Hopenchange 1
January 15th 2009 20:44
So much hope:
"Things are going to get much worse before it gets better."
"We're in the worst economic situation in our lifetimes." He must be speaking to his younger voters, since they weren't alive during the Carter destruction of the economy.
So much change:
- Over half of Barack Hussein's 47 appointees so far are former Clinton cronies or the Clintons themselves.
- His Treasury Secretary Geitner didn't pay his taxes until he found out he'd been nominated. Excuse me, don't pay taxes and you get to head up the IRS? Majority Leader Dingy Harry Ried said it was "just a hiccup." Well, good to know. Let's see if Geitner's lackeys agree if I don't pay mine . . . .
- Oh, it doesn't end with Geitner's taxes. He also continued to employee his nanny even after her work permit expired and she became illegal . . ..
- And Geitner, who Dingy Harry described as "the best Treasury Secretary nominee in history," ran Citigroup into the ground so that they are now asking for more bailout money.
- Then you have Hillary Clinton. He husband has been going around the world using his status to raise money from foreign governments for his foundation. Now she's going to be Secretary of State? Gee, no conflict of interest there! Syria's monarch: "Hey, Hillary, look the other way while we incarcerate this American citizen illegally, and we'll drop $10 Mil in your foundation." Hillary, "Make it $25 Mil and the MSM won't even know. Heck, we'll even shut up his family in the US, hehe. They voted McCain anyways."
- Oh, and Hillary's conflict of interest doesn't stop there. International companies have been getting pay for play from her. She eases conditions of business with legislation and suddenly donations appear in the foundation. She's the most compromised Sec State ever. Ever.
- Carol Browner, the Interior Secretary nominee, belongs to a group promoting a world wide socialist government and climate rules that pale compared to Kyoto. All this while her husband works representing and for American OIL COMPANIES. Gee, no conflicts there.
- Janet Napolitano, nominated for Homeland Security Chief, cut state support of immigration law enforcement, opposes the border fence and is for amnesty. It's like putting Charles Manson in charge of security for Hollywood actresses, the wolf guarding the henhouse or whatever other cliche you want to use.
- His labor secretary nominee is a woman that thinks our immigration laws are unjust to the point that it is good citizenship to ignore them. She's for amnesty and open borders. How does she think we are going to stop the next Al Qaiada bombers from coming in if we just let people go back and forth? Won't that be wonderful when Mexico collapses. There's already major conflict going on right now.
- Perhaps scariest of all is Eric Holder, nominee for Attorney General. He was instrumental in getting 16 members of FALN, a Puerto Rican based terrorist organization, pardoned by Clinton. Yes, he pardoned terrorists that hadn't even requested a pardon. He pushed the pardon of Mark Rich, a huge financial criminal. While in private practice he got Chiquita Banana off the hook for direct payments of over $1.5 Million in payments to the Colombian terrorist groups FARC and AUC. Chiquita also allowed these terrorist groups to use their private docks to bring in AK-47s and millions of rounds of ammunition. Their punishment? Holder used his influence to reduce it to a $25 Million fine. Small comfort to the Americans and Colombians killed by the terrorists.
What bothers me even more than all of this is Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnel's instructions to his caucus in the Senate: "Don't fight Obama or dissent." So far they are following orders. Hillary passed committee 16-1 with only Sen. Vitter opposing it. Most republicans are all rolling over and saying platitudes.
This lack of representation is already present in their surrender to lobbyists. Now to not even TRY to fight or be a loyal opposition party will make millions of Americans feel disenfranchised. 1% of Americans would be 3.5 million. If of that 1% you get 100 more Timothy McVeighs, what happens to this country? The country is conservative folks, if you go by land mass. If you throw out major cities votes, conservatives win in massive landslides. Just look at these maps from 2004 and 2008.
How long will this split stay peaceful, especially if people who feel unrepresented have their taxes soar, jobs lost and illegal immigrant populations taking those jobs?
"Things are going to get much worse before it gets better."
"We're in the worst economic situation in our lifetimes." He must be speaking to his younger voters, since they weren't alive during the Carter destruction of the economy.
So much change:
- Over half of Barack Hussein's 47 appointees so far are former Clinton cronies or the Clintons themselves.
