Comments on: The War Debate Turns Even Nastier

By: Knemon

Knemon — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 18:12:10 +0000

Hinchey voted “present?” That’s my former congressman … I’m so proud! (Take a look at NY’s 22nd district some time … talk about gerrymandering!)

What about Barbara Lee, my current congresswoman?
Did she vote “no?” Ye gods!

By: too many steves

too many steves — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 16:35:02 +0000

Sadly I have to agree – I guess I’m just clinging to an unrealistic ideal (or does that make it a fantasy).

bebere: I am a lifelong resident of MA and a conservative leaning type who almost always arrives at the polls to discoverer I have no one to vote for.

By: fatman

fatman — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 13:36:53 +0000

too many steves said:

“They represent us. We elect them, in part, with expectations that they will be above this petty fighting and name calling, focused, instead, on a dispassionate analysis and discussion of the issues of the day.”

You’re expecting too much from them. They’re a cross section of typical men and women, with one notable exception: the passion for politics that led them to run for office in the first place. And that passion is going erupt sometimes, and it will get nasty. Even term limits, which I’m certain is only way to get the institutional corruption under control, won’t change that.

By: bebere

bebere — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 13:24:33 +0000

Dennis – you’re absolutely right on that. The problem with all this coverage is that it may well call some violent people into action. To be honest, I’m surprised that, given the level of bile I’ve seen against him, that no one’s tried to take a shot at the President. (Or some NARAL fringer pull a reverse John Salvi on Alito.)

Too Many Steves: I wonder how many end up representing us because so many are so lazy-disaffected-whatever to go to the polls. I live in MA and the only person I could honestly pull the lever for was Romney a couple years back. Generally, since all they can find who’re crazy enough to run (on the senate side of things) against Kerry or Kennedy is some twitching Green or whacked out independent. I won’t not vote, but often I’ll leave the ballot blank if I don’t want *anybody* in. (Which is what happened this year.)

By: too many steves

too many steves — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 12:02:41 +0000

They represent us. We elect them, in part, with expectations that they will be above this petty fighting and name calling, focused, instead, on a dispassionate analysis and discussion of the issues of the day. We offer them respect in return for voting their conscience when the time to vote arrives. They are all to blame, both those that started the pettiness and cheap political tricks and those that allowed themselves to be baited and goaded by such childish antics. Shame on them all.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 04:43:54 +0000

Bebere, you’re right. Rep. Preston Brooks of S.C. beat Sen. Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with his cane on the floor of the Senate. How far are we from such a spectacle today. Well, maybe still pretty far, since I can’t picture any of these Congresscritters doing anything that required them to get their hands dirty, but I don’t think we’re all that far from extremists calling for political violence and getting some lunatic to heed their call.

Mark, I agree with you on what Murtha had to say. I watched some of his speech and while the talk of wounded soldiers is always moving, it doesn’t have anything to do with the topic at hand. There were a lot more wounded soldiers in World War II; did those wounds make the war not worth fighting? I mean, if you’re against the war, one soldier with a paper cut is presumably more wounds than you think are worth it. It’s not as if there’s some magic number.

By: bebere

bebere — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 03:56:32 +0000

“Plus ça change…” Wasn’t it in the mid 19th century when one congressman beat another into a coma over the fugitive slave law or something? Let’s get some of that old time civil discourse going, have it on C-Span and show it opposite whatever that WB Friday Night Free For All is.

The rhetoric isn’t any worse – it’s just more mediatised than ever before.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 03:36:26 +0000

Dan, I share your frustration, but what can you do? We’ve got to tough it out…this has been a very discouraging year on many fronts…still, the fight is out there waiting for us…hang in there…

By: The Right Nation

The Right Nation — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 03:21:14 +0000

GOP: Iraq Showdown

�I nostri soldati sono sotto attacco. Non possiamo permetterci di mandare segnali ambigui�. Con queste parole, il congressman dell’Arizona, J.D. Hayworth, ha lanciato il guanto di sfida repubblicano agli avversari democratici, obbligandoli a prendere…

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 02:42:18 +0000

I am so sick and tired of this BS from the left in this country. Its now gotten to the point that I am just about ready to give up on America, I don’t think a majority in this country has the balls to fight a real war, we might as well just surrender now. I’ve always said that if there were cameras from 24 hour cable “news” channels in Normandy on June 6, 1944 we’d be speaking German and pledging alligence to Hitler today. How can a president be expected to lead when 95%+ of the information we get is twisted to the left. I just don’t know how much more we can take before we destroy ourselves, the Chinese must be smiling.

I also find it incredibly distrubing that there is an active element of the elite liberal press doing everything possible to assure an American defeat because of an outright hatered of President Bush. I am sure there were elements in this country that disagreed with FDR but I doubt these people actively worked to help Hitler, Mussolini or Tojo. How can these people live with themselves? I am really just beside myself and can’t comprehend all the BS.