Conservatives hate America and if they had their way our children would be working in their sweat shops and we would be driving cars with faulty breaks so that they can build a nice mansion for their wife and children. We would also be eating food that is processed in a factory where mice defecate on the grain and where diseased cows are killed, ground up and shipped to our homes for us to eat.

Our children would receive education based on how much we can afford to send them to school and the elites will get vouchers that allow them to take our hard earned tax dollars and pay for a private education while we pay for their education.

When a children die from a toothache that could have been prevented had his parents been able to afford health care we hear conservatives tell us how their families are more important than ours. Deamonte Driver could have lived had he had $80 but since his parents couldn't afford it and didn't have insurance they were forced to take care of his brother but now he is dead because they had to choose and it is conservatives who killed him.

Not only do we have to watch as young children like Deamonte Driver die from simple problems that could have been prevented with an $80 and which ended up costing over $250,000 and his death but we have to watch as our friends and family are dying fighting an immoral war which is based on the twisted and sick ideology espoused by conservatives. Every day soldiers are dying in Iraq and are being returned home in coffins instead to the respect and love of their families and friends.

We hear the cries of mothers whose sons have died because a conservative voter cast a vote that killed their son but they ask us to debate them. We are supposed to debate their right to kill our loved ones and to start offensive wars when our loved ones signed up to defend our country and not to fight in offensive wars. Had many of them known that conservatives would invade Iraq like Hitler invaded Poland than they wouldn't have joined the military.

These young men and women should be receiving higher education, should be marrying and having children but they can't because conservative voted to kill them and now families weep.

Demographics genius are we?

Are the people, with their money, migrating to New York from the Carolinas, or from New York to the Carolinas? Is Utah full of Californians, or are all of your neighbors moving to California?

All of this was studied after the 2000 elections. The social pathology rates are lower in the red states. It's not close.

Living your life based on anecdotal data will keep you in a perpetual state of confusion.

The first step in life is learning to master the obvious.

If I had the time I would expand on my commment about conservative principles. However, I must go produce so that I have something for Eric and his liberal friends to envy, plunder and loot.

The modern American conservative movement is as close to fascism as this country as ever seen.

Yet the neo-red fools in Utah refuse to acknowledge this.

Conservatives were tolerable when they were just tight fisted, fiscal conservatives, but social libertarians, like Barry Goldwater. Since Reagan the conservative movement has gone down hill. It's become a political Frankenstein's Monster of wacky ideological voting blocks. Bush has demonstrated that a federal government can not be successfully run by a bunch of people who are blindly anti-government, anti-environment, pro-corporation, anti-abortion, pro gun, pro military and "head in the sand" religious. There is just no place on earth that is being run by all of these looney concepts, conservatism has no future.

Granted the conservative movement is moving toward fascism, but the "liberal agenda" has embraced government-mandated socialism (aka Communism) at least since FDR. Both are totalitarian regimes. Looks like the conservative movement is fighting fire with fire. Unfortunately, we are all getting burned by the left and the right.

Can't we all just be free? Why do we need so many busybody do-gooders forcing us to live and act in their prescribed manner.

I've not yet seen a law that prohibits liberals from helping others. They are totally free to spend their money aiding anyone or any cause to any extent. However, that doesn't seem to be the thrust of their intentions. Their idea is to force everyone else to be generous, while they feed at the public trough. Few of them have any experience in business. They don't seem to realize that a business has to generate profits before it owes taxes. If no profits are made, no taxes will be paid.

If you want to be liberal, please be liberal; but, be liberal with your own assets. Give away anything that YOU own. Contribute YOUR money and YOUR time to any program that you admire, but have the decency to realize that stealing from me is a crime.

Eric, you are absolutely correct.

Economic growth in the 60s following Kennedy's tax cuts; economic growth in the 80s following Reagan's tax cuts; economic growth following Bush's tax cuts. I guess Eric sees only what he choses to see.

