***

My wife ran for office as a Democrat in a district that has been a Republican stronghold. She will probably win the election against an incumbent. How did she do it? She went to the people. The Democratic Party had better start becoming an opposition party or they might as well pack up the tent. I am absolutely disgusted with the spineless display of Dacshel, Gephardt, et al. We have just handed the country to a very dangerous group of people because we didn't stand up for what we should be - a party for the small person. The Democratic Party should be, as it once was, the party of the worker, the small business owner, the person standing in the way of the big developer.

--- James Morrell

***

This election was about one issue and one issue only. WAR. The Bush machine was able to politicize the war with Bin Laden/Iraq/North Korea right under our noses, and we let him get away with it. They did it shamelessly. Even to the point of suggesting some of our Democrat decorated Veterans were "unpatriotic" for not supporting the homeland security bill.

Bush didn't just politicize the war, he skillfully politicized the men and women of the Armed Forces who will fight the war. After 9/11 he asked for the nation to stand together, and we Democrats put our differences aside and stood together with the country. We did our duty as Americans and stood with our soldiers, only to have Bush and his buddies kick us in the ass.

Well, make no mistake about it, this will stop. My dad is a Democrat and fought in WWII. He was on the beaches during D-Day. He saw some of the worst of what mankind can offer. And I will be damned if I will ever again let any Republican bad mouth my father or any other Veteran in the Democratic party without consequences.

The next Republican that does, will need the full support of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines to pull my boot out of his ass.

No American has the right to politicize the war, including Democrats and Republicans. And no one has the right to politicize the men and women of the armed forces who will fight the wars.

Especially someone who depended upon his daddy to get out of of one.

John R. Cobarruvias
Texans for Builder Reform
http://www.txbr.org

***

the american people deserve what they have wrought, and the democratic party is a shame. a bunch of panty waist quasi liberals, if you believe in it fight for it, compromise for job security is not what the system was meant to be.

we will suffer under the oppression of the republican right, christian conservative, screw the middle class regeim, untill the real democrats, ( not ralph nadir and a bunch of green goblins or pie in the sky libertarians ) take the bull by the horns, grow some balls and make it clear just what the american people, 90 % of them truly have to lose by this path.

vote, voice and dissent, read a book, enlighten our ignorant brothers and sisters and battle the christian conservative attitude of god's chosen, no one is chosen, we all are family.

James Fischer

***

Keep on talking, Politex. We need you. We need lots of other stuff, too. The demos need to get back on the horse and learn how to ride. We can't just look at bush from our perspective and think everybody else sees the stupidity and the cheating and believes our way. We have to say who we are and what we believe and why we believe it. Where's our version of Karl Rove? Dubya gives the win credit to him. We're smart people. How come we can't project THAT image?

Helen Crowley

***

I've been reading a lot of analyses concerning the debacle of Tuesday last. Some of these blame the media; some blame the Democratic Party; some blame the American people themselves.

For Republicans and conservatives, the gloating has been limited, but they plan to immediately roll up their sleeves and get to work reinventing America in their own (and God's own) image.

Damn! It sure gives me the willies when I try to imagine an America where the rule of Jerry Falwell's version of hate-filled Christianity holds sway in the halls of Congress and of justice.

Well, it's coming, folks, because...you asked for it!

Bill Moyers, who has been observing politics and government from the inside and out since the 1950's, comments about our future on the PBS website. For the 80+ percent of the population who didn't vote for the Republican "mandate" in this election, his is an ominous vision.

The abdication of journalistic objectivity by the mainstream media means that our vaunted "free press" is no more free than Pravda was in the Soviet Union or La Prensa was serving half a dozen military dictatorships South of the Border.

Our most secretive government in history continues to quash the flow of information to its citizens. How do we know? Not through the mainstream media, but through a relatively obscure Internet website known as OMB Watch.

I have to wonder if we'd be under a full dictatorship by now if it wasn't for the information that can be gleaned from Internet sources. Of course conservative websites are numerous and attract (I suspect) many more surfers than do liberal websites, but the fact is that the information is out there, as opposed to the limited and highly-filtered information presented on television and radio, in newspapers and news magazines.

There are a number of articles like this from liberal writers and pundits stating that the battle must now truly be joined. We might not get another chance!

I fear that much damage will be done to the America I love in the next few years by despots who call themselves patriots and true Americans. There's a lot of blame to go around for what will happen, but as usual, the poor and the middle class will bear the brunt of it all. The rich and powerful will isolate their wealth and security as they always have, because they are now more in control than ever before in American history.

A few years ago, in a prime example of foot-in-mouth disease, a Texas campaigner responded to reporter's question about what a woman should do if she feels she's about to be raped.

"Why...she should just lie back and enjoy it," was his smirking response.

With this Republican "mandate", it sure would be nice to be able to do just that, wouldn't it; just lie back and let it all happen?

Well, I can't just lie back. I have to fight the assaults on our privacy, our freedoms and our Constitution. Certainly the enemy is not letting up for one minute.

As professional FOJ (friend of Jesus), Jerry Falwell, says in his post-election missive to his minions:

"Please join me in praying that God will sustain and strengthen President Bush as he embarks on this exciting new phase of his presidency."

Amen, Brother Jerry. Praise the Lord and pass that ammunition!

Michael LaMartina

***

I have been a registered Democrat as long as I have been old enough to vote. I have supported Democrats in the national elections, volunteered my time, and given money when I felt particularly passionate. I worked on George McGovern’s campaign when I was 17 years old. I actively campaigned for Bill Clinton in 1992. I do not support much of the Republican agenda, nor am I particularly fond of any of the Bushes, especially our current president.

In short, other than some local candidates and who knows, maybe John McCain – I can’t imagine voting for any Republican on a national basis.

But I have a problem: I can’t think of many Democrats I support either. This election really exposed the bankruptcy of conviction within the Democratic Party. I have been furious with the national Democratic Party for several years. They lack a coherent message, cave in too easily to Republicans, and don’t even support each other. As much as I dislike the Republican Party, at least they stand up for each other – even when it hurts them politically. The Dems couldn’t even figure out how to get a triple amputee Vietnam War Hero re-elected in Georgia. He was defeated by a Chicken Hawk who impugned his patriotism. Imagine that.

