parson weems has never recould beered from the story of washington throwing money across the river. anyone who knew washington knew that there was no one less likely to throw money away. as he himself liked to say, many nickels make a buckle. tell it to congress. indeed it is washington's ongoing struggle to become the man and leader he wanted to be. and that a raw republic, a nation in name only required for its survival. it is this process of becoming which defines his character not to mention this year's gayhart gaines lecture series. it's hard to think of a topic more relevant to our politically cynical age, to a generation raised on "south park" and "saturday night live," much more accustomed to the ironic than the iconic, the suspicion comes naturally that the father of our country might just be too good to be true. by contrast at the other end of the spectrum, it is easier to revere a saint than relate to one. that holds especially true for the washington whose blood was perfection invited a savage backlash of the debunking craze of the 19120s, as in the modern iconic classes