- His Treasury Secretary Geitner didn't pay his taxes until he found out he'd been nominated. Excuse me, don't pay taxes and you get to head up the IRS? Majority Leader Dingy Harry Ried said it was "just a hiccup." Well, good to know. Let's see if Geitner's lackeys agree if I don't pay mine . . . .
- Oh, it doesn't end with Geitner's taxes. He also continued to employee his nanny even after her work permit expired and she became illegal . . ..
- And Geitner, who Dingy Harry described as "the best Treasury Secretary nominee in history," ran Citigroup into the ground so that they are now asking for more bailout money.
- Then you have Hillary Clinton. He husband has been going around the world using his status to raise money from foreign governments for his foundation. Now she's going to be Secretary of State? Gee, no conflict of interest there! Syria's monarch: "Hey, Hillary, look the other way while we incarcerate this American citizen illegally, and we'll drop $10 Mil in your foundation." Hillary, "Make it $25 Mil and the MSM won't even know. Heck, we'll even shut up his family in the US, hehe. They voted McCain anyways."
- Oh, and Hillary's conflict of interest doesn't stop there. International companies have been getting pay for play from her. She eases conditions of business with legislation and suddenly donations appear in the foundation. She's the most compromised Sec State ever. Ever.
- Carol Browner, the Interior Secretary nominee, belongs to a group promoting a world wide socialist government and climate rules that pale compared to Kyoto. All this while her husband works representing and for American OIL COMPANIES. Gee, no conflicts there.
- Janet Napolitano, nominated for Homeland Security Chief, cut state support of immigration law enforcement, opposes the border fence and is for amnesty. It's like putting Charles Manson in charge of security for Hollywood actresses, the wolf guarding the henhouse or whatever other cliche you want to use.
- His labor secretary nominee is a woman that thinks our immigration laws are unjust to the point that it is good citizenship to ignore them. She's for amnesty and open borders. How does she think we are going to stop the next Al Qaiada bombers from coming in if we just let people go back and forth? Won't that be wonderful when Mexico collapses. There's already major conflict going on right now.
- Perhaps scariest of all is Eric Holder, nominee for Attorney General. He was instrumental in getting 16 members of FALN, a Puerto Rican based terrorist organization, pardoned by Clinton. Yes, he pardoned terrorists that hadn't even requested a pardon. He pushed the pardon of Mark Rich, a huge financial criminal. While in private practice he got Chiquita Banana off the hook for direct payments of over $1.5 Million in payments to the Colombian terrorist groups FARC and AUC. Chiquita also allowed these terrorist groups to use their private docks to bring in AK-47s and millions of rounds of ammunition. Their punishment? Holder used his influence to reduce it to a $25 Million fine. Small comfort to the Americans and Colombians killed by the terrorists.
What bothers me even more than all of this is Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnel's instructions to his caucus in the Senate: "Don't fight Obama or dissent." So far they are following orders. Hillary passed committee 16-1 with only Sen. Vitter opposing it. Most republicans are all rolling over and saying platitudes.
This lack of representation is already present in their surrender to lobbyists. Now to not even TRY to fight or be a loyal opposition party will make millions of Americans feel disenfranchised. 1% of Americans would be 3.5 million. If of that 1% you get 100 more Timothy McVeighs, what happens to this country? The country is conservative folks, if you go by land mass. If you throw out major cities votes, conservatives win in massive landslides. Just look at these maps from 2004 and 2008.
2004 Election map by county
2008 Election map by county
How long will this split stay peaceful, especially if people who feel unrepresented have their taxes soar, jobs lost and illegal immigrant populations taking those jobs?
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by Edward Allen
Sanity Road
I have no way of knowing just how many Americans read Orble blogs. Does anyone?
It would be nice if more people could shout this message to the major news media.
Thank you for the work.
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
Our local news station has a segment on the economy. Before Obama took the reigns, the segment was called "Economy in Crisis." Since Obama began directing the media in the right terms to use, the segment is now called "Our New Economy".
A good book everybody should read is 1984
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by Wylie
You right-wingers have had a party for eight years. Thanks to you all, America's reputation is in the tank. I know you all don't care...but you should.
Because of trickle down economics that you all seem to favor, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. The man that was your hero, George W. Bush, (before you and the rest of your like-minded pals threw him away to the wolves.) denied healthcare for kids and yet allowed 10 BILLION dollars a month to be spent on a war that did not need to be fought. Grover Norquist (which I am sure you all admire as a modern day prophet) said it as such in of all places, Al Jazeera. I wonder where he was 7 years ago.....And By the way, Iraq has not been won and the fiction that Fox, townhall.com and talk radio is peddling is nothing but fantasy.
