'Glenn Beck': Founders' Fridays: George Washington

And it only comes alive when you need it.

I don't know how many times I have read the Declaration of Independence in the past and it's like,yes, yes, whatever. And the other is that it was an affront to religious people to have this. He saidlet's not replace one tyrant with another. Things were a mess. And do you think that somebody likeGeorge Washington could be in office today?

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: Neither of you?

ALLISON: Well, you know, you said before we started that people are beginning to wake up. All thestates were arguing with each other. And here, they were all saying it was God who used to us dothis. It's like reading the Bible.

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," May 7, 2010. I made Washington hope, because I wastrying to figure out why that Obama hope doesn't work -- because it's false hope. He didn't want todo any of it. You were going to say?

EARL TAYLOR, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES: I was going tosay in this book the word "providence" is used 88 times in Washington's quotes. Read originalsources. That was socialism. This is actually in the French -- during the French and Indian War whenhe in his early 20s was on aide to General Braddock - British General Braddock. We will do morethan survive. They didn't -- you know, I get the sense from all of the founders, they were like, really?Me again? You know what I mean? They did it out of duty and honor, mainly to God.

TAYLOR: That's right.

BECK: But there are times when you are doing that, that you are like, OK, I trust, I have faith. It wasduring one of the early elections before George Washington was world famous. I'll do my best.Andrew, I think you said earlier that Congress tried to weasel out of paying our troops. I think what Ilike about George Washington is most of the choices he made, he didn't want to make. Payne, I'd liketo visit with you tomorrow morning." Well, the guy was scared to death.

(LAUGHTER)

ALLISON: As you can imagine. And we call it, "Can George Washington Help Us Restore America?" Ihad a surprising and kind of an emotional experience in the process of researching and preparingthat article.

BECK: Hold on, hold on. But he took on the British sometimes all alone. And I've read a ton of bookson him. It is. It must be the hand of Providence that had preserved me. And they made a plan to goand kill everybody in Congress. But when he showed up the next morning, Colonel Washington,which is what he was then, he put forward his happened and said, "Mr. I didn't even know why until-- until -- I mean, I've read a lot of books on George Washington. So they march right into -- throughthis area. OK. But what's the -- what's the secret of this one? What is it that you think you havecaptured in this?

ALLISON: Well, you know, the title "The Real George Washington" is pretty presumptuous. Wouldyou say that he is the best example of hope?

ALLISON: Can I answer that question?

BECK: Yes.

ALLISON: You hit the nail right on the head, Glenn. Sorry, I like George Washington an awful lot. Imean I know -- I mean, I know there are millions of people God -- millions of people right now whoare falling to their knees saying, "OK. It was in New Jersey, too.

ALLISON: I mean, a few years later, they went through the same thing again.

BECK: Horrible. And nobody is helping and then, they're just -- they're like, "Yes. When you readthese guys, it's alive. It is alive today. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of anindependent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency."

And this is almost incredible to believe me, but he also said, "When I contemplate the intervention ofprovidence in guiding us, I feel almost overwhelmed. I'll do my best. And as you said in your intro, hewas almost god-like that. Here is a man who is unanimously elected as the commander-in-chief ofthe New American Army, unanimously elected as the presiding officer of the constitutionalconvention, unanimously elected by the Electorate College twice as the president of the UnitedStates. You had a caller last week, maybe Friday, on your radio program. Now, George Washingtonwas the most vocal. But his wife went to Valley Forge and she would make them pants and shirts.

ALLISON: That's right.

BECK: They didn't even have pants and she would make them. And then they found out the UnitedStates of America, what a surprise, weasely Congress wasn't going to take care of the troops, wasn'tgoing to pay them. Not in battle.

BECK: And he -- and the troops talked about bullet holes through his clothing and he was on a whitehorse.

TAYLOR: Oh, yes.

BECK: It would be like camouflage!

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: Camouflage your horse!

TAYLOR: Well, 15 years later, Washington -- this was in 1770, Washington was with a group of menthat were reviewing and kind of scoping out the same area. Horrible. I'm going to make a plaque ofthis and put it near that free bird painting of George Washington...

