Rep. Michele Bachmann, who officially announced yesterday in Iowa that she is running for president, appeared on Good Morning America Monday, where George Stephanopoulos attempted to clarify some of her previous statements.
Among them: Bachmanns claim that the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence worked tirelessly to end slavery.
Now with respect, Congresswoman, thats just not true, Stephanopoulos said. Many of them including Jefferson and Washington were actually slave holders and slavery didnt end until the Civil War.
Bachmann dodged the question, answering, Well, you know whats marvelous is that in this country and under our Constitution, we have the ability when we recognize that something is wrong to change it. And thats what we did in our country. We changed it. We no longer have slavery. Thats a good thing. And what our Constitution has done for our nation, is to give us the basis of freedom unparalleled in the rest of the world.
She goes on to claim that John Quincy Adams, who was a small boy during the Revolutionary War and did indeed eventually work to abolish slavery, should be counted as a Founding Father.
Watch the visibly distraught Stephanopoulos interview with the tea party candidate, in which she discusses the minimum wage, Sarah Palin and her foster children.
Among them: Bachmanns claim that the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence worked tirelessly to end slavery.
Actually, most of them did just this. Read the Federalist papers.
Actually, most of them did just this. Read the Federalist papers.
Wha...chuckle...huh?
A) The Federalist was written by three people...John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and expresses only the personal opinions of each as an individual.
B) There is no first person opposition to the institution of slavery expressed in any of The Federalist. The only alusion to this is stated in general terms regarding the 3/5's compromise...Hamilton #54: "Might not some surprise also be expressed that those who reproach the Southern States with the barbarous policy of considering as property a part of their human brethren should themselves contend that the government to which all the States are to be parties ought to consider this unfortunate race more completely in the unnatural light of property than the very laws of which they complain?" #38 mentions the slave trade but makes no moral judgement as to the institution whatsoever.