BJean

Who are you quoting? Where did you find the source for this information about Canada's healthcare system going broke? And where did you get your information regarding Canada's system being a model for Obama's proposed healthcare plan?

If you paid any attention to my posts you would have noticed that I do not always agree with everything that Cleo's posts. Just as an aside though, her posts are far more factual and thoughtful and accurate than the ones we usually see of yours. And I gotta tell you, it wouldn't take much effort to accomplish that. Baaaaa.

Enjoyed your post! Like your sense of humor. I think that eventually you will be proud that you voted for Obama. There's a lot going on and we're in a transitional phase that leaves us with a lot of questions right now. But I believe that he has a good heart and good intentions for this country. And that's what you want from a president. Not a self-serving, to hell with you people, kind of man.

Oh man. Here's another priceless one for you to call your husband with Leigha! Absolutely stunning, isn't it?

The Republicans are experts at manufacturing lies and unreal scenarios to scare you. And you buy them, hook, line and sinker. Like the typical sheep to slaughter.

Wonderful story and great illustration of what our parents and their parents grew up with regarding politics and business in the U.S. My grandparents told stories that would shock people about how they survived the war and the depression. They were such staunch Democrats as a result, they became very active in local politics. I wish my husband could have had the benefit of hearing their stories because real life trumps the Republican made up stuff every time.

Much more comiserate with the responsibility they have. But I also believe that a $300,000 wage for teachers would cause indirect benefits. (And not just for elementary school teachers, although we'll use them as an example here.) First, the requirements for teachers would become more stringent. When I went to college and was trying to decide on a major, the easiest (by a long shot) degree to get was in elementary education. Now I'm not disparaging anyone, especially these days, for getting a degree in elementary ed, but the facts at that time were that fewer difficult courses were required to become an elementary school teacher than for any other degree including physical education. And the starting salaries for elementary school teachers reflected that. Second, respect for those teaching positions would go from low to very high. And yes, due in part to the value we place on a person's ability to command a high salary. But that respect would be due in large part to the increased requirements for obtaining a degree in education that we could demand with a much higher pay scale. Third, the competition for these high paying jobs would increase drastically and the caliber of candidates would go up as a consequence. Fourth, there would probably be more parents who would become involved because of the respect they would have for these higher qualilfied, higher paid teachers. And there would probably be fewer people who home school their children for the same reason. Fifth, and most importantly, the children would be better educated and safer because of the higher caliber teachers and the stricter screening processes that would probably be in place. We are short changing our children. We could do education in this country so much better if we were smarter about it. Better educated children means smarter adults. Smarter adults would result in better problem solving, more creative thinking when it comes to business and government and an all around better country would be created for all of us. Right now we seem to be getting dumber by the minute. If we don't solve some of the problems we have facing us in this country, including how lobbyists create our legislation, we are going to continue on this downhill slide until we will have a heckofa time ever getting our strength back. Education is the most basic thing for people. If we can't get that right, it's not surprising that everything else will eventually go to hell in a handbasket.

amen, sister!

Liar? Idiot!

Legislating morality. That's what the Republicans say they want. But the fact is, this particilar group of Republican politicians are some of the most immoral folks we have seen in poliltics. Not that they have a monopoly on immorality, of course. Democrats have their share, but not in the numbers the Republicans appear to have. And when someone stands up and declares that they have the answer to morality in America by virtue of their religion and they wind up on the slippery slope sliding down the immoral abyss (meaning immoral behavior), we are more shocked than if it is someone who doesn't claim to have all the answers to life. Republicans have created a huge contradiction and every day in every way they reveal just how black their hearts are. Because they do not show themselves to be following the path that they want to enforce others to take. So their religion, their morals are not worth anything to the American voter. They are political quacks. And I will go so far as to say not only are these people political quacks, they are religious quacks too. And they aren't really patriotic either. If they were patriotic and cared one whit about this country they would be trying to work with the duly elected congress and president. Black hearts. People who lie, misrepresent, pass judgement on others and try to force their religion on the rest of the nation are not kind-hearted or gracious or good or pure or even trying to be. They say they are sinners because God (who only speaks in their heads) tells them that they are sinners and that it is all right to be a sinner because Jesus died for those sins. They have it all backwards. They have it all wrong. They are hypocrits in the worst possible definition of the word. And the people who follow them, vote for them, praise them, are fools.

Anybody surprised that patty admires Michelle Bachman? By most people standards Bachman is a complete and total wacko. Sure she has her followers. There are lots of wackos around for her to appeal to. Her head is too big for her tiny shoulders. Figuratively speaking.

patty if you're stop rolling your eyes maybe you'd read and learn. As for that essay you forwarded to us I have a response to that former Marine who is tired. No doubt he is tired and he's very confused too. Here goes... All your yapping about Kerry, you're as much of a little sheep as your tea baggin' friends. Did you pay any attention when it came out that the mega wealthy guys who funded the anti-Kerry campaign lied? No, obviously you didn't. And in spite of that you're willing to jump on the Republican bandwagon and impune the reputation of a decorated American soldier. You can do that without a guilty conscience? What a guy. Did you do your homework on just how often George W. Bush actually put on his uniform? No, obviously you didn't. If you had you wouldn't be bringing up his name in a discussion of men who have served this country honorably. You're tired because the corporate big wigs have sucked you dry after you put in all his long hours of work your whole life. The government doesn't have the bulk of the wealth your worried about paying them. The corporatations that your government helps subsidize and the stuff you purchase that those corporations make is where the biggest portion of your wealth goes. And very often they don't even make it here in the United States. And you have a small carbon foot print by owning two homes? Get real buster. You're just as big a consumer as everybody else and you're whining because you don't want your life of luxury to be changed to save our environment. Blame that on Al Gore? What a cop out! You Marines think the whole world owes you something because you went off to war. Well, by your logic you need to stop sucking the government teat, forego your military retirement and thank the rest of us for giving you a job in the military sector where you got paid and medical was taken care of for you and your family and your groceries and merchandise were discounted and probably still are. Your bitterness against the Democrats is wholly unfounded. You need to quitcher whining and get back to work because since your Republican dominated government has favored the wealthy for so long it has made it imperative that even after age 63, dude, you're going to have to keep working!!!