BECK: Yes.

ALLISON: At Valley Forge that my wife Kathleen and I have at home. First of all, thank you for thebook. Back in a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Back with Andrew Allison, coauthor of "The Real George Washington," a fantastic book, andalso Earl Taylor, president of the Center for Constitutional Studies.

OK. We'll be right back in just a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: The audience requested that I use a pipe seeing that I'm with eggheads. That is a 20thcentury term. Go ahead. And an old Indian was part of an Indian band that discovered them andinvited them to sit down in the council, around the council fire. They didn't listen to him. They didn'thave pants. He was -- that's my favorite painting of him. They were in the minority. He's a guy whocould have been really upset at Congress. He used to loan money to his friends and family memberswhen they were short on funds because he was the guy who always had money, because he was theguy who always had a job. He was revered. And they were leading about almost 1,500 troops out towestern Pennsylvania, Fort Duquesne, around Pittsburgh now. I got it now. And he said later onafter he was elected president that you would have to be -- listen, is it OK? I mean, you use achalkboard.

BECK: I'll tell you what? Yes, hang on. Horrible. They didn't want to say those things. But it was non-interest loan. And if he can be more like him, if we can strive to be more like him, we'll survive. Sowe were talking before we went in the break about George Washington and God. We'll see youagain.

From New York, good night, America.

Content and Programming Copyright 2010 Fox NewsNetwork, LLC. They thought this guy was God. There isno evidence that he feared being injured in battle. Andwhen he put his glasses on, he said, "I am sorry. Canyou say that? What was that you said?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: What I was saying was afterreading all the quotes of George Washington, peoplesay they are outdated but they read the words -- it's likethey are here now. Who is religious here? Who believesin God and religious?

And it is really true. In the end, they weren't going to pay the troops. But was he afraid?

TAYLOR: I don't know that he showed he was. After attributing the salvation of America on dozens ofoccasions to God's intervention, he said this after being elected president, "No people can be boundto acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the peopleof the United States. And he almost immediately wrote a letter saying, "Mr. He took his glasses off,folded the paper up. You make your own way. They trusted him. We'll thrive.

OK. You mentioned Valley Forge and we're all familiar with Valley Forge.

But you might -- I wonder if in your book you indicate that Morristown, New Jersey, which is wherewe're from, was the military capital of the revolution because of the strategic location betweencontinental Philadelphia and British-ruled New York.

And also, George Washington and the Continental Army were in camp. Don't do it. Let me ask youthis. And they respected him. Was he ever afraid?

ALLISON: Washington, there is no evidence in the record that he feared death. This is the best bookon George Washington I have ever read, because it is so simple and it really focuses on his words.

You know, I say all the time, read original sources. I heard one that it was -- he was too god-like. Butthis is what he said, "If I have distressing apprehensions, I am supported by a confidence that themost gracious being who has hitherto watched over the interest and averted the perils of the UnitedStates will never suffer so fair an inheritance to become a prey to anarchy, despotism or any otherspecies of oppression." That gives me hope.

BECK: I tell you, in reading who they were, knowing what they created, knowing that this not -- thisaren't our rights. Just let me give you a couple of reasons why I believe that. And we killed a lot ofthem. One of the reasons I think that he was so trusted by the troops and everybody else becausethey saw that he was willing to roll up his sleeves. And he was for the protection -- the equalprotection of property.

BECK: There is a difference between -- none of the founders ever talked about social justice. Andthis old Indian chief gets up and he said, "I was there. Sorry. "I don't have my cars on the reins."They all thought and I think knew that this is a God thing that is happening here, you know. But itwas kind of fun to read about George Washington. And I think it's because they knew that in the end,he didn't matter to him. I used to live near Valley Forge. George Washington.

On August 28, I'm going to Washington, D.C., and I'm going to be at the feet of Abraham Lincoln andfacing the Washington monument. But they were mad at George Washington.

In the end, a lot of his troops didn't -- weren't real happy with him, didn't want to stand with him.That's a socialist term that has been perverted in our churches.

