Guiliani was brilliant.

America's Mayor indeed. He is even better than last time I heard him. I wish I were there. Nothing ever happens in Indiana :(.

I am watching FOX now with Gretta and she has some crusty old broad name Susie something. What a bitch. Did you like Michael Moores little looser hand jester, a real class act.

Did you see Michael Moore all smiling and proud of himself. He actually likes the hatred. Some NUTCASES will do anything to get attention- even if it is negative attention.When in the hell is that man gonna bathe? Maybe he is French too huh?

Moore will not be as funny as Ann Coulter, will be more obnoxious, and still won't be fired.

Just had the pleasure of attending President Bush's speech in Nashua, NH, and to top that off, came home to watch a masterful performance by Guiliani at the convention. All in all, a good day. If we come off the convention with the typical 8% bounce in the polls, Kerry is done.

Thanks for the linkage, Denny! :-)

Normally I wouldn't mind the fact that I haven't had a television in more than two years (Got tired of the schlock that passes for 'entertainment' on most channels these days), but last night was one of those rare exceptions. I would have loved to see McCain's speech, especially when he called Moore a 'disingenuous film maker'...mwhehehe...

--TwoDragons

Some time ago I made Mr. Wilson aware of a Harry Potter-based Fanfic called Summon the Lambs to Slaughter. This novel is of great interest to me in that it explores the very nature of good and evil, by portraying a character conventionally thought of as evil as actually working for good. The main protagonist has cerebral palsy (CP), but Snape’s bitterness and hostility towards her actually benefit her by forcing her not to rely on the gadgets and gizmos she is usually afforded.

In the story, what is thought of as evil (and, frankly, inhumane) is actually seen by the protagonist as good. Thus the story vividly explains why ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are blurred. Thus I find it absurd for the republicans to be talking in such terms. To portray oneself as ‘fighting evil’ is as juvenile as it is arrogant, and no doubt bin laden sees himself as doing the same. The war on terror is not Tolkien’s War of the Ring, nor is it the fourth world war. Bush is neither Frodo nor Churchill, and to view terrorists as another Hitler is a gross oversimplification. They know no borders, and I fear that they will multiply as America romps so eagerly throughout the world in it’s current crusade.

For, like it or not, religion is a major part of this war. I, like Denny, am an atheist: I see no evidence of a god, save for his venom. At school, I saw kids suffer and struggle for life while the teachers fed us platitudes and kept us away from the public. And I ask myself: “what God would allow this?” God is not there, and for the republicans to prey to him as they fight this war against Evil is merely a sign of their stupidity. Religion is for the weak. Republicans use it as an excuse for their tunnel-vision –their belief in a free-market economy, which breeds only greed and corruption at the expense of the majority. Socialism may not work, but one of it’s downfalls was the greed an selfishness of humanity.

Another example of the sheer childishness of the people attending this convention was the way Moore was booed, like kids booing the villain at a pantomime. He dares to question your views, tries to make you look outside the tunnel: maybe America isn’t the great land your fathers said it was. Maybe it is corrupt and flawed, like any other country on earth. Admittedly, it no longer has the highest crime rate (I just looked it up.) Yet you condemn Moore as a traitor for speaking his mind and questioning dogma.

You criticise Kerry while supporting a man who has seen no battle. You were so eager for vengeance for 9/11 that you believed the claptrap about the links between al qa’ida and Iraq: links which amount to a few money transactions and a hospital stay. It is almost as if you want to prove to the world how big and macho you really are, after someone kicked you in the nuts. Have you ever wondered why you got that kick, other than the typical “they hate our freedom”. Well, maybe they do, but if so they are fools and deserve only to be ignored.

I have written enough. Let the fools play soldiers.

MG, your bitterness and anger are going to eat you alive.

Quit playing the victim. People gave you suggestions as to how to turn your disability into good.

You choose to wallow in the darkness.

Oh, geez, the "root causes" argument yet.

when W is re-elected, is Europe going to look to "root causes?"

"As much as I'm against all of Bush's domestic policies, I am a one issue voter in this election".

Denny, this is probably the most honest & most refreshing statement I've seen in the entire campaign ... -from either side.

It's clear, direct, simple and spin-free. It takes a stand. Wether I agree with it or not is almost irrelevant; it lays out a clear choice.

It reminds me of the sparse economy of words employed by 'Silent-Cal' Coolidge. Maybe you could run for President as 'Silent-Den ......'; wait:
can't have those two words anywhere near each other.

Keep up the fine work!

