News-Record.com

Exerpt from a recent Letter to a Friend:

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That’s where we are (talking about the Middle East). Nothing was done to deliberately screw all this up, but they [talking about the NeoCons] sure did. Good intentions wielded from mad levels of government power, the irony is most that have supported this bogus cause talk every day about the dangers of mad levels of government power. I would feel better if they sincerely discussed any of this – but they haven’t and they won’t. The funny if not dangerous thing is they still lurk. Lot’s of them faded away after the 2006 elections when American Public voted heavily “Anything But Republican”, but they’re still out there.

If Obama get’s elected and does little (and they will work hard to assure little happens), they’ll come back in 2012 with “See? We always said America need Conservatives in the Whitehouse” … not that they are in any meaningful way Conservatives, but again they can't be bothered with details.

If McCain get’s elected and does little (also a great possibility because things are so screwed up .. and after all the Wide Eyed Queen is still in the House), they’ll come back in 2012 with “See? We always said America needed a Conservatives in the Whitehouse, and McCain is a RINO!”.

IMHO – there are really Five Political Parties in this country, with significant overlap between adjacent groups:

The NeoCons .. and I’m including the very-hard core, the John Birch Types, although the two schools of thought, while similar, really do not get along. Included also in that pile are religious kooks maybe including your soon-to-be ex-wife plus all her televangelist friends.

The Real Republican Party. The majority of every-day folks who call themselves “Republicans” - always pulling the Red Lever. The proverbial Soccer Mom and Tassel Shoe Dad Crowd.

The Centrist. Frankly most American’s fit here. The overwhelming majority – perhaps 70% of the voting public.

The Real Democratic Party. The opposite of the above, always pulling the Blue Lever, a fair amount of Soccer Moms here too, plus the School Teacher Crowd.

The Leftist Kooks. The ones that give reasoned thought a bad name - the Jackson / Sharpton Crowd, Susan Sarandon and Cindy Sheehan, perhaps Michael Moore and definately Nancy Pelosi.

harol: joe biden is complicit in the 5 items you mentioned... the neObamacons will featuring BushDark will continue these policies.

The majority of Americans are pro-life, against illegal immigration, gay marriage, and terrorist attacks.

Leftist democrats support abortion, support amnesty for illegal aliens (for the purpose of securing another voting block), gay marriage, and many of them blame America for the 9/11 attacks.

We haven't had a terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11 and liberals have to come up the 'shell game' analogy to try to discredit Bush for doing the primary job of the President...providing national security. They have a legitimate beef in his failure to secure the borders as falling down on the job of providing national security, but as mentioned, they want the votes...where ever they come from.

The school teachers are like sheep, going to slaughter. They blindly accept the NEA, advice. Saying that, I have children, and several, other family members that are school teachers. The democrats in Raleigh are always saying, its for the children. Must not be, they have lied for years about teachers pay. They cut the teachers bonuses. They removed (STOLE) 750 million dollars that was to go to the schools.
The NEA bosses drink the wine, the school teacher get the kool aid. So young folks, to not go to school to be a teacher, start a civil right museum, there is always plenty of money, for the folks running these shams.

"Under Republican rule, the government does have the right to: 1) wage pre-emptive war for the benefit of corporate interests;"

You mean like these pre-emptive wars and military actions:

1993-Present -- Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1993 -- Macedonia. On July 9, 1993, President Clinton reported the deployment of 350 US soldiers to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to participate in the UN Protection Force to help maintain stability in the area of former Yugoslavia.[RL30172]

1993-95 -- Haiti. Operation Uphold Democracy US ships had begun embargo against Haiti. Up to 20,000 US military troops were later deployed to Haiti.[RL30172]

1994 -- Macedonia. On April 19, 1994, President Clinton reported that the US contingent in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had been increased by a reinforced company of 200 personnel.[RL30172]

1995 -- Bosnia. NATO bombing of Bosnian Serbs.[RL30172] (See Operation Deliberate Force)

1996 -- Liberia. On April 11, 1996, President Clinton reported that on April 9, 1996 due to the "deterioration of the security situation and the resulting threat to American citizens" in Liberia he had ordered US military forces to evacuate from that country "private US citizens and certain third-country nationals who had taken refuge in the US Embassy compound...."[RL30172]

