BJean

They're in a whole different league intellectually with Maddow too. And methinks their audience won't have a clue that there's any difference between climate and weather, they'll only be celebrating that the global warming theory is debunked at last. Pat Robertson will say that this is God's way of giving Al Gore his come-uppance!

Write it backwards on your cheek and you can read it whilst looking in a mirror. That'll drive 'em crazy!

OMG Cleo's!! That last one is awesome!!!

phil you continue to crack me up. Don't count on me saving you with my prayers though. Afraid it wouldn't do you a bit of good. Besides, I enjoy your humor and irreverance. Do you want me to also find you a sticker that says "Senator Brown put on your pants!"

Bush also misrepresented the facts of our intelligence to the legislators and that's how he won such overwhelming support for giving him the power to take us into war. The Democrats haven't had any power in such a long time that they've obviously still living in fear of the big bad Republicans. And to tell the truth, they know that the Republicans are capable of just about anything. But that's no excuse. It's hard to believe that the public isn't just being fed a line by the Democratis with their manuverings with the health care reform bill. Because if they really really thought it was the answer to our major problems with our health care system, then they're nuts for not taking the bull by the horns and getting it done. I'm afraid they're all bought an paid for by the insurance industry. When you learn a little about how much cash the lobbyists for insurance companies are passing out, it isn't a stretch to believe that the Dems are being controlled by it too. But they've promised and were elected on reforming the health care system so they needed to at least look like they were trying. That sounds a bit like "it's a communist plot" I guess, but the longer I live the more I become jaded. I do think that Rachael Maddow does a good job of giving both sides a venue to vent their spleens. She doesn't hold back if she disagrees, but she does allow the opposition plenty of time and space to air their opposing thoughts. And she doesn't make stuff up, which is what the right wing does. On Fox, with most of their commentators, they talk over anyone who disagrees or they maniuplate the sound system. It's appalling.

and btw patty, phil was not talking about one person here at LBT, he was speaking in more general terms which is, I believe, allowed at Rants and Raves.

patty, let's not go there. Afterall you're the one who kept repeating the hate word, ad nauseum. phil it would be great if we were able to get the rules changed and have a viable 3 party or more system. The problem with some of the other parties that are trying to get rheir candidates on ballots is that they're mostly run by crackpots.

Well thanks Cleo's! That's not it, but it'll do in a pinch. The one I was referring to actually addresses the time when you speak to others about God, meaning that you should speak softly, not in a loud and brash way.

Yep kartman, that's what I've been saying. Reagan was a puppet of the wealthy powerful men behind the Republican party but he was coached to work one-on-one with legislators in order to get the Republican agenda done. He staged breakfasts and senators were thrilled to get to have breakfast with the president in the White House. They nearly always came away from it supporting whatever the president was wanting. Being the cynic that I am, I have no doubt that promises were made in trade for their votes, but is actually how things have been done in Washington since the beginning of our country. When a guy is elected president, he thinks he can go in and do the "right thing" for the country and since he had a voter's mandate, the legislators will have to go along. Yeah right. It doesn't happen that way. Jimmy Carter is an example as is Bill Clinton. George W didn't have to play the getting along - you cross my palm - I'll cross yours game, because he had all the votes he needed to get his war and everything else. When I worked as a legislative aide in Virginia, I learned real quick how stuff got done. It was a real eye opener and quite depressing. But it is what it is and I don't know how it's ever going to change.

Cleo's, that's why it is so frustrating for members of congress and the president to try to "reach across the aisle." The Republicans are having none of it, no matter what. And the press has really been harsh and critical of the president. They say he hasn't been able to get his policies through congress and then they say he's trying too hard to work with the opposition. If he tried to ram his proposals through, they'd give him hell and the fact that he doesn't try to do that also causes them to give him hell. I'm finally convinced (and it took me a while) that the opposition party is being racist in their refusal to work with the president on any front. And the press loves being able to criticize the president and congress and everyone else because they think it makes them look smart. What a country.

kartman I totally agree with you. I decided that she didn't mean that men have no right to give input when they are directly involved. Even then, as you say, the choice is ultimately the woman's. But I have a feeling that she meant that men in the government shouldn't be making the decision for all women. At least, I hope that's what she meant.