Right now, America is a banana republic with nukes that has 10 trillion dollars in debt. The Constitution that you all espouse to has been thrown into the dumpster becasue of water boarding, arrest without charges, arbitary detentions, presidential signing statements etc., etc. etc., etc. At least Eric Holder had the courage to tell that water boarding was torture....something that the jackass Alberto Gonzales and the spineless Michael Mukaskey did not do. Thanks to your way of thnking, America and the world has gotten into a ditch that will take a long time to get out of. From what I have read of your dogma, you guys will go and blame Clinton, the democrats, the lobbysts, etc. Everyone is responsible.
Lastly, please make sure you get your facts straight before firing off misstatement. Carol Browmner is not nominated to be interior secretary, she will be at the White House coordinating environmental policy. Geinter had no role in Citigroup at all.....these are just two examples...i won't even dignify your comments on Hillary Clinton......
Before I conclude, let me also anticipate one more response: that you all will call me a liberal and even nastier names. My only response and comment will be as loud and clear as I can make it: SO WHAT??????? And I conclude by leaving you all with one final statement:
[[B]SIZE=7]Thanks, But No Thanks
[/SIZE][/B]
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
Maybe you should do your research. Oh, wait, with facts liberals wouldn't always be the first to start calling the conservative an idiot to try to win an argument. . .
And what amazes me is that the people that screamed and yelled and called names because of Dick Cheney and Haliburton, President Bush and Oil/Iraq, have no problem with a Secretary of State whose husband takes 100s of millions of dollars from foreign governments to speak and negotiate for them . . . Wow, no conflict there.
The only people arrested without charges are enemy combatants. Water boarding is not in the constitution and Barack wants the option to continue doing it.
My point isn't that Bush was so great. It was that Mr. Change isn't going to change on so many things. Then he's going to increase the debt by 20% this year alone with $2 Billion in Socialist spending.
13 of 18 provinces in Iraqi military control. 30 Million people now living in freedom. I'm sorry you libs just can't stand to see America succeed. You want us to fail so bad. I feel so sorry for you.
And the poor didn't get poorer either. Thing is, under Barack's Socialist dreams, everybody except the Socialist, ahem Democratic, party will be poor. The "rich" will be giving up so much income they'll leave and the tax burden for supporting those that won't work or try to improve their work situation will fall on the middle class, making them poorer than today's poor.
Libs want to deny this, but you can look at countries all through history. Look at Venezuela without oil revenue, where they can't even keep the electricity on now. Or Russia, which never truly broke free and is in desperate straights with oil revenue down. Or Argentina that was the most thriving healthy economy in South America as a capitalist state until the Perons came back in and did everything Obama wants to do and trashed the economy while the rest of the world rode on America's economic success.
But then that's really the goal isn't it: destroy the world's economies to "save the planet."
Comment by Wylie
You accused me of not doing my "research". Unfortunately, you are not correct becuase I not only specifically addressed your overall contention, I also specifically addressed a number of your specific factual errors which you did not directly address. In response to your assertion about Clinton, so what he got money from foreign governments? he has done al ot of good work through his foundation for AIDS, Poverty and Education. And as for his speaking engagements, I will remind you he left office over 25 millino dollars in debt. If you have specific instances, publish it and publicize it. I say to you that the fact that he and his wife decided to continue to be in the public eye and serve should be celebrated. There are also disclosure forms in the Senate as well. It is that very violations that cost Senator Ted Stevens as dearly as it did.
My assumption is that the $ 2 Billion you're talking about is actually $ 2 Trillion. Let me remind you that the Bush Adminstration has already committed us to close to $ 5 Trillion between all the bailouts and the gurantees so far. The current stimulus is around $ 850 Billion (which includes about $ 300 Billion in Tax Cuts..which you all should like). What bothers me is that your factual misstatements does not bode well for the continued rise of blogs to eventually overtake the traditional media simply because we have to be right beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I'll conclude by noting the following two personal observations:
1) On Venezuela & Russia: Chavez, in my view, has driven Venezuela to the ground. He fashioned him to be a 21-st Century Castro. He could have been a lot more judcious with his wealth. I am eager for him to be cut down to size and for the venezuelan people to once again speak up and defeat his bid to run for indefnite reelection. let me tell you that Chavez is an idiot and a fool. The people of Venezuela have already seen through his scheme once and will do so again.