None of them were for anything like that, but all charitable -- they believed in -- pull yourself up. Andabout half of this book is just his words on topic.

And the story of George Washington, I promise you, you will fall in love with him. He was revered forit. But that's right. We know of at least 67 occasions during the Revolutionary War alone when hesaid that the American cause of independence would have come to a complete disaster except forone thing and that was the direct intervention of God to save us. But the reason that we call it that is-- instead of trying to interpret him for the scholars, we really went out of our way to let him speakfor himself, so that the American people, including young people, could find out who he is.

BECK: Yes.

ALLISON: So, the bulk of the book is either in his words or those who knew him.

BECK: This is the best thing about this is book is split in half. He could have been made a ruler. Whoelse, up in the corner -- yes?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: What was George Washington's stance on the redistribution of wealth? Whatdid he think of taking from the fruits of one's labor and giving to another?

BECK: You want that?

ALLISON: Well, to say it short, he was absolutely appalled with that kind of an idea. I don't want tointerrupt that story. I got more than five. He's a guy that in the end could have been made king. Boy,oh, boy.

Valley Forge -- I mean, when you think of Valley Forge and how many times, it wasn't just one yearthey were cold and didn't have shoes. Beautiful stories...

BECK: His wife went -- we Horse Farms For Sale Washington DC have to take a break. That's whatmattered. We'll come right back for that.

(APPLAUSE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: We're back with Andrew Allison, coauthor of "The Real George Washington," and Earl Taylor,the president for Center for Constitutional Studies. And you can look up taxes and it's all his words.He looks at Pittsburgh and says, "Great place for a fort." I mean he was -- he was a remarkable,remarkable kid.

ALLISON: He actually began surveying at age 15 and a prodigious worker his whole life. But wecould not kill that man." He said, "I had moved my best marksmen on him and I told them theycannot miss and they usually did not miss." "But this time," he said, "we couldn't hit him."

BECK: And is this the same Indian that said, you will be a great leader of...

TAYLOR: Yes. We have to take a break, but I want to pick it right up there. When my friend Jay Parryand I wrote this book, this was part of the project, but for some reason, it just didn't hit me the wayit did this time. We'll be back in just a minute.

(APPLAUSE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Rob, in the front row, you have a question.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: It seems that things never change. They decided not to storm Congress. Readtheir words. After he won the Revolutionary War, he went back to be that farmer in Mount Vernon.I've had two horses shot out from under me."

BECK: He was never wounded ever, was he?

TAYLOR: No. There is no figure in the history of this nation that represents hope as well as GeorgeWashington. Maybe he was. OK, fight, fight, fight -- one more round with me, will you? I mean, hewas amazing, truly the indispensable man. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. They didn't know what to say.

He said --again, paraphrasing -- "Gentlemen, I know what you're doing. Read their words. And no

public official can be an elector.

BECK: But who played the role of ACORN under that system?

(LAUGHTER)

ALLISON: It's in the book.

BECK: Who else? Who else had a question?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: This is more point of information. And they came knocking at his door andsaid, "George, we need you, because the whole thing is falling apart." I'm paraphrasing, but I think itwas pretty close to -- "Have I not yet done enough for my country?" No. And all of a sudden, Paynereaches up because he's considerably shorter as almost every American was, considerably shorterthan George Washington, knocks him to the ground.

Well, he was the commander of a Virginia regiment at that time, and all of his fellow officers andsoldiers stepped forward to take care of this guy, and Washington waved them off and said, "No, it'sOK. How weird.

ALLISON: The Electoral College is what elected them. Let me take a break and then we'll comeback. And later on, after he was elected president, he said the same thing about the constitutionalconvention. He didn't really believe in God. Do we have -- do we have the painting in the Capitol?This is -- and I think Dan Brown, even in his book, talks about this. But virtually, all of them said thatthe reason that this country was created was because of the intervention of God. It was important tohim to learn how to demonstrate respect for his fellow men just because of who he was and who hefelt they were.

BECK: Back in just a minute.

(APPLAUSE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE)

BECK: Welcome back to "Founders' Fridays." And make sure you go to GlennBeck.com and sign upfor Insider Extreme. So you said that I asked you to write an article about George Washington. It'sfantastic.