1996 -- Central African Republic. On May 23, 1996, President Clinton reported the deployment of US military personnel to Bangui, Central African Republic, to conduct the evacuation from that country of "private US citizens and certain U.S. Government employees," and to provide "enhanced security for the American Embassy in Bangui."[RL30172]

1997 -- Albania. On March 13, 1997, US military forces were used to evacuate certain U.S. Government employees and private US citizens from Tirana, Albania. (See also Operation Silver Wake)[RL30172]

1997 -- Congo and Gabon. On March 27, 1997, President Clinton reported on March 25, 1997, a standby evacuation force of US military personnel had been deployed to Congo and Gabon to provide enhanced security and to be available for any necessary evacuation operation.[RL30172]

1997 -- Sierra Leone. On May 29 and May 30, 1997, US military personnel were deployed to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to prepare for and undertake the evacuation of certain US government employees and private US citizens.[RL30172]

1997 -- Cambodia. On July 11, 1997, In an effort to ensure the security of American citizens in Cambodia during a period of domestic conflict there, a Task Force of about 550 US military personnel were deployed at Utapao Air Base in Thailand for possible evacuations. [RL30172]

1998 -- Iraq. US-led bombing campaign against Iraq.[RL30172] (See Operation Desert Fox)

1998 -- Guinea-Bissau. On June 10, 1998, in response to an army mutiny in Guinea-Bissau endangering the US Embassy, President Clinton deployed a standby evacuation force of US military personnel to Dakar, Senegal, to evacuate from the city of Bissau.[RL30172]

1998 - 1999 Kenya and Tanzania. US military personnel were deployed to Nairobi, Kenya, to coordinate the medical and disaster assistance related to the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. [RL30172]

1998 -- Afghanistan and Sudan. Operation Infinite Reach On August 20th, air strikes were used against two suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical factory in Sudan.[RL30172]

1998 -- Liberia. On September 27, 1998 America deployed a stand-by response and evacuation force of 30 US military personnel to increase the security force at the US Embassy in Monrovia.[RL30172]

1999 - 2001 East Timor. East Timor Independence Limited number of US military forces deployed with UN to restore peace to East Timor.[RL30172]

1999 -- NATO's bombing of Serbia in the Kosovo Conflict.[RL30172] (See Operation Allied Force)

[edit] 2000- present

2000 -- Sierra Leone. On May 12, 2000 a US Navy patrol craft deployed to Sierra Leone to support evacuation operations from that country if needed.[RL30172]

2000 -- Yemen. On October 12, 2000, after the USS Cole attack in the port of Aden, Yemen, military personnel were deployed to Aden.[RL30172]

2000 -- East Timor. On February 25, 2000, a small number of U.S. military personnel were deployed to support of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). [RL30172]

----Oh, wait, all those were from a democrat president, never mind. Here's the actions from the republican president he letter writer was referring to:---

2001 -- Afghanistan. US invasion of Afghanistan. The War on Terrorism begins with Operation Enduring Freedom. On October 7, 2001, US Armed Forces "began combat action in Afghanistan against Al Qaida terrorists and their Taliban supporters."[RL30172]

2002 -- Yemen. On November 3, 2002, an American MQ-1 Predator fired a Hellfire missile at a car in Yemen killing Qaed Senyan al-Harthi, an al-Qaeda leader thought to be responsible for the USS Cole bombing.[RL30172]

2002 -- Philippines. January 2002 U.S. "combat-equipped and combat support forces" have been deployed to the Philippines to train with, assist and advise the Philippines' Armed Forces in enhancing their "counterterrorist capabilities."[RL30172]

2002 -- Cote d'Ivoire. On September 25, 2002, in response to a rebellion in Cote d'Ivoire, US military personnel went into Cote d'Ivoire to assist in the evacuation of American citizens from Bouake.[5] [RL30172]

2003 -- 2003 invasion of Iraq Second Persian Gulf War. March 20, 2003. The United States leads a coalition that includes Britain, Australia and Spain to invade Iraq with the stated goal of eliminating Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.[RL30172]

