John Kerry for President!!!!!

“This coming weekend I am making the move from Nashville, TN to Washington DC. Got me truck to load my crap into. On the sides of the truck I am going to advertise for John Kerry for president. 700 miles on the interstates. Lots of peoples eyes should get glumpse of that. Of course I could put signs up that read "George Bush is a world terrorist" too. decisions, decisions”

“objectivity eludes you....”

“Man, you people definitely live down on the shoulders of the bell curve. The countries being run by a resident of the right shoulder and being challenged by a left shoulder dude.You could say the head of this curse is not really represented on this board or in this countries politic.”

“Can anyone answer Dunadan's very simple question?”

“Hey folks, if you want to contribute to the campaign, please Click Here. I am now working on his campaign steering committee here in Ohio, and hope to add as much environmental input as possible!

Thanks!”

“Dun, I simply asked what evidence you have that the Vice President revealed the CIA agents name.

What have you got?”

“Dun, I simply asked what evidence you have that the Vice President revealed the CIA agents name.

What have you got?”

“Hey, this is cool.

I just unchecked everything except 'Chatter' and that damn nightcrawler thread is GONE

yippeeeeeeee!”

“Isn't amazing how quickly Paul O'Neill was investigated for revealing the alleged secret documents. Lightning Speed, don't you think? In fact I just heard that the investigation has already been completed and he was completely absolved by the IG.

Sooooooooo, let's get some of the investigations relating to this administration out of the freakin' batter's box.... before the next administration is sworn in, maybe?”

“It'll never happen Tilt. If the Neo-Cons won't investigate "Bacon Rings", then well never get to the bottom of anything else.”

“I don't want to get to the bottom of the bacon rings!!!”

“speak for yourself*





*posted on behalf of one Crazy Mike”

“Crazy Mike (codename: 'Stinky')”

“ralph!”

“So have all the liberals given up on politics?

Victory for President Bush!!!

Wooo Hooo, Four more years.”

“Okay, codename: 'Ralph!'”

“I think the code word is Bush04.”

“I think if Matt wants to reduce the number of political threads he just needs to mention that there are too many.

Where did all the venom go?”

“Hey I got some of the Signs to post in yards so we can all support Bush's re-election so let me know if you need any."
Viper2112
03:37:13 PM


Hey, I could use some kindling in the old fireplace! How about sending over a few?”

“Kerry will be on Lou Dobbs tonight --- 6 pm EST.”

“I think by now, it is important to show the proper respect and start calling him by his proper name - President Kerry.”

“Now there's a scary thought, President Kerry. Hope I never have to say that.”

“Jumpimg the gun a little Violin(t) he has not been elected to that office yet.

How many hanging chads is this fella gonna need ?

Another 4 years of bleating about how the election was stolen, because if we counted the votes this way instead of that way, Kerry might have won.”

“Uh yeah.

Bush lost the popular vote in the last election, and but for 500 or so votes in Florida, might never have been president at all.

Now what, exactly, has he done during his term that would make more people vote for him versus against him?”

“I just wonder if GW is gonna slap Laura on the @ss at the convention, again.”

“and your point is ??

Oh, I get it, sorry a little slow in the mornings.

We should do away with elections and just appoint a President based on your say so, because you know what is best for me and everyone else.

Sorry, that is not representative democracy.

Representative democracy also means that you cannot secede if you do not like the results, you just have to live with the result for 4 more years then try again.”

“This race should be a real goot one.

There is a lot to discuss!”

“You're right, Manuka, you do seem a little slow in the mornings.

My question was: What do you think this president has done to increase his popularity in the four years he's had? What makes you think he's energized his own base more than his opposition's?”

“agree, there is a lot to discuss, but it will be very hard to get any real answers from either of the candidates.

All we get are sound bites, criticizing what the other did or said, no real policy position on what this candidate will do to solve the same problem.

Also we will only see their pet cure for some focussed problems, not their overall philosophy on how to run the country, how they will shift the budget from a spending perspective, and how they will fund the budget both short term and long term.

