Political Control of the Legislative/Executive Branches of Government

[scottinnj]

<p>What would you want to see happen between the Dems and the GOP in the Presidential Election of 2008?</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[furie]

a bit early, No?

[scottinnj]

If Chris Matthews is up for it, why can't we?

[Judge Smails]

Lyndon LaRouche in '08!

[furie]

<strong>scottinnj</strong> wrote:<br>If Chris Matthews is up for it, why can't we?<p></p>

BECAUSE Chris Matthews is up for it!

[empulse]

Speaking of Mathews.. where has he been lately?&nbsp; Is he actually working outta the Whitehouse now?&nbsp; I know its contract time @ MSNBC I wonder if he is holding out for more dough..

[Recyclerz]

<strong>empulse</strong> wrote:<br />Speaking of Mathews.. where has he been lately?&nbsp; Is he actually working outta the Whitehouse now?&nbsp; I know its contract time @ MSNBC I wonder if he is holding out for more dough.. <p>A&nbsp;few days ago they briefly mentioned on Imus that he had some complications from diabetes, but haven't followed up with additional info since.&nbsp; He was also out awhile with malaria a few years ago.</p><p><strong>edit:</strong> &amp; back on topic - I'd like to see the Democrats keep Congress for a few terms to see if they have learned enough to be trusted with power again.&nbsp; As for President, I have no idea <strong><em>who</em></strong> yet but I know <strong>what</strong> I want from him/her: somebody to come in and start cleaning up W's mess ASAP before the costs really get beyond control.&nbsp; That means doing politically unpopular stuff like raising taxes, cutting future social security and medicare benefits so the systems don't go bankrupt, fighting terrorism like a law enforcement problem (albeit brutally when necessary) and setting up the incentives necessary to get entrepeneurs <strong>really</strong> working on alternate energy sources (eg. Jacking up the gas tax and providing seed money from taxpayers pockets to get things going).</p><p>Any one of these things is normally political suicide so it would have to be someone with enough of a sense of history to risk being a one-termer by doing what is necessary but not popular.&nbsp; I used to think McCain was that kind of guy but not now.&nbsp; I get that vibe from Bloomberg although he would be the longest of shots as an independent.&nbsp; I don't know if anyone will step up...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by Recyclerz on 12-9-06 @ 12:36 AM</span>

[Yerdaddy]

<p>This is a good poll - a good measure of people's feelings about the parties. But I would have restricted it to registered members so it's not so easy to vote early and vote often.</p><p>I'm hoping for all dems. I want the republicans to sit in the corner and think about what they've done in Iraq. And not even so much for why we went to Iraq, but how they virtually guaranteed failure with the stupid mistakes and dismissal of all outside advice. And all this with almost complete support from their party.</p><p>I know from personal experience that alot of powerful republicans were afraid of the way the administration was conducting the Iraq war, but were not willing to oppose the president because they were afraid of Rove or they didn't want to weaken the party. When republicans are cabable of real self-criticism again, then I'll be comfortable with them sharing power again.</p>

[Bulldogcakes]

<strong>Yerdaddy</strong> wrote:<p>I want the republicans to sit in the corner and think about what they've done in Iraq.</p><p> You forgot this. </p><p> <img src="http://www.arlington.mccsc.edu/teachers/webpages/teague/Dunce.jpg" border="0" width="209" height="206" /></p><p>As to the rest of your post, dont expect Republicans to become Democrats. They're just not wired that way. Republicans are more hierarchical and tend to assume those in power have much more info than the rest of us (which in reality, they do). &quot;Leave it up to the experts&quot; mentality, plus a tendency to fall in line according to rank for the ex-military types and their fans. </p><p>That doesn't mean their aren't disagreements, there are plenty. Like in any family there are some who cant stand each other. But especially when debating folks on the Left there's a tendency to dig in the heels and concede nothing. But that goes on with anyone who's bought into an ideology has it challenged on the left or right. And I think thats why you and I both go out of our way to avoid turning every political discussion into a &quot;Crossfire&quot; show. Not that we succeed, but we try.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>EDIT-Back on topic I'm hoping for divided government of some sort. If we've learned anything as conservatives its that you cant trust either of the teenagers with the car keys. Which we really should have known all along.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <span class="post_edited"></span>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by Bulldogcakes on 12-9-06 @ 7:18 AM</span>

[Yerdaddy]

