Please Defend This!

[Justin Spencer]

Just saw something disturbing on the news that drives me nuts. I want to support a party that is fiscally conservative believes in smaller government and doesn't feel like it has to get in everyone's business while being progressive and changing with the times. Unfortunately this party doesn't and probably will never exist.

With a certain party it always seems like when we take a step forward in the conservation arena it is not too long before we take 2 steps back and I don't understand this. In this case this party has regained control of supplies for the lunchroom of the House, where they took a biodegradable initiative that has been in place since Pilosi was sworn in as Speaker and replaced it with plastic and styrofoam. Yes this does save money, but sets a terrible example. Much like when Reagan took the solar panels off the White House shortly after taking office it seems as if Republicans are anti-environment.

This view costs the party many younger voters and will continue to do so in the future. I think we are seeing this party killing itself and while I have voted with the party many times I find myself doing it less and less mainly due to the lack of support it gives green energy and recycling efforts, the good ole' boys need to wake up and see the direction that Americans want to go. They seem to be following the money lobby and not the votes.

I know this may be a topic that gets X'ed pretty quick, but I know there must be some reason they do this time after time, and would like to know how this helps the country and the party.

I know the dems do a bunch of stupid stuff also, but in the conservation arena they are much more progressive.

[FishinCricket]

You're such a rebel, Justin...

[flytyer57]

Look at it this way.

Those conservatives you refer to are the landowners along the stream bank. They have their farm bureau folks telling them that they won't stand for any tresspassing by others using the stream. They also get big campaign donations from the other fat cats that stand to gain big money from laws passed that genrally hurts those streams.

Then you have the liberal types who like to float and fish those streams. These people try to protect the streams so that they may enjoy their favorite past times and be able to hand off to their grandkids the same clean water etc that they enjoyed. They get any help they can by organization to fight the conservative types who want to take away their rights to float and fish the streams.

[flytyer57]

Are the new powers that be in the Capitol lunch room still calling them "Freedom Fries" because they don't understand that "French Fries" were first made in America by a guy named French?

[Brian Sloss]

In this day and age of such polarized politics, you will see less and less middle ground in policy. It is absurd that an elected official can't see merit in the other sides ideas on anything and work to find middle ground to make sensible policy. They do that now and they won't get out of a primary and that is just sad. Hopefully things will swing back and politicians will be able to work together some day, but it doesn't look good now.

[Justin Spencer]

Don't know what the solution is, right now it seems as if Congress has turned away from public service and toward making a career or a name for themselves. Maybe we need to pay them the average salary for Americans and they might work harder to get that average up. Of course they might also take more bribes, etc.

I don't think we can stereotype the average American Republican as a super conservative a-HOLE, same as we can't call most democrats crazy liberal socialists. Most I think are like me who agree with each party on some issues, and while I have lately been voting democrat more than republican I am also a small business owner that has land along a stream, and I'm even a member of the farm bureau (when in rome right?) although like everyone else they get it wrong at least half the time. Seems like the perfect set up for a right winger, but Fox News makes me not want to be associated with them whatsoever.

[Outside Bend]

Just another example of how out of touch our elected representatives are- three wars going on, high unemployment, sluggish economy, deficit spending, downgraded S&P, energy supply issues, global warming...and the major issue they feel like tackling today is whether my coffee is served in a styrofoam cup or a paper one.

I do like the idea of giving them the Wal-Mart treatment, Justin...$8.23 an hour, no benefits, occasionally lock them in the office overnight...it'd make a great reality TV show.

[Forsythian]

Look at it this way.

Those conservatives you refer to are the landowners along the stream bank. They have their farm bureau folks telling them that they won't stand for any tresspassing by others using the stream. They also get big campaign donations from the other fat cats that stand to gain big money from laws passed that genrally hurts those streams.

Then you have the liberal types who like to float and fish those streams. These people try to protect the streams so that they may enjoy their favorite past times and be able to hand off to their grandkids the same clean water etc that they enjoyed. They get any help they can by organization to fight the conservative types who want to take away their rights to float and fish the streams.

Wow! That's some crunchy granola right there! Your moral certitude is fantastic.

[flytyer57]

Just another example of how out of touch our elected representatives are- three wars going on, high unemployment, sluggish economy, deficit spending, downgraded S&P, energy supply issues, global warming...and the major issue they feel like tackling today is whether my coffee is served in a styrofoam cup or a paper one.

I do like the idea of giving them the Wal-Mart treatment, Justin...$8.23 an hour, no benefits, occasionally lock them in the office overnight...it'd make a great reality TV show.

I totally agree with this. How can we trust our government to a bunch of losers who tell us, the people, how much they, the politicians, should get paid?

I say they should have to live on poverty wages and then tell all us poor folk how to pull ourselves up by the boot straps and tough it out.

[eric1978]