1 I want to know (since your all over politics and politicians in NC) what you think of this House Iraq War debate since a Republican from your state, Walter B. Jones, voted against the recent measure debated in the House. According to House Maj. Leader John A. Boehner, Walter is now a member of the group of people who seek to "relent and retreat in the hopes that it (Iraq) just goes away." So, what do you make of Jones' vote?

2 I was wrong. And I just caught it. He said "present" and didn't vote yay or nay. I guess my question changes...does that mean anything to you? Why wouldn't he take a yay or nay stance? Do you like what he did?

3 I'm not real up with all the different representatives in Congress from the state. I do know them all, and I know a bit about many of those near me: Sue Myrick, Robin Hayes, Patrick McHenry, and Mel Watt.

The vote was simply a way to get all Congressmen on record as to whether or not they support the war. Anyone who voted against the measure (either the moronic "present" or "no") is against the war.

4 B.S. Ogre. You are a mean, heartless, mean-spirited bastard. You and your buddies might try to convince each other of something else, but that doesn't change anything. Your ideological forefathers were real nice to there kids and went to church, nice people, but they still strapped on those Klan hoods and strung people up to die. You're no different. You hold the life of the elderly, children, and other less fortunates in your hand. Regardless of how they got to that point, they are there and it is in your power to pay taxes, without bitching about it, and help them out.

And, quit lying and saying that without taxes everything would be peaches and cream and the Republicans would give up their own money to help the less fortunate. Bull.

The worth of a society is how it treats those who are facing hardship, not how we heap praise on those who have succeeded. You don't need healthcare, great. You don't need interstates. Great. You don't need research or the SEC and FDIC to protect your funds, fine.

BTW, the vote was political BS that changed nothing. If you want to determine who is for the war...btw, which war is that?, you can look to see who supports funding the troops. Our troops in Iraq have winter camo and no armor, still!!! It is the Democrats that keep pushing for full funding of our troops who are fighting a war for oil in Iraq instead of killing the Taliban and capturing Osama bin Laden by following through with the war on terror in Afghanistan. Republicans are full of words, but are empty in actions. We don't have enough troops to fight the war in Afghanistan, we don't outfit the troops we do have, and regardless of what Republicans say about free market competition, they give away no-bid contracts that waste millions of YOUR TAX DOLLARS. Pity, you and your ilk could have used that money to spew more hate.

5 Robert? You forgot to say "No Blood for Oil" and Haliburton in your insane rant that actually had nothing to do with the post.

6 Feel free to call me heartless, mean-spirited, or anything else you like -- of course you'd be lying, but that doesn't typically stop these sorts of people. If YOU fail to plan for your own health, why is that MY problem? If I want to help, why can't I? I can't because government interferes. If government would get the hell out of the way, these issues would all go away because churches and other organizations would help -- and I'd have a LOT more money to give them to help!

Uhm, yeah it did.

As for Halliburton, my Dad was a Vietnam vet who spent his time firing artillery and fixing food for the firebase. He damn sure never served rotten food or left soldiers starving to the point that parents had to send over peanuts so they could have some protein.

7 So if a banana weighs the same as a duck, should we institute the death penalty for gay Buddhists?

8 If A. The Army has always fed its own troops and done a good job since Valley Forge;
and B. the Vice-President ran a company called Halliburton;
and C. Halliburton is hired to feed our troops;
and D. bids are not taken from other companies;
and E. this goes against the "free market" system that Republicans love so much;
and F. Halliburton starves our troops and feeds them rotten food;
and G. Halliburton charges the army for hauling "sailboat fuel" from one part of Iraq to another;
and H. They continue to receive no bid contracts;
Then, you are an idiot for not seeing the connection.

9 Actually, idiot is the wrong word - brainwashed, a mindless pawn, unable to make your own decisions, a child...all of those would be better. Afraid to reach out and actually learn about the world around you. That too.

10 Great, now you've got almost all the socialist and anti-freedom talking points up. All that's left is to say something about the war being only about oil and Bush being stupid.