You can find out more information at "GlennBeck.com." And sign up for "Fusion" magazine. This isn'tour land. That's the painting in our Capitol today.

BECK: Can we -- can we show that? I don't think most -- most people don't know this. While there,you can get a free subscription of "Fusion" magazine and an exclusive article from Andrew Allison,the author of "The Real George Washington." Andrew, let me come to you on the youth of GeorgeWashington. And he opened up the letter and he was going to read it. This is -- what is the name ofthe painting?

TAYLOR: Apotheosis of George Washington.

BECK: Yes, that.

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: If you look -- if you look straight up, here you see George Washington, and he is sitting on athrone. This is his land, knowing that he will protect and knowing also the story.

I pray every night. All they could do was make requests of the states to provide funds. He wasn'tinvited to it. Most of the things he did, he didn't want to do. The whole thing was falling apart. Theydidn't think he was God.

BECK: Right.

TAYLOR: But he had some attributes that were god-like.

BECK: How -- when you were doing your research, I've noticed that Benjamin Franklin, were theyreal close friends, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, or not?

ALLISON: Not the closest, but they had a lot of involvement with each other; had tremendousrespect for each other, and they were friends.

BECK: Benjamin Franklin and George Washington had one thing in common that I've seen, that Ithink is fantastic, and that the lists that they would start their day and end their day with, that theywere -- they were works-in-progress. He was a revered figure. Don't read somebody who is trying tofigure out what he meant today. It's not that far from Philadelphia. He said, "I'm telling you, thegreat spirit is with that man. You know, you mentioned -- you asked me recently to write an articlefor your magazine about George Washington. He stunk on ice at the beginning for like a year or so.He used the word "miracle" more than once. And he's the kind of guy that I've been looking for. Allhe wanted to do was go to Mount Vernon and be a farmer.

His country, Britain and then the United States of America, had him serving for year after year afteryear after year. Oh, no, no, no. One, we already have been talking about it.

And it's so astonishing to me that we have writers today who say no only were the founders deists,but in some cases atheists. And they know it. And it was really -- it was really crossing of theDelaware that changed things. How are you, guys? First of all, you know, you and I met, I don'tknow, about a year ago?

ANDREW ALLISON, "REAL GEORGE WASHINGTON" CO-AUTHOR: About a year.

BECK: Yes. What he was afraid of was that he was not up to the task, that he didn't have whatAmerica needed to provide the leadership that they were calling him for.

BECK: He didn't at first, did he? When he firs -- I mean, the most surprising thing that I learnedabout George Washington, we think of him as a great general. He went back and he didn't say verymuch during the Continental Congress and the constitutional convention. Payne, I'd like to apologizefor losing control of my temper in an unprotected moment and I hope we can still be friends." And

they were for the rest of their lives. You were saying? You wanted to read something on it?

ANDREW ALLISON, CO-AUTHOR, "THE REAL GEORGE WASHINGTON": Well, it is true, as yousaid, that a lot of people say that George Washington and some of the other founders were deists.And out of the almost 1,500 that they started with, there was over 1,000 deaths and wounded. Andfinally, they began to come in, you know, after Small Horse Farms For Sale Washington DC thevictory was assured that it was -- it took a long time and there was a lot of suffering.

BECK: Dennis?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I wanted to know -- do we know who George Washington voted for to succeedhim and why?

TAYLOR: Well, the electors voted and he wasn't an elector, so he had no vote.

BECK: He didn't vote? He didn't have a vote?

ALLISON: They weren't popularly elected the way that they are today.

BECK: Oh, my gosh. And he's becoming god-like. Don't worry."

ALLISON: Do you mean, was he afraid in battle? Is that your question?

BECK: Was he afraid of -- I mean, I read the stories of the founders, and all of them -- all of themdidn't want to do what they did. He will one day be the great chief of a great nation."

ALLISON: Preside over an empire.

TAYLOR: "He cannot die -- he cannot die in battle."

