They are guilty of not towing the party line - and that can be a deadly sin - witness the long list of RINO's fired or career-ruined in the wrath for dissent.

Aside from firing folks, here're a couple other steps being taken to assure no-one can challenge the course, all framed as "national security":

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/05/24/PM200605244.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5313028

Well put JDR. Dissent in the face of an unjust war IS patriotic!
Those of the "Bush Derangement Syndrome", who defend his EVERY move, would have us all goose stepping, reciting Christian prayers, putting up the ten commandments in every school and saying the pledge of allegiance on command. They believe that patriotism is derived from supporting THEIR ideas without question.
Hence the name the the right wing blogs came up with a term to describe themselves! (LOL!)

Political dissent is admirable, but it would be helpful if these bimbo's could find Iraq on a map before speaking out.

The following knew where Iraq is.

Elliott Abrams
Richard L. Armitage
William J. Bennett
Jeffrey Bergner
John Bolton
Paula Dobriansky
Francis Fukuyama
Robert Kagan
Zalmay Khalilzad
William Kristol
Richard Perle
Peter W. Rodman
Donald Rumsfeld
William Schneider, Jr.
Vin Weber
Paul Wolfowitz
R. James Woolsey
Robert B. Zoellick

Recognize any names?

The just released comments by Kissenger to Commie China - basically we'll give you Vietnam if you promise to let a couple years pass for us to slip-out from under the political shame - has me now considering these fools [listed above] feel about the same about Iraq - make it look good long enough for America to declare Victory with Honor and get mostly outta here.

.. I say mostly 'cause I sense they ought to keep a foot in the door so we can grab the oil fields someday - which I'd agree is 'prob' a good idea for America (to have access to the oil), but they sure were / are ham-fisted ... and pathetic others have kissed their neocon-asses.

That's just how I see it.

JDR,
You and I have to realize that neoCON and Dan cannot stray from the symbiotic relationship they have with "W". The Bush lovers may not be in the top half of intellectual thought, but they perform a great service---they make the top half possible!

I wonder which political view Bin Laden and al- Qaeda would identify with, The Dixie Chicks or, say.... John Bolton?

Since I don't expect a direct answer (just more mumbo jumbo), I'll answer my own question: The terrorists who hate America and the liberal democrats and their supporters are on the same page on this issue, they just aren't willing (or have the guts) to admit it.

Dan,
Why assume the Dixie Chicks are dumb? You know what they say about assumptions....

Bush is alienating even his own party with many of his policies these days. Man these are great times in which to live!

Bush could murder innocent children on the streets of Washington and Dan, neoCON, and Bubba would be there telling us all how those children deserved to die!

Mumbo...

Jumbo.

It's just the Same Old Tired Mumbo Jumbo Different Day from the Usual Suspects, neo.

Isn't it amazing that we can't go even one single day on this blog without the usual "blah blah woof woof" from the Bush Derangement Syndrome crowd?

Bin Laden and al-Qaeda identify more with John Bolton, who routinely says, "I'm right, your wrong, and you are not allowed to disagree."

NEO says: "The terrorists who hate America and the liberal democrats and their supporters are on the same page .. "

Neo is either really stupid, unable to read and interpret, playing games, or some combination of the three.

NO ONE - Left, Right or Indifferent - hates America as ObL does (see below). Many Lefties and Righties have an issue with the course America's "leaders" have choosen at various point in history.

Here's the Speech Osama tried to give the American people right before the 2004 elections. It was restricted but the Whitehouse because "it might contain secret messages to terrotist cells", but in fact is was a heart felt Bush Family Bash.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/79C6AF22-98FB-4A1C-B21F-2BC36E87F61F.htm

Highlights:

.. security is an indispensable pillar of human life and that free men do not forfeit their security, contrary to Bush's claim that we hate freedom.

If so, then let him explain to us why we don't strike for example - Sweden?

... we fight because we are free men who don't sleep under oppression. We want to restore freedom to our nation, just as you lay waste to our nation. So shall we lay waste to yours.

... in the fourth year after the events of September 11th, Bush is still engaged in distortion, deception and hiding from you the real causes.

... the oppressing and embargoing to death of millions as Bush Sr did in Iraq in the greatest mass slaughter of children mankind has ever known, and it means the throwing of millions of pounds of bombs and explosives at millions of children - also in Iraq - as Bush Jr did, in order to remove an old agent and replace him with a new puppet to assist in the pilfering of Iraq's oil and other outrages.

.... we have found it difficult to deal with the Bush administration in light of the resemblance it bears to the regimes in our countries, half of which are ruled by the military and the other half which are ruled by the sons of kings and presidents.

... characterised by pride, arrogance, greed and misappropriation of wealth. This resemblance began after the visits of Bush Sr to the region.

