I have been digging into the line:

With oil companies receiving more than $4 for each gallon of gas they sell, Senate Democrats today tried to eliminate the $17 billion in tax breaks Congress has awarded them in recent years.

And I am trying to find the details.  

I was just chatting to a co-worker about the Rs dumping the spending bill on the Ds.  His reply was that McCaskill already skipped out on something - the freshman orientation of the Senate.  I did a quick google and lo and behold I found details.  I sure hope this is NOT a trend.  I am already going to let Claire know that this is NOT a good way to start off.  Appearance is everything at this point and blowing this off only gives the Rs ammo to say that she is not serious about her job.  Regardless of planning it beforehand she MUST have known this schedule when she started her campaign.  Not making me a happy camper...

I sent a co-worker the diary titled:

It's time that this Republican 'experiment' came to an end

His reponse was:

So, what is the Democratic agenda?  Pointing fingers in hind sight seems to be a gift we all have.  The politics of hate don't really move me.  All I hear from the Democrats is the mean spirited trumped up spin stuff.  They might have some other coherent message, but it is not getting through to me.  Mostly I just hear the how horrible the Republicans are.  I don't really think that, because you can complain really loudly or able to assassinate someone's character that you are fit for office.

Unfortunately I think the busted budget is just the fact of life in this stage of our nations history.  Which ever party gets in has to spend to retain office.  We need a 3rd party to rise to prominence to take on this issue with any sort of integrity.

Of course the US Taxpayers Party has made the most sense to me in the past, but their strategy is too narrow.

From my God centered world view, we(the people of the USA) get who we deserve.

My response to him below:

So here I am at work minding my own business.  There is apparently a heated discussion going on in the next office of a political nature.  The lone Democrat-leaning person is being eaten alive by the Republicans in the room.  I decide to try to do a rescue.  

While walking through the halls today I happened to notice a book on a desk.  It was Ann Coulter - Goddess (http://www.freerepublic.com/...).  Ick.  Almost most made me toss my M&Ms that I just bought. But I had an idea instead.  Leave another book. Anonymously.  

Next Monday, the 24th, our local Democratic group is holding a chat of sorts AND best of all - the counties new Touch Screen voting machines will be there. I plan to go and take a LOT of photos.  They will also be offering hands on time.

My question to ya'll.  Suggestions?  Things I should make sure they have (paper trail is one, secure access is another).  I plan on brining my laptop with the wireless sniffer to see if I can get anything that way.  I am open to more ideas...

I sent an aquaintance the diary on History repeating himself.  
His reply is below the fold.

I am at a loss of where to start and again turn to my fellow
flame-throwers might have to say.  I have started my draft reply but I know it is safe because he doesn't frequent this hate site.

While chatting at a Missouri Democratic Party house party I learned of an interesting conference that will be held where I used to go to church.  I thought the church was a tad too far to the right when I went there but I didn't think ALL of the folks were 'unsaveable'.  After the last election and all the HATE from the right I knew this place was NOT for me.  My God would never treat people the way these people do.

I have diared here my situation and question.
Now I am hoping for some bigger better brains to help me out.

There is a special election coming up soon in the area I live.  There are more Democrat signs up this year than any previous election but there are still quite a few GOP ones. I have been trying to think of a way to help wake up these pod people and I am open for ideas.

I just got off the phone with a poller. The conversation went something like this:

Q: How do you rate Gov Blunt? 1 to 5 5 being best
A: 1
Q: How do you rate Rep Akin?
A: 1 Q: Did you support the effort to add a marriage definition clause in the MO constitution? It meant marriage would be defined as a man a woman.
A: Did not support it
Q: Do you think we need more gun laws or better enforce the existing laws?
A: Enfore the exisiting

then we got to a more interesting question

I just opened my St Louis Post-Dispatch and found an
article titled:
"Vatican condemns torture, even to avert a terrorist attack"

A quick google search found these other stories.
http://www.cwnews.com/...

http://www.cathnews.com/...

This got me to thinking.  There was a TON of output when the Catholic church said you can not vote for a non pro-life candidate.  The church definitely got into the Bush-Kerry race.

So where are these same loud folks now? With Bush/Cheney saying they need torture to use as a tool.  BushCo said they will even veto the defense bill if the anti-torture amendment is put in.

Why isn't every good Catholic calling the White House on this issue?  Where are the sermons and the signs outside of the churches?

Here is a little blurb I found while crusing today. Wonder what the US church has to say about it.  I sent it to some stong ID supporters in my area and am waiting to hear back from them. The entire short article is below.  The source is:
http://www.news.com.au/...

I got an email from someone who put it this way:

"This guy's wife figured it out first - best summary I've seen yet of what
really has been going on down there. Helped me put the pieces together."

What she manages to say is from watching the coverage last night on Fox News Channel:

I just read the article Bush backers give speech 20 standing O's
and could not belive the comment at the end:

"The protesters get more attention than they really warrant," said Kent Johnson, an aircraft maintenance supervisor at the National Guard's Gowen Field in Boise. "Most of us feel the same feelings the president expressed."

What cave do these people live in? Since 51% 'elected' Bush and his rating is in the upper 30's how does MOST equal < 50%? I guess I know another reason the USofA is behind in Math.

We were walking about how BushCo keeps cutting every source of income for the government. We got around to the estate tax.  Sent him the article from the NY times on it.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/business/yourmoney/14view.html

Seems to have struck a nerve. Below is his reply:

My morning breakfast pals and I had an intersting talk this morning.  THEN just as we left one of them mentioned how good it was that the energy bill passed.  ARGH! He started a hot topic as we were walking to the car! I told him I would be in touch after I got to work.  

I then sent him article after article of all the problems in the bill.  His reply below:

In my weekly exchange of e-mail with someone, we finally got around to Pro-Life/Pro-Birth issue.  I find it interesting that he categorically lumps Porgressive Democrats into one life-hating bunch.

Here is his comment:

On the Progressive Democrat "Pro-Life" - My wife & I have been active in financial support and promotion of PRC and similar minsitries for nearly 20 years.  I've yet to meet a Progressive Democrat DOING anything to intercept an unborn infant's murder.  Planned Parenthood (advocated on the PDA site) is not in that business; they're in he business of making it happen.