BECK: How -- were there times -- I mean, I get the impression that George Washington was tired alot. And their discussion turned into an argument. I made George Washington - faith, hope andcharity. What can - you know, does he have an answer for us? And you said you had an emotionalexperience doing research.

ALLISON: Well, it really was, to tell you the truth. And to think that these -- you know, one thingthat's in the book, too, is Washington trying to keep people convinced -- losing men, freezing, nopants, nothing. One is that he was too god-like. All heads turned and it became silent. Amazing guy,but he did this consciously. I think that Americans are looking for somebody like GeorgeWashington. Yes.

BECK: And George Washington was working on his character as well.

TAYLOR: Those "rules of civility" is what he called them.

BECK: Right.

TAYLOR: And they're great for young people today.

BECK: Give me -- give me an idea of the things that you think he struggled with that he was workingon in his character.

ALLISON: I think one thing if -- if you study the life of Washington, you know that it took tremendousself-control for him to overcome a natural temper, OK? There was a story about a fellow namedWilliam Payne who is the only man who ever physically assaulted George Washington and got awaywith it. Don't do it. Is there any -- do you have anything that shows George Washington's charitableside, where he was helping others?

ALLISON: This man gave a tremendous portion of his wealth to care for the unfortunate, very tenderhearted for the soldiers that served under his command. All materials herein are protected by UnitedStates copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published orbroadcast without the prior written permission of Roll Call. This copy may not be in its final form andmay be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: Welcome to our second "Founders' Fridays." And if last week's ratings wereanything of what tonight's ratings will be like, it's going to be a very quick month. And they said,you're in the going to pay us? We've just defeated Great Britain! We're afraid of you? And they madea plan and they knew Washington wouldn't go it with. What is the significance of this?

TAYLOR: Apotheosis is actually a Latin word which means "the raising of human to a god-likequality." And that's what they felt like him. A farmer came into the field one day, and heard somenoise and heard him standing there, in the field and he just watched him as he got down in ValleyForge on one knee and he prayed all by himself. And he stuck with them. This is the best book everwritten on George Washington, "The Real George Washington." It's the first in a series. And youhave to ask yourself, were they all wrong? No, they weren't.

And the other thing is this. He knew what was going on. But it's the statue that was supposed to gounderneath this painting that was sitting in the basement for so many years or sitting some placeunnoticed. A, is it true? Tell me the story and then, is it true?

TAYLOR: That is true. I feel that nothing -- nothing is due to my personal agency." That is trulyremarkable.

BECK: These guys -- you know, I have read the words and the diaries of Columbus, and the pilgrimsand many of the founders. Washington heard about it. Most people just think Valley Forge -- oh, itwas a bad winter. We didn't work this hard." He said, "I have a letter in my pocket," and he reachedinto his pocket. I mean, he -- we lost New York, we lost everything. But I'm afraid. They were chasinghim all around.

ALLISON: He grew into it.

(LAUGHTER)

TAYLOR: He had to learn how to hit and run.

BECK: Yes.

TAYLOR: That's what he had to do.

BECK: Yes. You can find out the five things you didn't know about George Washington. They are inmore than one occasion. And he was the indispensable man because nobody trusted anybody. Andamong those were all of the officers including Braddock, except George Washington. If you readsome of these quotes, it's so true for what is going on in our country right now.

BECK: It's really -- I asked this a minute ago. It's a miracle. Everybody tries to fix the Capitol. Tellme the story of -- I'm trying to remember the name of the Indian that came up and made the GeorgeWashington prophecy. He is the co-author of "The True Story of America's Most Indispensable Man."Also, Earl Taylor, he is president of the Center for Constitutional Studies. I can't wait -- my son isfive now, he needs to be a little older -- but I can't wait for him to see George Washington, becauseas a youth, at 16, George Washington is out and he is surveying land. And I think I was a little like Iam now, just a weepy mess when I saw you, because I love -- love this guy because of your book. ButI have grown old and gray in the service of my country." Nobody had ever seen him with his glasseson. And the one thing that I love about this book is, that anybody can read it. And, you know, they're-- most of them are quite proud. You know what? I'm done. I didn't really know why he was called theindispensable man. The picture or the statue of George Washington sitting in a chair like a Greekgod. And that was his -- that was his prophecy. And a deist is understood certainly today assomebody who believes in God, but believes that God basically wound up the universe and then tookoff and said good luck.