If the Democrats could not capitalize on the atrocious record of the Bush Administration regarding civil liberties, the economy, the environment, corporate greed, huge tax cuts for the wealthy, ridiculous Executive Privilege arguments against open government, separation of church and state, the deficits, (hello again, deficits!), privatization of Social Security, phony prescription drug coverage, corporate welfare, a war against someone who has never attacked us, and a myriad of other issues, well, I’m not sure what else could have done it. Worse yet, they provided no real reason to vote FOR them.

Here in Florida, Bill McBride seemed like a nice enough guy. Perhaps he should have run for the school board down in Homosassa. He was running for school board, wasn’t he? Oh, that’s right, he was candidate for GOVERNOR! How did I miss it? Caring about education is really swell, but hey – some of us are above school age, and our kids are grown. We may care about class size, but our minds are actually capable of considering multiple issues. We wanted to hear about the rest of his agenda. But we didn’t, because there wasn’t one.

The Florida Governor’s race was supposed to be the most important one in the nation for the Dems. Instead of an intelligent, issues based campaign they ran a nice guy for School Board. Not even close, and no cigar.

As far as I can tell, we have one party with two wings: Republican, and Republican Lite.

I don’t know what happened to the Democrats, but one thing is for certain: They left me and now I’m leaving them.

I have no plans to vote “Green”. I certainly will not become a Republican - pigs will fly before that happens. But I have no plans to vote Democratic, either. I’m joining the 60% nationally who vote by not voting. I won’t vote for Republican Bullies; but I won’t vote for Democratic Wimps.

The two party system is predicated upon opposition. Until I see some real opposition – some real risk taking by the Democrats – I will vote by not voting. I will punctuate this commitment by marching down to the Supervisor of Elections office and changing my party registration to “Independent.” Of course, I am not a true “Independent”. But until the “Not Represented” Party is officially formed, it will have to do. There are many, many others like me. I hope they join me. Perhaps we will force the Democrats to regain some vision – and some testosterone. If not, at least our former party will know where to find us.

Bud Hendershot
St. Augustine, FL

***

Please,please don't give up on publishing this web site. Could you use your powerful persuasion to get these inept leaders to resign their positions and get some REALLY intelligent, courageous, forthright new people to positions of leadership? The wusses we have had since Clinton i.e. Gore, Leiberman, Daschle, Gebhardt, Edwards and others. Start looking at Dem governors for candidates for 04. Please NO has beens. AND especially NO senators or representatives! Please don't give up...this administration has assumed a mandate in spite of the low turnout (Dems fault). The future looks dim for those of us who believe in a government for the common good. This administration cares only for their own the rich and powerful since they know no others.

Florence Murphy
Grand Rapids, MI

***

It occurs to me, as the catastrophic results of the midterm election sink further in and I fight off going into denial, that we are major pawns in a well thought out strategy by major Republican think tanks like the American Enterprise group that have ingeniously and insidiously brought us to our current pass. The Democrats have been unceasingly undermined for years in al kinds of clever ways and one blatant factor in this mass manipulation has, obviously, been the media. I mean, for God's sake, how can someone like Rush Limbaugh turn up as a political host on a channel like MSNBC which prides itself on not being Fox? Right now, all the cable news stations are looking like one big commercial for going to war with Iraq before it's even been officially decided.

So this is my plan. Even the trillionaire media moguls who own these channels are dependent on advertiser dollars. They rely on a passive and lazy viewing public, feeding them whatever tripe they desire to and seem so confident that the John Q. will lap it up while buying Coors, SUV's and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. But what if there was a movement which galvanized the 79% of the American consumers who did not vote for this President or a Republican House and Senate to boycott the news channels until they started courting them back by becoming more representative of their viewpoints? Imagine the media moguls' panic as they started loosing millions of consumers' attention and then advertisers. Maybe this is a naive dream but right now, feeling as powerless as I do, it is something I actually can do for my country. Not that I will actually be missing much!

Melissa Sklar

***

Keep on talking, Politex. We need you. We need lots of other stuff, too. Pam Lacey had an excellent letter. Reread it. The demos need to get back on the horse and learn how to ride. We can't just look at bush from our perspective and think everybody else sees the stupidity and the cheating and believes our way. We have to say who we are and what we believe and why we believe it. Where's our version of Karl Rove, if dubya gives the win credit to him. We're smart people. How come we can't project THAT image?

Helen Crowley

***

The Democratic leadership had no guts. A weak minded president with a lot of guts beat Dashle and Gephart because they didn't have the courage to stand up the the Democratic principles. They should have been shouting from every rooftop, to every American that our economy was in the sewer and that the Bush administration put us there, the should have never went along with Bush's mad dash to war in Iraq for the oil riches that Iraq holds, it is still about oil and we Democrats let them off the hook.

B. Baczuk

***

I woke up Thursday thinking "Last week Mondale was ahead in the polls, Jeb Bush was falling behind, the Dems seemed poised to win, and yet Wednesday it all turned on its head, and gee whiz, the exit pollsters stayed home!" What happened, did they all get flat tires on the way to work that day? Much as we all hate them, remember that they do provide one service that the new touchscreen voting machines don't, they are a "second opinion" about what is happening in the voting booth. This year, there is no way for us to say "hey wait a sec, how come the exit polls say Mondale is ahead 60% to 40% but the official tally puts his rival ahead by 2%?"

Paul Archibald

***

As a long time viewer and fan of your site, I feel the need to write you and express my concern at the latest rationale you are using to spin our recent loss. By claiming that "only 21%" of Americans support the Bush "mandate", you are in effect cheapening every recent election in America's history... the truth is (and you know it), that Clinton never received over 25% of the nation's vote, Gore and Bush less than that in 2000. I value your opinions (99%) of the time... but please let's show some objectivity and "spin" this the way it has to be spun... a resounding victory for Dubya and a resounding defeat for our party. Further, you know that if the results were flip floped on November 5th and it was the Democrats, not the Republicans, who narrowly claimed victory.. you'd be hooting and hollering about what a "decisive" message the nation sent to George W. I'm actually quite disgusted as I'm writing this... you are no better than hacks like Limbaugh or Drudge.

Tom Rendell
Kansas

***

Well, if the Greens had "spoiled" some Democrats Senate victory I'm sure you wold have trumpeted it from the rooftops. Now that they've shot themselves in the foot, I don't see any criticism of the Democrats. You know, like they're out of touch with the people; the ordinary folks don't bother to turn out because they know the Dems are owned by the same rich people who own the Repubs; they're spineless wimps, etc.

