dagblog - Comments for "The Last Moderate"

what you claim to like about

artappraiser — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:03:08 +0000

In reply to He seems like an effective

what you claim to like about Obama

What do I claim to like about Obama? Huh? Either give me a reference or don't make presumptions.

Why must you make up phantom political teams out of a few people agreeing that an article is interesting? And presume you know they are your enemies? This is one of the things I really hate about the blogosphere, i.e., TMac is known to write blogs about her activism in the Democratic party. I am not known to do any such thing. But because we both happen to find a single article of interest, we must both be members of a gang that you have to razz or provoke using classic troll tactics.

I haven't talked much about my personal political preferences on the net for eons. But I'll do so this time because I used to very much like reading your comments but your habit of pigeonholing me and others is really starting to grate.

I bet I've been a registered Independent longer than you have. Since 1984 specifically, after I had moved to NYC and was finally appalled enough by the results of a particularly nasty Democratic political machine, up close and personal to leave the party system for good. I've never voted for a Republican for national office. But I have for other offices, and a lot of NYC residents can say the same thing, hence the non-Democrat mayors for quite some time now.

And another thing, since I've had a lot of interest in reading and learning about other Independents over the decades since I've been one, I've never bought your regular arguments trying to convince people that most Independents are leftist on a lot of issues like yourself. Project your own views on other Independents all you want, but I don't believe that's the case. I think a lot more of them might like a representative along the lines of Jim Cooper here, not because of his blue dog ideology, but because of the kinds of things he says in this article.

As to your hah-hah suggestion about donations. Just so happens I don't believe in donating to any political candidates. And said so here. I don't like our campaign finance system and I don't think little people donating to individual politicians to counter big people donating to individual politicians is the answer to changing it, but perpetuates and ingrains it. We already pay the salaries of the elected, they are our servants, it makes no sense for us to pay them while they are applying for a job with us. I very much disliked how the Obama campaign chose to go private, and especially the way so many people who couldn't afford it were donating money to his campaign as if they were buying hope in a bottle, it really gave me nausea.

What is the deal with trying to pigeonhole people so you can argue with the strawman group you make? Especially ones that don't write blogs proclaiming their opinions? Why not just stick to writing what you think? I'm not particularly interested in defending groups I don't feel I belong to. When I see someone trying to start up the team vs. team play, that's when I often ignore and even leave a thread.

I'd hardly call

Verified Atheist — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:07:05 +0000

In reply to Holy cow. You actually know

I'd hardly call Charlottesville a big city! That's one thing I love about it so much, having grown up in Atlanta…

Holy cow. You actually know

Lazy KGB — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:54:39 +0000

In reply to Well, for what it's worth, I

Holy cow. You actually know what party your various city council members belong to? Can't say I miss big city life much. Especially for local, I prefer using a sliding scale of apparent asshattery and general petty corruption. I don't even keep track of the partisan crap until we're talking state/federal representative.

Not positive how many, but I'm pretty sure there are some Democrats on CDA's council (Crapo's aide mentioned it to shift accountability when I was bitching about something or other) ... it's nearly impossible to tell these days anyhow. Thinking about the folks on my little town's council, I wouldn't even try to guess.

From top to bottom, elected government positions mostly serve as a personal enrichment program anymore - doesn't much matter what jersey the enrichee decides to wear.

Well, for what it's worth, I

Verified Atheist — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:55 +0000

In reply to He seems like an effective

Well, for what it's worth, I do vote for the Republican when I think s/he's a better candidate. For example, and don't tell CVille Dem this, I voted for Rob Schilling for City Council. All of the other city council members were Democrats, and I'm a firm believer in the value of diversity (seriously).

Well you are correct artie,

tmccarthy0 — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:23:22 +0000

In reply to I would argue that there's

Well you are correct artie, there was so much material to select from, it wasn't easy to pick one!

He seems like an effective

Lazy KGB — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:08:56 +0000

In reply to The Last Moderate

He seems like an effective and well-spoken Republican.

So, any of you guys going to donate to his campaign and help with his reelection? $50 each for a GOPper who embodies what you claim to like about Obama ... but even better than Obama as this guy's actions actually appear to match his words ... seems a small donation

Hahahahaha. Just kidding (that was a good 'un). Let me guess .... y'all are going to support the Democrat instead ... no matter what ... regardless what they believe or how crapulatious they happen to be.

I would argue that there's

artappraiser — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:47:16 +0000

In reply to The most (in)credible

I would argue that there's ample competition for the "most incredible paragraph" title.

Examples:

“This is not a collegial body anymore,” he said. “It is more like gang behavior. Members walk into the chamber full of hatred. They believe the worst lies about the other side. Two senators stopped by my office just a few hours ago. Why? They had a plot to nail somebody on the other side. That’s what Congress has come to.”

....“Money changes hands here way too much,” he said. “Members buy their way onto committees. When I first came to Congress, the party was supposed to help you. Now, when a new member is sworn in, he or she is told what their dues are — how much they are expected to raise for the party for the next election. It’s worse in the Senate. It turns the whole place into a money machine.”

The most (in)credible

tmccarthy0 — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:10:40 +0000

In reply to The Last Moderate

The most (in)credible paragraph from the article:

Gingrich was a new kind of speaker: deeply partisan and startlingly power-hungry. “His first move was to get rid of the Democratic Study Group, which analyzed bills, and which was so trusted that Republicans as well as Democrats relied on it,” Cooper recalled. “This was his way of preventing us from knowing what we were voting on. Today,” he added, “the ignorance around here is staggering. Nobody has any idea what they’re voting on.”

Truer words were never spoken of today's congress. His analysis is quite interesting as well and I think spot on.

Thanks Donal, that was a great read.

Thanks for pointing to this,

wabby — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:51:15 +0000

In reply to The Last Moderate

Thanks for pointing to this, Donal.

I knew there had to be a unicorn in Congress somewhere.