I'm sick of how the Republican party portrays itself. The party of values. I used to believe it.. ten years ago you couldn't have convinced me otherwise.. but the machinations I have seen since 2000 have proven to me that that notion is pure horshyte. They have behaved as bad, if not worse, than the Democrats. And let's not get started on the power they have grabbed and consolidated from California to Texas to Florida to Ohio. It's obscene. Tom DeLay makes Clinton's lackies and stooges look like schoolgirls. Hell, DeLay makes Nixon's crew look like boyscouts.

Moral values. My arse. Does someone with good morals write a book on virtues and then gamble like there's no tomorrow?(Bennett) Does someone with good morals change the rules so as to not be kicked out of a leadership position for criminal wrong-doing? (DeLay) Do they take pay-offs for pimping views in the press?(Williams) Do they successfully advocate unlawfully invading a sovereign nation based on a plethora of lies (when they themselves profit from the destruction)? (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, NEO CONSERVATIVES) Do they straight up lie into the camera on national television to cover their arse? (Rice) Do they blame others (CIA, FBI) for their own fabulous failures?(Bush) Do they laugh at the thought of executing someone - especially considering they claim to be a CHRISTIAN?(Bush) Do they advocate tossing aside the Geneva conventions and administering TORTURE? (Gonzales) Do they sow and promote fear and Xenophobia through elaborate fictions to ensure their positions of power?(BushCo. and sycophantic media elites) Do they impose their version of morality upon others, disregarding and disrespecting other peoples cultures and customs, (Franklin Graham) while being used as a cut-out for clandestine operations? Do they promote torture and then offer up the lowliest of their servants for sacrifice when it is discovered?(Rumsfeld) I have one word for that COWARDICE! Do they trample on this nation's hard-won civil rights?(Asscroft) I could go on and on and on..

The GOP has devolved into the most corrupt group of bought and paid for egomaniacs and sleezeballs I have just about ever seen. I could never have imagined, back in '94, when they came back into power, that I would witness such abuse of authority and sheer contempt for our laws and constitution.

This is not Reagan's party. This isn't even Nixon's party. If either of them could see what was going on, they'd be spinning in their graves. Let's take one example that clearly set them apart from these clowns. Both men ran into strong opposition b/c of their policies.. Nixon with 'Nam, Reagan as governor. Neither of them jailed protestors or hid from them. What did they do? They openly engaged their critics. They literally met them on the street and conversed freely with them. They faced it head on and many times disarmed a great many who disagreed. But then again.. they were great men. Something this nation sorely lacks in today's version of Demokracy.

I can smell Revolution on the wind...

Revolution is not always a bad thing, although it is normally a painful process to a better end.

The problems with the Republicans, is that they do not want smaller government, an end to any taxes, etc.

I'll give you an example. Mortgage companies set up most loans on a 30 year basis. It was once that people actually paid off their mortgage (like cars) in the end, but not now. The refinance market is so booming that now the banks NEVER want you to pay off your loan. They want you to refinance to another 30 year loan extending your payments forever while pumping the equity back into the market place.

The Republicans do NOT want to stop taxation in any way, only to maintain the status quo.

Example Two: The drinking age. The 21 year old drinking age is a rediculous concept because 18 is the age of maturation and social independance.

No one wants to bring it back because the short term problems blind people to the long term benifits.

Fear is the weapon of choice.

If you serve in the US military, you should be able to buy alcohol - at least on post or on US compounds. It's ridiculous.

Another thing I hate about these chickenhawk Republicans is that, by and large, when they were young, they ran as fast as they could away from military service, themselves. Dick "five deferments" Cheney is an excellent example.

ECK, already told the people about the reason Cheney is married with kids. I still say if marrige/kids wasn't a way out of the draft Cheney would still be single and childless.

Anyways, I supported Bush in 2000 election, but with Florida, 9/11, Iraq(not afgan, I believe that was correct) the actions after the invasion of afganistan(placing your oil buddy in power, doing everything you can to keep OBL free by letting his allies try to capture him) and of course all the Bu# he has said. "WMDs!!!!! Oops, none there, fire this guy who told me they weren't there. Saddam mass murders people! Wait, no proof, fire this guy who told me that Saddam wasn't doing that. Protect the oil! Wait, thats the truth, can't say that, protect our allies in the Middle East! Wait, don't have any left cause we pissed them off. WMDs!!!!"

Originally posted by James the Lesser
I still say if marrige/kids wasn't a way out of the draft Cheney would still be single and childless.

You might just be right. He seemed to have a lot of fun back in his single days, racking up those multiple DUI's.

And this is the guy the Christian Coalition loves. Go figure. At least when Clinton was busy.. cough.. not inhaling, he wasn't placing anyone else in danger.