They're the party of the past, Jerry, and the people know it. The Greens are not going away. We're here for the long haul and we need your help.

George

***

You folks at Bush Watch must feel miserable right now, so do I. But, chins-up people, once in a while we all fall short. That does not mean it wasn't a good effort, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Shake off your dreary malaise and move quickly.

Take a look at the big picture.

There is no doubt that Bush Watch provides a valuable service - namely, holding the administration's feet to the fire. And, there is also no doubt that the fine people that read Bush Watch went out to vote.

However, Bush Watch IS preaching to the choir, a choir that has spent the past several months under some euphoric spell. A spell which has blinded the choirs understanding of relationship between voters and their legs.

I think you know where I am going here.

Remember that old, dead Italian guy that said something like, "It's better to be loved than feared, but easier to be feared." He was right!

In other words, you guys are doing it the hard way, and its time to change tact. First of all, your approach is just as wussy as the Democratic Leadership. If you want to win, you have to rub the competition's nose in the dung, not just point-out the elephant. Second, your offerings, a lovely sampling of articles, are mostly lost on all but a minority of wonk-wantabes pathetically huddling under the Democratic umbrella.

Don't get me wrong. It is not my intent to dump on non-readers. I am just pointing out a fact. In order to reach your audience you have to use their medium. Real down and dirty Democrats DO NOT read.

I also am not suggesting that you un-plug the Bush Watch website. It's a beautiful thing and would provide the perfect complement to ... a hyper-aggressive, radio talk show.

Yes, it is time to fight fire with fire. The only way to get the attention of REAL PEOPLE is via REAL POLITICK.

I know that many of you have just thrown up your arms in disgust. Asking, what about morals? And, what about common decency?

My answer, "You're just chasing your tails!"

Jesus Gutierrez

***

Maybe I am an overly-paranoid conspiracy theorist, but am I the only one who finds it slightly suspicious that some sort of computer glitch eliminated all the exit polls for this election? Perhaps if there were widespread discrepancies between the missing exit polls and the actual election results, it would draw attention to the possibility that the elections were "fraudulent, rigged, or tampered with."

S. DeBacco

***

I have two feelings today. First, I am depressed about the election results. I feel like the country is turning into a bunch of lemmings, following the happy piper W off the cliff. Second, I am angry at the Democratic party. They handed this election to the Repugs. The Repugs outran them at every turn. Perhaps this will be a wake up call. The Dems need to dump that souless Terry McCauliffe and collectively we need to stand up and say what we believe - and not be afraid of it. I live in Colorado, and I watched Tom Strickland choose his words sooooo carefully so not to offend. The party needs to follow the example of Paul Wellstone....he said what he believed and did not apologize. This standing in the middle approach did not work. In campaign after campaign, they lost because they acted like republican want-a-bees instead of Democrats.

Pam Lacey

***

You want to hear some REAL honesty from an African-American living in Texas?

After the 00' elections, I was a little afraid. After the 02 elections, I'm just waiting on the separate (but equal) water fountain agenda.

JBryant
Irving, TX

***

From everywhere we are hearing of the curtailment of exit polling...what we have seen is a fraud...there should be a confrontation and massive investigation...what the hell kind of an election doesen't have exit polls to show that everything is on the up and up...

Richard Johnsen

***

Yes- As Billy Joel put it, the angry young man is as boring as hell. Anyway, by the time this administration has finished having its way with the tax code and the courts (we're talking at least 6 more years of right wing government by popular will) there will be nothing left to save. I'm going to have to disengage from "politics" just to save myself- I'm tired of being outraged, angry and seemingly alone in my beliefs. Put more simply, we lose, I surrender, life is too short.

dyinglikeflies

***

I've just been reading your multitude of readers' letters regarding the election results, and I have to agree with many in saying the Democrats lost this mid-term race because they refused to show any backbone.

I am one Democrat who repeatedly wrote, called, and e-mailed Democratic Senators and Congressional Representatives across the country asking that they NOT support the Bush tax cut, and more recently, NOT support authorizing the Bush resolution to attack Iraq. In both instances, and especially the anti-Iraq issue, I know that Democratic Senators and Republicans received overwhelming messages from constituents to vote AGAINST giving Bush unilateral war powers against Iraq.

Yet most of our Democratic representatives in either Congressional body ignored us totally and voted with this illegitimate president. First Gephardt's then Daschle's capitulation to GW's war demands infuriated most of their Democratic base. WE WANTED THEM TO TAKE A STAND AND DEFEAT BUSH'S WAR RESOLUTION. They were supposed to be middle American's last stand against this autocratic, unellected regime. And they F'N FAILED US!

I didn't have to hold my nose to vote for the Democrats in my election up here in Maine, since both of my Democrat representatives, Tom Allen and John Baldacci voted against giving Bush that much power. And both have been resoundingly re-elected--Tom Allen as U.S. Representative for our first district, and John Baldacci as our new Governor.

The Democrats facing re-election who lost this time were those who didn't have the political courage to stand up to Bush and say NO!

If we are going to have any strength as Democrats in the future, we have to have leaders who don't care about playing it safe for their next election, but who will operate on their CONVICTIONS. That's why Gephardt and Daschle and McCaulliff have failed so terribly in this past election. They didn't have the guts to take a stand, when taking a stand would have brought out their voters.

Sincerely, Jo Ann Simon
Camden, ME

***

The real reason the democrats lost in the Mid-Term election is because in the most vital media outlets we have no voice. Where is our version of Rush Limbaugh? Where is our version of the FOX network?

Until the anti-right wing voice is established on major radio stations or cable news outlets the message to the American people will continue to be blurred.

I know there has got to be a democratic machine that can get those voices on the air. The most important thing is to find someone that can deliver the message, aggressively and passionately on prime time.

Having a huge presence on the Internet is not going to cut it.

I hope in your power as an Internet voice you scream for a prime time presence to fight the dark side.

Chuck Graves

***

Thank-you for your site and reaffirming my thoughts and feelings about this election. I though I woke up in the wrong state this morning. How could Minnesota - that has always been Democratic - - elect a Republican senator ? Was it because of infusion of so-called "soft" ad money into Minnesota from political parties and special interest groups likely will establish 2002 as the state's top political ad spending year ever ? Was it because people were sold on the 'image' of Coleman an did not investigate his 'substance'? As Politex has indicated - - some people would much rather read about a scandal than to really think about true political issues. Coleman has been bought by Bush and sold to Minnesota by the Right-Wing GOP Inc. We are now going to have to live with this purchase that does not reflect Minnesota's socially aware consciousness.