Matthew
Denny has covered the veteran status of Kerry Clinton and Bush, as a non issiue. I support Bush for several reason's the main one is he makes a stand and sticks to it, W is not afraid to but his BALLS on the table. He does not back down or change is mind to get votes. In the next 63 days we will see the real Kerry.
On relegion,
Just because you are a non-believer does not make everybody who believes in God wrong. Most people look to the church for compasion and faith, God doesnt need to part the Red Sea to prove he exisits. God exisits in many different ways to many different people.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2004-08-30-moore-gopamerica_x.htm

Micheal Moore's piece in USA today.

I win.

I think the only assertion thats anywhere close to inflammatory is "Your people are up before dawn figuring out which minority group shouldn't be allowed to marry today."

Which... Isn't that ridculous considering the issues.

Most of the piece, he praises republicans (small r intentional).

matthew, the contraditions in your comment are a stunning example of the bitterness that guides your thinking:

"I see no evidence of a god, save for his venom."

You can't have it both ways, matthew. If, as you believe, there is no God, then you can't assign the bad things you experience to God. Find another target for your bitterness. I am reminded of an old saying: "No God, no peace. Know God, know peace."

I hope you find peace in your heart through whatever means you choose.

Matt - thats probably the saddest post of yours I've read. I feel sorry for you. Not because of your CP, but because of how you've let it determine your outlook and approach on life. I hope better days lie ahead for you.

Denny - "As much as I'm against all of Bush's domestic policies, I am a one issue voter in this election". With all due respect, are you really aginst all of his domestic policies? I figured you to at least support his tax cuts. Although I'd approach his tax cuts differently from a tax policy standpoint, its one of the few domestic areas I agree with him on.

And being a one issue voter (WWIV - which it is, even if others don't want to acknowledge it) will likley be more common in this election than in others. Just look at the stakes. Can you even imagine President Kerry getting the call to notify him a nuclear weapon has been detonated in lower Manhattan? Or that a chemical laden tanker has exploded in the San Pedro/Long Beach Port?

"Can you even imagine President Kerry getting the call to notify him a nuclear weapon has been detonated in lower Manhattan? Or that a chemical laden tanker has exploded in the San Pedro/Long Beach Port?"

Yeah, cuz reading MY PET GOAT for 15 minutes and then disappearing for a day while the VP ran the show is what I call desicive action.

Easy Link to Micheal Moore's USA Today Piece

I understand being a one issue voter. Alot of Republican policies are in direct conflict with Libertarian "stay out of my life" true conservative values.

W's domestic agenda isn't really 'conservative' at all... if you really think abou it.

W's tax cuts? Well, that's conservative... but the TRUE conservative uses tax cuts to force a reduction "gummint spending". It is the IDIOT who lowers taxes while at the same time raising "gummint spending" to ridiculous heights.

Governing Morality Issues, such as Gay Marriage, Abortion, Protitution, Seat Beat and Helmets, Drugs, and Gambling isn't indicative of CONSERVATIVE small non intrusive government, it is an indication of Big Brother 'we know how you should live your life' government.

Something in the word tells me a true CONSERVATIVE would care about the CONSERVATION of the environment. Truly not the Party of Teddy Roosevelt anymore.

Unfortunately, Denny, My opinion on the "one issue" is that it is the one that makes the LEAST difference which candidate wins in November.

Kerry's not going to pull our troops. We're stuck there. He can't change how things are run in the field much. We're already there, and the army runs things there now. Kerry MIGHT be able to get international help, if he does, great, if not, status quo. Kerry would not go invade some other country on the "Axis of Evil" list, but Bush COULDN'T do that even if he wanted to. Our military is much too thin. Our response/prevention of terrorism isn't so much a top->down problem as it is a bottom->up one.

So honestly, no matter who gets elected, Iraq will not change much. In my opinion.

Domestic issues, are another ball park. At least the Democrats don't have Constitutional bans on abortion and gay marriage written into their party platform

"Yeah, cuz reading MY PET GOAT for 15 minutes and then disappearing for a day while the VP ran the show is what I call desicive action. "

It was 7 minutes, not 15, and I'd rather that be the course of action while facts on that ground are determined, rather than having the President piss his pants in front of children and the press, cause a panic, then call France for tips.

It was 7 minutes, not 15, and I'd rather that be the course of action while facts on that ground are determined, rather than having the President piss his pants in front of children and the press, cause a panic, then call France for tips.

Who's to say he didn't piss his pants?

"Facts on the ground are being determined"

The facts 'on the ground' were in fact in the air... that planes have hit the WTC. What more do you need?

Stop being an apologist, admit that he choked. We have a scripted presidency.
Case in point: the recent we can/can't win the war on terror snafu. He can't go off script once, otherwise he starts messing up. Unless I misunderestimated him. Humans and Fish can coexist peacefully, you know.

Kerry's going to give Iran nuke material.

After all, it worked so well the last time w/the NorKs.

--Stop being an apologist, admit that he choked.--

What can we say, he left his cape at the cleaners.

