Taking Rove's advice.

[flamin lib]

In an effort to make the Religious Right actually think about Christian values I’ve begun reading and quoting the Bible to them—actually more like at them. Rove said to attack the strength of your opponent not the weakness and I’m having a go at it. Below is an example of what goes to my Political Address Book which is mixed right/left.
===============================

The Republican Party wraps itself in Christianity and Jesus. They are the “values” party. The recent stem cell “debate” was particularly illustrative with “God said” and “God’s plan” and “God’s on our side” all over the floor of Congress. CSPAN was enough to have you kneeling before the porcelain throne. Well, I got to thinking about this and went to the Bible. I found this: “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? ... A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” - Matthew 7:16,18. With that in mind I decided to look at the fruits of a dozen years of Republican leadership.

The greatest deficit spending in history. From 1945 to 1980 the national debt grew from $300 billion to $900 Billion. Reagan took office and in 8 years drove the debt to $2 trillion. Bush I added $1.5 trillion in only 4 years for a debt of $3.5 trillion. Growth continued through Clinton’s first term ending at $5 trillion, but it flattened in the second term to only $800 billion in new debt (total 5.8 trillion). Bush II with a Republican congress drove the debt to $7.25 trillion by 2005. As of 7/24/06 the debt is $8.4 trillion. (Google “national debt” and “national debt clock”)

Median family income is down 5% since Republicans took control of congress and the presidency. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The price of oil and gasoline are at historical highs. (check the NYSE and then drive to your local filling station).

Five million new jobs created, ten million new workers in the market. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Six million new uninsured workers since 2000. (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=8767)

Six million new families living in poverty since 2000. (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=8767)

Almost the entire Middle Eastern region is at war: Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria with Egypt tottering on the edge. 80% of the world’s energy supply is in danger. Oil prices predicted to top $100/barrel. (CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS)

2600 US troops dead, 20,000 wounded and 50,000 Iraqi civilians dead by the Pentagon’s count. There isn’t enough morgue space in Baghdad to hold the dead. Bush says future Presidents will find an end to war. (If you need a source for this, you’re not paying attention.)

The wars in the Middle East are fostering Islamic fanaticism and hatred of America. Rumsfeld believes there are more terrorists being created in Iraq than we can kill. (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/02/03/rumsfeld_terrorism_threat_may_be_greater/)

National foreclosures are up 38% in one year, more than double since Republicans took control. (National Association of Realtors, HUD)

30% of Americans, 80% identifying themselves as Republicans, think things are just ducky. I think Jesus could know a bad tree when he saw one. Why can’t Republicans?

[LiberalEsto]

1. Repugs don't know a thing about trees

except logging them, clear-cutting, etc.