As for the Republican takeover that happened today - it has to get worse before it gets better. Society will not fully speak up until they really feel the impact of the GOP right-wing agenda. By next year we will all be screaming.

Deanna

***

Do you think the self-righteous, arrogant, delusional green party morons are happy now? Oh, wait, maybe now their dream will come true: things will get so bad that Americans will finally awaken to the truth that Ralph Nader is the Savior and beg him on their knees to take over. Can things possibly get any worse?

Joann Olbrich

***

Your site seems to assume that the elections were not fraudulent, rigged or tampered with.

I simply do not believe that the American people, after giving Gore more popular votes than Bush in 2000, voted predominately for the GOP in this election. Particularly considering the tanking economy, the prospect of war, the corporate scandals, the unresolved issues surrounding 911, and the clear dysfunction of the so-called Commander in Chief.

Getrealwest

***

It is unfortunate to see the majority of American’s citizens brainwashed, and under the control of the foul and disgusting man in office, Mr. George W. Bush. The Republican Party, with Bible in hand, mysteriously walked away on November 5th with victory upon their smug faces. It is impossible for the respectable citizens of this great country to shrug our shoulders and say “oh well, maybe next time”. This fight must go on! The American people are responsible for keeping this government in check, and we must continue checking this corrupt administration.

Our Democratic friends in the house and senate will now focus their attention on finding a suitable contender for the 2004 elections. In my opinion, we can’t look that far ahead. When Bush was given the presidency in 2000, we fought, we bitched, we protested, and nothing happened. Within a year, Bush and his Administration of Bible thumping war mongers had proudly presented this country with a war, a recession, civil liberty violations, and plenty of corporate scandals. What do you think will happen by the year 2004? How much more can Bush and his administration of chicken-hawks mess up for this great country within the next two years? Will we still be at war with Iraq? Or will that war have ended already? Perhaps by the year 2004, we’ll be at war with Iran, or North Korea, or maybe Bush will “double-down” and take them on at the same time. We can’t allow our Democratic friends in Washington DC to sit down to the Republicans. This is our country and we need to protect our interests, and our people! We need to ensure our voices are heard, and not ignored.

-The Potato-

***

***

Despite what Terry McAuliffe said about the 2002 Elections, we got trounced. I feel it was, at least in part, that we failed to articulate a coherent vision of where we want to take the country. We've been good about saying what we are against, but lousy at saying what we are for. We need to attack the Repug's agenda on every issue where they are simply wrong, but we also need to articulate our own vision for America and the world.

That should include:
1. A stable, sustainable economy
2. Universal health care coverage
3. The best available public education (we can learn from Europe).
4. Protection of Human and civil rights everywhere, but especially in America.
5. Protection of the environment.
6. A sustainable energy policy, which is compatible with protecting the environment.
7. Campaign finance reform.
8. Preserving the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
9. An ethical and moral foreign policy, based on justice, democratic principals and respect for sovereignty of other nations.
10. Preserving the long-term viability of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.
11. Protection of workers' right to organize.
12. Sensible trade agreements that protect our businesses, workers and environmental laws.
13. Corporate reform and oversight.
14. An independent judiciary, free of political influence.

We can and must articulate these issues in a coherent message, not unlike the Republican's "Contract with America".

P. Blakely

So do you think the dems are finished? You certainly can't blame the greens this time.

I did my duty, held my nose and voted for a democrat for congress in my district. The dems ran the same old hack that lost to the same right wing jerk last time. What a joke, he was slaughtered and now I have to suffer through 2 more years of his non representation. With 2 repub senators in PA I feel I should be exempt from taxes (no taxation without representation). The greens did not even run a candidate in my district. Probably afraid of being blamed for the dem losing.

I was proud to vote for Mike Morrill for governor since it was clear that Rendell was unstoppable. In the few debates where they allowed the green and the libertarian to participate were so depressing. Rendell and Fisher were just boring and arguing fine points about the usual tired pointless programs while the green candidate outlined exciting goals. The libertarians are always amusing, this year's was very entertaining, ripping up bills during the debate to illustrate what the government is doing to our tax revenues.

I know we've had this discussion before but I gotta tell you I can't think of a democrat that I will be proud to vote for vs. Bush in two years. I get so depressed voting for assholes just because the biggest asshole in the world is the other guy. Wonder who ran against Hitler, maybe Adolph was the lesser of two evils.

Be depressed, the democrats really blew it big time this time. I am without hope.

John Franz

***

When people vote for a party that has crushed the economy, is methodically destroying environmental protections and is stealing from the poor to give to the rich is a victory for the forces of willful ignorance and deceit and a triumph for spite, hate and greed... it's a dark day for the world.

Let's hope that we can make it through the next two years without the brown shirts or the mushroom clouds.

J. Smith

***

You know, I'm beginning to feel that the American people deserve what they get. Half the people in the country had their pensions decimated, major corporations oppress workers and destroy the environment at will, we may engage in a war against Iraq which could result in the use of nuclear/biological weapons in the US by someone. The US has the worst reputation in the world then it has had in decades. Then we have unending corporate malfeasance, growing unemployment and a colossal federal debt, worsened by the Bush tax cuts. And, of course, there will be lots of new right-wing judges to overturn Roe v. Wade and, in general, to be one and the same as the executive branch in terms of ideology. Yet the stupid American people still vote Republican. Yes we're macho, yes we can blow up Baghdad - fabulous! At times like this I am ashamed to be an American. As a people we must now wallow in the filth we have created. Maybe it's time to move to Europe.

Greg

***

For every action there is a reaction...Compensation is the law of the Universe...Now Repubs have the rope and they will hang themselves..They will try to pass the blame when thier economic plan cannot work, but will fail.....Remember, every endeavor George W. Bush has partaken of has crashed and burned...They will loot and rob from the old folks, steal more from the poorest and most disadvantaged...Sooner rather then later the republican footsoldierswho think the conservatives care for them, will start to get religiously and radically liberal, as they, themselves, face retirement with "501 plans" that have not, nor ever will, recover, and no medical coverage...Sure, Bush will give them a tax break and they will pay off thier credit card debt with it, but they will give up medicare and a defined monthly payment, they will stay marginally above the poverty level....The economy will continue to stagnate, because in two years George W. Bush has not created a single job!!!!...Politics is, if nothing else, a swinging pendulum, and it can hardly go any further to the right...The Repubs will collapse of thier own top-heaviness, enriching the wealthy at all costs.....Take heart and just watch the coming resurgence of Liberalism.....

