Back in the days when Republican President George W. Bush was an alcaholic fratboy, the guy who would become the Republican Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was groping his way around the world and making softcore travel videos.
Quoth the Gropenator:
I can absolutely understand why Brazil is totally devoted to my favorite body part: the ass.
Watch the video to see Mr. Universe's groping technique. Bring your airsick bag.
The reality these irresponsible politicians prefer is a government of the people that is no longer responsible to its citizens and undermines the principles of democracy itself. The government people like Bob Marshall prefer is one where the least of our people are the most underserved. That is fundamentally immoral and antithetical to the values most share in the 13th District.
For years, the people of the 13th District didn't have a choice. On November 8, 2005, they do. On September 22, we look forward to debating our opponent at the Manassas Holiday Inn and contrasting his ineffectiveness with the leadership the 13th District deserves.
i for one am tired of the govt. assuming i am to dumb to save for the future and taking 15% out of my check...i am tired of the govt. assuming i am to dumb to know how to buckle a seat belt...i am sick and tired of people moving from self reliance to dependency on the feds...whatever happened to ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country...
Republicans and Democrats are largely the same...
The Feds regulate business so all the jobs move to China and India...they must increase and we will become economic and political backwash similar to Europe...a service sector only economy...
Then they should have their houses drowned, one in seven of them should have a family member killed, and then they should be forced to work for minimum wage for the next 30 years while their creditors take 30% of their wages.
Just a suggestion.
There is no excuse for any Dem, I said any Dem, including the local Dem who Alice supports, to fail to support in public the Conyers legislation.
It will come up next week. The three local Democratic reps should cosponsor it.
How about it, Alice? Willing to criticize a particular local Democratic incumbent? You know who I am talking about. He voted for Debt Slavery last April.
Of course, it is so much more satisfying to grouse about the Republicans and the conservatives and the neocons and the fundamentalists. That is so much more fun than investigating what some of our Democratic leaders around here are doing in their closed door backroom deals with Tom Davis.
Yes, we better not ask about backroom deals involving Tom Davis and local Dem incumbents. We just might find out a thing or two that we would rather not know.
Right, Alice?
Not decades, it seems more recent than that.
Halliburton hired for storm cleanup
KBR was assigned the work under a "construction capabilities" contract awarded in 2004 after a competitive bidding process. The company is not involved in the Army Corps of Engineers' effort to repair New Orleans' levees.
...left more on hans' blog
joshuabgood
waiting to here from you ted or josh
...as for the current left who think themselves smarter and no better what do for us than we ourselves do see teddy's patronizing comment...enough said...
babies unborn are existing human beings teddy...you also were one such and i would have protested that you be saved regardless of your superiority complex...
the way to level the playing field josh...is to get out of it...thus business will respond to labors demands accordingly...or be out of workers...it is the beauty of a free market...there are no losers...if i sell you my car josh you are happy cause you have the car...i am happy cause i have your money...labor should be a commodity that is bought and sold just as freely as any other commodity...
one more comment teddy it is not about machismo but the...and i will say it again...liberal notion that the individual knows best how to succeed in life...
lastly....joshuabgood is my name joshua bradwell good...some things you can choose yet...despite our ratcheting toward socialism...however your name is not
Thanks for your involved comment.
A couple of points:
1. There's a huge difference between individual achievement and leaving thousands of people to die. What you seem to forget is that private property isn't some divine right or some natural providence, but is a decision made by the people and embodied in governmental statute. It is well within the right of that same government to demand more of those who prosper most from that man-made decision. Taxes are the burden we all pay for all the services provided by government. You argue that government shouldn't provide services at all: I'd hazard that there are a hundred thousand people in New Orleans who would differ with you on that point.
2. I got your (not-to) veiled reference to nazis and abortion. Nice one. Does small government involve beaurocrats making decisions for women and their doctors. Unregulated industry has now made sure that every baby born and every ounce of natural mother's milk has hundreds of toxins inside. Does getting government off your back, mean that industry has more of a right to use the air, water, land for their purposes than Americans have?
3. As for your opposition to Social Security ensures that you are part of a miniscule minority. And George Bush asured that nobody is asking what they can do for their country, they're just out for #1. Greed is our new GOD, thanks to these cutthroats.
4. Finally, if we maintaned requirements for worker, environemtal, and consumer rights in our trade negotiations as much as we protected the rights of large corporations, we'd have a level playing field. As it is we're rapidly winning the race to the bottom of the wage pool, and indeed we do seem destined for a service only economy.
The Progressive Values of Democracy and Broad Based Prosperity, of Smart Government, Strong Communities, Fair Markets, Investing in The Future and Leading by Example, may not be as easy to grasp as "less government, lower taxes, bigger military, and christian nation", but they are powerful, rich, civilized, human, decent and unlike the values of the radical conservative movement, they are based in the same Enlightenment principles that guided Jefferson's great work.
?i am do(Josh - 4/4/2006 11:27:59 PM)
?i am doubtful that liberal arts leraning ever made anybody much money?but maybe
I'll see if Anne Rice can give an opinion on that topic.
Here's her opinion on what a miserable failure we all did in letting one of the most beautiful and magnificent cities on earth die this week.
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl090305annerice.21ad697f.html
The fault in this belongs to all of us. We allowed these foxes in the hen house. We allowed greed to destroy the American dream. We all killed New Orleans.
Dear Friends:Natural disasters bring out the best and the worst in people.
The outpouring of donations and help from concerned Virginians will be unprecedented for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, there will always be those who try to make a quick buck from someone else's suffering. Please check out this Washington Post article: Scammers Hit Web In Katrina's Wake. To give to a bona fide relief agency, please go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's web site. FEMA: 2005 Hurricane Season.
We must be mindful that in our efforts for disaster relief, we must use our heads as well as our hearts. Our prayers and thoughts go to those in Louisiana and Mississippi. We offer Virginia's hand in friendship for the enormous task ahead.
