irwin

I don't know about that sentence Mickey, I shutter to think what his crowd has done to the "grand old party" .
How many years will it take before the Republicans will earn my respect again? I think they lost their minds, piss off the world, make fun of our allies, make ridiculous claims.

I'm a conservative darn it all. What a mess. We had an opportunity to bring the free world together after 9/11, what a mess.

.... Tim

Mark / Ohio

With that I would have to agree.

Mark

2002 John Deere LT150

PaulChristenson

Read this book...'U.S. Versus Them': The Costs Of Hawkishness
'U.S. Versus Them': The Costs Of Hawkishness : NPR

Paul in VT

I used to own an ant farm but had to give it up. I couldn't find tractors small enough to fit it.
-- Steven Wright

jbrumberg

Before anything will change we the people will have to become sick and tired of being sick and tired with the mess our country is in, but what stands in our way is that predictable misery is comforting and the fear of real change with its unknowns . Jay

NH TC29DA with 14LA FEL with 60" HD QA bucket, cutting edge & toothbar, weighted R-1's, FOPS, CCM M-160 58" tiller, Tebben MD 60" Rotary Cutter, Woods LR 108 96" Landscape Rake, Woods GB60 60" Box Blade

Mickey

Irwin, I was commenting on the Pres in response to another comment. For sure the GOP has lost it way trying to become Dems light. If they don't find their way back to what brought them to the majority in Congress, they'll be out of power for a long time.

IMO this nation is at a crossroad in time where about half the nation believes in and supports a traditional America and a Fed Gov that our founding fathers gave us. The other half of the nation want something different and more in line with many European nations that are socialist in policy to one extent or another. We didn't become the nation we are in a short 200 year period by following the European example.

We saved Much of Europe from doom twice in the last century, why are they the model we should be following?

I'm in the original intent camp and if you want the Gov to engage in activities not supported in the Constitution, then change the Constitution, not ignore it or say the words mean something other than what they say.

1970 Bolens 1257 w/tiller
2005 Cub 3204 48" deck
Yanmar Fx24D
5' Howse rotary mower
RSB 1300 Yanmar tiller

irwin

I hear ya Mickey, of course evolution in Government isn't a bad think in itself. Even way back when they said one thing and lived another, think slavery, think women not be able to vote, think business owners owning politicians (oops' scratch that one, no change) the point is some careful growth and change could be a good thing. Well we aren't careful and we don't appear to be growing up. (I think the government needs cash to become socialist, no fear there we're pretty broke now. Not enough want socialism yet. Maybe when 2/3rds of the people want it, but not happening yet.)

Personally I want our government to be as small as possible, to be out of my life as much as possible, and to think of the world has something we share with others.

Their job is to protect us and protect the constitution, their job is not to act like Washington is the "Jerry Springer show". I'd certainly love it if we could learn from the past, I may live a charmed life but getting that wish granted ain't happening.

(mini rant)
I hate frivilous lawsuits, I don't like it when someone gets a get out of jail free card because they're white, rich, black, or anything else that makes a mockery of the justice. I find it frustrating when scam artists get away with welfare funds, when thieves get away with using the system to continue getting a monthly handicap stipend while very sick individuals are denied because they don't know how to get help.

I'm insulted when our leaders get involved in petty fights that we're suppose to grow out of when we leave grade school. but mostly I'm very sad we missed the opportunity to crush that real enemy, if we accepted help back in 01 and 02, invited a sympathetic world to join or not, but politely invited them to allow us to go where ever al'qaeda was hiding. It's ok to be polite to our friends, and if they said no we do it anyway, but do it politely, they would'a still been with us.

I don't care if the Dem's would'a done it worse or not. "W" had the job no one else.

To think the blame could fall on Clinton or Congress or any other person or group is silly and petty. Only GW had 9/11 and the good will our friends showered us with. It was his job to be the leader, he became "the Decider" instead. His party let him.. encouraged him, they have a lot to make up for in my conservative mind.

.... Tim

Mark / Ohio

I would also add that as a result of the above anyone in the middle that can still see both sides to an argument is now more then ever looked at by both sides as either not caring at all or too stupid to know which side is right. Worse part is somewhere in the middle is also where common sense often resided.

But we now know Common Sense passed away the other day since his obit was posted here.


I've already grumbled here once already about his "axis of evil" diplomacy. The phrase "your either for us or against us" was another one. That only added alienation to any country that was neither for or against us that could have acted as a moderator of sorts working for our benefit. We do not have the "bluff" that we once had. For one thing the enemy can see our internal cracks (street protesting, politicians arguing etc.) on TV and the internet within minutes of it happening throughout the world showing them we are not fully united. Then quickly put that information to use to plan how to further divide us. Also the world knowledge of our financial situation is also going to play into it.

When I watched as the Soviet Union started to crumble after years of waiting for a missile to be lobbed from them, my first thought was that I guess they were not as strong nor perhaps not as much of a threat as I originally thought. I'm sure there are many in Europe looking at us and starting to think (or have already been thinking for several years now) the same thing.

Mark

2002 John Deere LT150

Mickey

Nothing wrong with the laws changing, AS LONG AS they are done through the prescribed methods provided for in the Constitution.

I do seem to recall as for slavery, there was a time limit on in in the beginning but like today, far too many disregard the law and get away with it. As for the women vote, that was handled by a Constitutional amendment, the proscribed method to make changes. Need to go back and refresh my memory on the slavery issue.

What I want to see is Congress limit their action to what is actually provided for in the Constitution and if they want to branch out so to speak, first, make the Constitutional change and then enact the laws to provide for what they are advocating.

One of our problems today in the States is, we have such a small understanding of the government the founding fathers actually gave us. We can see it time and time again whenever there is a quiz about history and our government, few have a clue. This will be our downfall.

1970 Bolens 1257 w/tiller
2005 Cub 3204 48" deck
Yanmar Fx24D
5' Howse rotary mower
RSB 1300 Yanmar tiller

Deanster

Getting back to the topic of our record debts and deficit. A couple of you have said that the President is not responsible for the economic shambles that he will leave this country in. It's not within his power to affect budgets, or something like that?

If that is true, how is it that John McCain is promising to balance the budget by 2013? Is he promising something that is completely outside his power, sort of like promising to overturn Roe v. Wade?

___________________________
Cub Cadet Yanmar EX3200, CL300 Loader w/ Rankin toothbar, Land Pride bucket forks, CB75 Backhoe w/ mechanical thumb, Woods LR72 Landscape Rake, Rankin RC20-72 rotary cutter.

Ducati996

Overall a good discussion from all sides, not sure about the rest of you, I need a break from these discussions well at least for a day, plenty of other topics to pick up and run with - The political scene will provide us an endless supply of fresh material, so lets not burn ourselves out just yet

Im now going to put this one to bed -

Kubota L39 w/WR long RGB Grapple, Bradco Pallet forks, BH QA buckets, and more!
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