2) On The health of the planet: One may argue that there is a "green mafia" or "green cabale" who is hell bent on destroying the world's economy. But, we will be fools if we continue to depend on fossil fuel forever. The rise of the price of oil was a warning sign. Our Oil Creditline will run out and we have to figure out a way to do things differently. We will be stupid to not look and harness some of the natural resources we have at our disposal.
We have all lived through 8 years of Bush. At least I say let's give the guy a chance. There is an election in 2010. It will be the first verdict on what you like to refer to as Socialist policies being purused. I also conclude by noting that I really don't care about what you called me....and I remind you of it as I end this commentary. I am at least gratified to see that you do not think too highly of George W. Bush. But, I counsel you to once again double check your facts before you go out and publish. You have a right to your opinion...but just be 150% right...
Thanks.
Comment by Andrew Biviano
And seriously, if your biggest supporter, S.L., continues to call our president an illegal alien, without being corrected, and another supporter foresees a violent rebellion, maybe you should rethink your tone. I thought at first you were saying more Timothy McVeighs would be a bad thing, but from your completely polarizing approach and your fan base, now I wonder if you are trying to create them. After eight years in power, six with all three branches of government, and a resounding rejection of that leadership by the people, you are now speaking of violent overthrow only a month into the new administration? Really?
I must have a different version of the Bible than you, because mine is missing the book in which Jesus provides justification for and allows his supporters to speak of violent overthrow of the government. In my Bible he talks a lot about the transformative power of simply loving rather than fighting your neighbor, especially the poor and the sinners. To what goal are you leading your followers - loving thy neighbors, or conquering them? Where is the love, patience, tolerance and understanding in any of your writing? Where is the peacemaking? Where is an attempt to try to see the best in people? If you didn't like the way people spoke of Bush, why are you emulating them, calling our president Obambi, etc? Has there ever been a moment of self-reflection?
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
I love the unity tripe. Republicans tried to get some of their suggestions into the stimulus bill and Obama answered: "I won."
Bipartisanship to liberals is shutting Republicans out of the legislative process in the House (Nancy put in rules forbidding Republicans from amending or offering a parallel bill to any Democratic initiated legislation).
As far as Obambi, I have a sense of humor. Liberals fought everything Bush did tooth and nail and claw. They called him fascist, told him to go back to Texas, ravaged him. And I'm talking about what Senators and Representatives said. No President has gotten that much from other elected officials since a person who deserved it: Nixon.
Calling him Obambi is not calling him Hitler, as actual Dem politicians called Bush. Don't try to equate the two.
I'm not calilng for violent overthrow I'm warning it could happen if Obama doesn't recognize that a huge portion of the country is opposed to his radical agenda, including many who voted for him and didn't realize what it was.
This administration demonizes and attacks dissent, the libs say dissent is patriotic, but apparently not when it is against them.
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
This is fomenting violence against the government? I asked a rhetorical question. It's by turning innocent wonderings like this into what they're not that is used to suppress dissent.
It's like Rush saying if Obama is going to push a hard left socialist agenda I want him to fail being turned into "Rush wants Obama to fail." He wants Obama to succeed in turning the country around, but he wants him to fail to socialize health care, create massive new bureaucracy, etc.
Actually address what people actually say.
Comment by Andrew Biviano
I admit, it's a great system. It allows you to make a big fuss about those mean liberals who call you stupid and then invite them to read your article entitled "Liberal Idiocy." You can take everything that everyone else says seriously and talk about how outrageous it is, and then explain away everything disrespectful that you say as "just humor." You can rant non-stop about the liberal media not covering the real issues, and then create a web page where people can talk about how Obama is an illegal alien. You can say that people, especially those in the media, never gave Bush a chance, and then publish an article about your certainty that the next administration will be a disaster, even raising the rhetorical prospect of violent rebellion, FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATION BEGINS!
Bravo!
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
Are you still going equate Obambi from a nobody Internet blogger with John Kerry calling Bush a war criminal? Is that the same thing?
Really? So that type of speech is never OK? I'm not allowed to imply he's young and inexperienced?
Yeah, sometimes liberals act idiotic. So do conservatives, like Michael Steele letting himself get trapped and criticizing Rush's show as "ugly."
