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The Emporer has no clothes


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from the latest molly ivins' piece:

 

Austin, Texas - Oh dear. I'm sure he didn't mean it. In Illinois' Sixth Congressional District, long represented by Henry Hyde, Republican candidate Peter Roskam accused his Democratic opponent, Tammy Duckworth, of planning to "cut and run" on Iraq.

 

Duckworth is a former Army major and chopper pilot who lost both legs in Iraq after her helicopter got hit by an RPG. "I just could not believe he would say that to me," said Duckworth, who walks on artificial legs and uses a cane. Every election cycle produces some wincers, but how do you apologize for that one?

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He only implied that she wanted to cut and run. He has been very careful, for most part, not to directly attack her, but to try to associate her with leaders in the Democratic party and celebrities who have donated to her campaign. She stated her policy on Iraq (for every Iraqi troop or policeman capable of functioning independently of the U.S. forces, a soldier should be sent home) and he responded "I don't think this district is a cut and run district". He also prefers not to attack her policies any way other than saying "I don't think this district is a _____ district."

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"Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose, and you allow him to make war at pleasure. Study to see if you can fix any limit to his power in this respect, after having given him so much as you propose. If to-day he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him,

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Lincoln was not only a great leader, he was a hell of a writer. I'm always struck by the eloquence and simplicity of his prose. It's damn near perfect and reads well to this day.

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Lincoln was not only a great leader, he was a hell of a writer. I'm always struck by the eloquence and simplicity of his prose. It's damn near perfect and reads well to this day.

True. On those same grounds, I teach several Lincoln pieces as significant American literature.

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My bad. No reason to bring in 9/11 when we're talking about all the president's lies. :hmm

 

But I will say that all politicians are scum, liars, and cheats, Democrat or Republican. Hard not to be cynical and utterly despondent about the state of US politics (just reading up on Foley in FL!)

 

I love Abe though, a one-of-a-kind American hero. I've read most biographies and am always hoping they will have a different ending. Great writer, and great theologian, too.

 

:cheers

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But I will say that all politicians are scum, liars, and cheats, Democrat or Republican.

 

I know you're going for fairness in saying this, but I think a statement like this gives the guys currently in power way too much credit, and excuses them far too much. There is certainly no doubt that both major parties have quite a bit of curruption in their histories, but statements like this, IMO, imply that both parties are equal in their corruption and at this particular point in history, it's simply not true. The Democrats are certainly spineless, and they definately have some bad guys amongst them, but right now, the Republicans are exponentially worse, and I think sweeping statements like this excuse their actions by labeling them as being par for the political course.

 

And I certainly don't mean that as an indictment of traditional conservative values or anything. I don't think that a conservative viewpoint in and of itself is corrupt or anything. But the guys who are currently running things in the White House and in Congress are doing some pretty major damage to our country and to the world, and I think it's important in such a horrible situation to place the blame where it is deserved, and not to let them off the hook just because corruption and bad policy has existed before amongst both parties.

Edited by MrRain422
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