BECK: Right.

ALLISON: Tell me if this sounds like a deist. They could totally trust him.

BECK: So, we have him here, was this controversial to raise him? Because I know this and I've heard-- I've heard two stories on this. And Washington had warned -- because Washington knew the areaand he had warned Braddock that there are places that are real good ambush sites, I wouldn't gothere.

Well, General Braddock, he was a -- he was a British general. And this Payne -- this Mr. Never read itand walked out. Was there a -- was there a moment of him saying uh-huh? Or did it just -- did he juststart to do the right thing? How did that happen? Was there -- was there a moment for GeorgeWashington?

ALLISON: Well, I think it was a whole series of moments. And it's true, as you talked about lastweek, Samuel Adams earned the title "The Father of the American Revolution." Jefferson even calledhim the "Patriarch of Liberty." But there was only one man who could have been called the father ofour country and that's George Washington.

BECK: Is there any president in your studies -- is there any president that has even come close to therole he played -- right guy, right time?

EARL TAYLOR, NAT'L CTR FOR CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES: I can't point to one.

BECK: It was his honesty, wasn't it?

TAYLOR: And people knew that. It was just doing the right thing. I can't imagine -- especially now,the next guy who serves, even this president, what's left of our country? How do you knit this allback together? Well, quite honestly, it wasn't much different back when George Washington wasaround. What kind of person is that?

But there was something in him -- the subtitle on the biography is "The Man Who United America."When we started, we were not united. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright orother notice from copies of the content.

. This is just almost encyclopedic form. If you will share that and let's talk a little bit, because people

say, oh, no, he was a deist. I'm currently studying George Whitfield and reading his words.

They all got to a point to where they were like, "OK, I don't have the hands on the steering wheel."Of course, they didn't have cars. You're going to get Andrew's article on George Washington. Wewon't lose the country in the end.

Who was it that said a minute ago that you were reading the founders and there is so much. And hewrote the next day to his family, he said, "I don't know why I'm still here. And the other, well, thesame story I guess. Let him go." And he went back to the -- went back to the inn where he wasstaying. Everybody in the audience is going to get a copy of this t-shirt, the hope t-shirt, andeverybody gets a copy of "The Real George Washington." Read this book. I'm telling you, the Capitolwill fix itself if we just stand between Washington and Lincoln and try to be those people restorehonor in the country. Nobody -- you couldn't sell anything across the border. How did we end uppaying for the war?

ALLISON: Well, the problem was that Congress -- at that point, we didn't have our Constitution. Andhere his aide reminded him, the troops, "He won't die in battle. They didn't...

BECK: Well, what I'm asking is, I guess, when you -- when you look at him this way, is this sayingthat he is, you know, you as people can rise up to great things, or he was just god-like? Which is it?

TAYLOR: I think it's the former, the former. And people, they did. They went nuts. It's like, youknow, reading the scriptures. I love it already. You read it now and it's alive. And things started tofall apart. I guess they didn't have to have the government come and tell them how to do it. And yet,Congress just -- they wouldn't even -- they just wouldn't help our troops. I was surprised. He was arevered figure. Sorry. He was a "crazy, white, rich, slave owner deist."

ALLISON: They need to read the book.

BECK: All right. We might have to expand them. He didn't say much. You read the words of theseguys and it's...

ALLISON: It's the same spirit you feel when you read the scripture.

BECK: Yes, it is. And almost 1,000, I guess the number is 700 French troops with Indians ambushedthem and just started mowing them down. It's what he had to say about it, exactly what he said. AndI love it because it's mainly his words and you get to know who he was. They didn't want to be thatperson. But he needed his glasses. And she said, "As I see what is happening to our country today, Ifeel like I'm losing a child." And I understood exactly what she was talking about.

And I have been going through some distressing feelings as I watch what is being done to our dearcountry and when I read this statement, which I included in that article, it just jumped off the pageat me. My time is up serving."

