*Headdesk* I just...it hurts.

I didn't know it was the government's responsibility to improve your quality of life. Have I missed that part of the constitution?

Blackflon....isn't that what we elect them to do???? Help make America better??????

For Flackflon, from the Constitution of the United States of America.

Article 1

Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.

And when has the conservative element ever done anything for the general welfare of the United States?

We elect them to protect and defend America. Not to make sure we have a job or cable TV or high speed interet.

Fire houses, police, schools, regulations to protect us from criminals and other similar responsibilities.

You want a good life, a well paying job, a house on the beach? Make it happen yourself.

America is great because of it's people. Not because of it's government.

IOW, the conservative element has done nothing for America.

Blackflon....I never said anything about "a job or cable TV or high speed interet."

So blackflon, name some things the Bush admin did that did not benefit corporations.

Blackfon says we elect the right to defend America, when conservatism until recently was not big on defense. Conservatism avoided wars. Also, he says that they are not to help contribute to quality of life, but claims they are to protect. Is protection not part of quality of life? Of course it is. Blackfon, and others like him are just reason challenged malcontents who dont know what the heck they are talking about. The I hate government group, not surprisingly, has always been bad at governance.

why should they look after you? the whole point of being rich is to keep the money, get more, and laugh at fools who don't measure success with bank balances.

of course, they would be vastly outnumbered if they didn't hire henchpersons but this expense is willingly borne as there is the added ego satisfaction of receiving the adulation and submission of lackeys.

it's a war, not a game of scrabble. put down your pencil, pick up your gun. or at least try to talk tough.

Great question and one that should be asked of every right wing political hack. Chris Matthews did this just the other night to some guy stirring up the town hall fiascoes, and he was speechless. Chris just nailed him over and over with the question until he finally just shut up.
And engaging blackfon logically is difficult.

Hi, I am so proud of your Post. Am also happy that you were able to raise the discussion and adequately respond to "Blackflon". Permit to say that I think , while the debate for a progressive and prosperous America continues , we progressive bloggers should have a fraternity.

Their are too many crazy Americans that are manipulated by corporations who want to continue, generally to feed on an unsuspecting "white" American, financially and politically.

Every highly developed country goes thru a period where the industralist/ Corporation want to exercise un fettered control over the country and its people.

In Germany prior to the industralist, seizing control via Adolph Hitler, the progressive Germans, tried to warn the German populace about the impending danger of fascism. After the world ganged up to destroy the poisonous hatred induced military controlled German Government, Germany was destroyed and their ability to be Super Power eternally reduced. This could be the future of our great country. The battle is not just for improved Health Care for all Americans. Its about in reality, the fight for our freedom and prosperity.

Permit me to draw a final comparison. Have you noticed that the "enemies of a progressive and prosperous America", having using symbols of fascism to brand President Obama. I know you are asking where is this aggressive hate coming from?

Please note that the Powers that orchestrate these attacks are appealing to the white supremacist nature of the white southern GOP residents. But there are another issue for the big stakeholders who want a fascists America with Corporate control of the White House.

The devil NEVER calls himself Satan or Devil...he points to those he wants to attack and undermine, as the Satan and Devil...e.g. Their ridiculous claim that President Barack Obama..is not a natural born USA citizen...Or , when that failed....They are now claiming.....He is a fascist.....he is Hitler..the devil.... They the fascists get to have their supporters, to use the fascist word first.....they call the gentle honest Barack.......Fascist.
I hope you understand the manipulations......!!!

AC, well said. Thanks for your comments.

This is turning really stupid and ugly really fast ... and let me make a few points .... I'm a pretty liberal democrat. I was raised by my grandparents, both born in 1896, my grandfather a Naval Officer, my grandmother an Officer's wife. Through WWII and as the wife of a base commandant and hence head of Navy Relief ... hers may have been the harder career.

I know conservative. There is an enormous difference between conservative and know-nothing pig-f**king aggressively stupid. The Republican party has become that today, but it certainly wasn't ALWAYS.

In recent times the four things that Republicans have done which have really mattered are:

* Nixon opened the doors to China, which was a major factor in reducing the cold war. It was not something many Republicans were in favor of

* Arguably the big welfare reform has been a success, and lord it needed some reform. But then this was something that many Democrats (notably Moynihan, D-NY) had been arguing for ... for years.

* Mr Bush (GHWB) managed the war to throw Saddam out of Kuwait pretty well IMHO, and ran a reasonably conservative presidency in the ordinary meaning of the word. I respect him, I respect Gerald Ford, and if you want to go back to Eisenhower I respect Ike.

* OK, it sticks in my throat, but IMHO the one good thing, the ONLY good thing that came out of Shrub's tenure was NCLB, as flawed as it was/is. A Democrat could not have done it.

So, there are four good things I think Republicans have done. It's not a huge record considering the disasters, most particularly Shrub ... who I do believe will go down in the books as the worst president in the history of the US by a large margin. None of the others come close.

The Republicans under Shrub destroyed the economy of the United States, granted tax cuts to the wealthy, passed entitlement programs (Medicare D) that while perhaps "a good social purpose" they gutshot the public with by preventing the government from direct price negotiations with drug manufacturers ... and of course the war in Iraq.

As to Blackflon ... you sound like one of those raving "no regulation economic freedom first" loonies. You're welcome to move to the Sudan, it's your kind of place.

I expect the "government" to improve my quality of life by obeying the constitution and DOING THEIR DUTY to the citizens of the United States. This means not permitting internal treasonous cabals to distort the "intelligence" claiming WMDs to get us into a stupid war that took over 5000 US lives and cost over 100 B$. I expect the goverment to have a rational tax policy which does not produce staggering deficits it bequeaths to the next administration. I expect the government to not run runious fiscal and regulatory policies and "la la let the fox guard the hen house ... he's my buddy" schemes.

And fundamentally I expect political parties to put forth candidates who actually know something, are reasonably educated, and have the best interests of American, ALL Americans, at heard.

The idea that the "leading voices" of the Republican party are college flunkouts with admitted drug and alcohol problems is pretty discouraging. That their constituency is the talk-radio constituency is even far more discouraging.

Fundamentally the real problem for the United States is that there are a lot of scared lower-middle class white people who are watching their world and verities go to the dogs ... and they are right, that's what's happening.

What's wrong is that they think that Rush and Sean and Glenn are anything but modern Know-nothings ... and they think that somehow if they just get angry enough and say "NO" enough ... things will get better.

This makes absolutely no sense ... but if you're scared and dumb maybe it feels good.

Let's see... They've been vigorously opposed to civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, have blocked every effort to reform American health care for the past century. They've been in favor of Vietnam, Iraq, illegal wiretapping, a tax code that rewards the rich and kicks everyone else in the face; they scream "guns don't kill people!" whenever we hear of someone shooting up a high school or college classroom, but scream like injured infants at the though that there are people who maybe SHOULDN'T be able to own guns because they have proved they are dangerous to themselves and those around them. They'd build a prison before they'll fund a school. They want "the government off people's backs" but are in support of denying women legal and prescribed contraceptives.

So far, they're in favor of people who can afford to pay taxes being excused from paying them, but apparently believe that wearing a rhinestone flag pin on their lapel proves their patriotism. They're vigorous in their defense of people who aren't yet born, but will vote to cut off food stamps and funding to Headstart, WIC etc etc.

Ah...nope.

Right on! Write on! Let's turn the Right off. B.T.C.

Did you notice that Blackflon has not answered the question?