.. he took dictatorship and suppression of freedoms to his son and they named it the Patriot Act, under the pretence of fighting terrorism. In addition, Bush sanctioned the installing of sons as state governors ...

... experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers, as we, alongside the mujahidin, bled Russia for 10 years, until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat.

So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah.

.. even more dangerous and bitter for America is that the mujahidin recently forced Bush to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is evidence of the success of the bleed-until-bankruptcy plan ..

... anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush administration-linked mega-corporations, like Halliburton and its kind, will be convinced. And it all shows that the real loser is ... you.

It never occurred to us that the commander-in-chief of the American armed forces would abandon 50,000 of his citizens in the twin towers to face those great horrors alone, the time when they most needed him.

But because it seemed to him that occupying himself by talking to the little girl about the goat and its butting was more important than occupying himself with the planes and their butting of the skyscrapers ...

... he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America.

So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq ....

... Bush's hands are stained with the blood of all those killed from both sides ...

So Neos right - Some Americans (myself included) feel (in some regards) as Osama does:

Bush and his Cohorts (which include many Dem's too) have:

... given priority to private interests over the public interests of America.

... are engaged in distortion and deception, characterised by pride, arrogance, greed and misappropriation of wealth.

... removed an old agent (Sadam) and tried to replace him with a new puppet (Chalabi) to assist in the pilfering of Iraq's oil.

... are suppressing freedoms under the pretence of fighting terrorism.

... are doing a bleed-until-bankruptcy, including the continued use of emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.

... the difference being I work from within the system to make America a better place for my grandchildren.

Think Gandhi vs. Lord Irwin and Lord Willingdon.

neoCON,
Using your own logic, answer this:

"Who Would Jesus identify with: Bush's war, or those against the war?"

****
JDR,
Your points are way to intellectual for neoCON to digest. His world is black and white, with absolutely no gray areas. That kind of thinking got our country into trouble and it sure as hell will not get us OUT of trouble. I say ignore him and MAYBE he will buy a new coloring book and forget this blog.

one more thought - (came in from yard work when this occurred to me).

This is NOT hating America.

This is telling your child to brush his teeth - he'll hates you for making him do it - but the kid has not yet experienced the pain of rotting teeth.

Besides, America appreciates a brighter smile!

Right on cue: Mumbo Jumbo. lol lol

Must have struck a very raw nerve with the OBL- liberal comparison.

Like the world traveler likes to point out... "the bit dog howls first".. lol lol lol lol

your an ass

Deacon: "Bush could murder innocent children on the streets of Washington and Dan, neoCON, and Bubba would be there telling us all how those children deserved to die!"

Not just mumbo jumbo, more like wacko meltdown. Bush Derangement Syndrome does weird things to the mind.

Brian, go listen to a Natelie Maines interview. She makes Paris Hilton appear to be a scholar.

Read it and weep,liberals. The liberal democrats and OBL are on the same wavelength:

"Read the humanitarian reports on the atrocities and crimes in the prisons of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo." - Osama bin Laden

"Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management - US management." - Teddy Kennedy

"The wise ones know that Bush has no plan to achieve his alleged victory in Iraq." - Osama bin Laden

"The Administration must immediately give Congress and the American people a detailed plan for the transfer of military and police responsibilities on a sector by sector basis to Iraqis so the majority of our combat forces can be withdrawn. No more shell games, no more false reports of progress, but specific and measurable goals." - John Kerry

"In fact, Iraq has become a point of attraction and recruitment of qualified resources." - Osama bin Laden

"Our mismanaged occupation has inadvertently created a new front in the war on terror." - John Kerry
*************************************************

I have seen many of the points made by OBL and the liberal democrats echoed by some who post here on a regular basis.
"The unwinable war in Iraq"...
"How do you define victory?"
"Bush's torture chambers" (Gitmo & Abu Ghraib)
"The murder of innocent Iraqis"
On and on....while claiming to be the TRUE patriots. Man, I'd hate to sample some of their wares if they weren't patriots.

neocon,

There's nothing more patriotic than to question the validity of war and the manner in which it's fought.

many people believe this war in fact IS unwinnable. How do you win a war on terrorism? since there will most certainly always be terrorists, then the war can never be won.

there have indeed been american soldiers that have cold blooded murdered iraqi civilians. they should be prosecuted and brought to justice. war doesn't give a human being a free pass to kill whomever he chooses to kill.

don't confuse my disagreeance with this war to mean i don't support our troops. i most certainly do support the troops, just not the war.

lol, the republican machine of narrow-mindedness and hate and bigotry is falling.

Brian Harper,
Let's say you are correct in all your statements.
"Many people beleive this war is in fact unwinable"... If OBL released another tape tomorrow and was refering to the us military, who would be surprised if it contained this statement word for word? Not me.

