Do you think everyone should just get a bill from the government of expenditures divded by the number of people in the country?  Same bill for everyone.

[They started with a Clinton surplus! Now they have the biggest deficits ever!]

Clearly you get information from a lot of shady sources.  As far as leaking secrets of national interest are you referring to the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame?  Her identity was released by the Republicans - reporter Robert Novak based on "unnamed source, high level official" who we have recently found out was Richard Armitage.  Scooter Libby and Karl Rove were also sources.  Endangering a CIA agents life sounds like a nasty way for the administration to punish someone for speaking out against the war.  President Bush also promised to fire those who were involved in this - and he has not kept that promise either.

A lot of the defenses are based on, "trust me" wait several years after I'm out of office and I can't be held accountable.  The Republican party has done everything to prove that they do not deserve our trust.  You have to have some facts to back up that you have a good strategy.  The idea that the Clinton Administration having a balanced budget being a result of earlier Republican efforts is also ludicrous.  A budget is set every year, the fact that they were able to establish a surplus is a testament to good government.  The previous administrations could take credit to the extent that they didn't leave such a mess that it was irrecoverable from in a few years as it seems certain this administration will leave.  They started with a Clinton surplus!  Now they have the biggest deficits ever!

The war in Iraq is obviously a disaster, I can't believe you would try to defend it.  Let's try to look at it from the President's perspective.  If you're the Presdident and you're trying to live a life like Christ, do you think the best strategy is to try to kill every terrorist by dropping lots of bombs and invading foreign nations.  A recent Johns Hopkins study put deaths in Iraq caused by the war in the hundreds of thousands.  What an insane strategy - it only makes sense to think you can go out and kill all the terrorists if you think there is some limited number of them out there and if you find them all you've succeeded.  More and more terrorists are being rallied everyday - a recent intelligence report confirms what those opposed to the war have been saying all along - killing tons of people in a foreign country makes them more hostile towards you and creates more terrorists.

[Combined Effect of Bush Tax Cuts 2003]

Don't forget now that the way these tax cuts were executed was decidedly unChristian since the fast majority of the money went to those who were already very rich.  They acted to widen the wealth gap in this country rather than to help the poor.







Combined Effect of Bush Tax Cuts 2003

Income
(in thousands)   Percent of Households   Average Tax Change
Less than 10        23.7                                 -$8
10-20                  16.6                            -$307
20-30                     13.3                                  -$638
30-40                   9.7                                  -$825
40-50                      7.6                                  -$1,012
50-75                 13.0                             -$1,403
75-100                    6.8                             -$2,543
100-200                     6.6                              -$3,710
200-500                 1.6                               -$7,173
500-1,000             0.3                              -$22,485
More than 1,000   0.1                             -$112,925

I agree with those whoe made statements about everyone voting - it's essential that our voices are heard to make sure that policy is set in a way that is consistent with Christ's teachings.

In this context, I am apalled by the adamant defenses of the Republican party.  Please recognize that conspiracy theories are not a defense, they are a delusion to make a defense without fact.  The claim that the Republican party is a victims of a world that's out to get them is absolutely outrageous.  The Republican party controls all three branches of government.  They have to be held accountable for their absolutely awful performance.  By every metric this government is being managed poorly.  Why have the Republicans so poorly advanced the issues you mentioned?  Don't you sense that you're being strung along by Republican promises that never come to fruition?

I'm sorry if I gave a different impression . . . I did vote for John Kerry in the last election (I was not fooled by the also false Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and other ways the Republicans misled so many).  I did fail to vote for Al Gore and I've strongly regretted that since the administration began talking about this insane war in Iraq.

I meant that saying as a reminder to others who were fooled during the past 6 years to at least think about their vote before casting it blindly.

This article is pretty revealing.  This inside look is coming from the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Faith Based Initiatives, a Christian selected by the administration is coming out against them.  The way in which they misled us about money going towards these charities is important news coming from an insider.

