Ok John, I'll bite. I'm not saying I'm 100% against bush. As Dragan has said, how do you know where the truth lies.

There is far too much smoke for me. There is just far too much evidence that the administration cooked the books are far as Iraq goes. You comdemn me for spouting the party line as far as this goes. Yet I think it's you who is glossing over too much evidence. And it's not just a story from a newspaper. It's people coming forth with their stories. Such as Richard Clarke saying he felt pressure immediately to tie Iraq to 9-11. And now we have many in the CIA coming forth also. This includes many career types.
Why would they be willing to come forth knowing they are throwing away a 20 - 30 yr career?

You have an assistant to the president in Karl Rove. Whereever he's been in an election, bad things happen. Consistently. Nothing sticks. But there's always something that happens. Doesn't that make you wonder?

In general, you have many who have been involved in gov't for their entire lives commenting how things are operating as never before. Such as the politicizing of science, involving religion in govt, cowboy diplomacy....

So if it seems I don't like everything, it's because the areas I've commented on I don't like. And there are many.

There is something going on between bush jr. and his dad. I'm sure jr. thinks he is doing something remarkable and will show up his dad. But I think history is going to look at this administration with a very critical eye. And they will score some of the poorest grades ever.

>Hi Mike,
>
>I'm sorry if I came across that way; it's not really what I meant.
>
>What I was really railing against was exactly what you're concerned about; what primarily bothers me about Perry and his ilk is that they are 100% against Bush and his policies - sometimes mindlessly so - and sometimes to the potential detriment of the country as a whole.
>
>That really bothers me - as do the Bush-can-do-no-wrong crowd do.
>
>I guess my point is that there is a line somewhere between responsible citizenship and honest disagreement and we have to be careful not to cross that line and we always, always have to operate on the basis of truth and not emotions.
>
>
>
>
>>I was right with you until "undermining dweeb." Don't get me wrong, I think you're one of the good guys and have always enjoyed your posts. But I am getting a whiff here of exactly what I hate about the Bush administration -- you're either behind our policies 100% or you're unpatriotic, stupid, undermining, endangering the troops, etc. Their first impulse is to employ the politics of division and hate. It disgusts me. I am not proud that these people are leading our country. Patriotism is not the same thing as agreement with government policy.
>>
>>
>>
>>>Yeah, well....
>>>
>>>I'm not beholden to either party. Until 911 I was quite active as a Libertarian but didn't like their holier-than-thou attitude on that. Cancelled my party membership.
>>>
>>>I'm starting to think that Perry is a sad little liberal f***er who reads websites and blogs that reinforce his beliefs without challenging them. You can see it in the catchphrases he uses and the canned belief structures.
>>>
>>>It's hard to reason with anyone who holds opinions as he does unfettered by facts. I, in detail, pointed out his faults with the Iraq - WW2 comparisons and he blithely ignored them and just steamed along.
>>>
>>>I'm sorry that your sheriff run was messed up by the party but .... thems the breaks with the GOP or Dems. I hate 'em both. You'd have made a great sheriff.
>>>
>>>OTOH, I am fiercely American. Any undermining dweeb who lives under our protection and then spouts nonsense about how wrong we are in this or that without clear research will invoke my "informed" wrath.
>>>
>>>:-D
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>You won't dignify my comments because I bitch-slapped you with facts that you find inconvenient to your argument. It also implies a less than complete and confused understanding of history and that you might be afraid to challenge me in that area - as well you should be if you knew my background.
>>>>>
>>>>>And to imply I was "drinking" brings to mind two responses: (A) It was untrue and uncalled for and worthy of a personal apology. (B) If true, and I understand geopolitics that much more than you while drinking than that truly puts you in a sorry state, doesn't it?
>>>>>
>>>>Dang Gonzo, Jr. Such rapier like wit! Hahahahah.
>>>>
>>>>On another note, I'm about fed up with the Republican party myownself. Locally, the fatcats are controlling both sides of the aisle. They give money freely to both sides and therefore have control. I call them the Green party (cause they got the green). I've been busy here in Memphis lately though. One of the local newspapers is nominating me as "Muckraker" of the Year! I'll be sure to post a link to the article when it comes out this week.