R. Johnsen

***

Don't claim that the Republicans won yesterday because "the people have spoken" or say that "voters set Republicans loose on the world".

It's the NON-voters who have NOT spoken that handed the military-industrial complex this win.

When, on the brink of war, only 4 out of 10 eligible Americans bother to vote, something is seriously amiss. Originally from Europe, I feel like South Park's Eric Cartman: "Screw you guys. I'm going home."

But I'll stay. And recall the wise saying that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

Kim Hansen
San Diego

***

I read with dismay the Greenies saying that, because of this election, we all should just vote our conscience and Go Green.

Well, sorry gang... I DO vote my conscience, and have all along. I vote Democrat.

My conscience will not LET me vote for non-viable candidates (the more you fracture a small group, the less anyone will win) or ineffective legislators (the two major parties ignore the outsiders... one word: Ventura).

Are the Dem's perfect? Hell,no. Do I agree that much must be done to change the party? You bet. But can anyone really say that, after less than 2 years of Repub rule, that there is NO difference between them and the Dem's?

Hell, yeah there's a difference.

To stay ensconced in the Green's ostrich-like brand of righteousness is to guarantee that absolutely NONE of their agenda will succeed.

Don't take your ball and go home in a petulant snit, Greenies... STAY!! Build a coalition. Learn the fine art of incremental success. Flex your status as the "tipping point" party and force the Dems to work with you... 'cause the Repubs never will.

Learn that, even though your efforts may only result in a half-loaf rather than the whole thing, it will still mean you can eat!!!

P. A. Jones

***

Don't blame the media.
Don't blame the Republicans.
Don't blame Paul's plane.
Don't blame 9-11.
Don't blame the Greens.
And sure as hell don't blame the American people!

BLAME THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERSHIP.

Terry McAuliffe is an idiot. Daschle is a complete wuss.
Biden might as well not exist. It's time for us all to admit it.

And you know what?
They're not even going to take the right lesson from this. No, instead they're going to decide that they need to pull back even further, to submit even more completely. What the hell are we going to do? The American people have no leaders who represent them: that's why only 40% of register voters turned out.

Zack Exley

***

Excuse me, but now all the greens are saying "see I told you so, no difference between Dems and Repubs, so I'll go back to voting Green"?

Helloooo-- it was Nader's selfishness that threw the 2000 election to Bush. Not just Florida's "hanging chads". In Florida, and in one or two other close states that went to Bush in 2000, if Gore had got only half of the Green votes, he would have won the election in 2000.

I don't want to hear about Greens, when they just produce a worse result in a close race. They take votes away from Democrats and now we'll see, what life will be like under the Republican thugs.

Steve W.

***

First thanks so much for the site. It's been part of my daily routine for two+ years now.

I'll never forget the roller coaster election night two years ago. The jubilation as I watched Florida put in the Gore column, clinching his victory, followed by the despair as it was taken back. The anguish from the December Selection stays with me to this day.

Today I feel a subtle relief, almost a calm acceptance, after yesterday's Democratic debacle. I'm free now. No longer must I feel a duty to support lame Democrats in the hope that they can hold off the Republican juggernaut. No longer must I dismiss the spineless meanderings of the Democratic Party and vote the lesser of two evils.

It's over for now. The Repubs have finally succeeded in complete takeover. Bush gets his dictatorship. The Democratic party is, for now, irrelevant. Sure they can play obstruction politics in the Senate but that would only provide Republicans with more ammunition.

But with this accomplishment for the Republicans comes opportunity for Progressives. The Republicans have nobody to blame now, not even Bill Clinton. Only Democrats can blame Clinton. So Repubs have to lead and take responsibility.

Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. And things have been getting worse for a long time. We've been frustrated as the Democrats have, over the past 30 years, become a bland version of the Republican party. We watched in disbelief as Gore defeated himself. Maybe now Democratic politicians will find something that they believe in and will fight for. Maybe there will be new voices that speak with strength and conviction.

Growing up in the '60s left me with the basic belief that political, social, and governmental policy must be progressive. There were, and are, serious problems to solve. These problems haven't changed much over thirty years. Most have gotten worse. Most have been all but ignored. Democrats are as much to blame as Republicans.

I still remember the hope and thrill of George McGovern in 1972 accepting the Democratic Presidential nomination and the pain of his landslide loss to Nixon. Republicans back then questioned McGovern's patriotism, "America Love It or Leave It" and "My Country/President Right or Wrong" were favorite Republican chants. The demonization of progressives, liberals, and Democrats was underway.

Twenty years later I felt the same hope and thrill as a new generation took office. Two of our own. One of them a self-made man who rose from nothing. They controlled the agenda. The Democrats had the House and the Senate. But what did they accomplish? All we remember is a failed health care initiative. You can bet the Republicans of 2002 will not let this opportunity slip away.

It will be painful to watch what will be the real Republican revolution. But this may sow the seeds of change as the Republican zebra shows its true stripes. How will America take to this new creature?

So for now the juggernaut will roll on. The course of events will not easily be changed. In fact I believe that only unforeseen and drastic problems will be enough to unseat this new political reality.

I will hunker down and continue my small efforts for a more progressive society. That will be my refuge for now. I only hope that I get to witness over my remaining decades a revolution for progress that I can someday reflect on with satisfaction instead of disappointment.

Paul Neuman
Oakland, NJ

***

Here is something that I bet will not be covered much on the news.

Of the members of the House of Representatives who voted against the war and were running again in yesterday's election:

110 won 2 lost

The ones who lost were

1. one of the six republicans who voted against the war

2. one democrat lost who was running in merged district against another incumbent

That is 110-2.

In other words, 98% of the members who voted against the war won.

We hear so much about how most Americans favor the war and how voting against the war would be political suicide.

William Du Bois

***

Given that we will now have list makers in every corner of the government, I feel that it is no longer wise to be associated with any public Bush negative web sites. Although probably too late, please remove (e-mail address withheld) from your mailing list. It is a sad day for intellegent free thinking Americans and free thinkers in general, worldwide.