With Kindest Regards
Leslie
Really shows who Jerry Kilgore is looking out for, doesn't it?
i agree josh...though to me this "true" business about justice and liberty...sounds like objective morality which presupposes an objective law giver...from whence else could it come???from men?no then it is not objective but simply some one elses opinion...ah but true liberty and true justice i like that...dare say moral liberty and moral justice...
i agree with you once again...but differ on the means
nonetheless yours are the best blogs on this site...no cursing...best written...and not just idiotic rhetoric of bush haters...(i don't care that much for bush myself but mindless rhetoric i find difficult to read)
joshuabgood
secondly why do you assume the govt. will have our best interest in mind...when categorically all other socialist govt.s have been radicalist...
thirdly why do trust the govt...most of whom are the self described "cult billionare's"...(see blue blood elitist Kerry, and rich W, and Rhodes Scholar clinton...and on and on and on...
why such faith in govt. and such distrust in business...
the libertarians like myself trust business because for them to get rich and be successful they must take care of the consumer and laborer...however the Feds are answerable to no -one...see Roe v. Wade...see Iraq War...etc....
joshuabgood
As for the issue of the source of "true justice", I think Kant may have addressed that issue much better than I ever could.
"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it would become a universal law." Immanuel Kant
Is God the source of the "Golden Rule" or the "Categorical Imperative"? Not necessarily, and clearly God is not the sole ideological basis of the Rule of Law, which is the basis for our Government, Society and Culture. No religion is necessary to keep people from kiling eachother. Ethics and the Common Good transcend religion.
And that's really the whole point of the Enlightenment, of which Kant and Rousseau and others were progenitors and which our American Revolution was the fulfillment. Clearly Religion-based government failed to serve the fundamental freedoms of Mankind, thus the enormous threat of ignorance, dogma, and backwardness inherent in religious poltics.
The anti-choice, anti-science, anti-religious freedom movement which now owns the GOP doesn't just want to go back to a time before Martin Luther King, Jr, they want us to go back to a time before Martin Luther.
---------
On a personal note, I personally beleive that ALL of Everything that exists is from God and therefor of God, but I'm hard pressed to believe that the likes of Pat Robertson are qualified to interpret Godliness to me. I prefer to interpret Jefferson's "pursuit of happiness" in the authentic terms of the Enlightement which he intended: the pursuit of happiness is an endless, individual pursuit of virtue that government exists to protect. After that, government should keep the peace and stay the *^*( out of my personal relationship with Divinity.
God Bless America!
Joshb: your arguments don't hold up as an excuse to teach creationism in school (intelligent design), and they don't hold up here.
You argue against government intervention, yet you'd rather the government decide for women what's best for their reproductive health.
All of your points about the failings of those who believe in government can be disputed by a thousand instances of how striving towards those ends actually helped people, and changed lives.
While there have been large businesses that have actually worked to help people, they are a miniscule minority. I think Costco is a good example of a business that's trying to take care of its workers, kind of the anti-WalMart.
When you say this, however, you, frankly, lose credibility with me:
the libertarians like myself trust business because for them to get rich and be successful they must take care of the consumer and laborer
What the hell kind of drugs have the larouche people been giving you!?
Look at the agricultural conglomerates, for example: they don't care what ecological disasters their farming techniques cause, or what poisons they release into groundwater, if it ain't regulated, they'll poision away. And these guys pay their laborers nothing. But it's a better nothing than they get in mexico, so we have an endless stream of illegal immigrants who would rather slave for $5.15/hr than $8/day.
Dude, you're a good guy, but the Econ 101 stuff they show you in the "Executive Intelligence Review", doesn't take in to acccount the reality of Corporate Socialism and none of it takes actual human welfare into account. Why? Because all of these critical issues, consumer protections, environmental protections, labor rights, and general human welfare happen outside of market forces as externalities and cannot be effectively modeled.
The idealized world of tax free economics doesn't exist any more than unicorns or mermaids. While I enjoy a good fairy tale as much as anyone, I can't stand here and let you denounce the triumphant accomplishments of the likes of LBJ, FDR or Teddy Roosevelt, just because an ideology gives you a nice perspective from which to make an argument.
Take your perspective out of the picture for a second. Now spend 10 years trying to look through the eyes of every human being on the planed. Try to see what the world is like for a whore in Bangladesh, or a steel worker from Flint, or a rice farmer in Thailand, or a jazz musician in New Orleans.
Then come back and talk to me about how Billionaires shouldn't have to pay their way, or how it's all just market forces that drive small farmers out of business, or that corporate criminals deserve a cushier ride, or that Dick Cheny is entitled to have his Enroy/ExxonMobile buddies get together and rape the nation with behind closed doors energy policies.
See, you may be fighting a clean battle, but you're fighting it for people who care about money first last and always.
There's more to life, and only a government controlled by the people can protect the people against their like, because alone, we're too weak to keep them in check.
BTW ...the Great Society was as failure...as was the New Deal none of which achieved the desried ends...and headed the nation in a spiral doomed for bankruptedness
the idea josh is morality...the govt. exists to insure certain basic (basic) morality...ie no killing...enslalving...stealing...etc...you may contextualize this as protection...but said protection has no meaning outside of moral context...protection means nothing by itself...protection for who the (the teen mother) or the unborn baby....protection for who, the slave-owners right to own slaves or the slaves right to private property (himself)
i must stop and go to church on this lovely sunday morning
have a great day
joshuabgood
An assertion without support requires no supporting evidence to refute - therefore the following are self-evident:
Marshall Plan was one of the great achievements of western civilization. Hitler would never have risen except from the poverty after WWI.
Business does a better job of taking care of people than government? I think you see government as like this big soviet KGB overlordship, which is exaxtly what it's becomming thanks to the Conservative movement.
However, if you take a look at the dramatic revolution of wealth and prosperity brought about thanks to state sponsored education, and the social security safety net, you may need to reconsider your position. Business has no interest in taking care of it's communities, what the hell has Exxon done for me lately?
