George Washington for President in 2008

Breed's Hill Institute ^ | 02-22-2008 | Breed's Hill

[stand_your_ground]

WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING GEORGE WASHINGTON FOR PRESIDENT?

ANSWER: People are always complaining that there are no great leaders today. The truth is that the only reason we don't have great leaders is because we don't demand them. By supporting George Washington....

[stand_your_ground]

Great site with some important truths on the birthday of a great American...

[NoLibZone]

He couldn’t win.

Not today.

[JmyBryan]

Can’t have a gun nut in the White House ...

[Ptaz]

I'm convinced we have a diluted view of most historical characters. George Washington was probably as bit of an opportunist as anyone else. When I was in college, I became aware of a book named George Washington's Expense Account. Here is a snippet of the editor's review of that book--judge for yourself.

Was George Washington first in war; first in peace; and first in discovering the joys of an unlimited expense account? Hint: Generals earned $166 per month. At the end of 8 years of war George Washington presented an expense account of $499,261.51. That was when a dollar was a continental. Washington included interest for money he loaned himself and depreciation. He later offered to work only for expenses as president and got a salary in stead.

[stand_your_ground]

Washington won his war.

I’ll take his expense account over LBJ’s, Nixon’s, Carter’s, the Bush Family, Bill Clinton’s...

[frogjerk]

George Washington was probably as bit of an opportunist as anyone else.

George Washington, had he lost, would of been the first person hanging from the end of a rope by the hand of George III. Please....

[stand_your_ground]

George Washington, had he lost, would of been the first person hanging from the end of a rope by the hand of George III. Please....

The words "snot-nosed" unavoidably come to mind when I read comments like those of Ptaz.

[frogjerk]

I'm convinced we have a diluted view of most historical characters. George Washington was probably as bit of an opportunist as anyone else.

George Washington deserved much more than what he received in payment. If there was a way I could repay him monetarily now, I would do it without any question

Give the man the credit he is due! He was such an opportunist that he stepped down, when his term was up, from leading the country after they wanted to anoint him King.

Also, while you are at it, why don't you bust your butt for years before winning one battle and then gamble on the whole shebang on leading a raid against mercenaries in one of the most ungodly winters on record...with a rag-tag group of men that haven't been paid in years?

[Ptaz]

I’m not going to argue with you. You’re not hearing me. He was a man—and I didn’t say he was a bad man. He was just human. Don’t make him a saint.

[Arrowhead1952]

He couldn’t win.

Neither could John F. Kennedy.

47 years and one month ago, Kennedy made the following statements near the end of his address.

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Did you hear either RAT candidate ask Americans to do anything for their country last night? No, it was give away, give away, give away, give away, give away, give away, and more give away.

[Corin Stormhands]

Can’t have a gun nut in the White House ...

Not to mention a slave owner...

[Antoninus]

The NY Times would be running stories about his wooden teeth 24-7.

[stand_your_ground]

Not to mention a slave owner...

I was under the impression that if I don't 30-50% of my income to the Federal slave master, they take me away in irons. What's the difference?

I've also thought it highly ironic, and sad, that African Americans tend to vote, in huge numbers, for the party of abortion. It seems particulary heartless to be freed from one evil only to impose a greater evil.

[Clemenza]

Will the general carry the Garden State? He lived here for many of his glory years.

[Clemenza]

GW also owned the largest distillery outside of Europe. Can’t argue with success!

[stand_your_ground]

I’m not going to argue with you. You’re not hearing me. He was a man—and I didn’t say he was a bad man. He was just human. Don’t make him a saint.

The last fifty years of public school education have made sure no one sees him, even remotely, as a "saint," but it's the hackneyed nay-saying of the academy set that doesn't recognize him as what he was--a hero.

Carping at Washington is the tell-tale sign of someone who attended a communty college somewhere.

[Corin Stormhands]

Agreed.

I was just referencing the effort to change the names of schools named in honor of Washington because, after all, he was a slave owner.

[frogjerk]

I’m not going to argue with you. You’re not hearing me. He was a man—and I didn’t say he was a bad man. He was just human. Don’t make him a saint.

No, I heard you. Obviously he was just human but give the man his due. George Washington, a man known throughout the whole world for his integrity, loyalty, courage, and selflessness. You are trying to point out that the first of all Americans was greedy and I'm not buying it.

[Ditto]

Some kind of conflict here in accounts.

Revolutionary War Expense Account, 1775 - 1783

George Washington refused to accept a salary as commander in chief, instead offering to claim only his expenses. Congress readily accepted this offer in 1775. At the end of the war, Washington compiled his own general accounts from the record books in this Revolutionary War section of Series 5. He calculated that £ was equivalent to $26, which was generous on his part because at times the dollar depreciated to hundreds of dollars to a single British pound sterling. Washington's total expenses of $160,074 included not only his personal accounts but expenses for his headquarters (which he referred to as his "military family"), secret intelligence (spy services), and traveling expenses for his headquarters and guards, commanded by Captain Caleb Gibbs. After a careful examination of these accounts and their supporting documentation, James Milligan, Comptroller General of the United States Treasury, found that Washington was due an additional eighty-nine nintieths of one dollar.

Source: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwseries5.html

[Ptaz]

there’s no need to be insulting.

In never once insulted you.