But I'm a conservative. It's my blog site so I get to choose what I'm going to cover. If people want to read criticism of Michael Steele they can go read Daily Kos.
I'm here to point out liberal hypocrisy, fantasies and errors in logic. If I think it's idiotic to guilt and pressure and twist people's arms to drive more gas efficient cars, then whine that gas tax revenue has gone down, that's my right. Don't you think that's stupid, to not see the cause and effect, especially when people brought it to the attention of the liberals I call idiots in that blog posting?
In Oregon they want to ban cigarette smoking just about everywhere but your own bathroom, yet legalize marijuana, which is even more carcinogenic. I'm not ALLOWED to call that idiotic?
In Oregon the Oregon Health Plan sent a letter to a cancer patient telling her they wouldn't cover her cancer medication, and in that same letter told her they WILL cover her euthanasia? That's just scary evil.
Oops, I did it again. Bad, bad free speech.
Do I say all liberals are idiots? Nope. Are all liberals evil? Nope, just the ones that would write a letter like that one, in MY OPINION.
Tim Geithner went to Capitol Hill today and told lawmakers they are going to crack down on corporate tax cheats. Hypocrite! Oops did again.
Obama promised that all legislation would be posted for five days for public review before signing it. The stimulus was up for about 36 hours before he signed it. Promise breaker! Ouch, such harsh words.
You want balance, watch Fox. In Pew Research studies, they were the ONLY 50/50 positive/negative stories for BOTH campaigns. THE ONLY ONE.
You want somebody who stops to praise Evan Bayh for voting against the Omnibus Spending Bill, this may be the place, but not likely.
A lot of times I hope I'm wrong, like when I wonder if we're heading to a civil war. Then our new homeland security chief says Mexico's unrest is no danger to Americans - um, 195 cities have Mexican drug cartel presence in them and more people died in Juarez last year than Baghdad and the surrounding provinces and Juarez is separated only by a dry ditch from El Paso. When your Homeland Security chief, who used to be the governor of the state that has the city with the second highest kidnapping rate in the world (Phoenix) says it's all peaches and cream, people might take things into their own hands.
I hope I'm wrong. I really do. But if I'm right, I want people to have at least mentally prepared for the possibility.
Comment by Mom
By their works they shall be known- President Obama has inherited a series of works that has left so many of our most treasured instittions in tatters. But like their mirror images in the fundamentalist Muslim world, some far right Christians seem to believe that war in the name of their warped image of God is superior to feeding the poor , becoming Peacemakers, embracing the sorrowful.
I am finding many people here in super-conservative spokane who are nervous, but very willing to give Peace a Chance, to trust President Obama to lead us out of this economic and morale crisis. They are also willing to trust in the basic goodness and peacefulness of their fellow citizens, left or right . oriented .
By the way, we are not the most generous of nations. The numbers that indicate we do include the armaments and "special assistants to teach war"we send and other "aid with strings" that the us specializes in. I saw it in Africa- the Europeans and Japanese send much more freely given aid per capita than we do. The Mormons have white guys in suits going door to door, but don't stop tp feed the runny niosed kids on the street. Only the Catholices do that, and they don't ask about folk's beliefs, just move on the to the next hungry person.
Well, son, I have things to do today. Perhaps take a walk and enjoy the Spring that is about to start. I am sorry that it is not a time of hope and fresh beginnings for you, too.
Comment by Mom
By their works they shall be known- President Obama has inherited a series of works that has left so many of our most treasured instittions in tatters. But like their mirror images in the fundamentalist Muslim world, some far right Christians seem to believe that war in the name of their warped image of God is superior to feeding the poor , becoming Peacemakers, embracing the sorrowful.
I am finding many people here in super-conservative spokane who are nervous, but very willing to give Peace a Chance, to trust President Obama to lead us out of this economic and morale crisis. They are also willing to trust in the basic goodness and peacefulness of their fellow citizens, left or right . oriented .
By the way, we are not the most generous of nations. The numbers that indicate we do include the armaments and "special assistants to teach war"we send and other "aid with strings" that the us specializes in. I saw it in Africa- the Europeans and Japanese send much more freely given aid per capita than we do. The Mormons have white guys in suits going door to door, but don't stop tp feed the runny niosed kids on the street. Only the Catholices do that, and they don't ask about folk's beliefs, just move on the to the next hungry person.
