"I'm sure that they probably said that about Thomas Jefferson ...George Washington...Benjamin Frankl

[babylonsister]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/


* Self-aggrandizing historical reference of the day: Sharron Angle braves an interview with Adam Nagourney, and uncorks this doozy on Dem claims that she's too conservative:

"I'm sure that they probably said that about Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and Benjamin Franklin."


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/us/politics/18vegas.html?_r=2&hp

Tea Party Choice Scrambles in Taking On Reid

[zipplewrath]

1. Not Jefferson

Not "Lousiana Purchase" Jefferson. Mr. "blood of patriots and tyrants"? Dubious.
Probably not "Whiskey Rebellion" Washington either.
Franklin was, at various times, seen as too much of a loyalist, but not after the country was actually formed.

[babylonsister]

4. I think the point is that her comparing herself to anyone of

this stature is comical.

[pinboy3niner]

9. I thought so. Her undeserved high opinion of herself is laughable.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Not after signing the Declaration

Just to be specific.

[zipplewrath]

7. I assume you mean Franklin

Yes, his loyalist phase, which was always a tad strategic and suspect, was well before the declaration. By that point he was well on board with the revolution, and probably could be considered a prime instigator.

The funny part was, the Crown had a window of opportunity when Franklin was in London to avoid the whole mess. He offered several opportunities to avert what came but the crown and parliment both literally avoiding dealing with him at all. The end result was that one of the few voices with influence in the colonies was made to look foolish for trying to deal with the Crown at all. Only served to strengthen those who had already decided that the separation was inevitable..

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Yes, I mean Franklin

I read that even during the early meetings of the Continental Congress Franklin was uncharacteristically quiet. Observers felt that he still was not settled on the issue.

Being a pragmatist, Franklin probably was thinking that Americans had perhaps the highest standard of living in the world and were among the most free - did they really want to jeopardize that? I guess that, in the end, he and the rest would not be "sensible Liberals" and went for the gold. The rest is history.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Well, his son was the Royal Governor of (?) Delaware?, and a hard core

loyalist. He knew that if the colonies could not be reconciled his family would be split forever. And it was. Not something to jump into lightly.

[zipplewrath]

12. He also loved England

The country and its people mind you, not the government. He really would have preferred living out his days in England, but that ultimately became impossible.

[realisticphish]

2. Those famous uber-conservatives

Freethinking inventor Jefferson, and Francophile diplomat Ben Franklin...

[hobbit709]

3. The only thing Fruitcake Angle knows about the founding fathers.

is their names. I doubt she can cite one single true comment from any of them.

[Dr Morbius]

6. Well, look at that. She's not just clueless about life, she's clueless about history, too.

Jefferson and Franklin were conservative in some ways but liberal in others, and Washington was of course a liberal hero. But one thing that all three men had in common is that they were eminently sensible; they recommended and as Presidents (yes, Ben Franklin was for a short time the President of Pennsylvania!) wise and effective policies which advanced the lives of their constituents. They would never embrace policies which screwed the average person in favor of corporations and the exceedingly wealthy.

Sharron Angle is stupid if she believes comparing herself to the founders makes her look good.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Washington DECLARED himself a Liberal:

"As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."

- George Washington

[hobbit709]

13. I just sent that quote to a couple of teabaggers.

without mentioning the author-I can't wait for the screeching.

[raouldukelives]

14. She reminds me more of Daniel Day-Lewis

from Gangs of NY than George Washington.