Anyway, does it matter? Or is this one of those far-right blogs that only allow other conservatives to post and commiserate on their president’s poor ratings?

Are you refering to the ad bankrolled by the conservative advocacy group Progress for America which featured testimonials from Minnesota veterans defending U.S. war policy in Iraq interspersed with images of the 9/11 terrorist attacks? The same ad that makes the ridiculous statement “Where do you want to fight terrorists? [pause] We want to fight them and destroy them in Iraq.” (see my previous posting). Still trying to connect 9/11 Al Qaeda to Iraq, huh? The ad didn’t get much traction here. Minnesotans can recognize bullshit even if they wrap it in an American flag.

The Donkeycrats are nothing but shysters and liars. How many times do you have to be shown that?

You asked “if we leave Iraq too early and the region is over run by Syrian, Iranian and Baathist terrorists how would that be good for security or our reputation in the world.” Hello? It already IS overun with terrorists, and this war is the reason it is. See Jan WaPo article “Iraq New Terror Breeding Ground”. Our troops on their soil is the magnet drawing in new terrorists. By staying we create more terrorists. I’d love to hear your well thought out opinion on this issue.

I agree with you on Jobs, point three. I would add that we need to be careful with trade agreements like CAFTA and NAFTA so that they do not allow US companies to exploit the people and resources of our partners.

States pay over 90% of their education. I’m not sure what the numbers are on spending vs performance, but if you’re looking at just Fed spending, it’s not a large enough portion to draw conclusions. Also, where the State is located makes a juge difference. I’m guessing CA would need to spend more per pupil than most states to get equivalent results because of their large minority population. The Feds contribution of less than 10% supplements States to pay for costly mandates like No Child Left Behind. The Heritage Foundations states “while only about 7 percent of local education funding comes from Washington, D.C., that funding brings with it more than half of the mandates and red tape faced by local schools. A reform-minded alternative approach would empower those closest to the student to make decisions about his or her education”. The Fed has more than doubled spending since 1990. This sounds like throwing money and beuracracy at the problem. “Lack of money is not the problem. Increased funding has not led to increased achievement. Over the past three decades, per-pupil education spending has doubled, but test scores have remained stagnant.”-Heritage Foundation. I agree with you on vouchers and private schools. My state, MN, consistently ranks among the top 5 in education opened the first charter school in the nation 15 years ago.

You left an important component of that cost out of your list (call-centers, IT, etc): profit. The largest 20 HMOs made $10.8 billion in profits in 2004. The worlds 13 largest Drug companies: $62 bil. What do Drug Companies spend on R&D?, less than 20% of Revenue. They spend nearly twice is much on SG&A. Clearly not efficient. And their influence on where your tax dollars go? For the first six months of 2005, the health care industry outpaced all other sectors in federal lobbying, spending over $164 million to influence legislation, according to Political Money Line. Drug companies regularly top the spending charts. The government currently pays (directly or indirectly) more than half the cost of health care (see Medicare/Medicaid). For the most part, private insurers add cost and suck out the value. The insure the healthiest portion of the population leaving the taxpayer to foot the bill for the rest. Employer paid healthcare now covers less than 35%, half what it was in the 20 years ago.

And please tell me how my last paragraphs don’t use common sense. Spare me the “I once was lost” and now I see the light BS. You offered me no argument on why we shouldn’t get out of Iraq, only a question, which I answered in this post. Where are my false allegations? You’re the one trying to tie Abramhoff to Democrats. I don’t HATE conservatives so quit labeling me. Is there ANYTHING the Republican party has done wrong, or that don’t agree with? Anything at all? Didn’t think so.

2) Security. Very complex issue. Both Democrats and Republicans have good ideas on security however Democrats seem more interested in demagoguing Republicna as if they are interested in “scoring” points. To the detriment of this nation. On many issues also. I do not beleive “finishing” the job in Iraq is harmful to us. To the contrary. It is advantageous to us. This is a well thought out opinion of mine. To just dismiss it would be unwise Tom. My question would be, if we leave Iraq too early and the region is over run by Syrian, Iranian and Baathist terrorists how would that be good for security or our reputation in the world.