Moreover, how many people have died thanks to the poisons created by Monsanto. What public interest does it serve to start a war in Iraq if only to give no-bid contracts to Halliburton, and what customer, shareholder, employee, supplier or neighbor of Enron would possibly support your insane assertion that Businesses taek care of people?!
"The customer is always right"? may represent corporate ideology at its best, but there's no mandate for it, and people get screwed by companies all the time. Predatory lending, cheap production, rampant pollution, defaulted pensions I mean, quit the whitewash.
let me repeat labor in a free market?is never exploitation but can be bought and sold like any other commodity
Flat wrong. The coercive power of large manufacturing did such a horrendous job of abusing worker freedoms that FDR had to create the National Labor Relations Board just to keep them in check. The supreme court supported a minimum wage, because it became clear that the failure of businesses to fairly pay workers created such a burden to society that the absence of a minimum wage became an unnatural subsidy.
More friggin koolaid.
BTW ?the Great Society was as failure?as was the New Deal none of which achieved the desried ends?and headed the nation in a spiral doomed for bankruptedness
The Great Society was stopped dead in its tracks by conservative opposition, and ask anyone who's ever been in a union or anyone whos ever gone to school in america, or anyone who got money from the GI bill, or anyone who gets workers comp or Social security if the New Deal was a failure.
Please never try to say that again, it's sick and wrong and just plain unsubstancitated by facts.
the govt. exists to insure certain basic (basic) morality?ie no killing?enslalving?stealing?etc?you may contextualize this as protection?but said protection has no meaning outside of moral context
Wrong.
Government does not exist to ensure morality. Government exists to "provide for the commond defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty".
I see no mention of Jesus in there. Nope, not anywhere. Buddah? not mentioned? The Lord God Yawhe? not there either. How about Vishnu? mmm... NOPE.
Your so-called moral context is an immoral attempt to subvert freedom of worship, and the Conservative movement has pushed that envelope as far as moderate Americans will allow.
In sum:
The "NO-Tax" movement is a drive for immoral, irresponsibile government.
Morality is a never-ending search, that the constitution exists to protect. Just because you've found your answers doesn't give you the right to rob others of the freedom of that search.
Economic security is the true basis of national security. As the rich have gotten richer and the poor poorer, we have seen the results worldwide: less security.
The new worldwide robber barrons have ideologies like yours to thank for their rise to power. The poor, suffering, starving, masses in America and around the world have those same ideologies to thandk for their lot.
As a moral individual, do you beleive that this vision of the world is acceptable? As a christian, do you believe that a world of haves and have-nots is truly supported by the teachings of Jesus Christ?
The purpose of Government is to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty. I understand that to mean that government should protect us in our search for virtue and morality but not impose it.
What a beautiful day this has been. I hope you enjoyed your day at church. My prayers this morning were, as always, for those in need.
New subject: NO big bureaucracy is truly efficient and error-free, whether political (government) or private (international corporations). Therefore, while I believe in the free enterprise system and a market economy, I also believe in (limited) regulation thereof. Without it you get unintended and awful consequences like Enron corruption, rape of the environment for short-term personal gain over long-term sustainable economy, drugs for orphan not being developed because they aren't "profitable," and so on.
Also, briefly, one of the purposes of this government of ours, as established in our Constitution, is to "promote the general welfare" for We, the People. Where was the promotion of our general welfare in the Bush Administration's constant attack on the environment, budgetary neglect of our vital infrastructure, outsourcing of our industrial base, and their piss-poor Homeland Security and FEMA planning and preparation?
For four to five days what we saw in New Orleans was exactly what Mr. Good promotes: "You're on your own, you luckless, feckless little guys. No help here."
"hitler arose due to poverty"
i have never heard a more simplistic and misguided understanding of history
no one mentioned jesus or the other god's you mentioned...i don't know what the paranioa is about...however one must determine right from wrong...i hear you argue that big business treats labor wrong (see immoral, no difficulty here)...we just disagree over the things that are immoral...personally i think objective morality is irrefutible...otherwise the roundly despised Hitler is a good guy and the allies have no business imposing there "moral values" on the Nazi's...and Wilberforce and lincoln had no business forcing the morality onto the Brits and Am.s respectively...
the objectives of the New deal were to end the Great Depression...said objectives were abismally failed...in fact one can make a goood argument he stretched a normal panic into a 14 year debacle...the depression itself was caused by the Fed.s monkeying with the interest rates in the 20's and shortchanging the money supply...
The Great Society was and is a joke...
the progressive myth is the government can fix any problem with the right (morality by the way) laws and programs...they are attempting to fix wrongs (more morality) BTW...
we disagree on the means...
you missed the fact that i said free market not coercive...also nobody likes sex slaves in Bangladesh...i think if a person wishes to work making sweaters for 35c an hour...if that is their best option they should be allowed...
Walmart by the way has created more jobs and helped more people through affordable products than anything you or i will ever do...if you dislike them however don't shop there...if they abuse labor...don't work there...start your own business
A good book you should read josh is The Myth of the Robber Barons, Burton Fulsom Jr. lays to waste a lot of progressive myths...
really josh...i don't see how you can argue that law is not based in objective morality...if not why are you trying to convince people...for their morality (the conservatives) is as good as the next guys (liberals)...but you believe that their is an objective morality to which you subscribe that is better than the conservatives...we are both arguing for different moral approaches and interpretations to what you call protection...which as i explained means nothing outside of moral interpretation(see protection of infants or teen mothers...slaves or slave owners...labor or owners...and on and on and on)
for teddy one more time...i don't want to starve people or let them die in New Orleans but instead feel like the federal govt. is not the best vehicle to solve these problems as it has shown repeatedly (see NO 2005)...people should reach out personally and privately in these situations
joshuabgood
Now, I can't wait for, well, NON geniuses like Dorsett and other such trolls lurking about to come here and explain how conservative philosophy really, truly is compassionate, blah blah blah. Barf.