2003 -- Liberia. Second Liberian Civil War On June 9, 2003, President Bush reported that on June 8 he had sent about 35 combat-equipped US military personnel into Monrovia, Liberia, to help secure the US Embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania, and to aid in any necessary evacuation from either Liberia or Mauritania.[RL30172]

2003 -- Georgia and Djibouti "US combat equipped and support forces" had been deployed to Georgia and Djibouti to help in enhancing their "counterterrorist capabilities."[6]

2004 -- 2004 Haïti rebellion occurs. The US sent first sent 55 combat equipped military personnel to augment the US Embassy security forces there and to protect American citizens and property in light. Later 200 additional US combat-equipped, military personnel were sent to prepare the way for a UN Multinational Interim Force.[RL30172]

2004 -- War on Terrorism: US anti-terror related activities were underway in Georgia, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Eritrea.[7]

2006 -- Pakistan. 17 people including known Al Qaeda bomb maker and chemical weapons expert Midhat Mursi, were killed in an American MQ-1 Predator airstrike on Damadola (Pakistan), near the Afghan border.[8][9]

2006 -- Lebanon. US Marine Detachment, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit[citation needed], begins evacuation of US citizens willing to the leave the country in the face of a likely ground invasion by Israel and continued fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.[10][11]

2007 -- Somalia. Battle of Ras Kamboni. On January 8, 2007, while the conflict between the Islamic Courts Union and the Transitional Federal Government continues, an AC-130 gunship conducts an aerial strike on a suspected Al-Qaeda operative, along with other Islamist fighters, on Badmadow Island near Ras Kamboni in southern Somalia.[citation needed]

2008 -- South Ossetia, Georgia. Helped Georgia humanitarian aid[12], helped to transport Georgian forces from Iraq during the conflict. In the past, the US has provided training and weapons to Georgia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_history_events#1991-1999

"2003 -- 2003 invasion of Iraq Second Persian Gulf War. March 20, 2003. The United States leads a coalition that includes Britain, Australia and Spain to invade Iraq with the stated goal of eliminating Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.[RL30172]"

There, hugh, I think that's the one Mr. Hoffman-Meisner is referring to. Besides Afghanistan, what other item on your lift was on a scale comparable to the 2003 invasion of Iraq?

oh boy, seems like the right wing responders to this LTE are on a roll today. I didn;t know that if my thoughts and ideas differed from yours, that I was an idiot. thanks for clarifying that for me. I can tell you this, it's a good thing that you misguided individuals aren't running for any kind of public office. we would be in worse shape then than we already are.
Us progressives will continue to have the opinion that the Bush legacy will be remembered as one of the worst presidencies in the history of this great country and we will continue to argue that your misguided opinions are just that.

In response to 'hugh,' lister of U.S. military incursions, the key words in my letter are: "for the benefit of corporate interests," but you might have missed that part.

To 'neocon', your comment proves my point . You've been brainwashed into allowing this administration to desecrate the constitution, destroy the economy, damage the military, and let the country go down the tubes for the sake of a few pet issues (dare I say biases?). As for no terror attacks since 9/11... do you remember who was on duty for 9/11, who failed to protect this country even though he had plenty of warning? As I recall, it was your great protector, G.W. Bush.

Well done, Hugh

I don't consider W 'my great protector'. He has botched the war in Iraq, I do give him credit for knowing what the job of commander in chief is, that is to provide for the national security...not create and maintain the welfare state via federal programs for after school schiiild care, rob other citizens to pay for your way in life, or create new and useless laws and taxes to fight the scam called global warming.

The lower case messiah not getting any bounce from the veep pick nor the convention...

Now more bad news for the democrats:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/war_on_terror/war_on_terror_update

Mikeg & Harolh

One must sit back and laugh at the shallow gene pool defending the right wing here.

The question remains, "How can people expect the Republicans to govern, when they spend millions of dollars, and countless ink on villifying government"?

While they claim it is not true, it is obvious that most of the righties who post here, just plug into FauxNews, Rush, Hannity, or Billo the Clown to receive their talking points. I will hand it to neocon though, for expanding his scope to include right wing websites so far off the scales they are downright scary! Hugh has admitted to gleaning his political information from Popular Mechanics, and Dan is just a right wing media junkie--bless his heart. He still thinks McCain performed well at Saddleback, a point even the mainstream conservatives admit was less than stellar.

