Republican family values . . . hmmm just what ARE they teaching their children? This is one of the most horrific things I've seen in this campaign.

Bob Schafferof Colorado is running against Mark Udall. Schaffer served 3 terms in the House of Reps, and stepped down because he pledged he would observe a 3-term limit. Now he wants to be Senator.

As a Republican, especially in Southern Colorado where James Dobson's Focus on the Family is a strong, toxic force -- one would expect Schaffer to have strong family values. As a Roman Catholic with 5 kids, one would also expect Schaffer to have strong family values. So what are his kids learning at home? One wonders.

Yep, I am and I do. If I don't like his position on something, I write about it. I'll argue about it. And I've got staying power when it comes to debating.

Nope, you won't easily squelch my voice or my opinions with your ad hominem gesticulating and calling me names like Purity Troll. Ha! I throw wet streams of excrement on your robotic flame throwing at those of us who think the Constitution deserves defending, even during election season.

Your scoffing? A mosquito! Your wimpering on and on about how my opinions are losing the election for Obama? Not even a flea. I will defend my right to hold Obama accountable for his positions that don't fit my bill. And you can kick and scream at me all you want. It won't silence me.

However . . .

What has Bush left for the next president? A big stinking pile of crap to clean up.

So what would be a fitting memorial to the worst, most heartless president ever? A library filled with phony tributes and lies?

Some folks think they have a better idea. Heh heh.

I'm sick and tired of the Obama Purity Robots who label anyone who dares to vocalize dissent regarding some of Obama's positions on issues a "Purity Troll" or a "Concern Troll".

It is very reminiscent of misguided behavior in the 60s. If a feminist (for example) brought up feminist issues in the way an anti-war group was being run, she was told to shut up about that for the moment, there was a war to terminate. As if we humans are too dumb to multi-task on political issues.

Yes, it is probable and possible that there are moles on kos that attempt to disrupt "unity" by posting divisive posts. However, it is also the case that there are many progressives on this blog that post their dissent quite honestly, and they get brutally flogged by Obama Purity Robots. And it is not difficult to see the who the honest dissenters are.

Read on, Puritans.

My father was both a simple and a complicated man. His parents were immigrant peasant Jews from East Europe who were escaping pograms, Cossacks, and conscription in the Czar's army where Jews were not treated well. He grew up on the mean streets of Chicago during Capone days, and all his life loved those black Caponish gangster hats. That was his generation's version of the backward baseball cap.

He was simple in his belief in the American dream, Bing Crosby, and his belief in social justice. He was complicated in his emotional opaqueness to himself. He made a lot of foolish mistakes in his time.

Once my cousin asked my Aunt Molly for a recipe for one of her revered Thanksgiving dishes. Aunt Molly was the only one who made this dish, and she didn't want to give it over, but my cuz was afraid Aunt Molly would die without revealing the secret. When Aunt M said, "Why do you need to know," cuz didn't want to say, "in case you die," so she stuttered, then said, "You know, in case you go out of town or something." So in our family, people don't die. They just go out of town.

Bush bashing is all the rage on DK, but if people are able to really be fair-minded, they will have to admit that he has done a lot for the average American citizen during his reign.

Let's look at some major American problems, shall we? And try to suspend your cynicism and open your liberal minds for a few minutes. Who knows, you might learn something.

And before we begin, also remember that you can't judge your insides by other people's outsides. Just because Bush looks like he doesn't get bothered by all the low ratings, being misunderstood and Bush bashing doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings. Can't we have Compassionate Liberalism?

For those who don't know, Natural Solutions Foundation has been one of the organizations battling the companies, particularly Monsanto, that are "re-engineering" (destroying) our healthy food supplies.

In the process, not only are they destroying our healthy food supplies, they are driving poor farmers out-of-business, and trying to force other nations into accepting their Frankenfoods.

Many scientists who are concerned about such things have been warning us that the genetically modified foods should not be allowed until we can determine their real effects. Of course, government agencies have refused to acknowledge there's anything wrong.

But genetics is a relatively new field for humankind. And now, we are just beginning to see how little we know. Enter a new disease. Morgellons Disease. There's more.

No, I'm not for McCain to give the Obambastics and HillShills an opportunity to practice unity in raging all freakazoid against me.

I just think McCain can give this election something that no Democrat can. Obama can't do it. Hillary can't do it.

Of course you may imagine that Obama and Hillary are getting tons more voters to the polls, and they are. You may imagine that the indies aren't going to swazzle toward the elephants this sweep, and maybe they aren't.

But still, McCain can do something no Democrat can do, and that's why I'm for him. Before you scoff, check out McCain's amazing ability to affect the vote.

Because I am a qigong student, studying energy healing and such, this headline grabbed my chortling attention: Mayans to Cleanse Bush Site.

Mayan priests say they will purify the sacred archaeological site to rid it of any "bad spirits" after Bush is there.

A most appropriate action after a visit by our Deceitful Decider. Here too, we try clear his befouling energy with our daily acknowledgments and scrutiny of his continuous polluting fog spread out across our airwaves and national policies.

