Brett Guthrie channels Abe Lincoln giving advice to President Obama

Even though Kentucky Republicans host dozens of Lincoln Day dinners around the state, the events are usually all about current Republican speakers and the dinners’ namesake is relegated to the backdrop or maybe the occasional reference by a speaker.

But at Saturday’s Southern Kentucky Lincoln Day Dinner in Bowling Green, Republican U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie took a creative approach to link Lincoln to the current political climate.

Guthrie, a self-professed history buff, used Lincoln’s words — speeches and writings — to channel the 16th president giving advice to the current occupant of the White House, Democratic President Barack Obama.

For instance, Guthrie said Lincoln might suggest that Obama stop trying push tax increases on the rich. Here’s how he framed it up:

Another piece of advice, Guthrie suggested, would be for Obama to stop pinning blame for the country’s economic situation on George W. Bush. After all, he said, Lincoln had it quite a bit worse when he entered the White House on March 4, 1861. Seven southern states already seceded the month before and the siege of Fort Sumpter began three months earlier.

But did Lincoln blame the situation on his predecessor, James Buchanon? Here’s what Guthrie says:

A final piece of advice, Guthrie said, would be for Obama to make a decision and stick to it.

In some examples, Obama has done that — such as the operation that resulted in the killing of Osama bin Laden.

But Guthrie brought up perhaps one of American history’s most politically courageous decisions Lincoln made amid his 1864 re-election against one of his former generals, George B. McClellan.

- Video produced by Chris Bratton