I invite you and everyone from your church to question whether the likes of Pat Robertson actually represent Christianity or defame it.
Does calling for the assassination of a foreign leader represent the spirit of Christianity?
Pat Robertson is a leading national Republican. He funneled thousands of dollars into the coffers of officials who successfully divert funds from critical projects to local pork or corporate giveaways.
How much money did the Bush Administration take from Levee projects in New Orleans? How much money did Pat Robertson spend to get Bush elected?
As a person of faith myself I've been shocked and appalled at the blatant malace with which so-called Christian leaders have abused the faith put in them by the truly faithful.
These opportunists offer absolution and abuse the tenants of religion by using it to incite the least spiritual feelings in their followers: selfishness, hate, greed. Where is Agape in the rhetoric of the extremists who abuse their followers for political gain?
As an American and a Virginian and a Progressive, I fight to protect your freedom to worship as you see fit. I fight for responsible government and for investing in the future. Does Pat Robertson do as much?
You don't need to be honest with me, but you need to be honest with yourself.
Second, if you want to find out what happened to funds for the levee, there is a great piece in the Washington Post titled "Money Flowed to Questionable Projects." Notice, it is the Washington Post - hardly a right wing paper.
Third, does it really matter how much money Pat Robertson spent to get Bush elected? What about George Soros? I care not about both - they are Americans and can do with thier money as they please.
As a person of faith myself, I'm shocked and appalled at how much hate of Christians there is in this country, especially from other Christians who have different views. You want to talk about honesty? Let's talk about honesty. The Democratic party and it's supporters have a severe dislike for right wing Christians who home school thier kids, or send them to christian school, and have the audacity to teach thier children "creationism." Can we be honest about that?
How is it that you, as a progressive, fight for my rights to worship as I see fit? Does restricing what my pastor preaches from the pulpit protecting my worship rights? Does restricing where my children pray protecting my rights? Do you really expect me to believe that the AU protect my religous rights? Can we be honest about that as well?
Look, I'm not trying to get in a flame war with anybody. But I'm not fooled by Tim Kaine - which is the real purpose of this blog. He has his faith, I have mine. It is not his faith I question, it is his policies I disagree with. The same for you.
One of my favorite things about blogging here is the respect for varying viewpoints. Where I believe politics has gone wrong in this country, is that it no longer discusses right and wrong, but only good and evil.
See the difference?
Just because I dissent from the official dogma of an administration doesn't make me a traitor. Just because you dissent from a particular dogma of a church doesn't make you a heretic. There are thousands of sects in Christianity, and thousands of political perspectives.
If only one faith is right and only one political viewpoint is right, then how full is hell going to be? How astronomically certain can we be that politics is forever doomed?
One party (The State) one faith (NONE) was basically what the Soviet Union stood for, those internal contradictions destroyed it.
When we disagree, we disagree. That's America!
When I wrote the quote you found so upsetting:
hypocritical Moralizers who profane the scriptures they claim to champion.
I was thinking of Pat Robertson specifically, as well as an entire class of opportunistic hypocrites who use the politics of good and evil to get elected, regardless of whether they are right or wrong.
So let's be honest:
You wrote:
The Democratic party and it?s supporters have a severe dislike for right wing Christians who home school thier kids, or send them to christian school, and have the audacity to teach thier children ?creationism.? Can we be honest about that?
That's not true of me, and it's not true of any other Democrats I know. I'm a big fan of homeschooling. I have nothing against anyone who homeschools. Whether they are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists... fine with me. My wife wants us to homeschool our son. We're both so busy, I don't know which of us will have to quit our jobs, but it's something I'd be willing to do if I could make it work.
Teach your kids "creationism", fine with me. Teach them up is down and down is up, teach them sanskrit. Teach YOUR OWN kids whatever you want to, but that's where it ends.
Don't try to foist "creationism" off as science under the orwellian label of "intelligent design" and force my kids to learn it. Your freedoms shouldn't infringe on mine, and I don't want my kids confusing science with theology, even if its a theology in which I believe.
That's why Christians, myself included are getting such a bad rap in this country, because of how oppressively aggressive Christian dogma has become and because it has come to threaten the basic freedoms guaranteed by the Founding.
I object to a particular Christian leadership so hungry for power that they have convinced their followers that Christians are somehow treated like second class citizens.
Here's a great John Stewart quote: "I too dream of a day when an openly Christian president might be elected in America, or 43 of them... Consecutively."
C'mon. Unless you want to overturn the constitution, this will remain a pluralistic society which means that we have to accomodate universal "freedom to worship", and Christians get everything they need and more. Where's our inclusiveness? Wheres our compassion?
These so-called leaders are just playing "good and evil" politics in order to gain power. It's sick, disgusting, and wrong.
Whenever a "Christian" politician starts wailing about how put-upon and downtrodden Christians are in America, ask yourself one of these questions:
Can anyone think of a day in our national calendar when Federal and State offices are closed because of a Christian Holiday?
Can anyone think of one President or Vice President, or any member of the President's cabinet who was a church-going Christian?
Can anyone name a Representative or Senator in Congress who has not been forced to resign once he or she became openly Christian?
Can anyone think of a state level representative who openly practices Christianity?
Can anyone think of a state or federal judge who has been appointed to the bench or elected despite being Christian?
Can anyone think of any U.S. diplomats who retained their jobs once it was discovered that they were raised Christian?
Can anyone think of any Christian symbols that are mounted and celebrated in our nation's capital on an annual basis?
Can anyone think of a single town in America where it is safe to attend a Christian church?
Can anyone think of a single place in America where Christian Churches have not been the subject of regular abuse from the public?
Can anyone think of a single U.S. University that does not have a quota system to guard against the hiring of too many Christian professors?