"There have indeed been american soldiers that have cold blooded murdered iraqi civilians"... this is what one would expect to hear on al Jazeera, the official OBL network.

My argument is not whether you are correct or not. Believe what you want. I'm saying you and like minded liberals are on the same page as OBL whether you realize it or not.

Samantha,
I'm really impressed with your submission. It takes guts to stand up and say what you believe when that opinion is unpopular. However, the ability to do just that, is the essence of social change and we as Americans should never back down, for if we do it is the day that being 'free' truly dies. If one day I had a whole classroom of free-thinking individuals like you, I think my job as a history teacher would be done. Being a liberal in this day and age is a dirty word. However, the word in its most basic sense connotes love for democratic ideals and in the liberties from the Enlightenment that are too often taken for granted. I may not be a Dixie Chicks fan or one of country music at all, but I do admire their bravery. And yours as well.

--Aurora

neocon,

The truth about the goings on over there is disturbing, no doubt about it. Support the troops...bring them home.

PLEASE!!!! "You are" is abbreviated "you're," not "your."

Brian Harper, take a gander at this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/27/AR2006052700846_pf.html

http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/veterans/fs_iraq_afghanistan_lay_audience.html

The War will be Won - but what will be called The Win will not be the same Win that would have been expected three years ago.

Did everyone like Kissinger's just-released 1972 (?) discussion with the Chinese over Vietnam?
(Paraphrased): "Just give us a couple year after we pull out before to run it over .. that'll give us time for political cover."

I declare victory in Iraq. Let's get our soldiers home.

As far as I know, freedom of speech applies to the Dixie Chicks. While they and other celebrities get their views on TV and radio, they are just that...opinions. What's the big deal?

Good catch, Nic. I worked myself to the bone trying to teach homonymns..also getting students not to laugh at the word.

Never listened to the Dixie Chicks and wouldn't know one of their songs if I heard it.

I don't care what celebrities think about politics. Most of them are so self-absorbed that they think we should care about their opinion on world events.. Well, I don't.

I agree with Samantha that dissent is completely healthy and I applaud those who have taken a stand for what they believe in. I applaud those around the world who are willing to die for what they believe in as long as it is a just cause.

I just don't think you can put the Dixie Chicks in that category. Let's look at what they did and the courage it took. They basically voiced the sentiment of most of their audience when they lambasted Bush at a concert. Where's the courage in saying stuff that most of your audience agrees with? They were completely unprepared for the fallout and when the news got back to the States they flip-flopped, back-pedaled and tried to save face. They realized that they had lost a lot of their core audience and they weren't going to get them back. (Their agents probably had to tell them that.) So, then they decided the hell with it and became defiant and hoped to gain a new audience of people who thought like they did.

Now, let's look at Bush. He advocated going to war against Iraq and even when his poll numbers dropped like a lead balloon, he stuck to his guns. When countries like France and Russia who had their arms dirty up to the elbow railed against the war in Iraq, he stuck to his guns. That sounds more courageous than the Dixie Chicks mentality. Now that is saying a lot.

The point is, if I liked the music the Dixie Chicks put out, I would listen to it regardless of who they voted for for president.

Just had a loooong comment wiped out. Shorter version:

Listen to the link below. Dixie Chicks on NPR.

Dan, listen and then call them bimbos.

YD, their new album is really great. You can listen for free on NPR. One about Alzheimers is really sad and beautiful.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5424238

What some see as courageous, some see as stubborn egotism. I see nothing courageous about Bush and the war. If he puts on a uniform and goes to Iraq, that would be courageous I guess.

Yellowdog, I don't care what celebrities think about anything, period. Agreed, most of them are too self absorbed, but there is a market for them and their trash. Go look at the multitude of celebrity related publications at the grocery store check out line. I've never bought any of these publications, not even People. The thought of reading this stuff makes me cringe.

If the Dixie Chicks want to alienate half or more of their audience (I believe country music fans are more conservative than liberal) then I say go for it. Let the market decide if their CD is worth listening to. I ain't buying it.

Leonard Pitts column addressed the Dixie Chicks issue in today's N&R. Yes, Pitts finally wrote an op-ed that didn't obsess about racism so I read it for a change.

He quoted Michael Jordan when asked why he would not endorse a Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Jordan's response: "Republicans buy shoes too." I love it :)

Yeah, yeah, I'm sure I'll hear responses praising the Chicks for their bravery and patriotism. Good for them, but frankly I don't care about their views.

I'm just looking at it from a business standpoint. When I conduct business I try to leave politics and religion out of the conversation. I could imagine if in my company I decided to only do business with conservatives. Not a good decision. Liberals, your dollars are welcome too!!