phil, you've got my vote. And Cleo's I believe that you are entirely correct about who's funding the Tea Party "movement" which is less a real political grass roots movement than a corporate P.R. campaign. They throw in the anti-gun control, anti-abortion, anti-government, pro-right wing extremist religious stuff to suck people in. Their true agenda is no federal regulations for corporations and continued subsidies for corporations. And it works so well because of the emotional hook that it provides to the right wing conservatives that are already in such a frenzy because a black Democrat was elected to be our president. The whole thing is lucicrous because the black Democrat has been shown to be totally willing to work with Republicans to get America back on its' feet.

Yes, patty seems to take her seriously. Have you ever met such self-serving, selfish, idiots? They're disgusting to be around. Everything is all about them and their welfare. The rest of the country be damned. Me, me, me, me, me. They'd make great Halliburton CEOs or Oil company executives. In fact, let's face it, these nutheads are those guys' champions. Now Michelle Bachmann I can understand. She stands to profit from her pontificating puke. But patty? Just a sheep being led to the slaughter.

Teachers deserve more than they get. We need to upgrade teacher's qualifications and pay them more. We should care more about our children in America - you know, they ones who actually are living, breathing human beings. They actually ARE our future and we can't invest too much in their education and potential for continuing this great country of ours. You probably don't make as much as they do and you resent what they make. Which is understandable because all your arguments boil down to what's best for patty's pocketbook.

Yes and if they are able to convince enough pattys to go out and vote them back in office, then God help us!

patty just cannot see the big picture - the one where the president has to think about and balance all of the problems in this country. You know, the very thing that Bush did not do while he was in office. Bush and Cheney had an agenda when they rode into office. They carried it out and the entire country has suffered tremendously in the process. There is no quick fix that's going to make everything right again. And the only way we can get things back on track - the track of fiscal responsibility - is to systematically go through the mess and make some choices. The choices that are being made may not bring the desired result, but they might just do the trick. No one person has all the answers - especially NOT the stupid greedy Republicans who got us here in the first place. So for a right wing extremist to bellyache about spending NOW, after they are the ones who let the cows out of the barn, is utter folly and most Americans know it. The only ones who keep talking about how bad the government is and how awful the congress and president are for trying to fix our broken economy, the more stupid and selfish they look. And miss broken record there should for once stand back and look at the big picture of her great nation that has been brought to its' knees by the very people she likes to quote. Go back to using your tea bag to make tea because all you're coming up with using the tea bagger nonsense is more selfish, single-minded clap trap.

Well said! That was actually what I was trying to say in an earlier post! Self-confidence is an aphrodisiac. That's why "bad boys" are so attractive to women. And a self-confident woman (not a self-centered woman) is usually a better bed partner. As ouroborous intimated, a person apologizing all the time for her arms, tummy or whatever, is really focused on all the wrong stuff when you're wanting to have a good time. It's been my experience that if you're focused on your mate and you're not worried about your pound of flesh (metaphorically) you're both going to have more fun for sure!

You know when you're waiting for your date to arrive, all kinds of things go through your head. If you're like me, the more things you get resolved the more confident you'll feel. Now I think a good plan of action is to track down some extremely hip music that you can shake that thang to when you're feeling your Wheaties about 6 months from now!

Very well said, Mary. I'm totally with you on this. And I too don't have a lot of need to go the PM route when I want to communicate about something that has happened in an open forum. But then I'm a communication nut. The better we communicate freely, the more we learn and the more likely a situation can be resolved. Because if people who have had bad experiences (whoever their doctor is), post about what happened to them, the better informmed we will be in the long run. It's very important data we're gathering here and we need it all tossed on the thread so it can get sorted out for those who are in the process of choosing a doctor.

Keep up the good fight!!

You know most people after posting something so blatantly wrong, would go missing until the smoke blew over. But not our patty. She'll come back swinging with some other misrepresentation or lie or Bible thumping proclamation. These people are fueled by the fires that rage at Fox. Which are fueled by the fires that Rupert Murdoch starts.

If I were a betting man.... my money would be on likes to spread lies and cause trouble.

Cleo's sounds like you are a driving force in your community for the party. I'm impressed. I always talked about getting politically involved but I am too big a chicken to go public when I live in such a Republican, Tea bagging community. Besides my DH is the force in this house. And yes, we moved because of jobs. Thanks for letting us see a little glimpse of where you live. Guess there are red neckersons everywhere!

You bet your sweet life it's unsustainable. And that's why you should wise up and get behind your president and congress and stop allowing those self-serving, greedy, corporate driven Republicans influence your thinking. We didn't get in this mess because of any other kind of welfare but corporate welfare. I absolutely do not understand why you keep adding two plus two and getting seven. It is not that complicated. But it's also not as simple as Republicans want you to believe - that the reason we have such an enormous deficit is because of the help we give needy people. For you to keep acting like that is the problem only proves that you are being sucked in by the corporate political machine. :Dancing_biggrin: