Do YOU feel safer today...?

One step at a time we draw closer to a police state. The top 2% are feeling just fine. Let's change that.

Get them OUT in November.

[ethernet_jock]

LMFAO.... awesome...

[optimusx]

It really is scary since we already have "free speach" zones at political events. People can't even hold a sign up expressing their opposition to current events without being moved out of sight and out of mind, however holding pro-Bush signs is fine.

Scott

Times Op-Ed Columnist

FEEL THE HATE

By Paul Krugman

Published: September 3, 2004

I don't know where George Soros gets his money," one

man said. "I don't know where - if it comes from

overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from."

George Soros, another declared, "wants to spend $75

million defeating George W. Bush because Soros wants

to legalize heroin." After all, a third said, Mr.

Soros "is a self-admitted atheist; he was a Jew who

figured out a way to survive the Holocaust."

They aren't LaRouchies - they're Republicans.

The suggestion that Mr. Soros, who has spent billions

promoting democracy around the world, is in the pay of

drug cartels came from Dennis Hastert, the speaker of

the House, whom the Constitution puts two heartbeats

from the presidency. After standing by his remarks for

several days, Mr. Hastert finally claimed that he was

talking about how Mr. Soros spends his money, not

where he gets it.

The claim that Mr. Soros's political spending is

driven by his desire to legalize heroin came from Newt

Gingrich. And the bit about the Holocaust came from

Tony Blankley, editorial page editor of The Washington

Times, which has become the administration's de facto

house organ.

For many months we've been warned by tut-tutting

commentators about the evils of irrational "Bush

hatred." Pundits eagerly scanned the Democratic

convention for the disease; some invented examples

when they failed to find it. Then they waited eagerly

for outrageous behavior by demonstrators in New York,

only to be disappointed again.

There was plenty of hatred in Manhattan, but it was

inside, not outside, Madison Square Garden.

Barack Obama, who gave the Democratic keynote address,

delivered a message of uplift and hope. Zell Miller,

who gave the Republican keynote, declared that

political opposition is treason: "Now, at the same

time young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq

and the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being

torn apart and made weaker because of the Democrats'

manic obsession to bring down our commander in chief."

And the crowd roared its approval.

Why are the Republicans so angry? One reason is that

they have nothing positive to run on (during the first

three days, Mr. Bush was mentioned far less often than

John Kerry).

The promised economic boom hasn't materialized, Iraq

is a bloody quagmire, and Osama bin Laden has gone

from "dead or alive" to he-who-must-not-be-named.

Another reason, I'm sure, is a guilty conscience. At

some level the people at that convention know that

their designated hero is a man who never in his life

took a risk or made a sacrifice for his country, and

that they are impugning the patriotism of men who

have.

That's why Band-Aids with Purple Hearts on them,

mocking Mr. Kerry's war wounds and medals, have been

such a hit with conventioneers, and why senior

politicians are attracted to wild conspiracy theories

about Mr. Soros.

It's also why Mr. Hastert, who knows how little the

Bush administration has done to protect New York and

help it rebuild, has accused the city of an "unseemly

scramble" for cash after 9/11. Nothing makes you hate

people as much as knowing in your heart that you are

in the wrong and they are in the right.

But the vitriol also reflects the fact that many of

the people at that convention, for all their

flag-waving, hate America. They want a controlled,

monolithic society; they fear and loathe our nation's

freedom, diversity and complexity.

The convention opened with an invocation by Sheri Dew,

a Mormon publisher and activist. Early rumors were

that the invocation would be given by Jerry Falwell,

who suggested just after 9/11 that the attack was

God's punishment for the activities of the A.C.L.U.

and People for the American Way, among others. But Ms.

Dew is no more moderate: earlier this year she likened

opposition to gay marriage to opposition to Hitler.

The party made sure to put social moderates like Rudy

Giuliani in front of the cameras. But in private

events, the story was different. For example, Senator

Sam Brownback of Kansas told Republicans that we are

in a "culture war" and urged a reduction in the

separation of church and state.

Mr. Bush, it's now clear, intends to run a campaign

based on fear. And for me, at least, it's working:

thinking about what these people will do if they

solidify their grip on power makes me very, very

afraid.

[brent]

Awesome posts LG. Sometimes I feel that I am the only person that sees the parallels between the Reichstag & the Enabling Act, and the pentagon doing nothing to stop 9/11 from happening & the Patriot Act. It would be even more creepy if Bush's grandpa (Prescott Bush) was Hitler's banker...

[Mdlftr]

LG, Thanks for posting that editorial---it's saying things that need to be said.

Brent, Don't know if that old canard about Bush's grand daddy being Hitler's banker is true. I heard that Bush's ancestor was part of a group of American financiers who bought German bonds, thus helping to finance (ultimately) Hitler's war build up and effort. According to Farenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore) Bush ("41") is in the pocket of the Saudi royal family, so take your pick!

The sad fact is, negative campaigning works. It's like the lawyers say,
"If you've got the law and the facts, pound the law and the facts.
If you've got the law, but not the facts, pound the law.
If you've got the facts, but not the law, pound the facts.
If you don't have either the law or the facts, pound the table!"

The Republican convention used a disaffected Democrat (Zell Miller) to lash out vituperatively at Kerry. Cheney, by comparison, with his "meaningful" pauses and smirky looks, looked like the voice of reason by comparison. The Repubs can claim that "they aren't attacking Kerry personally--it's a member of his own party!"

Well, the Dems should find some disgruntled Repubs and have them unload about Dick and W.

This is all a diversion from the main issues: the economy and the war. W doesn't have much to say, constructively, about either, so he has to do something--let's have another American Flag Backdrop and some "humor" from the Bush girls!

I just hope that the American voting public is paying attention to the lasting issues: the war, the deficit, our funding to carry out any programs not related to maintaining a pork barrel war!

Vote this November like your life depended on it!

Mdlftr

[Kyrosan]

All-in-all, I must say...




DOWN WITH EMPEROR BUSH!