Hello Lee,   
      
   On Mon 2012-Feb-13 12:21, Lee Lofaso (3:800/432) wrote to Richard Webb:   
      
      
   >DD>Same deal on term limits for elected officials. Many of them seem to   
   >DD>think that holding elected office is a lifetime sinecure. Which   
   >DD>certainly is *NOT* what the framers of the Constitution envisioned.   
      
   RW>OF course, but then the framers of the constitution never   
   RW>anticipated professional politicians.  Their thought was   
   RW>that average folks would seek office as well as vote.   
      
   LL> The Framers of the Constitution were rich white men.  Most of whom   
   LL> were lawyers.  And all of them very much aware of professional   
   LL> politicians, especially those from England.  They wanted to protect   
   LL> their own interests, and those of their friends.  Not exactly what   
   LL> anybody would call "average folks".   
      
   True enough, but they had to give it more than just a "yeah   
   yeah" at least a wink and a nod.  Aslo there were those who   
   weren't slave owners, though most were, as you say "rich   
   white men" including Franklin.   
      
   RW>Their efforts were geared toward eliminating a professional   
   RW>perpetual ruling class.   
      
   LL> Except rich white men.   
      
   LL> Black folk were not included in their version of America.  Women   
   LL> folk were not included in their version of America. Poor folk were   
   LL> not included in their version of America. Only those who were white,   
   LL> male, Christian (preferably non-Catholic), and owned   
   LL> property/slaves, were included in their version of America.   
      
   True, for the most part, but remember, from the get go there were battle lines   
   drawn over the question of slavery.  Some   
   time within the next few decades we'd finally get the   
   MIssouri compromise.  The slavery question definitely   
   divided the framers, but they had to go forward, and hence   
   ignore that question, and put it off on those who would come after.   
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)