Happy 201st to the Father of Civil Rights, Republican Abraham Lincoln

Here's a press statement that's worth repeating:

WASHINGTON - Today, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele issued the following statement on President Abraham Lincoln’s 201st birthday:

“Today, I am pleased to honor the 201st birthday of President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln’s remarkable presidency helped pave the way for African Americans to have an opportunity to achieve the American dream. From issuing the two executive orders that made up the Emancipation Proclamation and to his commitment to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, President Lincoln secured his place in history as a civil rights pioneer. Though the battle for equality continues almost 150 years since his death, it is President Lincoln’s legacy that will always point America in the right direction.”

I think Steele could have added that the election of an African American to the Presidency of the United States is the ultimate legacy of Abraham Lincoln.