Well, son, I have things to do today. Perhaps take a walk and enjoy the Spring that is about to start. I am sorry that it is not a time of hope and fresh beginnings for you, too.
Comment by Mom
By their works they shall be known- President Obama has inherited a series of works that has left so many of our most treasured instittions in tatters. But like their mirror images in the fundamentalist Muslim world, some far right Christians seem to believe that war in the name of their warped image of God is superior to feeding the poor , becoming Peacemakers, embracing the sorrowful.
I am finding many people here in super-conservative spokane who are nervous, but very willing to give Peace a Chance, to trust President Obama to lead us out of this economic and morale crisis. They are also willing to trust in the basic goodness and peacefulness of their fellow citizens, left or right . oriented .
By the way, we are not the most generous of nations. The numbers that indicate we do include the armaments and "special assistants to teach war"we send and other "aid with strings" that the us specializes in. I saw it in Africa- the Europeans and Japanese send much more freely given aid per capita than we do. The Mormons have white guys in suits going door to door, but don't stop tp feed the runny niosed kids on the street. Only the Catholices do that, and they don't ask about folk's beliefs, just move on the to the next hungry person.
Well, son, I have things to do today. Perhaps take a walk and enjoy the Spring that is about to start. I am sorry that it is not a time of hope and fresh beginnings for you, too.
Comment by Andrew Biviano
"Actually address what people actually say." This is how you ended your last response. And then you began your next by implying that I think that you don't have the right to say what you do. (You ask: "I'm not allowed to imply he's young and inexperienced?"). But I have never said that you are not allowed to say whatever you want. Of course you can call Obama whatever you want, just as everyone called Bush everything under the sun. After you invited me to read your opinions, I simply criticized what you said. I have never once said that you don't have a right to say it.
This is a microcosm of all your posts: you create strawmen to whom you attribute what you think are "liberal" views. While the position might sometimes be correctly stated, the reasoning and motives behind them are invented, since you can't know what's in everyone else's hearts and minds. Then you debate against these fantastic make-believe positions and seem to have a good time showing how wrong they are.
But you are debating against ghosts:
There is no one out there trying to make it illegal for you to run this blog. There have never been charges brought against Ann Coulter, Pat Robertson or Rush Limbaugh. Their books are completely uncensored and still sell great. There is public outcry and criticism of course, maybe even boycotts, (the likely goal of all these people), but never the censorship of the ability to speak. I'm pretty sure you'll be okay.
There is no one out there trying to ban churches from preaching that homosexuality is a sin and that gay marriage isn't legit. There is zero possibility of you going to jail for your opinions. As I explained before, it would be utterly impossible without a repeal of the First Amendment.
There is no one trying to turn this country into Venezuela. Perhaps some people are misguided and are unintentionally doing more harm than good. But it's hard to believe your cries that the end is near when you so clearly have not given any benefits of the doubt to our elected officials and the well-educated people they turn to for expertise.
I'm actually very glad that you take this approach, because it is utterly ineffective in changing people's minds. Yesterday I read an article from David Brooks in which he pointed out flaws in the stimulus plan and I thought "This guy really thinks things through, I hope Obama listens." But then I read Ann Coulter, and you, and I realize that there is no compromise, no willingness to err on the side of seeing the best in people.
This is the same mentality that hurt the Democratic party for so long, the reason why they were for so long unsuccessful despite an unpopular war and everything else. MoveOn.org and other very angry groups dominated the conversation, smeared the president and everyone else, ranted about secret conspiracies to completely destroy the country's core values, and offered no real alternatives. For as long as conservatives take the same approach, Democrats will easily stay in power.
As your brother I know you too well to think that you are an idiot. I am convinced, however, that you are an incurable zealot. I would love to debate about the arguments on both sides of important issues, but it is too tiring to have to first disabuse of the notion that the people on my side of the issue are trying to repeal the First Amendment. Or that I am not trying to end all capitalism, or any of the other labels you place on me before I open my mouth.
Debating with you is precisely how I imagine it would feel to debate Jeremiah Wright. Like him, you appear to have an intransigent view that the country is broken almost beyond repair and that it is the fault of a nefarious "other" who cannot be reasoned with and must be conquered. While you have yet to use the phrase "God damn America," the same sentiment is evident from your combative, no-holds-barred approach and the way you paint your adversaries who are, whether you like it or not, also a part of America and often also devout Christians. Both you and he are fighting for your view of America and against everyone who doesn't share it, and in neither of you do I see any willlingness to see intelligence, decency or good intentions in others.