And the struggle he had to try to keep people. He went to Congress and he got a letter from amember of Congress that said, OK, guys. They had just won against the most powerful army on theplanet, Great Britain. We'll be fixed. And Washington came to Alexandria to support a friend of hiswho is running for the colonial legislature. I've got bullet holes in my hat, through my clothing. As amatter of fact, I was in command when the Indians and the French drenched this area with the bloodof the soldiers. Can you talk a little bit about that? Either.

TAYLOR: You're talking about the 13 attributes that he...

BECK: Yes.

TAYLOR: ...that Franklin worked on?

BECK: That they looked at, you know, I know Ben Franklin started his day and ended his day everyday and said, did I do this? Did I do this? Did I do this?

TAYLOR: Right. That's a pattern that started very early and lasted his whole life.

BECK: And he -- because he was remarkable at such a young age, he was trusted by everybody? Hewould go out and make treaties as a kid, right? Didn't he help -- am I wrong on that? Didn't he -- hewent out as a young man...

ALLISON: Yes, in his early 20s.

BECK: Yes, and was trusted on making treaties. This new Dan Brown book that's out. "BeckUniversity" is coming. And -- you know, I think my most telling moment of George Washington'spower, they were going to -- the soldiers were going to a revolt. It seems like America, for somereason or another, is interested now in our Founding Fathers and meeting who they really, truly are.

Tonight, I want to introduce you -- well, first of all, meet my friends. So, hang on just a second. I gotmore than 10. This is a guy who used to sit on top of a white horse in the middle of a battle and henever got shot. Tonight, I want you to spend an hour meeting George Washington through the eyesof a couple of friends of mine.

Joining me, first of all is, Andrew Allison. They had a secret meeting. Is that part of your informationin the book?

BECK: Oh, yes. It wasn't just in Pennsylvania. I got it."

And I just don't think that -- we are going to have to pay the price, but we're not going to have to be -- you know, we won't lose in the end. He didn't have to. Payne supported an opponent. Copyright2010 Roll Call, Inc. But, you know, in order to understand George Washington, you have tounderstand his self-perception and his understanding of his role. That's not a spiritual term. He wasa guy -- this was actually a painting done on the, just on the words of one of the -- I think it was afarmer if I'm not mistaken. And it was year after year after year. And we're going to have them talkto some of the experts that we have about George Washington and ask the questions that, you know,you probably have.

George Washington was called the indispensable man. And I think we all have -- we've been lookingfor a guy who is just honest and doesn't want to serve, you know? People who say -- all the time --"Well, I want to be president." You do? Why exactly?

I can't imagine a worse job. It's not telling you the truth.

And I mean, it's ironic to me that we make up a lie about "I shall not tell a lie" on George Washingtonwhen there are so many great truth stories with him. Please, give me more time. And nobody said itmore often or more effectively than George Washington.

But the other thing is this -- and if that -- by the way, when you consider who the men were and whatthey accomplished, you know, these were the most brilliant and insightful political philosophers andstatesmen...

BECK: In the world.

ALLISON: In one place, at one time, in the history of the world. As a matter, one of the -- one of the --this is why we know the story, one of the men that was with him, one of his aides, wrote it down andreminded the troops later, like at Monmouth when Washington practically, he was so angry, he tookon the whole British force almost at once. I think everybody raised their hand. The audience is here.Here is George Washington, a man who at 16 was out surveying land for his country, which was thenGreat Britain. It seems like such a silly story, but it goes to the power of George Washington. Andyou talk about -- you talk about a lot. It was why -- was this controversial at the time for them to beable to come out and say...

TAYLOR: There were some people who disagreed with him, but they weren't in control. And, youknow, our presidents aren't gods. I think her name was Carol. He travels around the country and hetalks about George Washington. And she started...

BECK: Poured her heart out.

ALLISON: Crying. And if you had to face George Washington and his legendary physical power,you'd be scared, too. And that is just "providence." There are others -- "almighty," "divine" -- I mean,it's still...

BECK: They'll say now that he was just saying that. Well, they went nuts. He found out about thismeeting and he walked in, in the middle of it