pan6467

I am sure this was all meant in fun and good taste (ahem). But it shows that the Dems are sinking to GOP levels in mudslinging and getting vicious.

i suppose it is good that they (the Dems) are showing some form of life and not just rolling over anymore. But come on now,

this is NOT helping the country,

this is not bettering our deteriorating infrastructure and economy (sure we may be showing more jobs but at a far less pay rate than the ones we've lost)

AND BY NO MEANS OF IMAGINATION IS THIS ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM PUTTING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE AHEAD OF POLITICS AND PARTISANSHIP.

THIS TYPE OF SHIT NEEDS TO END ON BOTH SIDES BEFORE WE AS A NATION ARE FUCKED.

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House Dems Spoof GOP With Reality Show

Sun Jun 6, 1:43 AM ET

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By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Want to vote a Republican off the island? How about all of them? If so, House Democrats are here to help with a new Web-based cartoon program, Republican Survivor.



President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Rep. Katherine Harris and conservative commentator Ann Coulter are the cartoon contestants in a program patterned after reality television shows. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia makes a late appearance as the "immunity fairy," whose function is to designate contestants who can't be voted off the island.

The cartoon moderator, no friend of any of them, says the overall instructions are to "lie, cheat, steal, coddle, cuddle and pander. In other words, do what comes naturally to you."

Suffice it to say the cartoon images are no more flattering to the GOP survivor crew than the dialogue.

In the first Webisode, Bush and Ashcroft are captains of two teams directed to play a game of "Capture the Flag." In reality it's paintball, played with automatic weapons. Ashcroft's team loses, and either he, DeLay or Coulter must be voted off the island.

"For four years, Republicans have decided your fate," Kori Bernards, communications director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, says on the organization's Web site. "Republican Survivor will give viewers the chance to decide theirs."

Carl Forti, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Saturday the Democrats' hijinks won't help them win elections.

"They keep playing with cartoons, and we'll keep passing tax cuts and prescription drugs for Americans," Forti said. "They're only doing it to try to motivate their base. At this point, they need to do anything they can."

The program is at www.dtriptv.org, and the results for the first of six weekly Webisodes are promised for Monday.

___

Brief doesn't begin to describe Rep. Stephanie Herseth's political honeymoon.

In the space of less than 36 hours, the South Dakota Democrat narrowly won her seat in Congress, flew to Washington to take the oath of office, made her first speech on the House floor and cast her first vote.

And she was sharply attacked by Republicans eager to dethrone her in November.

"It's sad to say but with her very first vote, we see Stephanie is more concerned with appeasing the liberals who got her elected than delivering needed help for South Dakotans," said Carl Forti, a spokesman for the GOP campaign committee.

"Larry Diedrich and his friends are trying to distort Stephanie's record before the ink is dry," shot back Russ Levsen, Herseth's spokesman, referring to the Republican she defeated in the election. "You'd think they'd give South Dakotans a break from the negative political attacks, but instead they are back at it just hours after she was sworn in."

For her part, the 33-year-old lawmaker sought to strike a less political note as she began her congressional career.

Moments after being sworn into office in the House chamber, she said she was "humbled by this moment and by the trust and responsibility that South Dakota has placed on me." In remarks that lasted only a few minutes, she thanked Speaker Dennis Hastert (a Republican) for promptly swearing her in; South Dakota's senators (both Democrats) for their help; her grandparents; and Jeff Trandahl, a South Dakotan who is clerk of the GOP-controlled House.



She also took note of the "tragedy" that led to her election — former GOP Rep. Bill Janklow's resignation, which followed his conviction of manslaughter for his involvement in a fatal traffic accident.

A few hours after he spoke, Herseth returned to the House floor and cast her vote against administration-backed legislation that would give eligible unemployed workers up to $3,000 for use on job training and other services that might help them find work.

The measure passed 213-203 over the opposition of most Democrats, who argued it did little to address larger unemployment problems.

Diedrich, who lost to Herseth by fewer than 3,000 votes on Tuesday, is her opponent for the fall campaign, as well.

___

With a few exceptions, party campaign committees and their chairmen don't intervene in primary battles, preferring to let the rank and file decide the candidate for fall campaigns.