Ok Carol, I pained myself to spend 8 minutes and 54 seconds of my life to listen to a soft ball NPR interview with the Dixie Chicks. Whoop de do. Natalie Maines has trouble speaking a sentence without "You Know" inserted into it. So I'm following your directions you know, I listened you know, and now I'm calling them bimbos, you know. You told me to you know!!

Second time today my Looong comment was wiped out. Is this really the N&R or NSA? Since I'm a Quaker and a Democrat, makes me wonder...

Again I will say:

Oh, Dan, I liked the interview and the music.

Did you get the point that it was one comment made to express an opinion and that it was blown all out of proportion by the "liberal" media. Did you think the comment merited the hatred and harrassment heaped on them?

Also, how can you criticize the way they speak when "you know who" says "tur-rists" and "tet-nology" I would have thought they would have been endearing, ya know.

Carol, I believe there was like another President, you know, that, you know, kinda like, you know did't do the English language any favors either. you know. He was like, you know, from Texas, uh, where this President is from you know. Guess LBJ's and his slaughter of the language doesn't count you know, since like you know, he ain't like around no more, you know.

I remember the line "My feller 'meracuns" and how it grated on a lot of folks ear drums along with a lot of other parts of his speech . But you know, being like from Texas , you know can like you know, make one like talk a bit different , you know.

You would really have a field day listening to me talk especially when I am being very laid back and relaxed. Between my Texas, East Tennessee, and WNC accent, you would go a bit bonkers ,if I do say so myself. Oh a little Aussie slips in occassionaly as well.

Biased thoughts in either form are there before hearing the interview Carol. So, after listening to it, there can be little chance of changing that bias in less than 10 minutes. Extreme bias, regardless of form, takes much time to erode before changing, if ever.

Speaking as one who has evolved, I know of what I have just written.

Shalom

"Speaking as one who has evolved...."

Any room in the ivory tower tonight Darryl? Maybe I can check in and get evolved.

Mrp, I didn't vote for or like Johnson either..war and all that. Actually, I wasn't old enough to vote for him, you had to be 21 back in days of yore.

Not matter who is in office, I would like for them to be able to speak and enunciate. An accent, which everyone but I seems to have, is interesting. Poor language skills are embarrassing in the president.

Few of speak as well with conversing with friends as we do when we are on stage. Yawl come back, 'eah?

Bedtime for folks with experience (age)

Dan, my husband and I love country and gospel music. Can we still be liberals???

YD,

Bush is not brave. He is an egotistical bonehead. His inability to admit to any mistake is his MO. Had he gone to Viet Nam, rather than gone missing, I might have a different opinion. Not only did he not go to defend his country, he has tried to malign those that did.

Exactly how much bravery does it take to send someone else's kids to war?

Carol, you go right ahead a remain liberal and enjoy your country music please. For you are a reasonable liberal that can have a civil conversation, unlike some of the rabid bombthrowers (one in particular) on this blog.

"I believe country music fans are more conservative than liberal" should have read "I believe more country music fans are conservative than liberal". Darn I screwed it up right when you were commenting on proper language skills.

By the way if you like country music, here is a good concert for you to attend featuring Sara Evans, Hank Williams, Jr. and Lee Greenwood.

http://www.sixflags.com/hannity.asp

All proceeds go to pay for college educations for children of armed forces members who have died.

We went last year and it was great. Can't go this year as we have a family reunion in Ohio that weekend.

By the way, the Dixie Chicks will not be performing at that concert.

Thanks for the info, Dan. I hate crowds so I will pass on the concert and just continue to listen to 98.3. I really like the old country music best.

Country music seems to be popular all over the world, so fans are probably of every political persuasion. Some stations, 104 in Winston in particular, have dj's who sound like Rush on a bad day. Eloise is not a sage, IMO. I prefer to listen to just music and the million commericals that come with it.

I don't listen to any country music released after 1985 except for a few stars that were around before then. Most of them (Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Hank Williams Sr, etc are dead). I don't know whether they were Republicans or Democrats. Don't care either.

George is not dead, he just looks that way sometimes. Classic country rules, do you listen to 98.3?

Carol,

I gave it a chance when I first saw the billboards promoting it. I thought it would be right up my alley. But I didn't really enjoy what I heard. It's not that I don't like Eddie Rabbit and Ronnie Milsap. It's just that the selections seemed to be a little too much from that era.

Since I do enjoy this music, I'm glad you reminded me. I'll check it out again to see if maybe I should give it another chance.

Lately, I've had my radio set on 94.5. It's all spanish music now and it's been interesting to listen to.

A couple favorites from these artists:

Waylon Jennings - Will The Wolf Survive.wav
Waylon Jennings - Walk On Out Of My Mind.wav
Johnny Cash - Get Rhythm.wav
Johnny Cash - Blistered.wav
Johnny Cash - Straight A's in Love.wav
George Jones - A Good Year For The Roses.wav