[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Beestie

I do find it interesting, tho, that a renegade Republican (who, btw, I despise) makes a remark about putting God in the public square and that trumps all the issues that I had to go to the article you cited and highlight myself.

A what? A renegate Republican? I'm happy you despise him, but your view certainly isn't demonstrated by any Republican leadership. He's the Republican House leader. Despite multiple ethics violations and possible criminal action, all explicitly with the purpose of increasing Republican domination, his party has closed ranks around him. Almost all GOP House members accepted money from his PAC. Any compromises worked out in the more bipartisan Senate, get removed by DeLay in conference. This guy is no renegade - accept it: this guy is the new mainstream Republican congressman. His explicit goal, which has been supported and aided by the party machinery, is to get more people like himself elected, and remove the ability of moderate Republicans and Democrats to be elected.

As for what I "left out" - I wasn't attempting to summarize the article, I was pointing out a particular quote. And if you strip the feel-good terminology, the examples you found look more pro-corporate than pro-citizen to me. I see the glass as empty right now, and I hope people notice when they try to drink.

You still have congressmen/women and Senators and the idea of Consitutional merit still stands. The Supreme Courts of BOTH Bible-belt Alabama and the United States BOTH ruled against Judge Moore on the ten commandments thing so I don't know what you are so worried about.

I don't have any Senators or Representatives, but that's a separate issue. And I do have some faith in the courts at this point, but look at the rhetoric coming out of the Republican party right now. It is all geared at reducing respect for the courts. "Activist judges", "liberal courts", sentencing guidelines, preventing class-action lawsuits, capping damages, demonizing trial lawyers, legislation to limit the authority of the courts. Plus, Bush has had record success in appointing judges, has done recess appointments for some of the few that were successfully blocked, and is likely to appoint multiple US Supreme Court justices. Talk is already behinning about removing the filibuster option for even the most partisan nominations Outside the White House, a new Alabama Supreme Court justice is Tom Parker, Roy Moore's legal advisor. This nation is moving in a very dangerous direction.