Name Withheld

***

As someone who has written Bush Watch a few times to discuss the thorny issue of the Green Party's "spoiler" issue, I want to share with you my disappointment in the results of last night's election. As a former (and very passionate) Democrat, there were many Democrats I was both rooting and voting for this fall. I was able to safely vote (based on Molly Ivins' rule of voting) for a Green in a race where the defense-industry-supported Democratic incumbent had no chance at all of losing her house seat. Apart from that, it was all Dems for me.

I am writing to get your impression of where we (progressives within both parties) go from here. I cannot possibly see how, regardless of your slash-and-burn anti-Green rhetoric leading up to the election, you could pin any of this Democratic washout on the Green Party [I don't. --Politex] (without, of course, seeing all of this having been precipitated by the 2000 "election" of W, which, while a reasonable argument, would simply lead us to the Election 2000 Blame Game we've all played far too many rounds of). Instead, I suggest that the lack of a vision or a plan on the part of the Democratic Party left the Democratic voters unmotivated.

In my home state, Connecticut, Democrat Joe Courtney (who I happen to know is a stellar candidate as well as fine man of integrity) ran commercials that simply detailed the (many) flaws of Rob Simmons, his Republican incumbent foe. The commercial closed with the line, "...it's time for a change...Joe Courtney, Democrat for Congress." I cannot tell you how disappointing this was. It gave the viewer no clear idea what would make Joe any better. That seemed emblematic of the Democratic strategy, not only in this election, but since 2000. Regardless of whether you agree with the ideology of the Republican Party, (obviously neither of us does that very often) at least they have a solid ideology. They stand for smaller government and lower taxes. More of a Darwinian view of society. Except, of course for corporations. They are always more than happy to subsidize failure with giant tax cuts and giveaways. But enough about the hypocrisy of their "philosphy". They at least have one.

Sadly, the Democrats do not seem to have much of a unified ideology. They seem to stand for nothing. Are they opposed to war in Iraq? Sort of. Moreso than the GOP, but not in the kind of numbers that send any clear message. When their leadership siddles up to Bush and supports and unconstitutional transfer of powers, it is hard for them to then claim they are truly an opposition party. For contrast, you may want to check out the Green party's stated position on this issue. They are opposed. That is the party platform. End of story. Agree or don't, they have convictions. Perhaps if the Democrats don't begin to stand for something besides slightly slowing down the President's agenda and show some spine by opposing a "popular" president, they should be seen as the "spoilers". After all they (including you) have been doing your best to marginalize the only party that consisently stands up for the environment, workers rights, civil rights, fair trade and all the things that Republicans are so fiercly attacking under Bush and company. The same things, incidentally, that Democrats have traditionally stood firmly for prior to the McCauliffe/Clinton highjacking of the Democratic Party.

When Clinton began moving the party to the center, he became more and more like the corporate whores in the GOP, eventually pushing through such legislation as NAFTA, GATT and supporting our unfettered involvement in the WTO. While he aspired to many admirable causes (Gays in the military, universal health care), he was far too worried about polls and caved at every chance. This strategy may have worked for the Democrats while he was in office, lining up behind a charismatic leader, but with the Republicans in the White House with their own allegedly charismatic "leader" (I don't see it...) they now need to chart their own course and offer a different, more compelling vision for America.

Do you think they will be able to do so, and, if so, how? A very good article in The Nation suggest that the current leadership needs to step aside and let some more ideologically charged folks lead the party. Do you agree or do you feel that Daschle and Gephardt are doing a good job of communication a clear aleternative to the Bush agenda? I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts on the the future of the Democratic party, given that its continued decline (and retreat) may signal something even worse than the two party state you anti-Greens champion so regularly, a one-party state. If this keeps up, are they headed for the same sort of irrelevance the Greens and Libertarians currently languish in?

Of course, third parties are not in that position due to a lack of ideas, but rather by a two-party machine system that, campaign finance reform dog-and-pony shows not withstanding, virtually guarantees that the most well-financed candidate will win, which in turn usually means the most entrenched, corrupt candidate will win. One fine example would be our very well funded "President". You cannot be so idealistic as to believe that corporate interests have financed him (and many Democrats) so generously simply because they feel a patriotic duty to our nation to help pick up the tab for those increasingly expensive elections. The latest election simply amplifies the message that the moneyed interests will be served. They will put into power those that serve them best. And since they cannot compete in the corporate whoredom category with our illustrious GOP, will they continue to lose races until they too are a minor party? I, for one, hope not.

There are many rays of hope here. Al Gore has returned as...well...Al Gore. It's nice to see him again. Honestly. He appears to be the Al Gore I was so happy to see Clinton pick in 1992 as Vice President; the environmentalist Al Gore who didn't mind ruffling feathers (provided of course that those feathers were not on a spotted owl). This seems to be the Al Gore who speaks his mind, who calls things as he sees them. This is not the Al Gore who blindly supported NAFTA, regardless of its labor and environental impacts. This is not the focus-group-crippled Al Gore who had more different characters in 2000 than the cast of Friends. This is the intelligent man of conviction who used to be a Senator from Tennessee. If the party takes his lead and begins to once again defend its core convictions without tailoring them to "popular demographic A", perhaps they could again become relevant. I sure hope so.

The other ray of hope is the "glass half full" idea that with all branches of government at his disposal, Bush has nobody to blame when his unsound policies come home to roost. This may be his undoing (as well as a chance for some major changes in this country) in 2004. However whatever joy may come from this eventuality is greatly tempered by the fact that his sick agenda may have manifested itself by then in a vast decline of women's reproductive rights, civil rights, environmental conditions, and our standing in the global community. Furthermore, by that point Ashcroft and Company wil have likely shredded the Bill of Rights in the alleged name of "security" (can anyone say "Reichstag?), the "results" of our foreign policy may be returning to their families in body bags and the Middle East will be more unstable than ever, if not in a state of full-scale, all inclusive war.

Oh, yeah...and our little Baghdad excursion will no doubt energize Islamic militants who may size control of Iraq in the power vacuum following "regime change" (also known as "assasination") and who will most certainly step up terrorist attacks, making us feel all that much less safe and (among the idiots) willing to give up even more of our liberties. Ooops. Wasn't that last part supposed to be a ray of hope? Well, perhaps you can offr ideas how the Dems and Greens can work together to stop the War in Iraq and further try to thwart the Bush agenda. I pray you have some good ideas. God knows we need them!

