective, I think. I could deal with and even work with people who thought like Eisenhower - even though I might disagree with him on many issues - some fundamental. I can't do that with people like Rove, Cantor, the "Tan Man", et al...

jmo.