He led a gang composed of the criminals and ne'er do wells of Boston. They not only attacked British officials such as tax collectors, but also people they didn't like. Some died. He was seen at the gathering point for the mob that attacked the Custom House right before the Boston Massacre - one of the witnesses identified him, and John Adams suppressed the information in court because it would have complicated his theory of defense severely to drag Sam in. (John essentially argued that the soldiers at the Customs House were attacked by criminals, the scaff and raff of the docks, and argued that they were from "out of town". . . . Crispus Attucks was from Marblehead IIRC.)
This is precisely germane to the president's situation. Absolutists can make speeches and lead mobs, but they can neither pass nor block legislation in a representative government. They serve a valuable purpose as the "bad cop" to the pragmatists' "good cop", and that is all they do as far as legislation is concerned.
And, if you'll look up the thread, the president's press secretary was responding to a question from a reporter. If he said "no" it would have provided a rallying point for the Dems. "Yes" means nothing because the bill is DOA. I don't think Mason would say such a thing, but if Franklin thought it would gain him political points he would do it in a New York (or Philadelphia) minute - he was a wiley old politician. Jefferson, I don't know. He was very anti-Federalist, but on the other hand he said some pretty outrageous things at times, was inclined to speak his mind without thinking first.
I will concede that Sam Adams wasn't as ugly as Al Sharpton . . . physically.
He was repeatedly elected by his constituents and argued on behalf of their freedom. All Sharpton has been elected to what? And argues that the federal government should be a tool for looting one group of citizens for the benefit of another group of citizens. Your analogy is flawed and disengenuous. It relies on presenting a series of half truths. I know of the other half.