11 That depends which war your talking about. Not the war in Afghanistan, where my personal opinion was that we needed 500,000 US troops (equal to Gulf War I) and 500,000 UN troops to wipe out the Taliban (now control parts of the country, hid/hiding bin Laden), warlords (control most of country), poppy crops (Afgh. now the largest source of heroin EVER), and bin Laden (butcher of 9/11 - but what was it your fearless leader said "I don't really think about him that much").

But, if you're talking about the war in Iraq, then yes of course it's about oil. If it was about fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here, why not do that in Afghanistan. You remember Afghanistan, where the al Qaeda training bases were located? Where al Qaeda was located. Where bin Laden lived and made his videos threating the US?

In case you are still drinking the Kool-Aid let me inform you that IRAQ HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11 OR ANY TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE US!!!
nothing. ever. period. nada. zip. zilch.

bin Laden. Afghanistan. Fight them there so we don't have to fight them here makes sense only if they are actually THERE. Sure, they are in Iraq NOW. Becaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaause, that's where we are. If we were in Afghanistan they would be???? in Afghanistan.

And, about Saddam being an evil dictator. That's true. Of course, while we have been in Iraq, Darfurians have been slaughtered to the tune of about 3X the number of people Saddam is thought to have killed in the last thirty years. But, that's a fact. I know you don't deal in facts. Just look at your responses. No facts, no truths, just talking points.

You're full of hot air Orcus.

12 There you go! Now you've got all the liberal talking points added in. Yup, you're right, there's not a single terrorist in Iraq. There's not one human in Iraq that doesn't like America. You've solved the world's problems, thank you.

Oh wait. You forgot to say that Bush is a stupid chimp or something like that.

13 "Sure, they are in Iraq NOW."

Ogre, the Kool-Aid is taking away your ability to read, not just your ability to use facts. Which, once again, you are unable to offer. You know why? Because Republicans function on belief, not facts. It's done us a world of good.

14 Oh, thanks so much for correcting me. See, I thought there were terrorists before the current Iraq war. Thanks to your brilliant discussion here, I'm now also aware that no one hated America until Bush became president and there were no terrorists until the Iraq war. Thanks for setting me straight and continuing to show you utter lack of comprehension.

15 Ah, the tried and true Republican tactic. Let's review, shall we?
1. People will always hate America, no matter what we do.
2. That is why Democrats support military and diplomatic solutions, because
3. Fighting wars costs young men and women.
4. Iraq was not a base for al Qaeda, the only terrorist group ever to attack our nation, save for the right-wing militia at Oklahoma City.
5. Afghanistan was a home for al Qaeda, the only terrorist group ever to attack our nation.
6. Afghanistan is STILL a home for al Qaeda, the only terrorist group ever to attack our nation.
7. We now have two nations that are home to terrorist training camps, Iraq and Afghanistan.
8. The threat to our country has never been greater.
You're doin' a heckuva job.

16 I love how a thread that was dedicated to the wasteful, pork barrel spending of the Democrat controlled NC Legislature has been (conveniently) transformed into a national issue, Republican bashing thread.

Robert P is obviously one frustrated individual. I agree. To be a Democrat in North Carolina must be frustrating.

Democrats in North Carolina fall under one of three categories: Confused, Corrupt, or Kook.

The Confused: The majority of Democrats in North Carolina. These are the folks who always vote for conservative candidates yet remain registered as a "D".

The Corrupt: Mike Easley (shady land deals), Jim Hunt (ah the drunken good ole boy parties in Hillsborough!), Marc Basnight (campaign finance questions), Jim Black (under investigation), Meg Scott Phipps (jail), Frank Ballance (jail), the list goes on and on. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The Kooks (also known as Progressives): Trying to take "their" party back! Rachel Lea Hunter (racist), Verla Insko (county income tax), Ellie Kinnaird (former Carrboro Mayor). These are the people that believe that a mother of 2 will *walk* to the grocery store to do her grocery shopping rather than take the gas guzzling mini-van onto the pot-hole infested highway. They live in a world based on dreams and ideals, not reality.

17 PS - Impeach Bush! Dick Cheney for President!

18 Well said, The Reckoning. Do you like the way Robert P just goes on and on and on -- even when I agree with him. I think he's reached the point of disagreeing with himself, just to disagree. He's certainly very, very angry and blames everyone but himself for his problems.