Can anyone think of a supermarket in America where Christians are allowed to purchase food that meets their dietary requirements?
Can anyone think of a bookstore in America that sells the Christian Bible or other Christian texts?
Can anyone name a musician--alive or dead--who was allowed to sing songs in public or sell music based on Christian themes?
Can anyone name a single movie in America, popular or unpopular, that was based on a Christian topic and that more than a few people have actually heard of?
Can anyone think of a single Christian organization that has not been banned by law from walking door to door and telling Americans about Jesus Christ and the gospels?
Can anyone name an instance where a Christian stood on a public street corner, preached the gospel to passersby, but was not instantly arrested by the police?
Can anyone think of any museum in America that has been courageous enough to display a painting or sculpture that contained Christian imagery?
Can anyone think of any shows on TV that have Christian themes or talk about Christianity in an overt way--and which have actually been allowed to stay production longer than a few weeks?
Can anyone think of anywhere in America where it is possible to turn on the radio and hear Christian themes, ideas or gospel?
Can anyone name a website that discusses Christianity, but which has not been shut down by the government?
Can anyone think of a U.S. airline that has not had at least one incident where a passenger was removed from a flight for looking too Christan?
Can anyone think of a single instant where the U.S. government sent so much as one official representative to attend the funeral of a well-known Christian leader?
Can anyone name one Christian friend or relative who has not been denied a promotion because they were Christian?
Can anyone name one corporation in America that does not actively prevent its managers from hiring Christian employees?
Can anyone think of a major restaurant chain in America that his not violated the rights of Christians by denying them service?
Can anyone think of a single social club in America that does not have a clause in its club charter preventing Christians from becoming members?
Can anyone think of a hotel or resort in America that does not actively discourage reservations from Christians?
Can anyone think of any place in America where citizens feel safe enough to wear jewelry that contains Christian symbols?
Can anyone name a single college in America where Christian students are not in the minority?
Can anyone think of a hotel or motel in America that allows Christians to place so much as one Christian Bible in one bedside drawer in one of their rooms?
Can anyone name one part of America where being outwardly Christian is looked upon as a good thing? - Jeffrey Feldman
Then ask yourself if Christianity is being served by those who use it for political gain, or if those politicians are being served. Ask yourself if American Freedom is being served.
Ok, more honesty:
Does restricing what my pastor preaches from the pulpit protecting my worship rights? Does restricing where my children pray protecting my rights? Do you really expect me to believe that the AU protect my religous rights? Can we be honest about that as well?
How is your pastor's preaching restricted? As long as he's not calling for assassinations or "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater", he's free to say whatever he likes. Freedom of speech and freedom to worship are what we're all about. That's what Progressivism is, that's America!
How are your children's prayers being curtailed? As long as your children's prayers don't interfere with my children's prayers, they're free to do as they like, and I'll always fight for those rights. Who wouldn't?
If, by the AU, you mean American's United for Separation of Church and State, I have no comment (because I didn't even know they existed until I just googled them). If, however, in particular you are referring to the separation of church and state, I do fully believe that it protects your religious rights. Imagine if the Taliban became enormously powerful in America, just for instance. Now imagine that they decided that all of a sudden a radical brand of Islam was the only legal religion. Imagine that one. I think in that case I would honestly be searching for, hoping for, praying for, wishing for, and regretting the loss of the Separation of Church and State.
Well, there's some honesty for you. Real opinions, real perspectives, my own from the what I like to call the "common sense center".
If you don't mind I think I'm going to *snip* these last few comments and post them on my blog: commonsensecenter.blogspot.com.
Thanks for engaging in this dialog, Hank. I really appreciate you sharing your views, concerns, arguments. Whether we agree or disagree, it's great talking with you.
God Bless America!
It's clearly time to kick the bums out nationwide. It's clearly time for some leadership from the left and some direction to counter the hapless frailty of the wreckless right.
It would be easy to blame Katrina's aftermath on a single failure of leadership, specifically George Bush, but that doesn't do it. This is the result of 30 years of wilful neglect at the hands of the "no tax" crowd.
The radicals who run the GOP have now created a kinder, gentler PR machine that sells absolution for our most base instincts in exchange for votes. Here's aquote from a blog that says it better than me:
The product the GOP has been selling is absolution-- not the old-fashioned kind, purchased through self-sacrifice and dedication-- but a cheap, outsourced knock-off kind of absolution that says, "its okay, we do it, too. We won't tell."How hard is it really to convince people that being selfish is the way to go? Where is the higher calling in predatory greed? What invention is required to pander to the lust for revenge?. Where is the challenge in stoking people's fears about personal safety, or in feeding the flames of prejudice?
Its not hard to aim for the lowest common denominator and that is exactly what the GOP has been doing. Rather than hatching a plan to make America a better place then convincing the public to support it, they have instead made a science of putting lipstick on a pig. They package greed and avarice and sell it as "sound market policy." They bind up cruelty and fear and slap on a label marked "national security." They take bigotry and hatred and push it out the door in a glossy package marked "traditional family values." There are no new ideas; only our darkest human frailties made bland with a double scoop of political weasel-words and sexed up with Madison Ave. sizzle.
It looks like the death toll from Katrina could top 40,000.
It's time to kick the bums out.
You know where the flip-flop is? It's with your guy. First, it's a federal problem; then it's a local problem. Tim Kaine can't seem to decide. As long as it's not HIS problem, I guess he's happy.
So, I was just wondering... would you mind posting your home address and telephone number? You know, just for the record...
Anyway, we can't afford to lose time.
Remember the anthrax investigation?
Remember the abu ghrab investigation?
Remember the Downing Street Memo?
The news cycle goes too fast to let this kind of thing go. I mean, in 48 hours the Bush Administration may have killed another few thousand Americans, and people could forget.
People do forget.
Steve: It's just anonymous posting. Sometimes a bit of anyonmity gets the expressive juices flowing.
Is that water heavy?
