Giscard d'Estaing is Thomas Jefferson?

[aerocontrols]

United Europe's Jefferson? Giscard d'Estaing Smiles

"I tried to play a little bit the role that Jefferson played, which was to instill leading ideas into the system," he said of his 16-month adventure in producing the first draft of a constitution for Europe. "Jefferson was a man who wrote and produced elements that consolidated the Constitution."

Bzzzzttt... wrong.

Odd for a man that the article says confesses his 'fascination with American constitutional history'.

As David Frum points out, Jefferson was... um... in France at the time, and he didn't read it until 3 months after it was finished.

If d'Estaing wanted to play the role that Jefferson played, perhaps he should have stayed out of Europe while others wrote their constitution.

I'm sure, however, despite his interesting recollections of US history that so fascinates him, he wrote Europe a good Constitution.

MattJ

[edit to note that I'm not surprised that the New York Times didn't see fit to add this bit of information to their fawning profile of the man.]

 

[arcticpenguin]

I think you jumped the gun. He never said Jefferson wrote the constitution, only that he wrote bits that were incorporated, and came up with many of the ideas. Jefferson was in Europe, but did come up with many of the ideas. He also corresponded regularly with others who attended the contitutional convention, such as Madison.

 

[aerocontrols]

I think you jumped the gun. He never said Jefferson wrote the constitution, only that he wrote bits that were incorporated, and came up with many of the ideas. Jefferson was in Europe, but did come up with many of the ideas. He also corresponded regularly with others who attended the contitutional convention, such as Madison.

I think you give him far too much of the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Flo]

United Europe's Jefferson? Giscard d'Estaing Smiles




Bzzzzttt... wrong.

Odd for a man that the article says confesses his 'fascination with American constitutional history'.

As David Frum points out, Jefferson was... um... in France at the time, and he didn't read it until 3 months after it was finished.

If d'Estaing wanted to play the role that Jefferson played, perhaps he should have stayed out of Europe while others wrote their constitution.

Maybe he got the inspiration for the European constitution while hunting lions in Centrafrique some years ago ...

I'm sure, however, despite his interesting recollections of US history that so fascinates him, he wrote Europe a good Constitution.

I cannot see any good coming from a man who played the accordion while Président de la République