>>For starters I would not characterize myself as a Democrat. We basically have a two party system so in that sense I am a Democrat given the two choices. More of an independent really, though. There are Republicans I like and Democrats I can't stand.
>>
>>You had me scratching my head about which criminals "we" are supposedly rallying behind, given that the recent scandals I could think of (Ney, Cunningham) involved Republicans. Thank you for clarifying in another message that you were talking about a 24 year old case.
>
>That's a pretty good comeback. However, I'm not talking about the time of the events, rather the response to the events. A recent response from the Dems (of which you are disassociating yourself, and I certainly don't blame you) was to villify Republicans for doing the same thing, only less, than one of their own did. The Dems are out for blood on the Scooter Libby case, when it turns out this case is about as shaky as the Duke LaCrosse case. It is extremely hard to prosecute someone for not having a photographic memory, as the reporters are learning, while trying to recall the minutia of the moment. If Libby lied, under oath, that would be the same thing Clinton was accused of, and should be prosecuted. Clinton's testimony proved that he lied, while Libby's testimony and the testimony of other witnesses has not shown me he did anything wrong. It was an attempt at retaliation for the Clinton prosecution. If the congress hadn't decided they didn't want a sitting president to be dealt
>with so harshly, and justly, he would have been impeached.
>
>As I said before, the difference between the parties is how they respond to these things. Republicans (and I'm not REALLY one of those either) have given the appropriate response (after some wailing and gnashing of teeth).


I am bowing out of this discussion, John. You are way more partisan about it than I am. Your view seems to be that the Republicans are the party of righteousness -- with occasional blips that they quickly clean up -- and Democrats are scum. I do not subscribe to that POV, not even from the opposite viewpoint. Bombthrowing back and forth between the parties and their adherents is not useful IMO. What I would really love to see is politicians OF BOTH PARTIES working a little more on what they're supposed to be working on, improving the lives of their constituents. Bickering between the parties like Sneetches serves no good that I can see.