3) Job in America that will stay in America – Nice populist line that appeals to many but what is the “solution”? Ford has plants in Canada and Mexico. Honda has plants in America. Do you give a tax break to Honda and a tax rate hike to Ford? How do you micromanage companies hiring decisions. If Dell wants to erect a call center in India for technical support what is the solution. Consumers should be the solution. That is what capitalism is. The definition of capitalism is the economic system where people choose who gets what resources. Government choosing who gets what resources is the reason why France hasn’t had any new company break into their top 40 companies for over half a century. Our top 40 companies always fluctuates.

4) A strong public education system – A lot of hyperbole I see. My opinion. You take the states that spend the most on public education and see that performance does not follow. Period. Accusations abound and yet federal funding during the Bush administration of education spending has skyrocketed. THe legacy drive by media helps perpetuate false allegations and people drive around with bumper stickers that say, “If you think education is expensive Try ignorance”. I once was at a rally where this protester woman wore a shirt that said that in CA. I asked her if she knew how much CA spends on educations. She didn’t. I informed her (at the time) that it was 51% of CA’s budget. That means that ALL other budget items combined is less than the education budget in CA. Accusations about in CA by Democrats that Arnold cut education spending when black and white figures show that every year CA has spent MORE on education and the dollar amount is controlled by the Democrat legislature. Arnold didn’t veto those spending bills or budgets. Period. Conservative ideas to strengthen education by injecting competition with vouchers is based in the desire to improve education for everyone. If Public education has over $8,000 per pupil and $4,000 is given to a parent for a private school that leaves $4,000 in the public system for a non-existant kid and that kid is better educated and the public school system can either refocus and teach better with less kids or picket and strike.

5) A health care system that works for everyone – I’ve talked about this before. I kind of lost steam. But this was an issue during Clinton. He had 40 million uninsured people in America also. During the Democrat controlled Congress of 93 they tried to tackle it but the American people didn’t like the solutions being talked about AND FOR GOOD REASON. Market based reforms are what is needed. Injecting the market place is what is needed. It used to be that health insurance was for catastrophic coverage (i.e. Major health problems or accidents). Now people expect the insurance company to pay for everything as if money is magically appearing. So.. People pay the insurance company and there is administrative costs associated with the insurance companies hiring call centers, lots of people, large computer systems and the IT people, etc and then spending the rest on medical care for people. If we can get back to people not expecting $10 copays and paying for EVERYTHING except catastophic problems with large costs then we can LOWER health costs instead of having them skyrocket every year at double the rate of inflation.

Your last two paragraphs Tom suggest that you are not using logic and common sense as well as reading alternative view points other than the drive by legacy media view points. Trust me. I know. I once was a liberal.

Listening to the false allegations everyday will do nothing but get you to HATE conservatives and BELIEVE that the war in Iraq which was voted for by Democrats also should be abandoned (which would be the worst thing this country did since Vietnam).

1. Honest Leadership and Open Govt.
Seems like a good start to me. Yes, both parties have had problems with corruption scandals, but any objective person must admit, the Republic party is rife with them now. Take your pick – Abramhoff, Delay, Libby, etc. Also, by most accounts, this has been the most closed administration in recent history. This country can see thru the Orwellian spin this adminstration gives to its business freindly initiatives. “Blue Skies”? Give me a break. “Healthy Forests”? more like no forests. At least call it what it is. Maybe “Cheap Energy” instead of Blue Skies.

2. Real Security
This one’s a tough sell for the Dems. However, average Joe is beginning to finally understand that while we flush billions down the drain ’spreadin freedom’ in Iraq, we have serious security shortcomings at home. The simplistic, simpleminded argument of “wouldn’t your rather fight the terrorists there” just isn’t cutting it.

