Today’s letters include:
Bible article — of irony, offense
Of contraception failures, abortions
Let’s move on Indian act now, too
Top-two’s unintended consequences
Keyed van over bumper sticker?
Obama’s change not right kind
Third Bush term with McCain
Letter would be good teaching tool
Read The Full Story

I would suggest to Me Sellen of Anacortes that as a Parent and Grandparent, a Military Veteran, tax payer, active member of the business community as well as being a staunch “Supporter Our Troops” advocate, I take extreme exeception to the very idea that students are being “taught” or “indoctrinated” in politics with an evident left wing slant,sex, a misconstrued concept of right and wrong as well as a varity of other things that irk my ire.  Many of these areas of education should be left to the descretion and judgement of parents.

JMHO

“Who I am will be revealed and enthusiastically accepted by Democrats. Conservatives will question bigger government; nationalization of our energy companies, health care and transportation; and a diminishing response to terror and those who encourage it.” John Wilkinson

The largest period of growth in the size of government in history took place during the Bush years. Even McCain has tossed Bush under the bus for this. Don’t even go there on energy policy, which Bush has none, except to ensure profitability for his friends in the oil industry. Health care? Could anyone have done worse than Bush, who did nothing, except for the fiasco on veteran’s care. Then there is the Bush response to 911. Attack a sovereign nation that had no ties to the terrorists and presented no danger to us, all the while, allowing Osama bin Laden to escape. Great job on all accounts for your “conservatives”, John. Your attempts at fearmongering based on Senator Obama’s middle name and race are just pitiful and racist. Shame on you.

You Can’t Fix Stupid.

As a Republican and a Conservative Patriot I can see a lot of things clearly. I would like to pose the following set of questions for any and all who can’t seem to get past the smoke and mirrors during this election season.  These questions are not party specific, articulated only to arrive at an honest reasonable response based on an evaluation the facts as presented.  Please take the time to read on…

As a professional craft employee, with an acquired skill level, how comfortable would you be when management teams you up with a new co-worker who is very popular but has no background experience and minimal skill-set?

As a business owner, assuming that your business is of a technical nature which requires your employees to meet a set of technical standards, I would pose this question:  Would you hire someone who is very popular but has virtually none of the background, experience or qualifications for the job?

As the owner of a large corporation, would you consider someone who is very popular but has no background, qualifications or hands on experience in the position you are attempting to fill.

As a shareholder in a large corporation would you cast your vote or proxies in support of a potential CEO who happens to be very popular but has no proven background, managerial experience or track record relative to the products and services marketed by your company?

As a member of a board of directors, would you be prone to offer a CEO position to someone who is very popular but has no proven background or management experience that is relative to products and services marketed by your company?

As a long standing card holding member of a union or guild, would you unequivocally cast your vote for, or accept as the head of your organization, someone who is very popular but has only marginal qualifications with questionable references and history.

Let’s add to the equation the fact that the candidate alluded to in each of the above instances has a less than stellar history that is often vague, revealing and questionable. His long term relationships and commitments, as well as his personal and business affiliations are dubious and prone to scrutiny. Let us also add, that although our subject has developed a degree of popularity with the masses, a generous evaluation of his performance and achievement bench marks would be, in a word, negligible.

I would be surprised if your answer in each of the above instances were not resoundingly negative. If you answers do fall into the negative column I might suggest an additional and very important question.  Considering the facts, why would anyone support the proposition that such an individual is qualified to hold and administer the highest office in the most powerful Nation in the World,

If your answers are in the affirmative, based on tinsel, glamour and the promise of “Free Bubble Up and Rainbow Stew” rather than solid reasoning, you most certainly would fall under a category labeled as “Stunningly Stupid”

In the words of the immortal Ron White, “You can get a face lift, a tummy tuck or liposuction… “Cosmetics and blind faith can cure a lot of things, “But you can’t fix stupid!”

