"Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph." Thomas Paine

Was Thomas Paine echoing the GOP's current strategies and tactics in attacking Americans? Do they look upon the Democrats as terrorists and so the more glorious the triumph in defeating them?

@2950-10K, great ideas, post, and words!

David, Palindromedary, Gerald and all, WOW! great posts, glad I'm on your side!

First I'll mention what I'd like to do to awaken voters, and then what I actually do. I'd like to rent all available billboards nationwide and plaster images of Vitter in his diaper and fiscal conservative Christie getting off the taxpayer sponsored helicopter at his kid's baseball game!

What I actually do is what the right wing controlled mass media will not do. I spread fact- soaked, nonpartisan political information whenever possible. I have no illusions my singular efforts make much difference but firmly believe if we all do this, our collective efforts will eventually "monkey-wrench" the massive right wing lie machine.

We all know the right wing mass media controls the volume knob when it comes to how much noise various news stories are allowed. Important issues, concerning the welfare of 98% of us, get turned way down and propaganda favoring the top 2% gets turned way up. A great example of this was when McConnell and his senate republicans blocked a democatic bill to end tax breaks to companies that close down and shift jobs to foreign slave markets. So to make my point, stop for a second and pretend it was the democrats instead of the republicans blocking the same bill. All mass media hell would have broke out with full volume "slam danceable" noise, piercing the echo chamber. I can hear it now, "DEMOCRATS CONTINUE JOB KILLING EFFORTS BY BLOCKING REPUBLICAN BILL WHICH WOULD STIMULATE JOB GROWTH". This message would have spread like a climate change wildfire in a windstorm. Given the unemployment situation, the democratic party would have been history! Instead,I kid you not, I saw a headline regarding this that read "Senate Republicans Defeat Democrat's Jobs Outsourcing Bill". Apparently the right wing media counts on lazy readers getting much of their misinformation from headlines alone!

With collective effort we can defeat the right wing media machine and thwart it's big money sponsored propaganda. I believe even the most, "strung out on Fox", voters can be brought back to their senses.

"Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph." Thomas Paine

On Saturday, June 25, 2011, my wife and I attended the high school graduation of a relative at an open house gathering. I had a conversation with one of the relatives through marriage. She is a conservative crazy. She asked me, “How much of her hard earned money should she give to the poor. Enough is enough.” I said that Jesus gave us free health care. She said why didn’t Jesus give it to everyone? He lived to the age of thirty-three and He set for us an example for helping people. My sister-in-law is truly a conservative crazy. Jesus was the perfect example of love, mercy, and forgiveness. As Jesus’ disciples we need to emulate Him in our lives. We are to be our brothers’ keeper.

My sister-in-law asked me if I was a socialist. I said that I am a progressive, a Democratic socialist, and most importantly I am a Jesus liberal. I said to her that she needs to read the New Testament in the Holy Bible to know how liberal Jesus was as He walked among us. She ended our conversation by saying she won the debate. I said to her that I am glad she won. I do not care who wins in a discussion, debate, or a dialogue because I feel very comfortable with me being a Jesus liberal.

Today, June 26, 2011, is the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Faith is something we can neither prove nor disprove. Faith is faith! We, as Catholics, believe that the Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus. The mystery of the Eucharist is not about reason but faith. There are no words that can totally explain the mystery we embrace. We are humbled at the thought of Jesus giving us His very life. It is an extraordinary gift. It is the celebration of the incarnation and the mystery of God becoming man.

Jesus invites us to be fed but also to feed others. It is the gift of self to one another that makes us disciples of Jesus. The Eucharist is the challenge to live as Jesus did. The Eucharist calls us to love. The Eucharist calls us to feed the poor and to feed the broken hearted. It is Jesus’ life and His service we are called to live.

Well, I don't know that he is necessarily an "arrogant jerk" and I would not care if he was if he had only been more of a liberal Democrat instead of what appears to be a turn coat conservative Republican. I would even like the guy normally and I voted for him once but would not do so again because he seemed to just give in to just about everything the Republicans wanted. We were voting for someone who spoke "change we could believe in" but it turned out to be total bull! He totally screwed up when he gave in to the HealthScare criminals with his "Obamacare". He should have fought for either a public option or a single payer system.