As for entrepreneurs playing on a level field, there would be no entrepreneurs.

I don't believe all the benefits of living in an advanced society that you list come from liberalism.

The problem with Mr. Samuelson's comments is that he frames the "conservative" according to the description he wishes to denigrate, much like setting up a straw house he wishes to knock down. Problem is, he frames it incorrectly, only so his arguement against it will appear valid. If I frame all liberals in the context that they want socialism and communist take over of the government, destroying the Bill of Rights and confiscating all firew arms, it is fairly easy to knock the "straw house" down. Fact is, the description is in error, and therefore, the arguement is void. Do conservatives want tainted food and water? No national highways? No firemen? Polluted air? Of course not, but Mr. Samuelson would have you think so.

Not many conservatives are against government controlled fire departments, police, armed forces or highways. The current "liberal" candidates for President want to go far beyond that. They both want to have control over almost every part of your life. In every venture the government has ever take on, it has been bloated and inefficient at best. Why people would want an entity as ineffective as government to run their health care system is a mystery to me.

Again, people are showing their ignorance when it comes to ideologies and political parties.

The original letter writer should look at what happened during the Reagan and Clinton years. During Reagan, he was able to enact many conservative ideas and the economy took off. During the Clinton years Congress and Clinton were at odds against eachother, so very few liberal ideas were enacted.

The problem with the original letter writer is that they describe the type of country they would like to live in, and it sure sounds a lot like Cuba or the former USSR.

People should educate themselves on what it means to be a conservative vs Republican and liberal/progressive vs Democrat.

A true conservative is not anti-government, but would like government to have a minimal role in their lives and let industry and the people take care of problems. The liberal/progressive idea is to have the government provide the solutions to all of societies problems.

Mike Richards 8:04 must have forgotten that the current conservative administration (that his neo-reds voted into power) was "stealing money from him" to finance an unwinnable war that is bankrupting this country and making zillions for Dick and Lynn Cheney's Halliburton and Lockheed Martin.

The liberals who want the Nanny state socialist govt. should move to Europe, $8.00 a gallon average gas, 21% average sales tax, 50% avereage income tax on anything over 30k, and get in line health care system. The one thing that makes us free is economic freedom, which they don't have because of all the taxes. Given the chance the democrtats will take that away from us.

The "war on socialism" is the same neo-red political BS they tried to pull in the 50's where the McCarthy witchhunts divided America like never before.

Americans today are much smarter than you are giving them credit for.

You would be surprised at the number of Americans hungry for unity - not conservative vs. liberal division.

They want the old America back.

Mike - The left in this country loves to spend money on the poor, so long as it's somebody else's money.

Study after study has shown that people who vote democrat give much less to charities than those who vote Republican.

This letter and the comments that followed it, are such a joke! Just read the comments of "Deamonte murdered by conservativ 1:03" and "Soldiers killed by conservatives 1:12 a.m." That should tell you all you need to know about how liberals think.

The original letter talks about firemen protecting our homes. But if the liberals had their way, our current military would be cut down to the size of the Delaware National Guard. How on earth does that benefit anyone?

And if liberal Europe is so wonderful, explain why crime rates in many European countries are so much higher than in the U.S. Explain why homelessness and unemployment is so much hgiher in Europe than in the U.S.?

But then of course, there's the liberal idea of the First Amendment. Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, religion and assembly, so long as it agrees with the left. LET FREEDOM RING!

They gave us...

The S&L meltdown,
Airline "deregulation,"
The sub-prime mortgage meltdown,
4,000+ Americans killed in IRAQ

The list goes on an on. It'll take decades to repair the damage done to this country by conservatives who worship the almighty dollar and rich businessmen more than the quality of live experienced by working-class Americans.

I tried to call my phone company about a billing issue. It took an hour on hold to get through. Last time I once about my computer, it took two hours and I got a person who really didn’t understand me. She was answering my questions from India.