Bottom line:
If you liked George W. Bush, then you have McCain to vote for.

If you do not think things are going well, then you have Barack Obama to vote for.

I really do feel sorry for the next President, as he has a foreign and domestic mess to clean up. A mess caused by one of the least intelligent, and worst Presidents in our nation's history.

Republicans have mastered getting elected but have never understood how to govern. Again, it's hard to run a government after you've villified it. Just look at that 'cream of the crop' Bush put in his administration---from Regent University.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601799.html

or this one:

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/08/scandal_puts_spotlight_on_christian_law_school/

Yes, those "Conservatives" have really proven to be the dullest knives in the drawer. (Not that it is a surprise to those of us who can read)
I can still remember when public service was an honorable profession---before it was 'dumbed down' with cronies of Pat Robertson, Bob Jones, Jerry Falwell and the like. Graduates of our TOP universities gravitated toward public service to lend expertise to and for the greater good. Now we have one of the lowest ranking law schools providing over 150 people to the Bush administration.

We can thank all the one issue (abortion, school prayer, guns, or gays) conservatives for the past eight years.
Hopefully, Americans can see through the hypocrisy of their "religion" joined with their "swiftboating".

The GOP cannot fix the problem---hell, it created the problem!

"He still thinks McCain performed well at Saddleback, a point even the mainstream conservatives admit was less than stellar."

I guess you haven't gotten to the letter just below this one Demon Deacon, it was written by a Democrat. Of course as Kornbluth states it was because McCain was not enclosed properly in the 'cone of silence'. Gotta have a victim somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqcSWI6Ppks&NR=1

Dan,
As is par for the course, you have focused on the minutia and haven't the intellectual capacity to discuss/refute/debate the points in my post.

You remind me of the guy who reads the headlines each day, but never bothers to read the story.

Are you sure you are went to UNCG or was it Regent University??

BTW Demon Deacon, I'm always flattered when you mention me in a thread where I have yet to post. It's heartening to see that I'm always on your mind. As Denzien said "profess your love".

Oh and guess what? I went to the Office Depot today and saw a car with an Obama bumper sticker!! Seems these people don't only hang out at grocery stores!!

Dan,
You obviously approve of the Bush record, so you now have Bush II. Quit attacking Obama and start giving us reasons to vote for Mccain--if you can. So far, all you've done is flap your gums about abortion. Is that the extent of your world view?

Over and over and over you state talking points from FauxNews, then get your knickers in a twist when called on it.
Unlike you, I watch and read multiple news outlets, not confining myself to any one in particular. Admittedly, I like NPR and PBS because they elevate the discourse above the "simpleton" chatter of Hannity, Rush and Billo the Clown.
How do I know?
Because I watch them all regularly, as I learned many years ago, you cannot talk intelligently about a subject of which you have little knowledge.
That is a MAJOR difference between you and me.

"Because I watch them all regularly, as I learned many years ago, you cannot talk intelligently about a subject of which you have little knowledge.
That is a MAJOR difference between you and me."

e·lite
–noun
1. (often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.
2. (used with a plural verb) persons of the highest class: Only the elite were there.

If Obama and the democrats are our best hope then we really are in trouble. At one time I was a loyal democrat but then I grew up. Obama’s and the Democrats’ plans will lead to more hardships. Where do you think the money will come from when they start taxing corporations? It will not be absorbed by the companies they will pass the cost on to us.

What happened to all the promises the Democrats made when they took control of the senate and the house in the last election? They are still blaming the Republicans for their failures.

Obama is change that I cannot believe in. As far as the constitution goes the Democrats have sought to rewrite it to please every special interest group that they pander to. Obama is not my messiah, that position was filled a long time ago by the true Messiah.

Dan,
Call me names all day long, but you've proven time and time again to be an inch deep and a mile wide. Oh, and I noticed your GOP used that phrase out in Denver, but with a variation.."mile high and inch deep", but no matter it fits you to 'T'.
Your intellectual curiosity is little more than listening to NPR news when you can't find Rush on the dial. You claim not to like the McCain candidacy, then apologize for and defend him with the fervor of a zealot. Other than abortion, are you passionate about anything other issues--real issues like the economy, war, healthcare, ???