There is of course a place for this approach in the public discourse. You are more than welcome to it. But it is too much for me to join in. I like to debate issues, but not if I first have to convince my own brother that my primary motive is not to hurt him and destroy the country I love. It is too ugly, too spiteful, and too hopeless. If we all took your approach, civil war would indeed be the only way to resolve our differences. So this will be my last post. I wish you and your family all the best, and hope that you can find a way to improve the world while also making peace with it.
Love,
Andrew
Comment by Andrew Biviano
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
Not at all. I just disagree with what he's doing.
Pretty angry and mean thing to say about a man you have never met, and probably have not listened to much outside of what the media wants to say about him . . . He's wants more than anything for EVERY person to succeed, but just believes the government has to get out of the way!
Example please, because it was the CRA and Clinton's changes to enforce it that caused our financial crisis. When I ask people what Bush did to ruin the economy, they don't have an answer, because he pulled us out of the 2001 recession he inherited and kept the reaction from 9/11 from destroying our economy.
No, that's a total of tax deductible charitable giving by individuals, not the US government, Mom. It's people like me giving to church, to the homeless shelter, etc. But then, Joe Biden has listed only $3,000 out of his millions in the last 8 years . . .
San Francisco passed a resolution banning it. It's unenforceable, but they it was still a gesture of their will.
And please, study what's going on with the Fairness Doctrine and the moves to shut off conservative talk radio. You can say "nobody's doing it," but it's very hard to prove a negative when Debbie Stabenow, a Senator, says she wants to bring it back . . .
I don't think the country is unfixable, and what little was broken is now being made much, much worse than it was by Barack. His tax proposals include:
1) Reducing how much people making over $250,000 can deduct in charitable giving, which will cost millions to charities, "forcing" the government to take over.
2) Ending mortgage interest tax deductions for the same group. Boy, that should help the housing market . . .
3) Putting in cap and trade, $650 Billion in taxes where politicians get to pick the winners and losers by who contributes to their campaign, and all of our prices go up.
4) Giving $13 a week to the "middle class" in apparent tax break, that is actually taxable.
You seem to want me to stop calling him Obambi, or Lord Barack, or the anointed one. He actually called himself that last one
Dems didn't abandon hostile, pessimistic rhetoric! Obama used crisis and catastrophe 27 times IN ONE SPEECH when pushing the stimulus through. And I just love all these actors who poured all their energy into demonizing George Bush who all of the sudden want to serve mankind. Bush wasn't stopping them from doing that, but they wouldn't stop attacking him long enough to do that.
Build concensus? Have you seen one Republican suggestion incorporated into anything done so far? Nope. Yes, some GOP have voted for it, but Nancy Pelosi, as I walked out of writing in my office, was on the TV saying that she would not accept any Omnibus Bill into conference committee with any changes from what the House sent to the Senate. That's really friendly of her . . . I will also mention again that the three GOP allowed into the conference negotiations on the stimulus were not allowed to speak, and those were the only three allowed in.
There's no concensus building - it's do what Obama and the Democrats want, or shut up. That's why only three liberal GOP voted for cloture. We've been shut out by procedure and rhetoric.
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
Bill calling for it
So does Harkin
More and more and more
The current form has "community review boards" and a "citizen complaint process." Sure, we want bureaucrats deciding what privately owned radio stations can put on the air.
There was no Rush Limbaugh, or Alan Colmes for that matter, back when the Fairness Doctrine was in effect before Reagan repealed it. The goal of bringing it or some form of it back is to get rid of Rush, Sean, Glenn and all the rest.
Obama has always silenced dissent. He got his opponents kicked off the ballot in his first run for the Illinois legislature. When a man telling only well researched truth about him went on a Chicago radio show, his campaign emailed people to bombard the station with calls to keep all other callers out of it and demand the station not have the man on at all.
Only Barack, not McCain, tried to get the FCC and DoJ to pull campaign ads he didn't like.
If they manage to pass a form of the Fairness Doctrine, will you come back here and eat crow?
Comment by Jonathan Biviano
Marriage Bits
Don't worry, he keeps his criticisms to policy differences. He's a very good hearted man.