blzrul

Has it really come to that, that you and aI agree on something? I have a friend who used to guard death-row inmates in Huntsville, TX. Of course at the rate they execute them down there it was/is, relatively speaking, a revolving door so at least he got to see many new faces. Anyway James thought it was a pretty tame gig, but then his previous job had been running around in the jungles in South America trying to bust up drug cartels.

Story. Setting aside for a moment the "justice" aspect, some states are finally admitting that the rationale that execution is a better financial decision ("costs too much to keep them alive") is untrue. I have always thought that, with a few exceptions (Richard Speck, the pig, seemed to like jail), these guys would suffer much more being jailed forever without the possibility of parole. So from a "justice" perspective the idea of torturing them in this fashion is somewhat appealing. I have never, thank God, had anyone close to me be victim of a crime that carries the death penalty, so I can't know how they feel. I have seen families who would gladly administer the injection themselves, and others who've declined to support the death penalty. I really see an irony in state governments that previously held to execution as the proper recourse, now backpeddling because it is more expensive than stuffing these guys in a hole and forgetting them.

that's about 200 years after slaves got here. and by the way, there were white slaves too. american indians were enslaved. and there were indentured servants and whatnot. but overall it was the african slaves that outnumbered them all. if you want to deny that slaves 1) did the hard labor 2) sadly, were an industry itself which impacted local / regional / national economies 3) were fundamental contributors to the growth of America's agriculture, which paved the way for our ability to take advantage and eventual leadership after the Industrial Revolution then go right ahead. talk about revisionist. dumbass.

Meanwhile, uh, it's well documented that the economy under GWBush was dissolving starting back in December of 2007 when it turns out the recession started. Maybe you should have started paying attention sooner.

Been looking for a He Hate Me jersey for years. Who was the guy who hate "I Hate He Too" on his?

Slavery began in America in 1607. The Democratic party was actually split on the issue of slavery, like the rest of the country. The parties in America today have pretty much swapped positions. The Republican party actually used to be quite liberal. What's interesting is to see the decline and extinguishment of parties like the Whigs and Federalists...those who failed to understand and deal with the changes in the world around them. Maybe we'll see it again.

Has anyone seen any protesters? I've not seen any mention of it. Winguts like to set up "free speech zones" and bust people for disagreeing with them ... I guess now that they are in them minority they can't do that any more. I can think of better things to do than waste my time picketing a gathering of goofballs. What I DO find hilarious is how they have now painted themselves right into a corner ... They are now the party of Limbaugh. Much like they have over the years managed to make the word "liberal" mean something derogatory, the Democrats are promoting the idea that Rush Limbaugh, that bombastic drug addicted loser, is now "the voice of the GOP". How many moderate, rational people will want to be associated with THAT?! "Hoist with your own petard" is a term which comes to mind.

Well, not so much for the slaves whose labor helped build this country.

The 1997 Kyoto accord was a treaty signed by the United States and 54 other nations. It was never ratified by the Republican Congress although the intent in signing the treaty was obviously that the US would participate. Obama has always stated that he would exit Iraq responsibly and in consultation with military experts. No presidential candidate is in possession of 100% of the facts prior to election...JFK could bear THAT one out since after his inauguration he inherited what ended up being the "Bay of Pigs" invasion planned by Eisenhower and Nixon. Unlike Shrub, Obama is the first to admit that others know better about some things - like military operations - than he does. He's got many of the same people in place that Bush did. Perhaps at 12:01 EST on 1/21/09 they suddenly became incompetent? Because I sure didn't hear wingnuts complaining about them before. Now, go back to your cave. The sun won't be up for another few months and it's clear breaking your hibernation has left you fuzzier than usual.

So you would have our President repudiate an agreement with a foreign country? I thought Bush's pullout from the Kyoto Treaty showed a total lack of class. The current President obviously has more integrity. Plus, he consults his military experts - this man acknowledges that others may actually know more than he does. Nice try though.

Uh, first, I was never a Hillary supporter. And that's the main reason. I will admit that I would have held my nose and voted for her, but I would have required some anti-nausea meds first. Second I wasn't talking about the start of the war. It's a pretty done deal now and only an idiot would say it was worth it. Or a KBR employeed or shareholder. What I am talking about are the Security agreements that Bush signed in the fall. I realize LalaLand is sort of another world, but Bush signed two agreements with Iraq, and inclusive in the agreement was leaving behind a number of troops. So the furor over President Obama's leaving troops after our heroic retreat from Iraq is misplaced.