My truck that I was told was built where “quality is job one.” It went through three transmissions. Business makes a mistake on the meters they buy, who pays?

I call IRS. I get through to a person in fifteen minutes and they speak the same dialect of English. I wish my cable company preformed as well.

It’s fashionable to blame government while claming business does it better. I’m not all that impressed with business. Take a trip on an airline. Look at their customer ratings.

What has the government done right? We have computers, jet engines, satellite communications, radar, the Internet and helicopters too. If private business ran snow removal they would sell off the snow plows in August to make the September quarter look better leaving you stuck in deep snow come December.

The hypocrisy displayed in many of these comments is laughable. Let's look at the issues.

MILITARY - When President Clinton was in the White House, liberals didn't give a crap about the military. They were happy to see Clinton cut military suplies, pay and benefits. I still remember a picture in USA Today back in 1996 of military people having to stand in line to get chesse.

But now that Bush is president, liberals love the military, as long as they're not allowed to do their duty.

On top that, where were the liberals when military personel were killed in Somalia, Bosnia, Saudi Arabia and on the USS Cole, ALL on Cliton's watch. PATHETIC!

BUSINESS - From the point of view of liberals, all businessmen, including those who run small businesses are greedy, selfish pigs who need to be taxed and taxed and taxed in order to increase government hand outs.

FREE SPEECH - Liberals would like nothing more than to gut the First Amendment, so that freedom of speech, religion, the press and assembly are for them only. If you think I'm being ridiculous, carefully read the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" and that's just what it says.

If you want to know what a liberal government is like, REMEMBER CARTER. Democrat president, democrat congress = double digit inflation, interest rates out of the roof, gas lines, etc.

If that is what you mean by liberal government is best... I take it that you are not old enough to remember Carter.

To NeoCons.. You said "They gave us...

The S&L meltdown,
Airline "deregulation,"
The sub-prime mortgage meltdown,
4,000+ Americans killed in IRAQ"

Just remember that it was the Liberals who held their heads in the sand while 3000 were slaughtered by Islamist Extremists while chanting "we want peace" without the guts to fight for it.

I remember all that stuff under Ford, too. And seems to me the Repubs were in charge right up till '77. Or do I remember wrong?

Let's take the points one at a time:

"I rather like living in a world where the elderly poor are provided for," which is best done by families, churches, and local communities;

"where children are immunized, educated and protected," which is most effectively done by families and local communities;

"where entrepreneurs compete on a level playing field," which is what conservatives promote and liberals destroy;

"where highways span the nation, where the food I eat is inspected, the water I drink is potable" which is not a conservative versus liberal issue;

"and the air I breathe is clean," which is best accomplished by private enterprise and state & local regulation, not punitive Federal action.

It's letters like these that make me cringe and reflect on how our education system is failing us. I invite Eric and his disciples to pack their bags and move to Europe, Canada, or even Cuba. They can have all the 'free' stuff they want and pay through the roof in taxes.

It's time to get back to the intent of our Founding Fathers: limited govt, freedom, and yes--a strong military to protect us from lunatics who want us killed.

Bush (who you all consider 'conservative') has shown his chameleon colors by adopting liberal ideas and views. We would not be in such a mess economically and the war would be over if the left-leaning congressmen would keep their hands off.

Example 1: Burning our food supply for ethanol? Completely asinine.

Example 2: Not opening any new refineries in over 25 years? Insane.

I can see where the uninformed might blame conservatives for S&Ls, airline deregulation (airfairs are cheaper under deregulation), and the mess in Iraq (don't forget, Hillary and many other liberals signed off on going in), but I fail to see how they can blame conservatives for the subprime mortgage mess. Laws concerning mortgage brokers and related regulation were no different under Bush than they were under Slick Willey.

Until neo-reds can start embracing the truth (punch in Limbaugh's lies into your browser and see how thoroughly you've been duped) Conservatives and their GOP will be in deep hole for a couple of decades.

"Business is better? | 10:11 a.m."

