Connecticut & the Bill of Rights????

[pkt]

First off, I'm a naturalised Canadian from Hong Kong. So there are some of the finer nuances of the history of this continent I'm learning about. The PBS prog on Lincoln and the Emancipation of the salves was illuminating. But here's another puzzle:

In last week's [week of 2004/Jan/5] episode of "The West Wing" there was a joke or refernece I didn't get.

One of the staffers Josh Lyman (played by Bradley Whitford) was discovered that he was from Connecticut.

In one of the tripartite meetings about returning the original copy Bill of Rights to, I believe, North Carolina, the other two parties simultaneously blurted out "You're from Connecticut!"

what gives? what's the relationship Conn. had with the Bill of Rights?

I've searched the official "The West wing" site and got only this re the episode I am referring to:
http://www.ct.gov/
http://www.ncgov.com/
No explanation about the reference.


I also breezed thru the National Archives - Bill of Rights link and could see nothing shouting out at me about Conn.

Then I Googled "Conn. & the Bill of Rights" this are some of teh sites I came across:

National Bill of Rights Campaign
Information for the State of Connecticut
http://www.stanley2002.org/connecticut.htm

<Bill of Rights>
... the States. Three States, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia
did not ratify the Bill of Rights until 1939, 150 years later. ...
www.rain.org/~karpeles/billrightsdisc.html

A HISTORY OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS
... Connecticut and Georgia refused to ratify on the ground that the document was unnecessary.
(These two states did ratify the Bill of Rights, as did Massachusetts ...
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill...1797/bor-h.htm

IS this the cause of the exclamation?

I hate it when I don't get a joke.

PK

[Philistine]

Connecticut's State motto is "the Constitution State."

Look here for an explanation of why, and other state mottos.

I assume that was the reason.

--Philistine

[Inquartata]

I think it was because North Carolina was trying to get back a copy of an historic document from Connecticut...Josh was supposed to be mediating...thus if he was FROM one of the contending states...

[The0ne]

I kind of don't understand how that show survives. . . When the main plot of an episode is negotiations around getting an old document from state to state, how does it bring in the ratings~!?!?

[KShan5[PrFC]]

The dialogue is great, that is why. How do any shows survive? It is not what exactly happens on the show, but how what actually happens is written. You can make carrying a piece of paper from Connecticut to North Carolina funny and interesting if you have good writers. (even if they are not Arron Sorkin)

[Inquartata]

Yep. Good writing, literate, witty writing is rare enough on TV these days that when it does appear people will endure almost anything for it...the way I endure the relentless liberal viewpoints expressed on the show.

[FoilyGeezer]

It was probably an oblique reference to the belief that to some extent the Bill Of Rights was derived from the Connecticut Charter (among other historical documents). That's why we have The Constitution State on our license plates.