In closing, while I will always butt heads with you about the Greens and your unwillingness to push for Instant Runoff Voting, which would eliminate the "spoiler" argument instantly [I think it's a good idea; I just don't think it will be used on the national level anytime soon. --Politex], I commend you for the terrific job you have done in being a consistent, fierce opponent to our naked Emperor. I know your site not only serves a constant resource to those of us seeking regime change at home, and I also know it must take a great deal of tireless energy and time. For all of that, I am very grateful and thankful. Good luck and keep up the good work.

Steve Raccagni

***

Are we in the Twilight Zone? The national media has been telling me that this election is some sort of mandate for George Bush and the Republicans. By listening to them you would think that the Republicans have won a huge majority of Congress. Why the dishonesty?

The President is supposed to lose seats in the midterm, but there are several obvious reasons why Bush didn¹t. Usually the President has ³coattails² when he is elected and many of these tag along victors are defeated in the midterm. Bush had no coattails. Second, there have never been so few contested races. Redistricting narrowed the amount of contested races. Less chances to win. Also the dishonest media likes to say that this is unprecedented for a 1st midterm. That conveniently lets them omit the very last midterm in 1998 when Clinton actually gained seats.

Pardon me for injecting some reality into the world, but the truth is that the Congress is still basically split 50-50. The GOP did gain seats and this is a huge win for their agenda, but it is no mandate and certainly not a landslide for the GOP. A last second field goal is a huge win, but certainly not an indication of a blowout.

The GOP should be congratulated for winning the battle for turnout. Then again maybe they had more opportunity to be fired up. The media is full of rabid right-wing hate mongers like Rush, Ollie and the people at Fox News who incite the right. The left has no equal time. In the Twilight Zone of today¹s media, half-truths and lies dominate. Conservatives mislead the masses. Their propaganda would make the third reich proud.

stevie gardiner

***

From the letters you've posted so far it's evident that we Democrats feel the same frustration if not outright rage toward our Democratic leadership, a group of compromising toadies who have allowed Bush and his wolf pack to take the offensive on every issue. We vote Democrat, but what are we voting for? Leftovers? For the last two years our leaders have been deaf to the people who have put their faith in said 'leadership'. Instead of waiting for Bush to call them to the woodshed our leaders have eagerly dashed in on their own, and yet they seemed shocked that they have been spanked.

Republicans are masters of macho arrogance, the lemming lunge of greed for possession of our treasures, but our Democrat leaders, these pseudo-Republicans, are masters of a queasier form, the arrogance of submission and the dismissal of the wishes of their constituents. If we had an election to choose the mouthpieces for our party, those who have done such a disservice to our hopes and dreams, that troika of temerity, Daschle, Gephardt and McAuliffe, deserve the first swatches of duct tape to shut them up once and for all.

Note to Democrat leaders; The time has come to pass the torch to those who have a truly liberal vision and the spine to carry it out. Your invertebrate selves are no longer welcome!

Martin Schenk

***

All of the green bashing that you guys do, and still no democratic victory. This is the last time I throw away my vote to a wimpocrat. I'm changing to a full-time green, and the wimpocrats can just piss off! If we are going be stuck with republicans, I'd rather vote my conscience until the dems move away from propping up republican policies.

Steve Burkle

***

This is indeed a sad day for our country. Even the death of Paul Welstone, a great and noble man of integrity and vision, could not stem the tide of the extreme right wing.

The problem is that the entire playing field has been pushed far to the right. There are no true moderates left in the republican party, only soldiers marching in lock step with Tom Delay and Trent Lott. The Democratic party could be a powerful force for positive government initiative, but they have bought the myth, perpetuated by the right, that all government is inherently bloated and evil (except for the defense department of course).

We need to mobilize, organize, and speak more forcefully for those who have no voice. We must not buy into the lie that unfettered captialism equals unfettered prosperity. Bushwatch is one place that can continue to provide a forum for those who are concerned with the direction of the nation.

Tim Moe

***

Thanks, Politex, for providing the Bushwatch web site. I plan to keep dropping in and reading, but I also feel utterly hopeless about the direction our government is going to take after the elections.

Early this morning I heard a commentator on NPR this morning (11/6/02) trying to put a positive spin on things by saying that Bush didn't want Republicans to control Congress because this leaves the party without a scapegoat. This positive view overlooks something extremely important: Bush will always find a scapegoat.

As Alexandra Pelosi, who made a documentary about Bush, said in an interview on NPR yesterday, when Bush is asked a difficult question or a question he doesn't like he simply refuses to answer. Attempts to get Bush to unseal his lips will now be even more difficult, and efforts such as the one to get Cheney to hand over documents about his energy policy meetings may be considered effectively dead. The anti-war movement can be scrutinized, brutalized, and ultimately dismissed as "unpatriotic".

I keep telling myself that a lot can happen in two years. Unfortunately trying to decide what exactly that means is like trying to decide whether the glass is half empty or half full, and in the mood I'm in right now the glass is 51% empty regardless of how I look at it.

As I said, thanks for providing this web site. I'll keep reading, but with a greater sense of futility than ever before.

Christopher Waldrop

***

I am a liberal and a Democrat. I have been voting Democratic for as long as I have been allowed to vote. I voted for Clinton twice and I voted against G. W. Bush three times. I regard G. W. Bush and the Republican Party as the single greatest threat to our young democracy, and I am not afraid to say it. In short, you are reading the partisan words of an unrepentant radical.

I am writing today to bring you the news that the Republican Party does not want you to hear: a significant majority of Americans are liberals. A peaceful revolution is under way. The silent majority is slowly finding its voice, and that voice will save our country.

I know you have heard the ‘experts’ that say, at best, that American voters are evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Don’t you believe it! The 2000 presidential election showed clearly the changing face of the sovereigns of the USA, and I believe that the majority of Democrats in this country is much larger than the popular vote indicated in that botched election.

So why don’t these sleeping liberals vote? There are two main reasons. First, they have been beaten into silence by a decade of Republican and big-business intimidation campaigns. The Republicans have convinced these people that they don’t matter, that they are alone in their beliefs, and that they will never, ever have the power to defeat them. In the last two years the intimidation has intensified and become institutionalized. You can be jailed in this country for dissenting with the government, held without charge, without a lawyer and without your family ever knowing what happened to you.