Now, what will happen is that the government will force us to make payments to private insurance companies who, may not be able to drop us for previous conditions, but have a free hand in raising their rates so high that many people would not be able to afford it. So if you have a previous condition, you may not be dropped, but you will be forced to pay rates that are totally unaffordable...which is the same thing, pretty much, as saying you are being dropped...and then the government will come in and penalize you for not having health insurance. Unless the Democrats can force the insurance companies from raising their already sky-high rates, despite preexisting conditions, then Obamacare is only a government imposed heist on the American people....hurting mostly those who can little afford it.

This is worse than a second imposed income tax...and a huge tax....for something that may result in questionable benefits. I'd rather see an overall increase in taxes for a government run single payer system. The government administrators would not be ridiculously high paid CEOs and other corporate execs. Some people make fun of the VA but I have got to say that I think the VA is an excellent organization that should be emulated for the whole population. I have had nothing but fantastic care and others I know think the same thing. When you have a corrupt private system with overpaid CEOs who maximize profits by reducing costs so much that they become the real "death boards" ..."corporate death squads"...the ones who really pull the plugs on granny or even younger children...then you really have a problem. Look at how they have shipped our jobs overseas and whittled away at pay checks and benefits in order to pay CEOs more. Look at how they cut back on safety on Nuclear Plants, and other dangerous things, in order to cut costs to maximize profits.

We need to get back to a fairer taxation system where the ultra-rich are again paying their fair share of taxes...like it was back in the days of DDE. Obama turned out to be the Republican's best friend even though they are all screaming bloody murder. That's all part of the act anyway....because I believe that both parties are not working for the people but are bought and paid for by the wealthy corporations and special interests. The Democrats sell false hope to buy time and eventual frustration so that it leads back to a Republican administration where they barge full steam ahead in screwing the people.

The false hope is a kind of temporary pressure relief valve that keeps people from rioting in the streets and then they finally either die off or totally resign any fight they had to an accepted defeatism. The people that still vote just have not realized how futile it is because the game is stacked against them in a very deceptive and corrupt politcal realm.

Defeated people, backed into a corner, with no other choices will either wither away or stand and defend themselves any way they can. Realizing that voting is no longer an acceptable option, and faced with life or death realities, may kick in their lizard brain reactionary survival mechanisms and vote with something other than a stupid ballot.

The way they play the game is to keep us stupid and confused...not knowing who the real enemies are...one side presents the Republicans with all of their idiot Fox snooze inanities....the other side...the Democrats...do it by selling false hope and "we have no other choice to vote for the Democrats because the other side is so bad". The key is to get the followers of both sides so emotional and confused that they lash out against each other even though they are all in the same boat, economically...and the wealthy ruling elite minority wins every time. There is supposed to be strength in numbers...unless you can keep the masses confused, wasting time and energy with false hope, and continuing on with a corrupted system that has the misnomer of democracy.

I live in the state of New Jersey and am waiting for the day that this arrogant jerk is voted out of office. He would not raise taxes on the rich but is paying for the budget crisis on the backs of the hard working citizen of the state of New Jersey. I work in the public sector and am disgusted that he is taking away gains made at the bargaining table to balance the budget.

We have several options when it comes to public services. Option one: We could go without public services altogether: health department, emergency services, public schools, fire fighters, police, public defenders and other essential services. Option two: We could have all these services privatized. An while you’re settling your fire department bill with their costumer services rep in India your house will be burning to the ground. The company running your police department will ask for higher pay rates in poverty stricken areas because of higher crime. Americans will be receiving all the magic privatization as long as they have the money to pay for it. Option 3: Staying with the public services as a tax based system with no profit margins. The system that work for years with proper funding and dedication to the idea of strong public services for the American citizenry with everybody receiving equal treatment regardless of their means.

