So how does this end well? I mean, really?
I'm a little depressed tonight.
Here's the problem: there are parts of this country who believe people like this are responsible enough to govern the same country I live in:
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The irresponsibility in voting these grifters, crazies and dimwits to national office so so incomprehensible... I have to ask, how do we get to common ground with these people in our lifetimes?
At this moment, I don't see how this works out to a good outcome. The stupidity that runs amok in large swaths of this country is crushing.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Go Get 'Em Tigers!
(it was a great game though by both teams) 
more pronounced with smaller land mass. It would be just as crazy as this one is collectively. Oregon, Washington, and California (Prop 8-land to some) are not pure.
Alabama, Georgia, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.
It's not Utopia here in Washington, certainly. But would I rather be here than Alaska, Alabama, or Georgia? You bet your ass I would. Oregon could come in second, I suppose, but that state is Portland and then nothing at all until you hit San Francisco 
so, I'll pass.
Close enough for the internet, there's relatively few people in N. Central and N. Eastern WA north of Spokane. I know the town of Colville very well, but did not grow up in a town.
Do you mean you were just in Kalispel, Montana? I don't believe there is any town called Kalispel of in Washington
And I'm all in.
Pleeease, Canada, can we have BC?! 
I don't think that there is any common ground with most of them - too twisted by fear, hatred, or hopelessly manipulated....
Agreed - extremely disturbing.
That's precisely why I don't believe this BS about 40 Teahadis being responsible for the "crisis."
A partial shutdown suits the deficit hawks in both parties just fine, since it's been adjusted so it doesn't actually impact payrolls in the military and Intelligence agencies. This is simply austerity and cuts to social programs without anyone having to actually vote for it, and that's making the Center-Right smile.
Of course, they won't allow actual default of the debt - the "threat" of that just another psychological device to make this seem like a real crisis. It's not - it's simply austerity by default.
If 40 members of the House could force this sort of thing, the House Progressive Caucus would be running the frickin' government.
There are always just enough Democrats joining ranks with Republicans to ensure the 1% always gets what it wants, and the Working Class gets stuck with the tab.
In my younger, naive days, I believed that the Voting Record was the Touchstone by which the bad Democrats could be separated from the good ones.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Votes are traded and sold freely,
with always just enough to betray the Working Class continuously with no single Dem taking ALL the heat.
Most of DU still doesn't get that,
and we ponder excuses for WHY a normally solid appearing Dem suddenly turns against Party on a particular vote.
....but he/she "votes with the party 91% of the time, so its OK."
One minute, it’s Jay Rockefeller as the Prime Villain leading the way in protecting Bush surveillance programs and demanding telecom immunity;
...the next minute, it’s Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer joining hands and “breaking with their party” to ensure Michael Mukasey’s confirmation as Attorney General;
...then it’s Big Bad Joe Lieberman single-handedly blocking Medicare expansion;
...then it’s Blanche Lincoln and Jim Webb joining with Lindsey Graham to support the de-funding of civilian trials for Terrorists;
....and now that they can’t blame Lieberman or Ben Nelson any longer on health care (since they don’t need 60 votes), Jay Rockefeller voluntarily returns to the Villain Role, stepping up to put an end to the pretend-movement among Senate Democrats to enact the public option via reconciliation.
<more>
http://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/
You will know them by their [font size=3]WORKS.[/font]
The ACA also opens the door to the Public Treasury to the Health Insurance Industry.
(The Subsidies for the Poor don't really go to The Poor,
but are paid directly to the private Health Insurance Corporations)
Not only are we subsidizing Wall Street,
but we are NOW subsidizing Wall Street's Incestuous 1st Cousin,
the Health Insurance Industry, with a guaranteed 15% skim off the top,
and mandated customers.
We are subsidizing the most useless industry the World has ever seen.
The Health Insurance Industry:
*Manufactures NOTHING
*Provides NO useful service
*Creates NO (Value Added) Wealth
The Health Insurance Industry contributes NOTHING to America,
but will be subsidized by $BILLIONS of Taxpayer dollars
which will NOT go toward Health CARE.
Great Work if you have the right connections.
Of course, they wouldn't get offered cushy, corporate jobs after their time in office. 
Do you believe this guy "denigrated" Democrats?
or held them to a higher standard?
"I've seen it happen time after time. When the Democratic candidate allows himself to be put on the defensive and starts apologizing for the New Deal and the Fair Deal, and says he really doesn't believe in them, he is sure to lose. The people don't want a phony Democrat. If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don't want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign."
---President Harry Truman
[font size=4]Leadership! "The Buck Stops HERE!" NO Excuses![/font]
Personally, I believe in holding our Democrats to the Traditional Democratic Party Values
that made our Party GREAT,
and built the largest, wealthiest, and most Upwardly Mobile Working Class
the World had ever seen.
I can understand that people who don't live here
and are NOT members of the Democratic Party,
and do NOT vote in our elections,
and are NOT affected by the results,
may have difficulty understanding this simple fact of American politics.
You will know them by their [font size=3]WORKS.[/font]
The least he could have dome was spend 6 years seeking Bi-Partisan Consensus!
Just because he won an election and all,
that is no reason to push for Democratic Policies and everything!!!!
Think about the Poor Republicans feelings!!! 
So much better to Meet them Half Way so they don't feel neglected and catch an Inferiority Complex. Got to tell America that "they" have some good ideas too!
THEN they will share with us!
We need to think of THEM and be the Adults,
or Rush & Hannity will say BAD Things about us.
After All,
Obama has to be the President of ALL the People,
even the Republicans.
They do the same for us when they win elections!
It is not like The Democrats have a MANDATE for CHANGE from the American People or anything!
Plus, great news, 8% of the the electorate dies between Presidential elections. That's a lot of old conservatives! 
These guys have a limited shelf life.
Meanwhile, sane Representatives are being heard by the people. For example,
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici: U.S. economy should not be bargaining chip in health care debate - Opinion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023838918
since I live next to the two states screaming the loudest to do just that, I hear about it all the time, argue against it often... and I vote. Thanks for posting that link though, others should see that and ponder this issue.
...and working to make things better.
Helping to turn the South Blue
The South is beautiful,
and belongs to us all.
It would be a shame to just give this all away.
In 2006, My Wife & I moved from a Big Blue Northern City
to the dark RED Rural South.
Our goal is to reduce OUR Carbon Footprint,
and produce MORE than we consume.
So far, so good.
We love it here.
We won't be going back.
Living Well on a LOW "Taxable" Income,
and stuff we learned in the 60s
Good Luck to us all.
Now why would he go and do that?
Just saying.....
I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her.
I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it.
I was so ugly my mother used to feed me with a sling shot.
I get no respect. The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest.
I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet.
This morning when I put on my underwear I could hear the fruit-of-the-loom guys laughing at me.
I'm at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I've just had a mirror put over my kitchen table.
I had plenty of pimples as a kid. One day I fell asleep in the library. When I woke up, a blind man was reading my face.
I came from a real tough neighborhood. I put my hand in some cement once and felt another hand.
When I was born I was so ugly the doctor slapped my mother.
When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.
I remember the time I was kidnapped and they sent a piece of my finger to my father. He said he wanted more proof.
Yeah, I know I'm ugly... I said to a bartender, 'Make me a zombie.' He said 'God beat me to it.'
I looked up my family tree and found out I was the sap.
It's tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she won't drink from my glass.
My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too.
~Rodney Dangerfield
- Hope ya feelin' better!