Welcome back.

And the point of this is? Are white people supposed to be frightened by this?

What would you expect them to do when the facts are not on their side? I suppose I will have to find and post the video of Bush signing the agreement to leave troops for a certain time period post-withdrawal. Had Obama decided that we weren't going to honor that treaty...well I can hear the howls from here. Get over it wingnuts. Your boy made a freaking mess and our guy is trying to clean it up as best he can. And all you have to offer is .... well, precisely nothing really.

Bush also got a major "pass" by the media at first. There were all kinds of cutesy fluff pieces about his brush-cutting abilities and his fishing prowess (including a big windy about an 8-pound perch, give me a break). I recall Laura getting PO'd because hubby told the media she'd go down to Crawford and sweep off the front porch for his company. What would you expect from a country that's more concerned about Jessica Simpson's weight than the fact that our kids can't do math? When people stop reading that crap, it won't be a staple of "reporting" any more. When Obama's novelty wears off, like every President before him, we won't see much of this stuff.

Oh and by the way for those who deplore leaving behind 35-50k troops after exit...apparently this was an agreement that was entered into between the Bush administration and the Iraqi government. Perhaps President Obama deplores the agreement - and I don't know if he does - but he's going to honor it.

You mean those knuckle-draggers can actually READ?!

So get some Cruex and go away already.

What I've read and what I heard today is a range of 35-50k which is an improvement over 130k with people continually being redeployed. My guess is that announcing a pullout of every last soldier by 8/10 would not be realistic or responsible. However, I also guess that if this serves as a strong impetus for the Iraquis to get their act together, and they actually DO it, then the number will be reduced. Granted, jerking the tooth out as opposed to wiggling it for days is usually less painful. But I am sure that this decision was made after much consultation with the military and is probably the best of a lot of bad alternatives. Pull everyone else out immediately, and watch the extremists take over. Stay 100 years. This is an interim step which will get us out sooner than we would have with "President McCain's" 100-year war. Besides, we all love to watch Nancy Pelosi wig out.

oh ok ok. Let's legalize it and not tax it... Frankly I think that it will be legalized, but it will be taxed JUST to shut up the people who will scream at the legalization. Because you know they're out there. The new drug czar, by the way, is a pretty reasonable guy and when he was nominated the first reaction out here was "betcha he allows legalized pot". I wonder how the wingnut's chief drug-abuser, the Big Ditto himself, would react to legalization? He can't blame his pill-popping addition on pot so the "start with pot and end up on smack" talk won't work...maybe he'd just continue railing about socialism.

Yes, let's discuss that over a 40-oz sometime.

It is galling, that's true. No-one likes to be told what to do. What it boils down to though is at what point do things stop impacting just the people on the bottom - and there will ALWAYS be people on the bottom - and impact all of us? There are certain minimum things which have to be in place for a certain level of security (both economic and otherwise). Letting the banks all fail? I'd love it - but it would hurt many many people. In theory we should let it happen, but can we allow it as a practical matter? Same with the auto manufacturers. Maybe at another time, when the economy was not riddled with weakness as it is now, we could let this happen, but not today. I hate debt. I hate deficit. And I am really don't like the fact that I, a fiscally responsible person who takes nothing from anyone, is paying to prop up institutions and individuals who don't really deserve it. But I firmly believe that if we just "let it all go", we'll all go too.

I love how everyone is spazzed out of a budget summary when the actual budget won't be delivered until April. I love how everyone assumes it's all written in stone. Haven't any of you ever bought a car? I would love to sell you one, you probably walk onto the lot and pack sticker without negotiating....

ROFLMAO.... Now I am trying to draw a mental picture of the SECURITY these people will want. Because I am sure THEY are sure that the evildoers are sitting in their villas in the mountains of Pakistan, taking note of this great opportunity to strike at the heart of America.

When I lived in Texas the joke always was "thank God for LA/MS/AL" because if not for them Texas would be considered the Third World Country of the US.