But Sen. George Allen, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is making an exception in the case of Florida senatorial contender Mel Martinez: Allen intends to declare his personal support Monday for the former HUD secretary.

While Allen plans to contribute to Martinez' campaign and may campaign for him, the NRSC intends to remain neutral, a spokesman said. "Sen. Allen's support for Martinez does not indicate that the NRSC will spend resources on Martinez' behalf in the primary," added Dan Allen.

Martinez trails former Republican Rep. Bill McCollum in the polls before an August primary that has drawn several contenders. The incumbent, Democratic Sen. Bob Graham, is retiring at the end of the term.

The Cuban-born Martinez was heavily recruited this year by the White House as well as Allen, with party leaders eager for a Hispanic on the ballot to attract voters who might also support President Bush's re-election.
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LINK: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...gop_survivor_5
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PS. I appologize for the CAPS and foul language but this shit in Washington is getting too out of control ON BOTH SIDES. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO ARGUE LIKE KIDS OVER WHO STARTED IT BUT IT HAS TO END AND HAS TO END NOW.

Write, E-mail, call, or go to your Representative and Senator's offices and tell them YOU DEMAND this fucking game of one upsmanship and lack of true betterment ends.

Write letters to the Editor of your papers, get others involved and hold rallies for the government guaranteed us by the Constitution and that is OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE.

AND IF YOUR REPS, AND SENS DON'T LISTEN VOTE THEM THE FUCK OUT AND FIND SOMEONE THAT WILL LISTEN AND WILL GOVERN NOT BY PARTY BUT BY CONSCIENCE AND WHAT IS FUCKING RIGHT.

Sorry of my soapbox now, hope at least 1 other person here agrees with me, though.

(moderator's edit: i did some quick brushing up for aestetics... no content or opinions have been changed)

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Asuka{eve}

This reminded me of Halx's how not to make an argument post.

I think the Darth Vader Effect is definitely happening in the government. Why can't they focus on what they are trying to do to make the country better instead of running something akin to a smear campaign?

pan6467

Whew read your first sentence thought you were slamming me. ....LOL that's why I belong in the Paranoia thread..... sorry bad joke.

Totally agreed Darth Vader Effect.... and by our leaders and our press showing it and pushing it upon us, is it any wonder that we, citizens, fight and no longer debate issues and instead take everything as a personal slam then try to slam the other? It's like everything else it starts at the top and rolls down.

It has just got to end.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

hammer4all

Look, this stuff obviously shouldn't be going on by either party, but now that the Democrats have finally decided to develop a backbone and fight back to what Republicans have been doing for years, I am not going to complain about it. I'm tired of Democrats rolling over and playing dead.

If you want to stop this type of behavior, focus your energy on the root causes. Protest the way our political system is set up to only represent the extremes. Demand election reform. Demand proportional representation. Demand instant-runoff-voting instead of winner-take-all. Make the system more democratic and end the two-party duopoly and you will solve most of the problems currently plaguing our government.

THE GREAT ELECTION GRAB: When does gerrymandering become a threat to democracy?

Let's End the Two-Party Duopoly

pan6467

I agree Hammer that it is nice to see the Dems attempting to show life, BUT it is not in a positive way.

As for a third or fourth party, I could then see the partisan games getting played even more as the GOP and Dems would bend over backward to get the 3rd or 4th to vote their way. Plus that could feasibly destroy government as if all 3 or 4 parties have their own agendas you may never get a majority vote for anything.

Your links show some good ideas, but the form of government we do have WHEN it is allowed to work and parties don't play games, it is by far the best form of government possible.

Sadly, we somehow got away from politicians that had great visions to political parties that want power and care nothing for the people.

I submit though that that is the by-product of capitalism and greed.

Free enterprise and laisez-faire are not the same as capitalism and greed. One allows companies to grow and flourish while protecting mom and pops (which ARE needed to keep the economy strong) and the other allows Corporations to do as they please and offers no protection and no rules to help the little shop owners.

Our success as a growing financially strong productive in every way nation, requires that we:

have a strong government that does not do partisan politics, does not kowtow to Capitalistic entities but does what is best for the people and allows small businesses to grow, it is only by this manner that we truly grow as a nation and people in all classes believe they can advance forward.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"