<strong>Bulldogcakes</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>Yerdaddy</strong> wrote: <p>I want the republicans to sit in the corner and think about what they've done in Iraq.</p><p>You forgot this. </p><p><img src="http://www.arlington.mccsc.edu/teachers/webpages/teague/Dunce.jpg" border="0" width="209" height="206" /></p><p>Why must you always be partisan? What's with the picture of James Trafficant? Why not a kid with a dunce hat instead? Beam me up, Scotty!</p>

[scottinnj]

<strong>Yerdaddy</strong> wrote:<br />Why&nbsp;must you always be partisan? What's with the picture of James Trafficant? Why not a kid with a dunce hat instead? Beam me up, Scotty!<p>Way to go old school Yerdaddy!&nbsp; <br />You even remembered his catch phrase when he did his floor speeches.&nbsp; Trafficant was a great guy to watch on CSPAN.&nbsp; Remember that haircut of his?&nbsp; I really liked the guy too, until I found out about his rackateering stuff.&nbsp; I'm not from Ohio, so do you know what he did?</p>

[Bulldogcakes]

<strong>scottinnj</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>Yerdaddy</strong> wrote:<br />Why must you always be partisan? What's with the picture of James Trafficant? Why not a kid with a dunce hat instead? Beam me up, Scotty!<p>Way to go old school Yerdaddy! <br />You even remembered his catch phrase when he did his floor speeches. Trafficant was a great guy to watch on CSPAN. Remember that haircut of his? I really liked the guy too, until I found out about his rackateering stuff. I'm not from Ohio, so do you know what he did?</p><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5e/Traficantmug.jpg/200px-Traficantmug.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="147" />&nbsp;His mug shot after being sentenced&nbsp;Best rug in Washington. Thats a toupee that says &quot;Fuck you, so I'm bald. So what.&quot; &nbsp;Here's an update on poor old Jim[quote][QUOTE]<p>In 2002, Traficant was indicted on federal corruption charges for taking campaign funds for personal use. Again, <strong>he opted to represent himself</strong>, insisting that the trial was part of a vendetta against him dating to his 1983 trial. <strong>During the trial, Traficant frequently argued with the judge and screamed at prosecutors and witnesses</strong>. On <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_15" title="April 15">April 15</a>, he was convicted of ten felony counts including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribery" title="Bribery">bribery</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeering" title="Racketeering">racketeering</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_evasion" title="Tax evasion">tax evasion</a>. Once convicted, he was stripped of his right to vote in the House under the chamber's rules. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._House_Committee_on_Standards_of_Official_Cond uct" title="U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct">House Ethics Committee</a> recommended that he be expelled from the House, and on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_25" title="July 25">July 25</a> the House voted 420-1 to expel him.<strong> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Condit" title="Gary Condit">Gary Condit</a> was the lone no vote</strong> and there were nine members who voted &quot;present.&quot; Traficant was the first representative to be expelled since <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Myers_%28politician%29" title="Michael Myers (politician)">Michael Myers</a>'s expulsion in 1980 as a result of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abscam" title="Abscam">Abscam</a> scandal.</p> <p>After his expulsion, <strong>Traficant ran as an independent candidate for another term in the House while incarcerated in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_prison" title="Federal prison">federal prison</a></strong> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Deer%2C_Pennsylvania" title="White Deer, Pennsylvania">White Deer, Pennsylvania</a>. He received 15 percent of the vote (27,487 votes) and became one of only a handful of individuals in the history of the United States to run for a federal office from prison. The election was won by one of his former aides, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ryan" title="Tim Ryan">Tim Ryan</a>.</p> <p>In March 2004, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Prisons" title="Federal Bureau of Prisons">Federal Bureau of Prisons</a> moved Traficant to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_prison" title="Federal prison">federal prison</a> near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Brook%2C_New_York&amp;action=edit" title="Ray Brook, New York">Ray Brook, New York</a>. As of April 2005, the Federal Bureau of Prisons listed Traficant at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Medical_Center%2C_Rochester" title="Federal Medical Center, Rochester">Federal Medical Center, Roch

[fohat]

I'm voting for Kodos.

[ralphbxny]

I didnt see pee in butt so I voted for Dems all in 08. If the GOP doesnt get smart they will lose more ground.

[FezPaul]

<strong>ralphbxny</strong> wrote:<br />I didnt see pee in butt so I voted for Dems all in 08. If the GOP doesnt get smart they will lose more ground. <p><font face="helvetica" size="3" color="#0000ff">If the GOP were smart, they would be Democrats.</font></p><p><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#0000ff">Now where's my fuel cell powered car?</font></p><p><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="1" color="#000000">This message was edited by HBox on 12-10-06 @ 11:02 PM</font></p>