Also, unfortunately all the jokes about election promises are true, better to look at track record than listen to the promises.”

“Well Phaedrus, he has done a lot more than the prior President in response to attacks on the US.

Firing a few Tommahawks at campsites in Afghanistan was an inadequate response to blowing up a US Embassy and blowing up a US Warship.

On the flip side Bush is not proving to be a fiscal conservative on the spending side, but I have no information on Kerry's spending plan other than it will not be for the Military as he has a proven track record of voting against almost any military spending.

I personally think the US troops are better served under US military leadership than being loaned out to serve under UN leadership, but that is a product of seeing how troops from other countries have been used in the past, such as ANZAC at Gallipoli in WWI, and Canadians as Calais in WWII. Both were necessary landings but the commander would not use troops from their own country when others were available.

I also think that N.Korea, Libya, and Iraq were long term threats. I think long term something would have to be done to prevent nuclear proliferation. My opinion is that Kerry would be perceived by N. Korea as weak in that area (Libya has invited UN in to get rid of their stuff and Iraq did not have them, although presented a front that they did, a front that everyone believed).
Look at what happened in Iran when Jimmy Carter was perceived to be weak, or Kuwait when GH Bush was expected to take no action.

I do not see either candidate to have the courage and wisdom to make any real progress on Social Security, and without real leadership what action they do take will probably make things worse.

Domestic jobs, either create public debt and Govt jobs, or do something to make small business more attractive. I do not see either candidate helping here much, but would prefer Bush's nothing than Kerry's expansion of government.”

“Manuka, is that another allusion to the illusion that Bush has shrunk government?”

“How's that for alliteration?”

“i don't know how i'll vote yet. i can't say i am overly happy right with the current admin but i'm not in line with kerry either. i wish the dems or repubs would run a real candidate.


where is harry when you need him?”

“Maybe they need to bring TR back from the grave.”

“Kerry is revealing his economic plan today.

Manuka, you're right on the response to 9/11. The wheels should have turned faster on the Cole, as well during the Clinton admin.

Iraq is a different story, and it illustrates Bush's most glaring weakness: Statesmanship.

North Korea, you might remember, was emboldened to ramp up its nuclear program when it realized that the US could not maintain its presence in Iraq and Afghanistan AND come after N korea. In this, I believe Bush overlooked the more ominous threat.

All this said, I don't believe Kerry is the weakling on terror that the republicans are trying to portray. His statements fall in line with some of my beliefs about coalition building and UN involvement.”

“Phaedrus,

Note I said perception, it is not how Kerry will act, it is how N.Korea THINKS he would act.

I bet that USSR and Cuba never in any scenario would have bet that Kennedy would have blockaded Cuba with the threat to sink. It put them in a complete panic.

I just think that Kerry will have to prove he is decisive because some of these rogue nations behave like 2 year olds testing the limits of patience. Failure to be decisive will result in them thinking they can take advantage of the situation.

Trouble with the UN is like most committees, it takes a very long time to get a consensus. This was one of the reasons the founding fathers decided they needed an office of President and gave him the power to commit military and get Congress approval a short time later.
The other was to commit for foreigh treaties also because it is ridiculous when every treaty needs 51 signatures from the Senate and an even larger number from the House.

The UN has not proven to be particularly helpful in the Congo where the pygmies were being eaten and got no action from the UN until a public outcry from the World Council of Churches. Ethnic cleansing went on for years in the former Yugoslavia before the UN took any action. Rwanda, no UN action. Libya, N.Korea the list goes on.

As a credible World policeman the UN has a long way to go.”

“Agreed. The US has the ability to lead in the right direction, though, and that begins by not discounting the UN security council out of hand. With just the UNSC in play, the US narrows the playing field considerably, and puts itself in a position of leadership. These things require time, as you mention, and statesmanship of a level we have not seen from the Bush admin.