My truck...

Try buying a Toyota or Honda, where they actually do build quality, and employ Americans in US factories to boot. Or you could buy the vehicles the old East Germany produced.

I call IRS. I get through to a person in fifteen minutes...

Try calling Medicare.

If private business ran snow removal they would sell off the snow plows in August to make the September quarter look better...

And then the company that bought the snow plows would steal all the first company's clients.

If gov't were in charge, there's nobody left to remove the snow.

To "a problem with the simple truth | 11:54" hopefully the DNC will have at least fixed up the hole so it isn't so bad once the GOP joins them.

true conservative brings up refining. He also gives his source away. This is mantra. The fact is there is currently 500,000 barrels of new refining capacity under construction. There is another 100,000 starting this year. Bush and Fox News failed to tell you?

I bet they didn't tell you that gas reserves are low and that the money invested in oil commodities has gone from nine to sixty billion in five years.

"Burning our food supply for ethanol?"

Under Bush the policy changed. AMD gets 53 cents from the federal government for each gallon of ethanol they produce.

Rush lives in Florida. Did Rush tell you that Jeb Bush got his brother to sign off on not allowing oil drilling off the West coast of Florida?

These are all facts.

Rush tells you liberal don't argue facts, which is not a fact.

I of out of the army during Ford administration. Unemployment was 8.9 percent. The rate of inflation was 12.2. This all started on Nixon's watch. Remember a great republican, Richard Nixon?

Bush has made Nixon look honest and ethical. Republicans have returned Nixon's values to Washington.

Let's face it.

The modern American conservative movement doesn't know what the (blank) they stand for.

Other than "we all hate liberals" (whatever that is supposed to mean.)

At least progressives are for progress and certainly are not paranoid about trying something new.

"what DO they stand for" said it wonderfully....

The modern American liberal movement doesn't know what it stands for...

Other than "we all hate Rush/Hannity/O'reilly whatever that is suppposed to mean.

Then the best line of all...."at least progressives are for progress" and then he goes on to detail for us what that progress is and how conservatives are paranoid for trying something new.

Now, if this guy isn't on the debate team, he should run straight to the head of the class. Because that is the most well thought out articulation of a position as I've ever heard.

Seriously folks, you can't make this stuff up....

Conservatives are for less government, lower taxes, upholding the Constitution, self responsibility, self accountability, pro-people, pro-life, helping the poor and those less fortunate, state's rights, local government control, strong military, upholding our sovereign nation from foreign and domestic intruders.

Let's get one thing straight, a Republican does not mean one is a Conservative.

You want to tell us what liberals stand for? You want to tell us what change you are promoting, why it needs to be made, who will pay for it, who will benefit from it?

I bet you can't articulate what you stand for...

Progress speaks for itself (or it SHOULD for any reasonable person).

Also, maintaining the status quo at all times should ALSO speak for itself. In other words - do nothing.

Well guess what? Enlightened people understand that all life is impermanent, the world is more interdependent than ever and are not the least afraid to try something new.

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

2. You have to believe that businesses create depressions, and governments create prosperity.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than Nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Iranians, and North Korean communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and sun activity, and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial, but being homosexual is natural.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach fourth graders how to read or add is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

9. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

I have plenty more if you need help in identifying yourselves....

when Eric uses things like tooth faires it show he a nut.

You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports explicit parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports imaginary parts of the Constitution.

You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Dwight Eisenhower.

You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal, and is a very nice person.

You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked everywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying transvestites in drag and exposed artificial genitals should be constitutionally protected, but manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

Re: good one 1:06

Typical neo-red nonsense.
Has nothing creative or inventive to offer other than a negative critique of things he doesn't quite understand.

And so it goes.

A conservative is a man who just sits and thinks, mostly sits.
- Woodrow Wilson

wow, what an indepth retort you gave to expound upon your doctrines....I know for a fact that you have no doctrines except

1. Hate all conservatives
2. Hate Rush/Hannity/O'Reilly
3. Contribute nothing to the debate, just name calling and senseless comments...