19 I don't blame anyone for MY problems. I do blame Republicans for some of OUR problems. As for the rest, whatever. If you can't muster a single fact, then you have won, fighting faith-based ignorance is like pissin' in the wind.

p.s. I don't see anything we have agreed upon, except that the shooting bow is fun.

20 Oh, wait, sorry. I forgot. There is no "I," only the great socialist collective consciousness that is "society." Therefore, indeed, you cannot be blamed for any of your problems, you can only blame "society." Oh, and Republicans, because they're opposed to your view of a socialist utopia.

21 Fact: The State Board of Elections asked the Wake County district attorney to investigate whether House Speaker Jim Black and his campaign violated campaign finance laws in an effort to remain in power in 2003.

In addition to seeking a criminal investigation, the board ordered Black's campaign to return about $24,000 in contributions from optometrists and people connected to video poker.State law prohibits businesses from making political contributions.

Kim Strach, a State Board of Elections investigator, testified that she believed Black's campaign finance committee violated several state laws. Besides apparently breaking the law by accepting $5,000 in personal contributions from Edwards, the speaker's committee also took in $27,625 from business or corporate accounts, Strach said. North Carolina bans candidate committees from accepting contributions from businesses.

After three days of hearings, the State Board of Elections concluded that it heard enough to ask for a criminal investigation of former Rep. Michael Decker and a leader of the optometrists' political action committee, both Black allies.

The State Board of Elections has launched a formal inquiry into House Speaker Jim Black's campaign, elevating the controversy to a new level of public scrutiny.

The hearings will focus on Black's ties to the video poker industry's political action committee, the state optometrists' committee and the campaign of former Rep. Michael Decker, a Black ally for whom the speaker created a state job.

Fact: Democrat Robert Holloman - A state senator accused of not reporting more than $23,000 in campaign contributions could face criminal charges after the State Board of Elections forwarded his case to prosecutors Thursday. The board also ordered Sen. Robert Holloman, D-Hertford, to pay a fine of $1,750

Fact: Democrat Jerry Gaskill - A federal grand jury in Raleigh indicted N.C. Department of Transportation Ferry Division Director Jerry Gaskill of Cedar Island for illegal activities associated with the state’s efforts to establish a passenger ferry service across the Currituck Sound. The indictment charges Gaskill with conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbor Act, actual violations of both acts, and with making material false statements about those activities.

Fact: Democrat Garland Garrett, Jr. - After a three-year investigation into illegal gambling, former state Transportation Secretary Garland Garrett Jr. was sentenced to federal prison for operating an illegal gambling business. Garrett was also prominent Democrat fundraiser.

Fact: Democrat Andrew Reyes - Andrew Reyes, a former Mecklenburg County Democratic Party Chairman, was sentenced to almost five years in federal prison for bank fraud and tax evasion after being on the run for nearly 18 months from authorities. Reyes was also a prominent Democrat fundraiser.

Fact: Democrat Meg Scott Phips - Meg Scott Phipps, former commissioner of agriculture, was found guilty of extorting funds for her campaign from carnival companies. Phipps was later sentenced to four years in federal prison.

Fact: Democrat Frank Ballance - Frank Ballance, a former U.S. congressman who resigned from his eastern North Carolina seat amidst controversy, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge related to the mishandling of money by his charitable foundation. Roughly $100,000 in public money went to his law firm, church and relatives.

His son, Judge Garey Ballance, received $20,000 to buy a Lincoln Navigator. Garey Ballance pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for failing to file an income tax return.

RobertP, you can't handle the truth. You ignore it and lob stones about Federal corruption. Meanwhile, in your very own backyard that has been landscaped by your DEMOCRAT buddies, there is far MORE CORRUPTION than anything going on in Washington DC. Which, by the way, includes MORE DEMOCRATS THAN REPUBLICANS.

Go bury your head back in your Chapel Hill induced, weed smokin, drum circle sittin, soy latte drinkin, hippie dreamworld. The real world is much too much for you to handle.

22 Oh dear, please go easy on RobertP -- I think his head will explode if exposed to actual, real facts, instead of the ones he makes up in his head.