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From George Washington to George Washington Carver, from Babe Ruth to Michael Jordan, from Elvis Presley to Frank Sinatra and from John Wayne to Tom Hanks, the Discovery Channel and AOL unveiled a list of the 100 Greatest Americans on Monday. It’s a list that is sure to stir up plenty of discussion as Discovery prepares to launch its “Greatest American” series this summer.

Matt Lauer will host “Greatest American,” which will premiere June 5 on Discovery after AOL users get a second chance to vote on their favorites.

Although such founding fathers as Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin make the list, it shouldn’t be surprising that American Online users are fairly convinced that politics, art and sports have all reached their peaks in the past 100 years.

The greatest political dynasties of the past century are heavily represented. Both Presidents George Bush made the cut, as did their wives Barbara and Laura. Frankly, Eleanor and Teddy Roosevelt are on the list, as are Robert and John F. Kennedy, plus Jacqueline Kennedy (Teddy Kennedy is absent). Bill and Hillary Clinton are both choices as well.

Being president recently is apparently a mark of greatness. Gerald Ford was shunned, but even Richard Nixon seems to be one of the 100 Greatest Americans. However, moving back through history, such chief executives as Woodrow Wilson, James Madison and James Monroe weren’t worthy of mention.

It’s a list that includes modern military legends like George Patton, but not Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee. Also forgotten due to the passage of time are legendary legislators like Daniel Webster and Henry Clay and jurists like from John Marshall to Thurgood Marshall. And where is noted brewer and patriot Sam Adams?

How can a list have George Lucas, but not Frank Capra, John Ford, Martin Scorsese? Who thinks that Madonna, faux British accent and all, is a greater American than Bob Dylan? Sure, Hugh Hefner is a great American man of letters, but where is Walt Whitman?

Michael Jackson may be facing child molestation charges, but he makes the Top 100 and no matter how much personal scandal Rush Limbaugh and Martha Stewart have had to deal with, they’re here too. Mel Gibson and Michael Moore had two of the most controversial films of the past year, but both men can stake a claim to being one of history’s Greatest Americans.

Tom Cruise? Ellen DeGeneres? Pat Tillman? John Edwards? Dr. Phil?

Let the discussion begin.