However this news is also consistent with events over the past 6 years and should not be surprising.  The nation was misled about WMD, the connection between 9/11 and Iraq, the intent behind the Teri Schiavo political stunt, the cover-up of Congressman Foley's relations with pages, and countless others.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

The argument to attack parts of the Democratic party as a defense of the immoral and dishonest behavior of numerous Republican leaders is illogical on many levels.  Instead of logically defending the positions you feel you need to defend you've associated me with positions that I personally have not taken.  Should I make the assumption that you should defend everything that is Republican?  I think this would be a silly expectation, and I hope you don't feel that your faith mandates that you defend the Republican party even in such scandalous times as these.

The association of a particular faith with a particular political party as its sole representative in the government iis a dangerous path to tread and I don't dare to pursue that.  There are a number of issues that each party or even both parties are wrong on.  It's important for all Christians to understand that.

What do you mean?  I made a post (deleted by admin) that responded to the varied responses to correct a few of the factual errors.  I still don't know what part of it was against the rules, but I apologize for whatever was and if you give me some more info about it I'll make every effort to make sure it doesn't happen again.

I don't know who DLee is, but the proposition that I make posts around election times only is patently false, look at my message history - I have made many posts that were not around election times.  I don't get paid, I just have a different opinion than you.  I don't know why anyone would be so surprised.

You're certainly free to shelter yourself from varied ideas.  As for myself, I have found great mental and spiritual enrichment by reading and learning.  Also in my experience God has blessed me with enough intelligence to judge for myself whether to accept, reject, or further consider a message.

I realize that many people will never be convinced regardless of how many scandals (Foley, Abramoff, Delay, Domestic Spying, Libby, Katrina, Abu Gharib, Iraq) come out against the party they feel they should be so loyal to.  However in the interest of putting the facts out there - the Republican party did not act to force Foley out quickly, even though they might have claimed that (another example of how they thrive on misleading the public).  Foley resigned when the news came out before the Republican leadership could react.  However they decided to keep the story within the Republican party leadership.  As far as the reference to Fox News - FYI O'Reilly put "Foley (D-FL)" as the caption when reporting this story and as far as I know he has not retracted this.

Speaking of hypocrisy, I only hope you recognize the hypocrisy of the Republican party leadership appointing a child predator as the person they wanted to lead the charge against child predators.  Similarly to how they appoint people with ties to oil companies in charge of environmental regulatory agencies and those with ties to pharmaceutical corporations in charge of the FDA and the like.

Besides objective disappointments like the all-time high deficits and national debt and the recent CIA report that the War in Iraq is actually creating more terrorists (Duh!).  The issue here is oversight.  It is often said that absolute power corrupts absolutely.  I say to vote Democrat in the interest of keeping our government honest, or at least a little less dishonest.

I'm no big fiction fan in general, but to answer the original question I don't see how exposing yourself to any idea could be wrong.  Just because I read something does not mean I agree with its message.  In my view, reading and learning only exercise the mind God gave you - be grateful and keep it healthy.

I'm surprised Dan Brown's books have not been brought up in this topic, would you not consider those to fall under the topic of Christian Fiction?

The title of this post could definitely be misinterpreted, especially in light of recent scandals.

WOW indeed!

I saw the "selective outrage" argument in the Republican talking points and recognize it as a load of baloney.  I never supported any hybrid politician and internet predator or anything else of the sort. 

Does the fact that you would make the reverse argument though does indicate that you think both are acceptable?

The broad brush painting comes from the Republican party providing cover yet again for its members' dishonesty and endangering Americans.  They are in gross need of independent oversight.  So I'll as you again to please vote for a Democrat (or anyone who is not a Republican) in your next election.

Mark Foley, a 52 yr old Republican previously certain for reelection, wrote to one young page, "Do I make you a little horny?"

See the full story at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2511141

"House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California proposed to the House that its ethics committee investigate and make a preliminary report in 10 days. . . Instead, majority Republicans engineered a vote to allow the ethics panel to decide whether there should even be an investigation."

It's time for some real oversight of this Republican government that is totally out of control.  Please vote Democrat in your next election.