Sen. Claire McCaskill said former President Harry S. Truman might have been “a little cranky” about her plan to rename Washington’s iconic train station after him.
“He was one of the most humble presidents we ever had,” the Missouri Democrat told MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown” with Chuck Todd.
But she insists it’s a good idea that can gather bipartisan support.
Mrs. McCaskill said renaming the train depot as “Harry S. Truman Union Station” fits with Washington’s long tradition of remembering great political leaders in the nation’s capital.
When tourists come to the District, “they expect to go to memorials for our great presidents.”
The 33rd president and fellow Show Me State native made tough decisions, such as integrating the armed services, she said.
He also used the atomic bomb, which could bring out detractors, but the plan seems to be gathering momentum.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District’s non-voting member of Congress, supports the measure, particularly because Mrs. McCaskill and cosponsor Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican, preserved the “Union Station” name in their plan.
“I hope and believe a new high-profile name will reinvigorate the commitment of Congress to help in our efforts to make Union Station a world-class, 21st-century intermodal facility,” Mrs. Norton said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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