The trap has been set.

In 2000, Republicans captured the reins of government and stepped into the “power trap.” Believing that conservatism had triumphed and was here to stay as the dominating political force, they set out to recreate the world to their liking with a go-it-alone, take-no-prisoners approach. They marginalized anyone who disagreed with their policies and rammed their agenda down the throats of the country.

They shredded the Constitution which they claim to be their inviolate bible by turning a blind eye to activities like torture, unlawful imprisonment, and illegal wiretapping, all in the name of security but Ben Franklin summed it up best when he said, “Those who sacrifice liberty for a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Invoking war powers to justify any and all actions they plunged the country into costly and violent military engagements that have alienated the U.S. to the rest of the world and lowered our standing in the eyes of our allies. The benefits of these actions are still unknown but forcing democracy on people who don’t seem to particularly want it does not seem like a winning strategy to me.

President Bush has placed himself outside of the law by appending signing statements to a plethora of bills passed by Congress, reinterpreting or outright ignoring the document he just signed and making a mockery of the entire process. Injecting partisanship into every aspect of his administration the so-called “uniter-in-Chief” drove a Grand Canyon-sized wedge between those who agreed with him and those who didn’t.

No president should ever wear rose-colored sunglasses but they appear to be standard issue for the current occupant of the Oval Office. Free speech was actively disdained and protesters were arrested, illegally detained and hidden from view in order to maintain the illusion of an agreeable public.

Raising hypocrisy to new heights the Republicans crowed about sanctity of life for the unborn while gleefully signing death warrants for those on death row. I guess you can put a price on a life. If it’s discovered that an innocent man was executed it’s lamented as the price of justice. Instead of working to raise the moral discourse on abortion or providing adoption incentives thereby lowering abortion rates, conservatives continue their slash and burn policy of trying to overturn Roe v. Wade, inviting the return of coathangers and back alley abortions and praising that possible future.

Trillions of dollars have vanished in a sea of appropriately colored ‘red’ ink with no obvious benefits to the American public. Our education is in a shambles, our health care system is crumbling and our retirement system is relying on prayer to see us through. The free market has imploded through corporate greed spurred on by “trickle-down” economics that never quite met the promise of helping the middle and lower class. The conservatism of the last 8 years has bankrupted our country for ourselves and our posterity.

Should the Democrats prevail on November 4th, the trap will be set for them. I have the audacity to hope that they will not spring the trap and that the country will be on a better road than we are on right now.

I can't say it better than this

I found this comment on an article discussing a Republican's comments that some of her fellow legislators are "un-American".

http://minnesotaindependent.com/14022/bachmann-controversy-upends-views-of-her-re-election-prospects

I have cut and pasted the comment in it's entirety as a neat summation of what the last 8 years have wrought and what further Republican control would mean. In addition to the comments below I would add that the abortion issue hangs in the balance as well. While I personally lean towards the pro-life thinking, the remedy separates me from the conservative position. Overturning Roe v. Wade means back alley abortions, intentional poisonings to induce miscarriage, and trips to Canada to end pregnancies. I believe that making abortion the least favorable/desirable option while still allowing it as a medical procedure is the way to go. All of our efforts should be directed toward lowering the number of abortions in this country by elevating the issues of morality, increasing education on the issue, providing incentives and protections for adoptions as well as abolishing the death penalty. The hipocracy of sanctity of life advocates who rail against abortion but stand idly by while people are legally put to death for crimes they may OR MAY NOT have committed continues to astound me. If all lives are equally important then both ends of the spectrum must be supported.


Full credit for everything following goes to "Frank". Whoever, you are, you're singing from the right hymnbook.

Frank USComment posted October 21, 2008 @ 11:04 am

Do John McCain, Sarah Palin or conservative republicans respect the moral foundations of our country? The U.S. Constitution is abused by conservative republicans at every turn.
U.S. Constitution: Amendment I - Freedom of ReligionBecause of conservative republicans, your tax dollars are funding religious groups you may not agree with. To add insult to injury, conservative appointed judges have ruled that you do not have a right to challenge this expenditure.
Amendment IV - Search and seizureUnder the guise of court action against abortion, Conservative republicans had John Ashcroft subpoena all the medical records of literally thousands of women like you and members of your family. Conservative republicans invade your privacy every day by browsing your email and phone records. Unfortunately for all of us, they don’t appear to care about our U.S. constitution, and they certainly don’t care about your privacy.
Amendment X - Powers of the States and PeopleJohn McCain and conservative republicans have tried consistently to overturn States Laws. They used your hard earned tax dollars to destroy the will of the people of Oregon, and the famous “Death with Dignity” law; they lost, but undoubtedly will try again. Conservative republicans and John McCain do not respect States Rights. If your state votes for something conservatives don’t agree with they will use federal powers to overturn it regardless of how you and your fellow voters feel.
Amendment VIII - Cruel and Unusual punishmentWould you rather die, or support a government which supported and sanctioned torture? The founding fathers would rather have died. The founding fathers were proud to fight and die for our government: A government which specifically outlaws cruel and unusual punishment. Conservatives don’t agree with this philosophy. Conservatives are at odds with our founding fathers on this score, and too many others to count.
John McCain, Sarah Palin, and the conservative republicans have already gone too far in destroying the moral foundations of our country. I urge you to keep this in mind in the coming election as we rebuild our nation together by voting for Obama, who stated that in his first 100 days he would eliminate all of Bush’s unconstitutional signing orders as a start.