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To: The Pack Knight
You can tell a lot about a politician by his political/historical heroes, and I could think of far worse examples for a President (or candidate) to follow these days than that set by Andrew Jackson.

He's a "Jacksonian". No doubt in my mind.

The Jacksonian Tradition

His reason was like lightning and his action like a thunderbolt" Amos Kendall,.

Prominent Jacksonians: Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Fred Thompson, Oliver North, Pat Buchanan, Zell Miller

25 posted on 08/19/2007 8:09:14 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (NY Times: "fake but accurate")
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To: Donald Rumsfeld Fan; The Pack Knight
Jackson quit!

We can't even excerpt from the Tennessean, but here' s a link:

Hermitage 'Jackson' quits over slave flap
Tour audiotape perturbs actor
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070819/NEWS01/708190385

26 posted on 08/19/2007 8:40:52 PM PDT by SmithL (si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: Donald Rumsfeld Fan
I’d be mighty careful with the Jackson/Thompson comparatives. He was the first Democrat and if that isn’t enough, there is more. He was a murderer of innocents, whether directly or indirectly, it happened on his watch and was directed and supported by him. He was a man with no character, honor or integrity and had no loyalty to anything or anyone other than himself and filthy lucre. He had no respect for the rule of law, but rather disdain for it when it didn’t suit his purpose or further his ambitions of power and avarice. Are we sure Thompson would want to be compared with this man? I know he played the part as an actor, but that doesn’t mean anything. I can only see such comparisons as Fred-bashing. Here is a little history to further the point:

The Indian Removal act of 1830

Jackson was responsible for the notorious Indian Removal Act of 1830, and thus the Trail of Tears, in unconstitutional defiance of a Supreme Court ruling. In 1829, American demand for land due to population growth and the discovery of gold on Cherokee land led to pressure on Native American lands. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act which, Jackson signed into law. The act was challenged successfully by the Cherokee Nation in 1832 in the US Supreme Court as Worcester v. Georgia, in 1832. Despite the Supreme Court decision, Jackson took no action to uphold the Court verdict, and in fact would openly defy it; he was quoted as saying "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!". As the court has no executive powers to enforce its decisions, Jackson's executive disregard of the court, marked a time when the Judicial branch of government was very weak. The state of Georgia held two land lotteries in 1835 to divide the Cherokee land, and Jackson sent military support to oust the Native population. This led to what is now known as the "Trail of Tears", which killed roughly four thousand Cherokee (25%), en route to Oklahoma.

The Battle of the Horseshoe and Jackson's subsequent betrayal

General and U.S. president ANDREW JACKSON. After ordering the removal of the Cherokee nation from the southeastern United States, the Supreme Court told him he had overstepped his authority and that their removal would be illegal. Jackson demanded that the Supreme Court show him its army, commenced with the removal, and forced the Cherokee onto what became known as the Trail of Tears. Adding insult to injury, Jackson ignored the fact that his life had been saved in 1814 by the leader of his Cherokee allies, Junuluska (Tsunu-lahun-ski), at Horse Shoe Bend, Alabama, when a Creek warrior tried to run Jackson through with a bayonet. In gratitude, then-General Jackson swore an oath of everlasting friendship with the chief. Junuluska later said about Jackson's refusal to stop the Cherokee Removal, "If I had known he would break his oath, I would have killed him that day at the Horse Shoe."

During the Creek wars of 1812-1814 Gulkalaski took 500 of his Cherokee scouts to help General Andrew Jackson win the Battle of Horse Shoe Bend. Gulkalaski had sworn to his people that they would exterminate the Creeks. General Andrew Jackson was directing the frontal attack of a Creek fortification that had been built within the projection of land created by a bend in the Tallapoosa River in eastern Alabama. Major Ridge, with his Lieutenant, John Ross, were directing the Cherokee attack on the rear of the fortification but were faced with crossing the river itself. Gulkalaski and two other warriors swam the Tallapoosa River in the dark and took the Creek warriors' canoes in spite of gunfire from the Creek Indians which wounded one of the three Cherokee, an Indian named Whale. This action gave Jackson the upper hand in what had been a situation stacked against him. In the ensuing battle Gulkalaski drove his tomahawk through the skull of a Creek warrior when the Creek had General Jackson at his mercy.

In the 1830's, when President Andrew Jackson was directing the forced removal of the Cherokee from their native lands Chief John Ross failed to get an audience to plead their cause. Chief Ross asked Chief Tsunulahunski to make an attempt. President Jackson granted Tsunulahunski an audience and heard his plea but curtly said, "Sir, your audience is ended. There is nothing I can do for you." The doom of the Cherokee was sealed. Washington, D.C. had decreed that they must be driven West. At the forced removal, witnessing the scene before him, and with tears gushing down his cheeks Chief Tsunulahunski lifted his face toward the heavens and said, "Oh my God, if I had known at the battle of the Horse Shoe what I know now, American history would have been differently written."

31 posted on 08/19/2007 10:23:55 PM PDT by WildcatClan (One vote, Three choices: 1) Socialism 2) Bush Redux 3) DUNCAN HUNTER)
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