evidence: The implication is that any gesture of friendship in the context of politics should be viewed as forwarding that person's interest and nothing more. It seems to me that this is among the most self-evident of the political dogs. The line is attributed, without dispute, to Harry S. Truman, a man known for his acerbic wit. Having barely escaped Gerald Ford's fate of becoming the first unelected President of the United States, Truman surely had numerous reasons to be cynical about Washington politics.