@stradic you laugh and ridicule probably because its easier to try to discredit me than what Ive written because it is all verifiable. For anyone, including you Thom, who thinks we're screwed and hopelessly lost without the FDA, simply google the terms: FDA raids. You will find a plethora of instances where natural supplement companies were screwed by the FDA. Again this is a tyrranical agency that is totally unconstitutional, regulary violates the rule of law and just common human decency. Sending in Heavily armed stormtroopers for people selling elderberry juice or raw milk? doesnt sound very progressive to me. David the heavy hand of the FDA has been seen by many unfortunately rarely big Agribusiness. Progressives are always complaining about the costs of health care and the horrors of BIg Pharma but silent about and/or ignore the attacks by the FDA and other government regulatory bureaucracies that are the biggest threat to low cost, natural alternative medicine? whats up with that?

Thom, I think you missed an important subject. The release of the strategic oil reserve. CNBC reported that it was a"genius" move on President Obama's part. But in a related article, it was noted that the oil would be released only for a short period of time, and then the prices would run back up. I applaud the White House for responding to this story by then stating that they would continue to release more of the reserves if necessary. This is a battle we should all be behind as the speculators have run the price up too long. This is "GOOD" government intervention, and this oil cannot be bet on. This battle is one that should not go unnoticed!

Palindromedary, trust me, I share your frustrations and disappointments regarding President Obama's role in continuation of the Bush tax cuts, the public option not being part of his health insurance reform bill, and continuation of the wars. These were all major blows to not only us progressives but also to the vast majority. I still hold the Republicans responsible for much of this due to their partisan shenanigans, like the threat to not extend unemployment insurance, and most recently the debt ceiling issue. They have no shame when it comes to inflicting economic terror on the very people that got mislead into voting for them. I could go on, but will mention one more very important thing, we need President Obama in office for future Supreme Court picks, this is critical for hope of future functional Democracy..... Keep up the good work, fight on Palindromedary!

Well, see, Palindromedary, the trick is to maybe not go as far as what I said, but rather to go just as far as the republican who answers the door feels comfortable going. And then take it farther than he is comfortable going. And look kind of wild-eyed while saying it. And say that you have heard inside-circle republicans talking about these very issues, and that what you are saying represents what they have said. Just say enough so the person you are talking to ends up feeling uncomfortable about it.

The courts have clearly indicated that people, corporate officers, and politicians have an Absolute, Constitutionally-Guaranteed Right to knowingly lie about politics, and the republicans have taken increasingly full advantage of this fact ever since Reagan. I mean, look at the whoppers they have told, with absolutely no consequences, political, legal, or otherwise: "There are plenty of jobs available, the problem is, these people don't want to work," "Saddan has weapons of mass destruction," "Al Queda is connected to Saddam," "Al Queda is in Afghanistan," "Kerry was an absolute disgrace when he served in the military," (Bush's instructions to the CIA) "Tell me that Saddam was behind 911. Maybe you didn't hear me: I said tell me that Saddam was behind 911," "Brownie's doin' a heck of a job," "as of tonight nearly one half of al Qaeda's senior operatives have been captured or killed," "We had no idea that Al Queda would fly four aircraft into American targets," "Unemployment is down to 5.6%," "Now the people of Iraq are free," and I could go on for thousands of pages about the lies that republicans have told.

David Abbot...brilliant!!!! Excellent idea!!! Just make sure they are not armed. And although there are some groups that can get away with going door to door trying to sell us their wares or beliefs I'd bet anyone trying to do what you suggest would soon be apprehended by the local police...not that you are doing anything illegal...but just because they can. As an atheist, I often wonder, after having my door assaulted by various religious groups, what if I would go around, literature in hand, trying to preach atheism to them. Would I be arrested for being a public nuisance, or disturbing the peace, or being a non-believer presenting blasphemy to the general public?

My primary concern is the laws being stormed through by the republicans will be let slide even if the democrats regain control on the state or federal level. These reactionary laws will remain on the books. In addition, the republicans would filibuster any attempts by democrats to repeal these restrictive laws. In my opinion the republicans don't care if the polls are down. By the time they are removed or voted out the damage is and will have been done.

So, Thom you can be really wonkish on these issues but what are you really doing? Your listeners and the American people are just trying to get by. The republicans are counting on that. Distract everyone with enough crap and they can get anything by their crony legislators.

These jerks are not doing the business of the people they are doing the business of big business and the plutocrats.