My Friend Debbie

She posted the diary "I'm Rosebuddear's "Righty" Friend from Ohio in response to my February diary which was all about her

I just want to say that I think it was incredibly brave for her to come over here and post. The amount of anger that diary generated was not surprising to me, I have felt a lot of the same, along with you all. And I have reviled Debbie many and many a time for her Bush votes.

But I know that Debbie is a good person. She's my friend, and I hope will remain one. We have been online friends for 10 years now. She was there with me when my beloved kitty Pooky died, and when I lost my other beloved kitty Louis when he took an unexpected  ride in the neighbor's car, and got lost in another neighborhood in Minneapolis. And she was there when I scoured that neighborhood looking for him and when, miraculously, he was found by a person living in that neighborhood, she was there to share my joy.

She's been there for me throughout all the times that have been sad in my life and the ones that have been happy for the last 10 years. She knows about my beloved fiance Kevin, who is Canadian, and therefore shut off from me by immigration stuff (been trying to get him a visa for 4 years now - we may finally be getting it this year).

I, like you, have many times thought that present or former Bush supporters have tons of blood on their hands. But really, how many of us have any power over what goes on in government? God knows I have given her enough sh*t about that over the years.

The thing that prompted my February diary was a remark by Debbie that she might vote for McCain if Hillary won the nomination. I was as appalled as you are.....in a subsequent conversation Debbie said to me "you know what? I think I lied about that". And I understand that. If we as Progressives are going to talk to Conservatives, we need to relate, as friends, relatives, and fellow Americans.

As for the thing about Bush supporters having blood on their hands........no..........SHRUB has blood on his hands, gallons of it. But people who thought they were doing the right thing at the time by voting the way they did, well......no. I can't go there. And Debbie has suffered plenty for her vote. I don't want to go into details, but she has paid and paid for that. So I hope you'll welcome her to Daily Kos. We need her and all the people like her.

Hope to see all the Minnesota Kossacks at the Meetup at my place on April 13. I am looking forward to meeting you all.

Oh and Debbie, you didn't need to change the diary name you posted - I thought it was fine just as it was.

Rose