You know, the water you're carrying for the White House. How's that feel? Breakin' yer back yet?
Maybe you missed my little point #1:
1. Mr. Bush, Scott Mclellan, and all the rest will play the ?time? card: ?This isn?t the time for finger pointing.?
Jeez... talk about a short attention span. I didn't think we'd get part of the "all the rest" posting as our second comment.
This isn't the time for a "time out" this is the time for accountability!
Listen, this is what needs to be done.
1. We need to do what Mr. Bush didn't do for days - help the people in the Gulf who were left to die.
2. We need to get the survivor's lives in order (housing, food, jobs) and fund the resurrection of Evangeline.
3. We need to make those responsible for this abysmal, repulsive, national disgrace pay dearly, truly, forcefully.
We need justice for New Orleans and there's no time to wait.
What do you think these posts are doing? If you're a citizen in a country with a freedom of speech, this IS how you prepare for the next catastrophe. Our government officials royally screwed our fellow countrymen. That makes me mad. Why aren't you mad??!
Few of us can directly change the plans of FEMA. So taking a breath and shutting up won't do anything. I say do the opposite. Yell! Shout! Scream! What we can do is show a little emotion when Americans are hurt by the actions of our governement. If my house was destroyed, I'd sure love to have you stand up to our government for me.
You want action plans? How about we teach our kids hurricane drills like they do with fire drills? You don't like that? How about we have buses ready to pick up those that can't drive? Not good enough? How about we reverse the highways sooner so more cars can get out? How about we stockpile some food in every state so if this happens, someone can deliver the food? Oh wait, FEMA does that already? WHY DID THEY WAIT A WEEK TO DELIVER IT?!
You want us to breath and make plans? I'll give you as many as you want. But since you and I don't work for FEMA, it won't be useful, nothing will come of them. So if it doesn't bother you too much, i'm just going to be mad and shout about it.
I've already heard both Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh trying to lay the blame on local and state government. The frustrating part is that they're partially correct, it wasn't *only* the federal government at fault. Even Mayor Nagin has stated that federal, state AND local governments are all to blame. Mayor Nagin said "even I am partially to blame, I could have shouted louded for more help" (or something like that)
What really annoys me is when officials don't own up to their fuck-ups. Bush wouldn't be hated so much if he said stuff like
"Look... I screwed up, my staff screwed up, we're designing a plan for next time. If you want to ride me out on a rail, fine, but until then I'm going to go search for stranded people."
You guys may be right, you may be wrong.
But maybe we should all take a deep breath, work at the task of getting help up and running for the victims/survivors.
Their are children at risk,(already being preyed on by pedophiles) seperated from their caregivers. Sick, Elderly, and emotionally distraught, and violated people who are trying to pull it back together.
I believe their is plenty of blame to go around including those of us who were ingnorant this was going to happen and were not sounding the alarm sooner.
So let's take a deep breath. Prepare for the next catastrophe. Sound that ALARM and pray for guidance
http://www.zippyvideos.com/5608100891049646/broussardonmtp/
Watch him describe his workers who gave it their all, with resources limited due to the damage to their infastructure, while having their own homes damaged or destroyed, and most having family and friends missing...and be sure to pay attention to the last person he describes at the end.
Then come back and tell me that the local officials should get all of the blame.
I have been writing the Whitehouse and LA Governor since I saw them putting people in the Superdome with a Cat 5 coming dead on.
Like I said there is enough blame to go around for everyone involved.
Voting is the only way to change things. And letting the world know what is really going on so they can make informed voting decisions.
Emotion will get you killed! Read your history.
Rational, intellectual, responses will get you much further.
Remember in Braveheart his uncle tells him: "First I'll teach you to use this (brain), then I'll teach you use that(sword)."
Just my humble opinion. Freeeeee Dommmmmm!
What she said!
We all want what's best for the future of our children. Unfortunately, there are some who don't want what's best for the future of other people's children. That's the difference, that's why we're Democrats, and why they're killing our country.
It's so fantastic to have such brilliant ladies visiting our little corner of the blogsphere. Jen, Kathy, Teddy, Kate... It just struck me that, conventional wisdom aside, this isn't a boy's club at all.
Respect for Women's Rights is a big part of why we vote for Democrats, and why Republicans don't understand how to lead this nation.
Catch it tonight on HBO, if you can catch it quick enough.
'Cause I'm picking Josh and Lowell by knockout in the first round.
It's just too amazing to watch you defend these guys (cronies and corrupters). And there ya go again... what's with this nonsensical name-calling? Socialism? BHAHAHAHAH. Do you hear yourself? The measure of your political bankruptcy is when you resort to this complete fabrication. Things aren't going well for you, so you start up this nonsense? Do you have anything meaningful left to say? Anything?
PS Yes, James. We all do typos. That goes with typing quickly and having real lives too. We are not getting paid and all that. But I don't think you want us to start nit-picking your posts for extraneous stuff. It would be fun though.
The GOP is saying "let the process work" now, because they had their "protect our criminal leader" house rule rescinded by a recent, albeit rare, show of strength by house Dems.
Clearly investigations go along with high office, but why are you whining about it. The GOP Culture of Corruption has taken this country into disaster after disaster. Lies that get us into a war of choice, no-bid contracts while Cheny's still pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars from his Halliburton connections, the destruction of environmental and consumer protections, the end of workers rights as we know them, a trillion dollar utility giveaway to monopolist power brokers in exchange for GOP lunches, cronyism that leaves FEMA so weak it can't stop thousands from dying and promises to put GWB's girlfriend on the Supreme Court...
It's endless.
Meanwhile the Middle Class is under assault every day, we've racked up $3trillion in debt and $400 Billion is being added every year, Bush's economy hasn't created a single nongovernment job, and is losing ground to the 150,000 new job we need to create each year to stay afloat. Meanwhile there are 48 Million without healthcare and somewhere between 35 and 50 million living under poverty conditions: most of them white. Gangs are everywhere, the borders are wide open, we have our own Viet Nam...