And before anyone brings up the previous administration, I think Clinton was distracted by his scandals and hampered somewhat as commander in chief by the fact he had never served. He also needed a more aggressive terror policy, but I say that in hindsight.”

“"The UN has not proven to be particularly helpful in the Congo where the pygmies were being eaten"

Wonder if PETA knows about this yet?”

“VOTE FOR THE MOST LIBERAL AND THE RICHEST MEMBER OF CONGRESS!

sKERRY'04”

“AFP Photo
At Rwanda Memorial, Annan Takes Blame for U.N.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=world&cat=rwanda

By this standard G.W. Bush has until 2014 to admit the USA made a mistake in Iraq.

See my notes above about the UN being a littel slow to act.

and Nigal, this does not concern PETA, pygmies are people not animals so whatever happens to them is OK. PETA would condemn eating animals instead of people.”

“Oh! OK! Gotcha! Monkeies good, people bad! 8)”

“there is no doubt the current admin has done more harm in the arena of foreign relations than any other i can think of.

i don't disagree with all they have done, i disagree with the fact that they continue to flick the bird to the entire world while they do it.”

“We agree on that, Baume.”

“"i don't disagree with all they have done, i disagree with the fact that they continue to flick the bird to the entire world while they do it."

Hum, this one of the things I admire the most about Bushy. Flicking the fundamentalists the bird won't always gain you friends but it will sometimes gain you respect.”

“Germany, France and Russia ar not "the fundamentalists". Also, the close personal ties between the saudis and the Bush family sort of invalidate yor whole claim.”

“nigal, the attitude of which i am refering is the attitude that has led to the downfall of every great civilization in the history of the world.”

“Well, I'm not talking isolationalism here Baumm but I do believe that we went through 8 years of standing at the back door of the UN with our hats in our hands asking, "Mother my I?" and that has softened us. I believe in dipolacy and working with other nations but we also must keep our own interests at the forefront. If we have to do something in our best interests and someone wants to get on board, fine. If they don't that's fine too. I'm all for going it alone if need be. Sometimes we have to use the stick when the carrot doesn't work.”

“I agree with the position just stated by Nigal.

If the USA was truly flipping the bird, we would have gone into Iraq, broken all their toys, confiscated their oil fields until Iraq had repaid the US for the cost of the invasion, and walked out of the cities dumping the problem on the UN.

We did not. The US is attempting to get an Iraqi govt up and running the country before we leave. The UN does not want to step in, and Bush does not want a Saddam clone putting the country right back where it was. The US could act irresponsible and walk out, and hope that Iraq did manage to sort itself out. The problem is it would probably end up with an Iran or Afghan Taliban type of government that we ould have to fight again in 10 years.

The alternative for the US in a true 'flipping the bird mode' would be to withdraw all funding for the UN (watch it collapse) and withdraw all troops from other countries.

The left always thinks the military is overfunded, think how much money would be made available if we did not fund the UN, did not keep a standing army and used nukes as the first response not the last. Look on politics as a circle, the extreme left is the same as the extreme right and both on the opposite side of reason.
I see no difference between Stalin and Hitler.”

“i see the point you two make. i agree, there could definitely be a more extreme flip off, but i personally think what we have done is already extreme.

i am all about what the US has done to sadam, i don't think the admin was above board in the way they did it.”

“All of the above doesn't really make a lot of sense to me, Manuka.

We should take a more aggressive role than the Clinton years in leading the UN. This is true. There are certainly ways to do that very thing without alienating members of the UNSC. We should be able to build consensus around obvious world-bettering policies with good statesmanship and the financial weight we carry. The military is also there as a last resort.

Flipping the bird mode as you've described it is isolationism, and is obviously not in the best interests of the US. The trick here is to make the UNSC, WTO, etc believe that the US's best interests are the best interests for the majority of the players involved.

"The left", at least in my case, and most of "the left" that I know does not believe the military is overfunded. That's kind of silly in addition to being non-sequitur.”