You are right on, Andy. Why vote for someone like McCain, who has no experience in the public sector, no advance degrees or education beyond a military academy, and whose military experience, as correctly articulated by Gen Clark, doesn’t qualify as executive experience? As a career Naval Officer, he should get the difference between the Iraq invasion and occupation and the “war on terror”, but he doesn’t. His positions on a long term occupation of Iraq vs the desire of Americans and Iraqis for us to leave make him look old and out of touch, as do his positions on the economy. Am I better off today than I was 7 years ago? Not on your life. I must be what Phil Gramm refers to as a whiner.

And by the way Andy, you don’t have to be a “conservative” to be a patriot, as you to which you allude. I served, fought and am disabled as a result. To quote from a recent editorial titled “Patriotism Defies Narrow Definitions”:

“A key aspect of that notion is that nobody is entitled to decide whether someone else is “patriotic” or not, or to craft an absolutist definition. Patriotism can be expressed in many ways, including protest and resistance to government polices that threaten our founding freedoms. It has never meant blind obedience or unquestioning loyalty, and love of country does not come with a restricted set of ironclad rules.”

“Stupid is as stupid does”. IMO, voting for McCain/Bush 3rd term qualifies. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Hey Sob Buster: An excellent job of cut & paste from the Move On.org website.  I guess all your teachers were wrong when they said you’d never amount to anything.

Pretty weak there Eggnog. Whassa matter, Rush, Hannity and O’Reilly all on vacation and left you without your talking points? From the sound of it, at least I had teachers!

I’ve always believed that you liberal hand-wringers are the ones who didn’t have the mental horsepower necessary to fend off the leftist brainwashing incorporated into our public schools’ educational system.

A sad case for sure.

Sodbuster....

Great left wing ploy… shifting the attention elsewhere.  I never would have thought of that.

My only question is, “Did you answer the questions?”

Eggnog, yep, us left wing liberal types don’t have the “mental horsepower” to keep up with you and GW. Thank goodness we have not sunk that low. Still waiting for your talking points, but it seems that this “shotgun” approach of yours, with no discussion of the issues or any rebuttals suits you best. Pretty typical of your ilk. If you toss enough bs around, maybe a little will stick. Good try, but there are many of us, patriots most, that are unwilling to cede the constitution or the future of this country to you and yours.

As for you Andy, I believe I answered your hypotheticals. In 2004, you chose GW based on what you said was his “experience” against terrorists. His total lack of military experience did not count. New election, and now McCain’s military experience is the whole deal. What hypocrits.  I am listening to the evening news “we are losing in Afganistan - Duh!! We have our best and brightest in Iraq looking for OBL? Duh!!

Not going to defend your guy(s)? Of course not. They are indefensible. But if you want to shift the “focus” to Senator Obama, be my guest. I will, however, continue to note your candidate’s (Bush/McCain) ineffectual positions on Iraq, Afganistan and the US economy for the record.

Have a nice day.

“Why vote for someone like McCain, who has no experience in the public sector, no advance degrees or education beyond a military academy...”

This would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.  Exactly what do you mean by “no experience in the public sector?” Are you saying that holding office as a US Senator doesn’t qualify as “public sector” experience?  Or perhaps you have the words “public” and “private” confused.

And you say McCain has no education “beyond a military academy?” Just a cheesy ol’ military academy, huh?  You are evidently unaware that the various Military Academies are some of the most prestigious colleges in this country. 

People like you aren’t fit to wipe the sweat off people like Senator McCain.

Sodbuster,

But did you answer the questions?

Actually, eggnog, experience in the congress bears no resemblence to that in the the private sector. Secondly, I have more years of active military duty and more of it in ground combat than Sen McCain. Choose your words carefully, little man. I will bet you 3-1 that even Sen. John disagrees with your last. And you, great patriot, what have you done more than just shoot off your mouth? I doubt much. But keep the cute platitudes coming. They do make me laugh. I must admit though that I am breaking one of my basic rules - never engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. So, go stroke yourself and have a nice day!