We toil to raise money for those who can begin to restore sanity and heart to our government. We write letters, blogs and emails, make phone calls, attend events. But his dark magic bag is heavy and full of "bad spirits". What to do?

Try as I might to be hardened to what an ethically bankrupt Republican will say next, they always manage to flabbergast me one more time. Today, it was Newt Gingrich's morality play with James Dobson, head of the hard rock Christian right's Focus on the Family terrorist campaign against singles, gays, and people who don't wish to have children in this leave all poor behind scary movie produced and directed by Dick Cheny, aka, "the White House".

Does this mean the Newt, which is also a necessary ingredient for any evil witch's cauldron, is going to throw his hat in the Repub presidential ring? Speculation says yes, or else why try so desperately to attempt what he hopes will pass as remorse.

Seems like the holier-than-thou Repubs are having trouble finding candidates that don't cheat on their wives in spectacular ways. Giuliani had the bad taste to flaunt his affair in the media, humiliating his wife, Donna Hanover, mightily. His own son doesn't even want to campaign for him. Now we see that the Newt was bedding a young congresssional aide while aiding and abetting Clinton's impeachment over the Monica.

This diary is in response to a discussion started on MissLaura's "More Presidential Polling" thread today. I spoke of a piece in the NYTimes about Barack Obama and his blasting baby boomers. I've had more thoughts, and am continuing that discussion here. In the 1960s, the culture was emerging from the 1950s, from Bomb Shelter Duck and Cover Nuclear War scares (which have been replaced by terrorist scares), from the House on UnAmerican Activities (Joe McCarthy) . . . which is very similar to the "muslim/terrorist" witch hunts going on today.

When I was in high school, women couldn't wear pants to school, a lot of us slept on huge, painful brush rollers, and certainly no one wore jeans. If the 60s did nothing more than get rid of brush rollers, it was worth it. Women had just won the right to vote a mere 25-30 years before that. Imagine. There was a part of the 20th Century where women didn't have the right to vote, and sometimes couldn't own or inherit property. That was less than 100 years ago.

But really, the "boomers" and "the 60s" have been so media-ized, that many people paint it all with one broad brush, and don't see the continuity of struggle that's been going on since this country was founded.

Reading Craig Burnham's Broken Diary reminded me of seeing friends I went to high school with after they returned from battle in Vietnam.

Not one of them was the same. One was a boy I'd dated who'd been a singer and band leader, and was known for his humor and joyful living. When he returned he was sullen, kept to himself, almost a ghost. I never learned what exactly happened to him over there.

Another described some of his experiences to me, talked about the fear, about killing in order not to be killed, feeling on the edge all the time. Both hating the "enemy" for killing his friends, and hating himself for killing the "enemy" -- some of whom were obviously not fighters.

I have a similar background to Marcy Winograd (recent diary on jews against the war inspired me to write this one), East European ancestors (on both sides) who were pummeled by pograms, my grandparents immigrating to NYC and Cincinatti. Only my NYC grandparents were used to rural life and they made their way to a small town in Arkansas that was named after General Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the originators of the kkk.

I was the only jewish kid in my class. We had to say a prayer in the cafeteria that invoked Jesus (I don't blame him for the actions of his followers), we had religious assembly once a week with only fire and brimstone protestant preachers. This was in the 50's and early 60's. I had no idea they were violating my civil rights. Between that experience and coming of age during the Civil Rights struggle, I thought a lot about racism, anti-semitism, and bigotry in general.

Remember how Bush used "The War President" frame to swagger himself  back in 2004?

As in:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/...

"Bush sets case as 'war president'

The usual studio set was switched for the Oval Office
US President George W Bush has issued an uncompromising message to voters in a rare extended television interview.
Mr Bush said he was a "war president" and the top issue for voters should be the use of American power in the world."

and from the Meet the Press transcript:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...

"I'm a war president.  I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign-policy matters with war on my mind.  Again, I wish it wasn't true, but it is true.  And the American people need to know they got a president who sees the world the way it is.  And I see dangers that exist, and it's important for us to deal with them."

That moniker can be his noose. See below.

TruthOut.org has excerpted part of this important investigation by Rep. Henry Waxman behind the clandestine curtain of the Bush administration. I'm making it a part of my diary, becuase I feel it will be important to my on-going research into war profiteering.

Rep. Henry A. Waxman has released a comprehensive examination of secrecy in the Bush Administration. The report analyzes how the Administration has implemented each of our nation's major open government laws. It finds that there has been a consistent pattern in the Administration's actions: laws that are designed to promote public access to information have been undermined, while laws that authorize the government to withhold information or to operate in secret have repeatedly been expanded. The cumulative result is an unprecedented assault on the principle of open government.

From TruthOut.org: Rep. Henry A. Waxman's Report on Secrecy in the Bush League Axis of Evil

"There is such a thirst for gain [among military suppliers]...that it is enough to make one curse their own Species, for possessing so little virtue and patriotism." -- President George Washington, 1778

Below are links to and some text about and from:
Southern Exposure Magazine's efforts to stop war profiteering, followed by links to other articles on war profiteering