And since poor Michael didn't feel the love, he's not returning to the convention.

We already have international help, frankenreich can't really add any boots on the ground. And they're certainly not going to spend any money.

Robin - If, upon hearing the news of the 911 attack, President Bush had jumped up out of his chair, flipped open his cell phone, and ordered a nuclear strike, who would he have ordered the target to be? How can you criticize a man for rationally gathering his thoughts before excusing himself to deal with the situation? Would your style of leadship be to jump hysterically to your feet and react before you have the necessary information to base your actions on? If so, you won't have many people following your lead....

What a lame argument. However, it illustrates how short the straws liberals are grasping at have become.

My brother left today for Iraq. He has been there for the past year and was home for a 15 day leave. The week before he came home he was involved in a bombing that took the life of one of his soldiers and almost took the life of his own cousin. He found pieces of his friend and it will be with him for the rest of his life. But he chose to return. He left his new baby and his wife to help bring life to a country where death was all they knew. Where they knew torture and fear, he is helping show them there is democracy and happiness and freedom. He SEES the good our troops are doing in Iraq. He SEES the progress and the appreciation on the people's faces. He puts himself in danger for the good of someone else. Don't talk to me about the US wanting vengeance. We want JUSTICE. We want those who are guilty of killing thousands of innocent people to pay for what they have done and NOT EVER DO IT AGAIN. I agree that this war on terror is going to be long and its going to be hard, but if we give up....... what then? Who is going to stop the Saddams and the Osamas? If we don't take a stand, what will happen to this world? No matter what you say... no matter how you say it... America is the good guy in the white hat trying to save the day. And although I am scared to death that the next call we get will be that my brother has paid the ultimate sacrifice, I stand behind him and I stand behind our President because we have to see this through. We have to make sure the world knows that we WILL NEVER FORGET!!!!!!

Robin you win on the Michael Moore column. But you lose big time on the My Pet Goat issue. The principal of the school lauded Bush on his calm and composure. Kerry has stated that he sat in Daschle's office unable to think for 40 minutes. If you want to talk about a scripted presidency that would be Clinton. He didn't do anything without taking a poll. Kerry is the same way. Bush is a leader. Kerry is not. And to both Matthew and Robin, you may not want to admit it but we are fighting WWIV. We cannot negotiate with these bastards. We cannot appease these bastards. All we can do is kill them. One of these days you may realize that. I hope it is not too late.

I like how I spend one HUUUUUGE post attacking Bush from the right.... and I get a buncha flak for the "My Pet Goat" talking point.

I might have missed something here... WW IV? I thought we were supposed to be fighting that one with sticks and stones. What happened to WW III?

WWIII=The Cold War

Your post was so HUUUUGE because you had to build up enough smoke to blow up our collective asses. "...the recent we can/can't win the war on terror snafu." How's what he said a SNAFU, Cap'n Moonbat? He is correct, in that terrorism can never be absolutely wiped out, but it can be diminished by the judicious use of hearty ass-whoopings (and bombs...lots and lots of them). Next!

He can't change how things are run in the field much. Why not? Is it because he is a flaccid sumbitch? Yeah, probably. Why are you willing to give a liberal a pass that you refuse to give Bush? sKerry wouldn't be able to do anything, but Bush is the root of all evil? Maybe you are alluding to the fact that "Bush started the EEEVIL aggresive invasion!!!" Yeah, whatever. Go do some research on sKerry's multitude of public statements regarding Iraq before the war. He was an ardent advocate of the invasion...wait for it...BEFORE the war. Now he is against the entire affair. Cretinous carbuncle. Next!

It is the IDIOT who lowers taxes while at the same time raising "gummint spending" to ridiculous heights. Spending as a proportion of GDP is a fraction of what it was during every other major conflict in US history. Ours is an $11 trillion dollar economy. We can easily afford a $300 billion war (or even a $500 billion war). Instead, why don't you caterwaul about the trillion that have been wasted on your precious liberal bullshit social programs? Also, go do some more research on JFK (the one who was already president), and learn how he was a strong advocate of lowering taxes to increase government revenue. Who exactly is the idiot?

You are certainly atypical for a liberal. You actually present a semblance of intelligence. That's the only distinction, though. You spout the same old tired bullshit, refuse to do your due diligence on issues (that means reading something other than DU or Kos to find refutational material), then resort to more bullshit. Whatever. We'll see where the tea leaves stick in November.

1. The situation is a SNAFU b/c the kerry campaign jumped on it, the press jumped on it, and the president had to reverse himself the next day. A "Flip-Flop" if you will. If you want me to believe that our president was speaking in nuance about the impossibility of a traditional armistice... as Denny would would say "I've got a bridge to sell you". Our president does NOT speak in Nuance. He's got one trick...
"I'm W. I should be president, because I have strong convictions, I mean what I say, I do what I say I do, because I believe it is right"

That's W.

