When FDR tried to âpack the courtâ Rooseveltâs attempt to pack the Supreme Court and âpurgeâ his party is a cautionary tale â for Democrats and Republicans. By David M. ShribmanUpdated May 11, 2021, 3:00 a.m. Email to a Friend America, you need a history lesson. Not only about the founding principles of the country, though that would do us all some good. Not only about the way Abraham Lincoln moved the nation through divisions far more significant than our own, though that would give us all some perspective. Not only about how John F. Kennedy infused America with a sense of national purpose, though we could use some of that right now.