Around a thousand pages of often erotic correspondence between President Warren Harding and his mistress of 15 years, Carrie Phillips, were released today at the Library of Congress. Written between and , the letters are revealing not only of Harding's ambivalence about World War I, but his unrelenting obsession with Phillips, who the historian James Robenalt believes was a German spy. The correspondence is filled with lustful adjectives, euphemisms and even some poetry.
Lust for power: Trove of President Warren Harding's love letters reveal steamy affair. Book Excerpt: 'The Harding Affair'. American President's Steamy Affair Resurrected. Harding discusses in not-so-subtle terms the desires and passions that preoccupied the mind of a philandering politician while separated from his mistress. Harding even makes frequent allusions to his friend "Jerry" - a nickname for a certain male body part. Wouldn't you like to make the suspected occupant of the next room jealous of the joys he could not know, as we did in morning communion at Richmond?
You can see I have yielded and written myself into wild desire. I could beg. And Jerry came and will not go, says he loves you, that you are the only, only love worthwhile in all this world, and I must tell you so and a score or more of other fond things he suggests, but I spare you. You must not be annoyed. He is so utterly devoted that he only exists to give you all.
I fear you would find a fierce enthusiast today. He was strongly interested, and elated and clung to discussion. He told me to say that you are the best and darlingest in the world, and if he could have but one wish, it would be to be held in your darling embrace and be thrilled by your pink lips that convey the surpassing rapture of human touch and the unspeakable joy of love's surpassing embrace.
I cordially agree with all he said. Perhaps it is not important maybe it is not even interesting, but he is devotedly, exclusively, for you. Items 1 through 4 from the New York Times Magazine. He would come too, if I might: would he be welcomed cordially? Items 5 and 6 from the NY Daily News. I can't help it. That is not spiritual, I grant, but very real. Politics Coronavirus Jan. All rights reserved.