Hey RM....thanks for detailing what progress you are pushing for. I know you aren't able to, but try really hard to actually come up with something that you feel needs progress on and then tell us all why, how, who pays, who benefits, etc.....

Change just for the sake of change doesn't do anything. It's as hollow as Barack Hussein Obama and his press conferences....We want change!!!

What change?
Where?
Why?
Who?

give some details to your plan, IF YOU CAN!

You are correct about some of what I said occuring also during the Ford administration but Ford had a democrat congress to deal with and he was not very conservative anyway.

"Eventually, Socialists run out of other peoples' money...." MARGARET THATCHER

Neocons love to play games don't they?

Typical 1:20 is a prime example of one of those games.

Meanwhile, for their homework assignment, I would urge them to memorize this:

All is impermanent

Do you think they will get it?

Please detail for us one liberal policy that has been effective and eliminated/cured/whatever it was that is was supposed to help....

Just 1 will do.....

Why do liberals hide behind their beliefs? Why can't they simply articulate what they want to change?

We get that you want change, but we also understand that you can't articulate what change you want, why you want it etc....

You can play games all you want and it's simple that you have no substance otherwise you'd have the guts to detail it for all to see.

You can continue with all of your snide remarks, but that just shows you are incapable of presenting your position. And that my friend, is a true liberal.

Hillary once said that she wanted to give every child born $5000 to use for college or a down payment when they are older. She also says that "you (meaning Americans) can't pay for all the things I want to do with your money and programs I want to start".

Can you liberals, particularly Eric, name 1 country that is run on liberal principles that people are trying to get into? Just 1....if it is such a great way of life, why aren't people trying to get back into the USSR? Oops....it FAILED!

Re: Answer the question 1:48 -
Uh-oh!
This neocon is starting to believe himself.
As most neocons do.
And THAT'S what makes them dangerous.

Here's just one of many - the agricultural extension program - designed to help small farmers imporove crop production and it has made American farmers the most productive in the world. You may not think of farmers as liberals but the idea of government assisting small business is definately a liberal policy.

Facts: I think you're watching too much CNN.

I'm not talking about expanding refineries; I'm talking about NEW ones. One on the California-Arizona border finally passed (despite efforts by the environmentalists), but it won't open until 2011. And the fact that ANWR alone has enough oil for us to use for 10-15 years and we're not even opening refineries there is ridiculous. The Energy Information Agency estimates energy use will rise 19.2 percent to 24.8 million barrels per day by 2020 while refinery capacity will rise only 9.4 percent. This means refining capacity will only be 100,000 barrels a day more in 2020 than it was in 1981.

And ethanol--ethanol produces less energy per volume than gasoline; it takes 1 and a half gallons of gasoline to produce 1 gallon of ethanol. Do the math; we're in the hole (not to mention using up enough grain to feed a person for a year). Try finding rice in the grocery store.....it is scarce or nonexistent. And wheat? The price has skyrocketed.

And like I said, Bush is almost as liberal as the Speaker of the House. Almost.

You Lamonte....did you know that the government PAYS farmers NOT to produce a crop? Do you know who's on that list of liberals who "own" the land and get government subsidies NOT to produce the crop?

Now I think I'm starting to hear it all...it is now a liberal policy for the government to help small business...That has to be one of the funniest ones I've heard.

Sorry pal, you want to "take those profits and do with them what I want to do with them for the common good". Know who said that one?

Why does Hillary just go after Big Oil? Why doesn't she go after profits of companies that actually have better profit margins than Big Oil? Because she has pulled the wool over your eyes....

Let me have you speak with my grandmother who has acres of land in Iowa and her siblings who they vote for and what they consider themselves.

Hint - it doesn't start with an "L".

Nice try though lamonte...

* that anonymous comment was from me, obviously (who is a SHE and not a HE)