TN girl, it's great that your parents are such wonderful philanthropists. Would that all of the wealthy were so inclined. And there is no doubt that there is a lot of government waste. Thankfully our president is working at cutting government waste already. And he has pledged to not add anymore to that by supporting legislation that will add to our national debt. Everything he comes up with will take that into consideration - and we have witnesed that already too. Obstructionists would have you believe that all the president and Democrats want is to put the country further in debt. History has shown us that it isn't the Democrats who get us so deeply in debt. It's the Democrats who have to do the job of getting us back to a healthy economy after the Republicans have been in power. Check out previous Republican administrations, even before Bush - which we all know was a disaster economically. In other words, are you going to believe the hype (Republican rehtoric) or your lying eyes?

patty: "The people who made the buses for Waterbury already had the job of making buses.: Regarding the bus plant employees - they wouldn't have jobs if there were no bus orders. They don't make buses just to give people jobs - the buses have to be sold. I know of a bus plant in that has been in business for 40 years and was closed because there were not enough orders. It is a small town and that plant employed a large percentage of that little burg's workers. Oh, and they manufactured buses for schools all across the country too. Your comment defies logic.

Sassy, btw it doesn't say that you shouldn't talk about God.

Ok girls, I'll go find it for you. First chance I get. It was sent to me from a friend a few years ago and I've forgotten the exact book and verse. Even if it takes me a while, I'll find it. I knew when I posted it that some of you wouldn't believe it since it goes against everything you've been taught.

phil you're a very naughty boy. But you sure crack me up!

patty: "Your hypocrisy sickens me" Omg, I certainly hit a nerve didn't I? Not that I meant to make you sick, for heaven's sake! I didn't. But I do honestly consider writing on your palm when you're giving a talk to be extremely lame and very bush league. (pun intended) patty: "Why don't you give me some 'real' reason for your hatred of her? Cause there is no reason to hate her. she hasn't done anything wrong to anyone." Why do you insist on using the word "HATRED"? We've all told you (with maybe one exception) that we don't hate Sara Palin. Do you HATE President Obama? Sara Palin has done wrong in this life. You are unable to admit it because you agree with the way she outright lied during the campaign and the way she continues to push the limits of free speech everyday. patty: "BTW, I wasn't defending her. She needs no defense cause she wasn't doing anything wrong." You have been defending her since before you started this thread. And losing the battle, I might add. patty: "You really don't need to criticise my faith in God by throwing your 'digs' at me. It's very unbecoming, bjean." I am certainly NOT criticizing your faith in God. What's the matter, can't you defend your claim that the reason we need God is because otherwise mankind wouldn't know right from wrong? I don't think you can defend that statement and so far you haven't. That's not a criticism of your faith. I'm taking issue with a statement that you presented as fact. That doesn't have to do with whether you have a certain kind of faith. That has to do with your steadfast claim against man's instinctual ability to know that killing, stealing, sleeping with someone else's wife, dishonoring their parents, coveting their neighbor's material goods and all the other things that we actually do know without having to have someone tell us. You're convinced that anyone who believes that capital punishment is wrong, that abortion is a woman's choice not the government's, that guns need some regulation, that war is always bad and should only be waged in defense of our country, etc., that they are heathens and have no faith. I'm here to tell you that you're totally wrong about that. Plenty of good Christians believe all of those things and more things that you disagree with and it does not, for one minute, make them immoral or in league with the devil. You're preaching to the choir, dear. And you're showing your backside.

patty: "It doesn't matter who bjean was speaking to, because it's not true. That is not found anywhere in the bible. I believe bjean made that up. Besides, I'm sure bjean was not speaking about you, for you are very soft spoken and gentle with your words." Sorry patty, it is there. Don't accuse me of making something up just because you are ignorant of it. It is not something any religion I know dwells on and in fact, many seem to ignore it because of the passages about witnessing that they wholeheartedly embrace because it goes to perpetuate their church. It is ignored because it goes against their hell, fire and brimstone manner of preaching and against the way they approach missionary work. I wouldn't need to make it up because as we all know, there are contradictions throughout the Bible. And we believe what we are comfortable with and can accept to establish our faith. Obviously the very idea makes some people uncomfortable enough that they deny its' existence in the Bible. Go fish. It's your assignment for today.

patty: "At least she doesn't read word for word off a telepromptor as Obama does." You're kidding, right? Please tell me that is not your defense of Sara Palin writing on her hand during a speech. We stopped doing that sort of thing after grade school. In high school we realized that we could use a 3X5 card and look way cooler. I can't believe that you actually wrote notes on your hand when you spoke to a group. Not when you were an adult. I just don't buy it. No adult I've ever known with any savvy at all would do such a thing. Seriously. Teleprompters are used by people who have them available to them and who are capable of learning how to use them. It's always better than standing in front of lots of people with that deer in the headlights blank stare, saying duh... uh... well, you better not trick me. Calling Sara Palin on writing notes on her palm is certainly fair given that she criticized the president for using a teleprompter. It is typical of Republican behavior. They're endlessly carping about something one of their opponents does and then being caught doing something along the same lines only worse. It's almost like it's God's work, pointing out hyprocrisy for us. Since he's the only one who knows right from wrong, eh?