I mean it never ends.
And you want to blame it all on Bill Clinton. I've got news for you Mr. Young, Bill didn't sleep on the Memo that warned about 9/11. Bill took the Reagan/GHWB deficits and created a robust economy, streamlined government, balanced budgets and massive surpluses.
If there's any bedwetting, whining or heart bleeding happening in this country it's among conservatives who are watching an incredible shrinking president suck wind while his promises all turn out to be lies and his nation comes apart at the seams because of his abject failure.
Thanks for stopping by, Mr. Young, but the PR driven aristocratic lie machine's on its way out, and the conservative movement is unsustainable.
The right wing created the "guilty until proven unable to get the bastards off your back" politics. Your favorite whipping bubba was presumed guilty by your cohorts for years and years and years. Y'all never let up, so don't go cryin' like a little baby.
This is the most corrupt washington syndicate in history. Bush's government procurement arrested!? Al Capone would be jealous of what Tom DeLay has accomplished. There's even a murder-for-hire investigation tied to his bagman Abramoff. Yeah, keep telling yourself that Frist will get off. Frist already lied to prosecutors. He said he never knew what was going on in his blind trust and they have documented proof that he got dozens of written notifications. Even us civilians know a lie when we hear one, although you pros may prefer to call it perjury.
James... get over yourself. The Republican Culture of Corruption is going down. Jump ship while there's time.
Ouch!
Maybe he can run his bagmen from inside the joint.
Tom DeLay, the highest ranking member of congress ever indicted.(tm) 2 TIMES OVER Is campaign finance fraud conspiracy a felony? What about money laundering?
Bill Frist, the Senate's own Martha Stewart.(tm)
Can you honestly believe that Bush and Cheny didn't know about Rove and Libby outing Valerie Plame? Didn't Colin Powell see them all read the same memo on Air Force One?
Anyway, James, while you attemt to smear, excoriate, and scapgoat Democrats with your weak-kneed defamation of "Socialism", I've stopped referring to you as a Fascist. What you are is a highly paid, right-wing idealogue.
Come back from the dark-side. America needs strong, capable voices to protect the people from the abuses of the rich and powerful. C'mon James, I know they pay you well, but wouldn't you rather work for a more prosperous America instead of a richer freeloading Republican party?
James...
What's that over there? Is it a socialist? ooh!
Look out! There's some commies around here somewhere. Ohh there's one! yeah, it's a commie... go get it!
Oh... goodness... there may be some killer commies around here.
Yikes!
Just because you're paranoid, ignorant, and delusional, doesn't mean your not still an idiot.
There's never been a Government that has created more Government waste, or destroyed the future prospects of Americans than your so-called Conservative Movement's hero George W. Bush.
The real challenge of Government is to identify the the best environment for broad prosperity, eliminate waste and act responsibly. Like maybe Bill Clinton did. That's not socialism, that's America and that Smart, Responsible Government.
What's the difference between a fascist and a radical conservative?
A fascist knows what he's doing.
Thanks for that one, James. I'll have to use it in the future.
Why is that so hard to understand?
He has chosen his battles and the death penalty is not his top priority. His top priorities are schools, roads and jobs. These are critically important things to Virginia.
Kilgore on the other hand doesn't seem to stand for anything except smearing Kaine. How noble of him!
Please don't stop posting stuff like this.
And you're the "strategist" for RK? Actually, that explains quite a lot.
I can think of a few.
I thought that was quite profound.
Jerry Kilgore doesn't hate Christians. The issue here is that Tim Kaine's "faith" is questionable. Until we see a more consistent message from Tim Kaine on issues such as abortion and the death penalty, you can expect the Kilgore campaign will hit this issue hard until election day. Hate abortion? Look to eliminate it. Think the death penalty is wrong? Promise to illegalize it. By his waffling, Kaine only patronizes us and misleads his constituents.
go shawn!
http://www.uncut.at/data/poster125/pink-panther-5-revenge.jpg
You mean like the kind of strict budget cuts that the Warner Kaine tax reform avoided, and that would have been absolutely necessary if a Jerry Kilgore weak-kneed approach to government had been in place?
Irresponsible Government is not a Virginia Value, but it's a Jerry Kilgore Hallmark.
Angelone cut escapes to zero with his no-nonsense, tough policies that emphasized security over all other concerns of inmates. This included allowing use of rubber tipped bullet firing rifles in the more high security prisons, many of which were built during this time (e.g. Sussex I and II, Red Onion, Wallens Ridge, to name a few)
"They try to escape, we shoot them", Angelone was quoted as saying.
Article: http://www.richmond.com/output.aspx?article_id=752494
Now, the biggest escape in Virginia history, the breakout of six men from death row at Mecklenburg in 1984 (which included Lem Tuggle, a client of Tim Kaine), occurred during the Robb administration.
At that time though, the strict budget cuts made to the DOC created the symptoms that led to the escape (poorly staffed facility, low morale among workers, too much administration at the top to see what was happening in the institutions)....
Does 'a yeur dauga' baaet?
or how about
We need a rruum.
A ruuum?
yeas, a rrruum.. a rruuum. you seeelee man.
funnier people here than me can do better.
The DOC had very low morale at that point not only due to the poor training and low pay, but the ACLU had a number of lawsuits filed on behalf on inmates. The warden of Mecklenburg and administrators at HQ in Richmond felt that the "lawyers were running the prison".
Also, the concept of Mecklenburg failed because it put all the most dangerous inmates together at that one facility. Originally thought to be a good idea for securing the troublemakers - it made the institution exponentially more difficult to operate. There weren't any programs to divert the inmates away from idle time and deviant behavior. The facility was built with far too many interior doors - intended to secure the "pods" of the prison and isolate trouble. However, these doors - all 30 of them, required individual around the clock staffing, greatly sapping/diverting the guard numbers available to walk the floor of the institution.
A lot changed after the breakout of May 30, 1984, masterminded by the vicious duo of James and Linwood Briley. A new warden from Utah was brought in, who turned the approach towards the inmates from being purely punitive towards some element of rehabilitation, new prisons were built to take the pressure of Mecklenburg and training of guards significantly improved.
All this, again, occurred before Jerry Kilgore's time as Director of Public Safety. The problems he dealt with came as a result of a lack of higher end security facilities and some inmates were very brazen in their protest of new DOC director Ron Angelone's stiff policies. Eddie Pearson, warden of Brunswick Correctional Center, got slashed severely face with a shiv by an inmate without provocation on Thanksgiving day. However, these problems and the few escapes that were occurring (all inmates were recaptured quickly) died off completely once Angelone's full security plan - e.g. rubber bullet shotguns in the cellhouse and new high security institutions constructed off in the hinterlands of SW and SE Virginia came into effect).
Virginia prisons today are tough, but securely and humanely managed institutions. The public can go to sleep every night confident that there will not be any breakouts to wake up to learn about the following day.
I wish we had video on that one.
Jerry gaffed and and admitted he'd just had a lunch of ribs and "dic-tater salad"
oh wait... that IS what he said. sorry.
...
Kilgore can’t even get his golden masterpiece ad right without lying.
Take the whole illegal immigrant thing in the ad with the widow of the slain police officer:
Jon Sheldon, Bell’s former attorney, said in an interview Thursday that his client, who was convicted and is on death row, had been on bond pending deportation proceedings at the time of the slaying and was not an illegal immigrant.
“You are an illegal immigrant when you don’t hold a valid visa or passport for citizenship,†Sheldon said. “He was legally in the country with a permanent visa.â€
So why did Jerry make the widow lie and say he was an illegal immigrant when he wasn’t? Is he just tossing in lies just for the sake of lying?? Trying to knock out two wedge issues with one stone? Sorry, doesn’t hold water here.
The situation was horribly tragic, and even I think that people who gun down police officers in cold blood deserve the death penalty, but why would Jerry taint what should have been his most effective ad with a bold-faced lie?
Kilgore can't even get his golden masterpiece ad right without lying.
Take the whole illegal immigrant thing in the ad with the widow of the slain police officer:
Jon Sheldon, Bell's former attorney, said in an interview Thursday that his client, who was convicted and is on death row, had been on bond pending deportation proceedings at the time of the slaying and was not an illegal immigrant.
"You are an illegal immigrant when you don't hold a valid visa or passport for citizenship," Sheldon said. "He was legally in the country with a permanent visa."
So why did Jerry make the widow lie and say he was an illegal immigrant when he wasn't? Is he just tossing in lies just for the sake of lying?? Trying to knock out two wedge issues with one stone? Sorry, doesn't hold water here.
The situation was horribly tragic, and even I think that people who gun down police officers in cold blood deserve the death penalty, but why would Jerry taint what should have been his most effective ad with a bold-faced lie?
How about George W. Bush, when does the media start referring to him as embattled? When he's convicted?
-- Conaway
I remember 2001!
After 9/11, my husband lost his job, and there was not a job to be found! After 6 months of trying & searching (while Warner & Kaine were cleaning up Gilmore's mess), it was decided it was best for him to go back to school. Making us a single income family, and me the sole bread winner.
That was a bad, bad time. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I am so not going back there! I am going to work even harder to get Tim Kaine to the governor's mansion!
Until TK somehow finds a way to change the subject, he's gonna lose votes on this issue. And, I hope he does this soon since I think he would make a great governor.
The effect is going to be a continuous subtle message.
So when and if they get ready to cast that vote the replay of info will paint the picture of the person who measures up to the voters values and needs.
I've heard a number of Republicans say they were not voting because of disgust with (spell check killer)Kilgore.
I think this will be a triple where growth has outpaced infrastructure.
Taylor Behl's mother made a statement to reporters after her daughter's funeral today. The funeral was held at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna, VA. Through her tears she said she hoped they would catch the guy who did it and she hoped he would be put to death.
Was she trying to send a message to fellow Catholic Tim Kaine? Is the family Republican? Traditionally the Bishop in Arlington has been quite on the death penalty issue while obssessed over abortion.
Jerry Kilgore should apologize for a vicious new attack ad that suggests his political opponent would not support the death penalty for the world’s most notorious genocidal villain Adolf Hitler...
More Here: http://www.kaine2005.org/news/articles/20051014h.php
THE HITLER CARD (Daily Press Editorial 10/14/05)
In the search for votes, Kilgore goes looking in the gutter
Kaine has a moral objection to state-sanctioned executions, but he will fulfill the will of the people and enforce the law as written. Other Virginia governors have held the same position; they just didn't say so....
...That's where Kaine stands, and he has been utterly consistent. Kilgore wants to make something of it. Virginia will have to decide who's the honorable player in this game.
More here: http://www.kaine2005.org/news/articles/20051014g.php
These are only a couple, my friends. The Kilmore attempts are transparent.
It is so amazing these people are SO PRO-death penalty, yet so Anti-Choice. All from a party that attempts to say God is on their side!
I have said it once, and must say it again – This S*#% is Bananas!
One more thing… Exactly where does the “Culture of Life†play into Kilgore’s recent fry-em all strategy????
Tim Kaine is the Honorable Player in this game!
My soon to be fiance is a Catholic too, but a really fierce republican.
So, Jerry, would that mean that we are both not competent to hold the governor's office? That statement is as ridiculous as "leadership does not include tax increases."
ziik: I disagree it is not "sour grapes"
Although Kilgore will not answer hypothetical questions - he is HYPOCRITICAL. The Kaine campaign sending a press release pointing out factual information is not "sour grapes". It merely conveys republicans can't have it both ways.
Jerry Kilgore: Can’t be Trusted on the Death Penalty.
Jerry Kilgore: Can’t be Trusted as Governor.