3. Job in America that will Stay in America
I’m not of the isolationist, protectist persuasion- so I don’t agree with this point. This policy will hurt business and therefore the economy.

4. A Strong Public Education System
Long a tenet of the Dem positions, and unlike security, one of their strong suits.

5. A HealthCare System that Works for Everyone
This is a problem that’s not going away, and the Dems will pounce on Bush’s Medicare Drug Plan that many Republicans aren’t happy with either.

Admittedly, this 5-point plan has no specific unified solution for the Iraq problem that was created by this administration. How do you fix this clusterf*@k? Personally, I say we get DO out of Iraq, get real focus at home on energy independence and let that whole region sort out it’s politics. As it’s societies open up and become educated, these countries will become less radical. We can’t hope to solve their problems for them. We’ve got plenty of our own- our national debt is not getting smaller.

You want to stay in Iraq at any cost? Just so the “enemy doesn’t win”. Who is our enemy now anyway? I would say we’ve become our own enemy.

Tom

#1. Threaten to Leave Iraq.
#2. Make planes to leave Iraq yesterday.
#3. thru #5. Leave iraq.

- Great plan. Nice and simple, and simpleminded unfortunately.

- Bang

“Bold New Direction”? Or giving in to the enemy and letting Iraq fall to peices? Are you proud of the Five Point Plan? Is it something you are willing to stand up for and say this is what I want and what I want to vote for?

I think it’s fair to say both this is true for both parties. Espescially true for whichever is the minority party at the time.

There is a reason why they are always called weak on national security.

I’m curious about this reason. Is it based on perception?, or facts? Have we been attacked by our enemies more under Dem leadership?

the Democrats still do not have a plan

Actually they’ve announced a “Five-Point Plan” offering a “Bold New Direction”. We could argue whether they have a good plan, or how successful they’ve been publicizing it, but they do have plan.

Bang – “AnythingGates” are not new for ANY administration, where were you during WHITEWATERGATE, and LEWINSKYGATE. Not to mention Watergate, IranContraGate, etc, etc. That’s just “modern political gaming”, so quit your whining. I’m still waiting for evidence from you that the Democratic Party have somehow persuaded 4 retired generals to coreograph the timing of their statements in opposition of Rumsveld. And please, don’t let your “feelings” influence your answer. You might be considered a -gasp! – “moonbat”.

- Bang

Unfortunately this refers more to the Democrats than anything else. They have a habit of obstructionism, putting politics ahead of national security…ect.

There is a reason why they are always called weak on national security. There is a reason why after 6 years, the Democrats still do not have a plan, except to play the ‘we aren’t Bush’.

I hate to say it, but Democrats should put Bill Clinton in for Dean, he would have made a much better person to fill that slot. They also need ot drop the Bush-hate rhetoric, because he is not up for re-election, and if they hinge their hope for regaining power on we are not Bush when he isn’t running, they will lose.

When you think of putting politics ahead of your country, Democrats are the first ones I think of when I hear that statement.

~Sparky

The left attacks whether someone “cares”, “is for peace” (ala Steve), “is racist”, “is greedy” (ala Steve), etc.

As if you lefties even take time to hear what is on our minds. There are some on the right who do attack personally but there is an EXTREME amount on the left who attack personally. Just look at the blogs and bumper stickers. Re-defeat Bush says it all. Isn’t it great. Casting aspersions on whether or not Bush stole the election.

You people need to start learning to debate ideas and solutions without hating so much. Hear me Steve? Hate doesn’t lead to peace.

“While you keep political score (not very well), this country is going down the toilet.”

- Since the right isn’t attacking anyone politically, who exactly is it thats so damn desperate to regain power they’re willing to hurt the country for their own partisan reasons again?

- Your claims are pure BS. You’re on the outside looking in with the motive, and selfish agenda that drives you. The right has no such need Sparky. Get a clue. The only thing dumber than making assinine claims, is thinking anyone with a working brain cell is buying it.

- Bang