Read the graphs Cleo's posted and weep, Obama opponents.

patty's response to one of my posts: "You can call it "hatred" if it makes you feel better." I never used that word and would appreciate it if you wouldn't give the impression that I did. patty: "You're the one who is reeling right now because you can forsee the future of your party just as clearly as the rest of us can." I don't believe you know what you're talking about. You're so immersed in the kool aid, you're a little out of touch. Your party won a huge victory in Mass. But that may or may not tell us the feelings of the majority of the voters in this country. It definitely sent a message but you could be reading something into the message that just wasn't there. I haven't made any claims at all about the country supporting an "extreme left wing agenda." I have made claims about the wacko right wing extremists. And those claims are true enough and I'm not bringing anything to light here that people can't see for themselves. It's interesting that you claim that the majority of Americans support your boys on the hill, but we'll just have to wait and see. Just because you claim that it is so, certainly doesn't make it so and lots of Americans haven't made up their minds yet about the president, his policies, the behavior of congress or how they'll vote in the future. Where's this crystal ball you're looking at? Oh yeah, Fox news and Glenn Beck and all the gang. They and your Republican newspaper have you convinced that Americans all agee with them. But like it or not, the right wing extremist media hasn't gone so far as to convince everyone that all the Democrats are dirty rotten socialists. But don't take my word for it, just wait and see like the rest of us. And for the record, I haven't "claimed" anything about people supporting a far left wing agenda.

That's right! Ted Kennedy was one of the hardest working and most effective senators that we've ever had. His opposition were sure to criticize him at every turn. He even collaborated with Republicans on legislation that we needed and the opposition still said he was a bad person. If the Republicans continue to do nothing, they don't risk getting criticized for their proposed legislation. If they make up personal stuff about the president, people love it because they want to think someone in a position of power is doing something wrong. It's true even with movie stars. The rags scream horrible headlines about them and it sure sells papers. You know it does because they pay hundreds of thousands in lost lawsuits when the headlined stories turn out to be false. Yet they continue to do it. Like the "Swift Boat" ads and letters... people believed the very worst about Senator Kerry even though he was a decorated war hero because some wealthy folks took that smear campaign project on and it paid off for them handsomely - Kerry lost the race to the furthest thing from a war hero! The Republicans are still reeling from their loss to Obama. Especially since their dirty, nasty politics has paid off so well in the past. Fortunately Obama had his ducks in a row and was able to debunk the lies and get the truth out during the campaign. Now they're making up stuff about his policy agenda and calling him a "socialist". And then there are the "birthers" and others still making a mockery of the system. Yeah, people who love hearing bad stuff are sucked in by it all, but hopefully most Americans are going to be aware of the truth and will demonstrate it at the polls. I'm pretty much an optomist. But I have to tell you, I spoke with my doctor Friday about proposed health care changes. She said the system definitely needs changing. She said she doesn't like anything that is on the table right now. I asked her what specifically she disagrees with. Oops! My doctor visit ended with my doctor saying that she loves John Stossel and she doesn't like the way Obama pushes all his policies through in such a sneaky fashion. And this from a relatively well-educated woman!

Trust me, it's there. Devana, it's always good to hear from you!

And when going back over some of the early posts, I'd like to add that when Bush was the president, Democrats did not refuse to support all of his proposals. They did reach across the aisle and they did give him support when they felt it was in the national interest. The Republicans have simply refused to work with the Democrats on any level whatsoever. And lately the President has decided to support some of the proposed legislation that the Republicans were in favor of when Bush was president. But guess what? Now since the president has endorsed them, they are AGAINST them. They are a group of truly bad legislators and their lack of civility and respect in congress is utterly astonishing. I'm pretty old and I've been involved in politics most of my life and these people take the cake for obstructing any kind of forward movement in this country. You may hate the two-party system and it could be that in the future we will have more than two viable political parties. But right now, that's what we have. Yes there are liars and creeps on both sides. I sure can't deny that. But right now, the right wingnuts of the Republican party are ruining that party for any moderate Republicans in the U.S. And they sure are proud of it.

It has been so funny to hear the right wingers rage on about the deficit and how horrible this president is because he's nothing but a socialist. What, do they think we weren't paying attention when Bush wrecked us with his policies and the war? It's just one more political strategy that is lame and utterly obstructionist in nature. But then this has been the way they operated during the campaign and ever since the election. They don't have a conscience. They don't care if they are being hypocritical. They get caught every day in this same kind hypocritical political posturing. Anybody who is paying attention sees it for what it is. And likewise, Sara Palin is the gift that just keeps on giving to the Democrats.