Like a true tyrant, bushie rewrites history at the White House web site

[Jeffersons Ghost]

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

While I've read in several sources that Thomas Jefferson created the Democratic Party, guess which liar is trying to rewrite history? Warning! Checking this link will piss you off, if you know anything about Jefferson:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tj3.html

Here's what they claim:

"Sharp political conflict developed, and two separate parties, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, began to form. Jefferson gradually assumed leadership of the Republicans, who sympathized with the revolutionary cause in France."

Here's a more accurate account:

The Democratic-Republican Party, is the precursor of the modern-day Democratic Party and was one of two major American political parties in the First Party System that lasted from 1792 to 1824. The party was originally called the "Republican Party," but their opponents dubbed them the "Democratic-Republican Party," in an attempt to link them with the excesses of the French Revolution.

Historians usually use this term in order to distinguish it from the modern-day Republican Party, with which it has no affiliation, although members were referred to as "Republicans" or "Jeffersonian Republicans."

I have no idea why the Village Idiot wants to claim Jefferson... I mean, what's wrong with the truth. Lincoln founded the modern Republican Party. Why not feature him at the White House site?

[bluemarkers]

1. too liberal

remember emancipation proclamation? way too liberal. :sarcasm:

of course him setting himself up for a big fat retirement with the railroads is classic GOP. (But Grant took the fall for that. Well, Grant took the spoils is more accurate.)

[Sequoia]

2. He can't hold a candle to Lincoln.

Jefferson...bully, slave owner, elitist, selfish.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. Let's just deal with this slavery accusation once and for all, shall we?

Jefferson's personal records show he owned more than 650 slaves in his lifetime, many of whom were inherited from his parents and through his wife. Some find it hypocritical that he both owned slaves and yet was publicly outspoken in his belief that slavery was immoral. Many of his slaves were considered property that was held as a lien for his many accumulated debts.

His ambivalence regarding slavery can be seen, for example, in the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, which Jefferson wrote, in which he condemned the British crown for sponsoring the importation of slavery to the colonies, charging that the crown "has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere..." This language was dropped from the Declaration at the request of delegates from South Carolina and Georgia. In 1769, as a member of the Virginia state legislature, Jefferson proposed for that body to emancipate slaves in Virginia, but he was unsuccessful. In 1778, the legislature passed a bill he proposed to ban further importation of slaves into Virginia; although this did not bring complete emancipation, in his words, it "stopped the increase of the evil by importation, leaving to future efforts its final eradication."

No Jefferson = no Lincoln as we remember him.

[tenshi816]

7. Lincoln's worst characteristics have been airbrushed out

of history. For example, he suppressed freedom of the press. Sound familiar? He also declared martial law, suspended the writ of habeas corpus and restricted civil liberties.

Lincoln doesn't hold the moral high ground over Jefferson.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. I'm not as up on Lincoln's history as I am with Jefferson, go figure!

but what you just posted, tenshi816, could explain why bushco decided not to feature the real first Republican. It all sounds too close to home for the prince of fools.

[Sequoia]

9. During the Civil War anyway.

He left all the southern stars on the flag though. Perhaps if he hadn't been assinated history would've painted him in another light. He does stand on a little higher moral ground than Jefferson.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

10. While they were both great men, it's a matter of opinion

hmmm, moral high ground requires me to make a moral judgment... What's moral to one culture is immoral in another... I can't go there... Imposing my moral values on another is immoral to me.

[Gman]

3. More kiddy staffers that don't give a shit about history

have no sense of history and feel they can rewrite it and it doesn't mean a thing except for the propaganda value. May as well go desecrate a battle field or someone's grave. Its the same thing and same mentality.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

6. great point, gman

[BrklynLiberal]

4. You can bet this was not *'s idea. If he ever had an idea, it would die of

lonliness!

I am sure there is some ulterior motive/hidden agenda to this. Wait for it to show itself.

I have no idea why the Village Idiot wants to claim Jefferson