Check how much Dick Cheney and Bush paid last year, it is public information you would have your eyes opened wide.

The difference between a progressive and a conservative, progressives use facts to think with conservatives just run their mouth.

uh huh. how much airplay the “liberal media” give the “cheney said invading iraq would be a quagmire in 94′ ” story?

how many times did our liberal media point out that memeber of the bush regimed LIED by saying “we know where the weapons are” ..”we know without a doubt that saddam has WMD”

> all this b.s. like “the rich don’t pay taxes” doesn’t fly.

they should pay the same percentage as poor people im sure.
because people like bill gates don’t get any more benefits from the pre-existing highways, telephone lines, internet, and other societal structures than the average factory worker does.

by the way, bin laden agrees with you that taxes in this country are “insanely high”, and he further advocates taxes in this country should be replaced by a 2.5 percent flat tax. do you agree?

Several hundred years ago “flat” used to be a term usually applied to the earth. Does that make the earth flat?

>NAZI was short hand for the “National Socialist”

Its something they labeled themselves. So what? Is every country that calls itself a Democratic Republic always a democratic republic?

I am new here but what I have seen here is too much name calling , finger pointing, half truths etc. I guess I had hoped for more…perhaps my expectations were too high. I have a few miles on me so I have seen this “dance” before and time and time again.

The “they do this” and “the others do that” discussion becomes a drone below which real issues lie. That’s where all these arguments become moot. That’s why I insist on my congress people hear my voice. Until such time as both sides start looking forward this can only spiral into a society devoid of dignity or respect and end in a totally failed country.

I don’t believe anyone wants that and since I am closer to the end then the start I have less of a stake in it. I have done well and can take care of myself and my family so in that regard I am fortunate. But have we lowered the bar so far, across the board, that there is no hope for generations to come? The only answer is complete transparency and accountability for all elected officials.

Again, this comparison is apples and oranges. How about comparing this president’s ratings to the last one. That would make much more sense so I assume you’ll avoid it at all costs.

On the one hand, Repubs obstruct the will of the majority and on the other, Dems obstruct the will of a small, powerful minority.

Ah, yes, the conservatives’ favorite phony argument. Here’s a thought. Take a look at your own paycheck stub (if you draw one.) Is income tax the only tax you pay? There are also the things we call “payroll taxes,” you know, Social Security, etc.

Add the amount working people pay into Social Security and you get completely different numbers. In fact, a huge percentage of working people pay more social security taxes than they do income taxes. And please don’t try to argue that these are not taxes. Ever since the Reagan people doubled the Social Security tax and began using this revenue to pay for government, this has been like any other tax except that only working class people pay it.

Republicans got everything they wanted, except Harriet Miers and the constitutional persecution of gay people. Care to list what specifically you are upset about – obstruction wise?

They don’t need no stinkin’ facts or logic or reality. They ignore the facts that don’t support their myth and will support their Brother George regardless of the evil he perpetrates.

Thank God and Baby Jesus and Poseidon that they are only 30% of the population. We need more lions.

Ah, Johnny — I was wondering when you’d show up. Go back to the Tom Tancredo thread. I answered your accusation about Muslims not condemning terrorism. I apologize that it took me awhile to get back to my computer, but I had some errands to run and you were gone by the time I posted it.

Fascist
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
Date: 1921
1often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2: a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

Also, refer to http://www.the-emperor-has-no-clothes.com/Documents/Fascism.html
for the characteristics of a fascist state

Comment by Tampachessdon — October 4, 2007 @ 2:25 pm

I realize you are not asking this in any spirit of open-mindedness. Your post reeks of snarky sarcasm. But I’ll ignore that and answer your questions as if you asked them seriously.

First, liberals do not hide behind the word “progressive”. Many liberals are progressives and vice versa. However, they are not exact synonyms. I’ll even save you from having to look it up:

lib·er·al (lÄ­b’É™r-É™l, lÄ­b’rÉ™l) adj.

a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

pro·gres·sive (prəˈgrɛsɪv) adj.

a. favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, esp. in political matters: “a progressive mayor”.
b. making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc.: “a progressive community”.

As you can see, there is some overlap, but the two are not the same.

Now to your point about liberals and progressives being “tax and spend” big-government socialists:

The right-wing has been trying to hang the “tax and spend” label on us for decades. Yes, we believe in “tax and spend”. And so do you, unless you advocate the elimination of all taxes. We recognize that it costs money to run a country (or a state, or a municipality) and that requires some revenue.

However, the conservatives have added another concept — that of “borrow and spend”. This policy has dug us into debt measuring trillions of dollars. Perhaps you would be kind enough to explain why borrowing money to pay our way (and paying interest on the debt — $408 billion just for 2006) is a better way of financing the government?

The right-wing also likes to try to label us as Socialists (or Marxists), but that doesn’t really fly either. Just because we advocate ensuring all Americans have access to a few things we consider to be basic rights (education, health care) does not mean we advocate government-controlled distribution of all goods. And just because we find that profit-taking greedheads have priced health insurance out of reach of the middle class (unless employers provide it for them), doesn’t mean we advocate an elimination of marketplace competition in general.

I hope that helps to answer your question.

Comment by CaptainMantastic — October 4, 2007 @ 2:49 pm

Only if your standards are lying and manipulation, which is certainly the hallmark of the treasonous, lazy, antiAmerican right. Democrats have been denied the leadership rolls by obstructionist fascist republican tools, and by turncoats like the Senator from israel, LIEberman. You do have a nice collection of rightard lies and talking points, though, it’s no wonder you didn’t want them to go to waste. Take them to redstate, where the single-digit IQs will make you feel right at home.

Comment by Tampachessdon — October 4, 2007 @ 2:46 pm

well, it figures that you would happily display your ignorance of political manipulation through messaging, happy Good German that you are. Fascist is not a term usually applied to the NAZI party, by the way, except in your imaginary world. Fascist is a term applied to corporate-run states, as you weaklings and chickenhawks have allowed the US to become.

Thanks for proving my point, though, you were very helpful. Always the dependable, bootlicking tool, you rightards.

Bush and the Congress seem to not give a damn about any of us. A do nothing stae of affairs we are in.

Comment by Johnny Swank — October 4, 2007 @ 2:44 pm

Your ignorance of the makeup of the visitors here is astounding, as is your faux superiority complex. You stuff your fat face with your burget and fries, and die an early death as a tool of the rightwing power sructure that actively hates you and your fellow morons, while we fight to regain what America was throughout its history: a liberal, socialist democracy with a capitalist monetary system. it was a good combination, until the willfully lazy among you let it sink.

You’re not going to get much of an argument on that one here, JS