2.I'm commenting on that neither Candidate will differ much on actions with Iraq NOW. As in... with us being there. Think about it.
-Neither candidate will pull us out anytime soon.
-Neither candidate will start any other conflict
-Bush may have the option of a draft if reelected, since he doesn't have to worry about another term.
We're stuck, there. No matter WHO wins. Look at Vietnam. 4 presidents were stuck w/ it, no matter what they promised. Dems and Repubs.

-Actually, Kerry's statements state that he fully supported giving the president authority to go to war. He states the president misused that authority. I think his position is too complicated for the average sound bite voter, but he CANNOT be an antiwar candidate. Too easy to lose.

3. While you were taken with that I called the fiscal plan idiotic, you missed my point that his spending policies ARE NOT CONSERVATIVE. Besides, Republicans control the white house, Congress, and most state governments... and you're saying the fault is liberal social programs??? Who's approving them? Who's budgeting them? Oh yeah... Republicans.

4.Thanks for acknowledging I have a brain, I guess. I'll be honest and say I don't know what DU or KOS stand for, so I'm sure I don't get my refutational material from them. I do try my best not to spout 'tired bullshit', and I don't think i'm anywhere near a 'typical liberal'. As far as some of my recent posts, haven't been too much bullshit in them.

'My Pet Goat' is obviously a talking point, with every dem saying 'he did nothing!' and every Republican saying "he was calculating and playing calm!". Just like on every news show. I'm over it.

I don't care about that arguement. I just wanted to bring it up to respond to the premise of WWjfkD with a terrorist attack.

I've never heard of the Cold War being referred to as WWIII. Seems a little over the top, if you ask me. One would think that it would be greater than WWII.

Oh Btw. Micheal Moore's 2nd article, referring to this convention day

Yet another non inflammatory piece by Mr. Moore.

The point about McCain not having seen the movie, a good one. Especially considering the misrepresentation of it. The points about McCain being used by the group that screwed him for the presidency, another good one.

I could deal without some of the pompous self aggrandizement, but when you can stop an entire Republican national convention like that, I'd think I was hot shit too. He's prolly thinking "I just sold a million more movies"

Folks, arguing with Robin is like shoveling against the tide. He won't listen; all he hears is LALALALALALALALALA. I'm just going to GAZE. I'm voting for Bush; in my opinion he's the right man for the job. John Kerry to me is not presidential material. That's it.

I myself call the War on Terror WWI; it started in 753 and it really hasn't stopped since. Do you honestly think these people are kidding? Do you honestly think they want to live in peace and harmony with us? You're living in a fools' paradise if you do. They want the worldwide caliphate; they won't accept anything less. And that's what we're fighting against. We're just going to have to keep on fighting, like we've been doing for 1,251 years.

Elizabeth
Imperial Keeper

On This Day in History, September 1, 1939, Germany initiates WW II by invading Poland.

The 'Great War' ends ... at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month ... in 1918, so that accounts for WW I.

I have no dates for so-called WW III. Using that logic, there can be no WW IV.

Republicans don't control the Senate - therefore, they do not control Congress as a whole.

If the pubbies did, I'd have my judges.

And isn't it interesting that the Gang of 41 can hold up judges for 3 years but chose not to hold up the budget?

Yes, McCain the dupe is being used - how old is he again????

AND THIS IS WHAT I FEAR FOR MY DAUGHTER:

Gunmen with explosives strapped around their waists took more than 200 people hostage at a school in southern Russia near war-torn Chechnya and threatened to blow up the building if the security forces moved in.

Via LGF:

"I see no evidence of a god, save for his venom." ~MG~

You have misidentified the source of venom. That would be Satan.

If you feel that God is more distant, guess who moved.

Robin:

3. "....his spending policies ARE NOT CONSERVATIVE. Besides, Republicans control the white house, Congress, and most state governments... and you're saying the fault is liberal social programs??? Who's approving them? Who's budgeting them? Oh yeah... Republicans."

You'll get no argument from me about this. W took a page outta the Gipper's handbook on tax cuts, but left out the potion on reductions in domestic program spending. Instead, he (along with the Congress) has increased discretionary domestic spending beyond control. I understand the fact he did some of it for the political gains (Ag spending, drug bill, education), especially considering how close the 2000 election was and how divided the country is, but I sure as hell don't agree with it.

Republicans are not controlling the purse strings like conservatives. If you read any conservative publications, say National Review, over the past 2 years, you already know about this.

We can bitch and moan about this 'til the cows come home, but you can bet it won't cause me to vote for Kerry even if I abhor the growth of the federal government since 2000.

Another step toward the welfare state. Why are liberals so pissed when republicans are taking them where they wanna go?