Second, the Democratic Party has abandoned them in its struggle for the mythical middle. Entire generations of moderates and liberals have been convinced that there is no difference between a Democrat and a Republican! Our political spectrum has been reduced to grey and greyer. A Democratic Party that carries the banner of liberal ideas will awake the sleeping majority and sweep the Republicans out!

I was hoping this would be that election, but our leaders traded temporary job security for doing the right thing. As a result, the Democratic majority stayed at home on Election Day. Who will take up the banner? Who will honor Sen. Wellstone’s memory and lead a new Democratic renaissance? Who will save our country? This revolution will not wait any longer. The current crop of Democratic leaders must either take up this cause or get out of the way!

Steve

***

The election results were very discouraging, There will be much analysis and all sorts of theories as to 'why' it turned out this way. There are many reasons.

I am convinced that a primary reason was the weak ineffectual non leadership of the Dems, and their obsequious, 'me-too', so called, 'centrist', wannabe Republicanism.

So ... we will now see an avalanche of right wing dream legislation, perpetual war, more severe curtailment of civil liberties, reversal of Roe v. Wade, a parade of extremist fundy judge appointments, etcetera.

We are entering a long dark period of our history.

These people are dragging us off into a right wing twilight zone. What can we do? Organize, organize, organize, very publicly protest any and all right wing extremism, and build a new coalition/movement of all the Progressive factions ... hopefully under one banner, whatever it is; and get ready for the elections of 2004.

Noorvik

***

so any trite, smarmy, pithy pearls to offer now? Did the greens help lose New Hampshire and Georgia and Missouri and Colorado and North Carolina and Florida and New York?

I am sure you will blame them in some moment of temporary insanity, but we both know it is not true.

or was it the fact that the Democratic party has: no vision no leadership no spine no clue no agenda - even as an opposition party no hope.

Optimator

***

LIES, PROPAGANDA, HATRED, DOLLAR$ AND LACK OF AN OPPOSITION PARTY ARE WHAT WIN ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The joke is on us, my friends. Bush and his cronies Are laughing their behinds off About how many people They have fooled into voting Against their self-interest.

You and I will pay the price.

Carolyn Kay

***

As a liberal...Our problem is not Republicans, Democrats...It is that we elect way too many conservatives... The Democratic Party has rolled over and became conservative.. What is wrong with being a liberal? Liberals, Help the underdog.
Liberals belive no one should go to bed hungry.
Liberals do not belive that the rich and powerful know best It is just too bad there are not any Liberals in the Democratic or Republican parties. Both parties are conservative. Just look at the votes in congress the last few years.

My dad always voted Republican, he worked in Replublican party.. right before he died, he was going to vote for Bill Clinton.. It was to be the very first time in his 75 years he was to vote non-republican. The reason for the change? He saw that the Replublicans never once cared about the guys on the street. He had been seeing how much his medical bills cost him and the rest of the family. We all had to pich in to help pay for his medicine. Some medicine ran over $900 a month. Bill Clinton wanted to fix that.. It was too bad that President Clinton became a conservative also.

Jeff Johnson

***

I believe there are several reasons for the Republican victory:

1. The Republicans were more committed.

2. A certain segment of the Democratic party became so anti-Israeli that the Christian Right of the Republican party took advantage of this, and attracted the Jewish vote. All this segment of the Democratic party needed to do was indicate that this country needed to take an even-handed approach to the middle east, instead of attacking the Jewish lobby in this country.

3. The press supported the Republicans all the way. On the morning of the election, CNN, FOX, and CNBC all were saying that if the Republicans did not win the stock market would fall.

4. The Democrats did not speak to the issues. Choice, Supreme Court Justices, Stem Cell Research, seperation of church and state, civil rights, the environment, etc.

Now it is a potential nightmare for this country.

The Democrats had the issues, and they could not get them out. The press was too concerned with Iraq, snipers, and Wionna Rider.

In fact they only time I say the issues honestly discussed was during the Mondale debate, and even during that time CNN and FOX interrupted those debates to present Ventura's announcement on a replacement for Wellstone.

The Democrats had better regroup on the issues, and hope they can persuade moderate Republicans to at least consider a middle position. I fear a major right wing shift, especially on the courts.

Everyone should have know what the stakes were!

It will be very difficult for the Republicans or the rest of the people in this country to blame the Democrats if the economy does not recover, if we attack Iraq and things do not go well, if oil drilling occurs in Alaska reserves, if environomental laws are overturned, if a woman's right to choose is taken away, if stem cell research is eliminated, social security and medicare become endangered, etc., etc., etc.

John Levine

***

Democrats complained and castigated Green voters these past two years, after the Dumbass-In-Chief stole the 2000 presidential elections with the help of a corrupt U.S. Supreme Court, and the Democrats let them do it; so I decided this election I'd vote for a Democrat for some state positions, and see what happens.

THEY ALL LOST! Not even DEMOCRATS voted for them!

Just vote your conscience, Politex, and stop whining if liberals don't vote for Democratic losers. Hell, all the Democratic candidates in Texas said they were good conservatives just like the fake president. Only the Green Party ran on liberal values.

I did vote for Greens wherever else they ran; and I won't throw away my vote on Democrats next time. If you're anything like a liberal, Politex...

Vote Green.

Lee Harrison

***

Crying already about the Greens. The Democratic party is bankrupt in it’s leadership. They would not stand up to GW’s personal war and lost votes because of it. They are guttless and show no conviction to what the party stood for in the past, and have no vision for the future. Get over it and live with George and quit blaming others for the Democratic party’s failure.

Mike Shirkey

***

Are we really a minority in this sea of right wing, chickenhawk, blinded by the right wackos? I'm going to be sick.

Stephen Darr
Salem, Oregon

***

Well, it's a hell of a morning after. Gephardt and Daschle have to go. Sticking our noses up Bush's butt isn't a winning strategy! They left Dems nothing to run on...It's going to be a very dismal few years - lots of greed, war, and death. Yippee!

Chuck

***

Thanks for a place to check in with reality while the whole country spins unaware and out of control (of the people, that is). At this moment it looks like the Senate will be in Republican hands by morning. Your site and related links have been the only place that I have not felt like a lost sailor in a sea of angry idiots. Thanks for giving us a home.

Bill Chessell
Las Vegas, NV

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