Welcome to DU, revmclaren!

Good to have you with us! I'm hearing Arne Duncan talking about how we're losing a competitive edge because our country isn't committed to building an educational edge. Because nobody wants to invest in public schools >>> because nobody wants to pay taxes.

Links? I wanna hear more about that! And I want NAMES.

Welcome to DU, ripcord!

Glad you're here! I'm so sorry this is happening. But I'm glad it's being described so frequently and so widely as a hostage hold. Because that's what it is. And those doing it are domestic terrorists. All those trying to scare voters into this or that - this is exactly what terrorism is about, in its very heart: to provoke and promote FEAR. That's why they're called "terrorists," and why the root word is "terror."

I'm so sorry our poor nation has to go through this. Because these assholes failed to force their agenda on voters in the last two Presidential election cycles. And they STILL insist that they should have their way. Nothing but adult-sized spoiled snot-nosed brat-children to me. As a mom I'm just up-to-HERE tired of their tantrums and acting out, and I'm sure as hell not interested in reinforcing their bad behavior by giving into their demands and granting them their wishes!!! NO WAY IN HELL!!!! I'm just sorry that so many noncombatants have to suffer because of their pigheadedness.

Seems to me you might be giving that side more credit for intellect than you need to.

NOTHING SO FAR has stopped the teabaggers from their precious stupidity. They just figure out a different way to look at it that fits their pretzel logic and twisted worldview.

THIS! VVVVVV

"Rush Limbaugh and the partisan crew at Fox News, of course, echo GOP talking points that say any shutdown or default will be President Obama’s fault because he failed to bargain with Republicans. But that is akin to saying a warehouse owner is at fault for the fire that destroyed his warehouse because he refused the ransom demands of the arsonist who set the fire."

SUPERB metaphor in this editorial you found, Cali! Reinforcing bad behavior: would you do it as a parent? No? Then why would you do it with your Congress-critter?

SO well-written, Douglas Carpenter! Such GREAT points you make here!

Yes, Yes, and YES!

Pretty much. When that rat-bastard reagan ran his mouth off with that pablum

"government isn't the solution, government is the problem" bullshit. And his sloganeering - "what are the nine most terrifying words in the English language? 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

BASTARD!!!!

I swear, if I had the power and authority, I would systematically be removing that beast's name from ANYTHING on which it was emblazoned, from the Simi Valley Freeway to the Washington National Airport, and ALL things - buildings, overpasses, high schools, roller derby parks, skeet-shooting emporia, memorial gun shows, etc. - in between. He can have his Presidential Library. I'd leave that for the reagan idol-worshippers. That's enough. That's MORE than enough. Eight years of him (and everybody else who manipulated and spoke for and ruled in place of him including his wife, while propping him up for the public like a freakin' cardboard cutout) in charge was bad enough, but it's been the gift-from-Hell that's kept on giving. It has been a lasting blight on our country and its collective conscience. It's sent us emotionally and morally back to the Bronze Age.

Maybe those who still regard him as the Second Coming love him so much because he stopped change and progress and enlightenment, and they liked the dark, pinched little rut they'd dug for themselves. Whatever. I'm trying hard to understand it. I still don't. I have been trying in vain to wrap my mind around it since he arrived on the national scene - when we really couldn't avoid him anymore. We here in California suffered under his governorship for two annoying terms but you figure at least it's only the governor and he can't fuck up the rest of the country completely, only his own state - large though it is. But when he got into the White House, then we were stuck. And we were SCREWED. He was 100% unignorable at all times.

I hated those times! It felt like a hostage hold. Like we were all suddenly stuck in a twisted, polar-opposite, Bizarro America. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe people were just melting for him. I couldn't believe he'd done that big a sales job, and snowed that many people with his aw-shucks shtick and his slick packaging. And what he set about doing, and was able to unleash, was nothing short of appalling - both then and even to this day. "Millionaires on Parade." Breaking the back of the union movement. Giving credibility and cover to evangelical extremism. Trickle-down - which was really trickle-ON. "The rich get richer..." "Trees cause pollution." Tearing away at the separation of church and state. Deregulation - of every kind. Demonizing liberalism. Letting the foxes guard the henhouses. The rise of hate radio. Denying the reality of AIDS - all those years we lost in which there could have been research and study and maybe a jump-start on a cure. Hating the federal government and believing it should be drastically downsized. Doing business with terrorists. Manipulating and managing the media. Iran/Contra. jerry falwell. ralph reed and the christian coalition. Obscene military build-up while the poor multiplied in number and only a select few profited. The whole free-market worship. Emboldened CONservatives allowed to run amok like under-disciplined schoolyard bullies. All of that. I believe there were more indictments and imprisonings during the reagan years than there even were in Watergate. And he personally got away with it because nobody wanted to believe that this amiable old uncle was bringing about some true long-range calamity for the country he loudly boasted that he loved. And worst of all, he made it all seem nice and charming and harmless and all-American and utterly desirable.

http://liberalslikechrist.org/about/Reagan.html

AWFUL times. It planted the seeds for what's happening now. Guess who else rose from the depths of the damned at that same time, like Tweedledum to his Tweedledee? newt gingrich. And it just went on and on and on from there. There have been bad days since, and bad presidents. But in the modern era, it all started with reagan.

Um... lynne dear, did you forget? You DON'T run things anymore!!!!

Guess she got a little too comfy with her husband's exalted president-behind-the-(so-called)-president position. Those days are OVER, lynne. YOU shut up! Go slither under your little rock and write your little dirty books.

Well how 'bout that?

I've become accustomed to expecting her to veer wrong, one too many times. I'm glad she's standing strong!

Also - why I'm confused as to why this would be difficult for many liberals in the Democratic Party to do. So-called "middle-of-the-roaders" maybe, or lieberman-esques. But not liberals. At least I'd hope not.

AGREED!

My kingdom for a Bedroom Boycott! And that means hookers and other assorted backstage girls (and guys). TOTAL boycott! Until they bring their views of women and women's issues into the 21st Century.