What a Paine!

Liberal Democrat Lindsley Smith is at it again. She is once again trying to make Jan. 29 Thomas Paine Day in Arkansas.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Lindsley Smith, D-Fayetteville, said the measure failed in 2007 because of misconceptions about Paine's writings.

Yeah, as I remembered the vast right wing fruitcakes made a big deal about his anti-Christian beliefs. A bunch of red-necks that can barely read obviously aren't enlighten enough to understand the genius that was Thomas Paine.
Well, Thomas Paine wasn't just anti-Christian. The book Age of Reason was just plain anti-religion.

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

Thomas Paine described himself as a "Deist". Basically you create your own ideal god because the Christian God won't allow you to do what you want.
Anyhoo, that's not the reason Ms Smith is attempting to create a Thomas Paine Day. Paine wrote another book Rights of Man, Part the Second, Combining Principle and Practice which described a government that has numerous social programs to remedy the wrongs (as perceived by liberals) that would be funded by progressive tax measures. He was one of the earliest advocates of social security, universal free public education, a guaranteed minimum income.

Gee, that sounds awfully familiar. Oh yeah, it mirrors all the social bills that Congress and P BO is going to be dumping on America. Thomas Paine is a hero to these socialist Democrats just as Ronald Reagan is to conservative Republicans. So, Ms Smith wants a day to honor her hero. Fine, I propose that we let the Democrats can have their Thomas Paine day as long as Republicans get a Ronald Reagan Day.