One last thing eggnog. I did not leave my wife (now of 42 years) for a multimillionairre model/heiress after the war, but stuck to the antiquated notion that I had made an oath “til death do us part.” And no, my wife doesn’t put $750k a month on her credit cards. I can revel in much today, including my kids and grandkids, without reservation. Ever watched Barack with his family? Too happy and well adjusted for you?

Go suck some of your own sweat, little fellow.

“Actually, eggnog, experience in the congress bears no resemblence to that in the the private sector.

Yeah, except that you wrote: “McCain has no experience in the PUBLIC sector.” Whatsa matter, English not your native language?

Sod Buster

When the Democrats took command in 2006....

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemploymen t rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:

1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.

America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!

BTW: Did you answer the questions?

And while you’re on the Obama rant let me direct you to the NoBama page on my Website at: http://go-patriots.com/Obama.htm

injoy…

Sorry there eggnog, meant to say “private” the first time. I am sure you will get over that in time.

Let me address Andy’s barrage of selective memory. By November of 2006, the republicans had controlled congress for 12 years. In 2001, after a period of unmatched economic prosperity under the watch of a democratic president, Bush and the neocons took charge. By 2004, we were embroiled in the hostile occupation of a country that presented no threat to our national security.Combining house and senate votes, the dems voted 110 for and 147 against the Iraq resolution, so that fiasco was a rep one. By 2004, the value of the US dollar was dropping like a rock, our trade deficit and national debt growing exponentially. Because of the administration’s unwillingness to engage the rest of the world diplomatically, our status in the world was dropping like a rock. By the Nov 2006 elections, Americans were fed up with the administration’s lies and the republican congress sitting on their hands. THAT IS WHY THEY LOST. Continued blundering on the economy, foreign policy and saber rattling by the administration has driven international confidence in the U.S. to an all-time low and the attendent speculation on the world oil market has driven the price of oil thru the roof.

I am sure you will default to the “tax and spend” rhetoric about the dems. It is true. ALL GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND. The opposite, or rep practice is to borrow and spend. Being old fashioned, I’d rather pay as I go than to pass on debt to my grandkids.

BTW Andy, went to your website. And here I thought fascism was dead in America. You sure like to throw around the “patriot” theme ( though no talk of your personal participation).

Here is an exerpt from the description of fascism for your reading pleasure:

“Fascism places a very strong emphasis on patriotism and nationalism. Criticism of the nation’s main ideals, especially war, is lambasted as unpatriotic at best, and treason at worst. State propaganda consistently broadcasts threats of attack, while justifying pre-emptive war. Fascism invariably seeks to instill in its people the warrior mentality: to always be vigilant, wary of strangers and suspicious of foreigners.”

Sound (look) familiar??

Wow!  Very impressive! 

Why don’t you now post a definition of “limp-wristed liberal hand-wringer?”

Sod Buster,

The statistical facts I posted speak for them selves. Rhetoric may divert the focus but statistics remain the same.

BTW: Thanks for the dessertation of Fscism vs.Patriotism. I would note however, that there is a marked distinction between application,cause and effect, one being the product of force rather than free will.

FYI: My mother was definately not a Faciast but she did teach me to to ‘always be vigilant, wary of strangers and suspicious of foreigners’, advice I have found useful a ever more applicable in todays world.

Still struggling with the first set of questions?

“Liberalism is a political ideology that seeks to maximize individual liberties.” That is the dictionary definition, eggnog. “Hand wringing” can best be applied to the GOP as their brand has been so seriously damaged that it will be years before they recover. When they do, hopefully they will have cast aside the neocon influence and returned to the party of Eisenhower.

FYI Andy, there is, in fact, no difference in the application as you surmise - fascists are as fascists say and do, and you are one. Secondly, your list of unsourced dubious “statistics” mean nothing without application to a thesis or to support an argument, as I did. A little thing I learned at the post-grad level.

Last, you have not answered my question. What service, other than talk, have you contributed to this country? Hmmmmm.

This thread has pretty well led me back to violating one of my basic principles - never engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. You two bore the hell out of me so I think I’ll do something productive.

Bye.