Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 5:02 AM:You know, it would be nice to “FORGET THE POLITICS”, as the only problem. The problem is they keep getting in the way of doing the nations business. But these Johnny-Come Lately Democrats would like you to believe they had noting to do with the VA’s broken system, when the facts are; they are the one’s who broke the thing. What they want to do now is save face, and separates themselves by attempting to make this a “Bush only” problem. I am one of those constiuetents who will not let them get away with this fraud. And the problem with all these panic proposals to ”just now” fix this system, are coming from the SAME people who made this system dysfunctional. What you assume is these proposals for the VA are new, they are not. The very rules and regulations, and policies inside this bureaucratic nightmare these injured soldiers are complaining about, and preventing their swift treatment, were all enacted by these long time incumbents. You can not separate these congress people from this problem, they are the very one’s, who placed each and every restriction on it. This is what I have been trying to explain to you, these guys broke this system, and now they act as if they had nothing to do with it. This is not a Bush only problem. How do you explain Vietnam Veterans who have waited for more than 20 years for treatment? Bush? The VA has a backlog of 400,000 benefit claims, including many concerning mental health from Vietnam vets. How do you explain that? Bush? Some smart guy was trying to tell me Walter Reed was not part of the VA system. He’s right, it’s not. I knew that, before he knew that. And if this gentlemen would have actually read news articles looking for facts, instead of looking for Bush Got-Cha’s, he would had noted, as I did, that building 18 at Walter Reed was residence for Iraqi war patients while they were in the process of transitioning to VA hospitals near their home towns. And also, if he were not so mesmerized by Mr. Krugman’s fiction about the VA being a “shining example” under Clinton, he clearly would have picked up on some real truth. With Vietnam vets waiting since the Vietnam War, makes Clinton part of this problem, not a fixer of it. Like so many of you like to believe, “Our Guys” do it right, and “Their Guys” do it wrong. It just doesn’t hold water. But then, you don’t concern yourself with facts, their just annoyances that get in the way of a good Bush ambush. But you see, all of that is lost on you. These facts, these men, these Vietnam soldiers who have lingered for 20 years waiting for treatment, no, no, that’s all Bush. The VA system has a backlog of 400,000 Vietnam veterans seeking treatment, but no, no… that’s all Bush’s fault too? And 700,000 first Gulf War veterans who have have registered with Gulf War Illness. These soldiers lost their hair, had rashes, insomnia, chronic fatigue, loss of muscle control, migraines and other headaches, dizziness and loss of balance, memory problems, muscle and joint pain, indigestion, skin problems, and shortness of breath. These fine soldiers also lingered in a bearuacratically complicated VA medical system for years, while the Army and the VA tried to make up their mind whether to treat these brave men, or whether it was a figment of their imaginations. That’s all W’s fault too, I guess. I’m not making excuses for Bush on this. He is totally responsible for not making sure these brave men were treated just like, or better than every congressman or woman who also receives their treatment at Walter Reed. And think about this for one second…. Walter Reed is one of the nation’s most premier military hospitals. They treat congressmen and women at the nation’s expense on a daily basis. What do you think the odds are that these congress people would never have been treated like this? Pretty good, I think. This miserable of treatment of lower level people in a government hospital ought to scare you. It ought to wake you up to what they want for you, a two-tier system of treatment. You say, Nah, you just don’t understand, we can do it better. You mean like Clinton did? With those Vet’s lingering on his watch? As Krugman said: “A shining example of the highest-quality health care in America?” Or did W cause that too?

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 5:19 AM:So I turn on my foreign made TV to CSPAN last night, and their re-airing a Senate Committee hearing on Child Lunch Programs. I'll say that again, Child Lunch Programs. What the heck are these guys doing wasting their, and our time on Child Lunch Programs; when we have two wars in two different countries, Iran on the verge of going nuclear, veterans without proper healthcare, a military who's equipment is falling apart, a deficit, social security broke, and countless other more priority needs of the nation? These guys are in everything!? What is it? Local school districts can't be left alone to decide whether the can of green beans their serving for lunch meets nutritional guidelines? Has too much trans-fat? Sugar? Like I said, it's too big, bloated, and like Gladys Kravitz they got their noses in everybody's business. How about spending a little more time on things the Constitution requires you to do?

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 5:59 AM:As John Limpus has is aptly pointed out, Edward Sifuentes definition of crime only seems to refer to so-called hate speech by legal citizens advocating a secured border. He is in the George Bush camp on this, calling the Minutemen "vigilantes." If you follow their logic on this, crossing the border is no longer a crime because; (in their words) "their only coming here to do the jobs Americans won't do." In short, the need for them to fill those jobs has priority over the crimes they commit to get here, and work here. Further, the crime of using a fake or stolen social security number, the illegal hiring by a criminal employer, and violating the identity rights of legal citizens is not considered a crime in the minds of these people anymore. There is a “compassionate understanding”as to the reasons they come. Well, let me try this one for size? How about... the next time I'm late paying my taxes, which pay for many programs they receive, how about I get a pass on interest or penalties? Or how about... if I miss registering my car for about 6 months, as many illegals are caught on a daily basis, I get a pass on the late fee? Or how about... If I'm a legal American citizen without health insurance and find myself in a hospital ER and can't afford to pay the bill, as many illegals just simply disappear, how about I get a pass on the hospital turning me over to a collection agency, and ruining my credit? I mean, after all... I have my reasons too, where's my compassionate understanding? And how about a little equal treatment? Fair is fair. Or have the rules so changed, that fairness and compassion are only offered to those who come here illegally?

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 6:20 AM:Ah, and the dinger (that's a homerun, for all you who don't speak baseball lingo) goes to Jon Coughtry! I don't know if he intended to hit it out of the park, but none the less, he hit the sweet spot today. He asks the question: "Why don't elected representatives start thinking about the young lives being wasted to pay for a complete lack of administration planning for, and during, this idiotic war." Ah Jon, that's the ol' Potomac Two-Step. That's when congress can avoid responsibility for the very things they put into effect. You see, if you don't want to declare a war, as the Constitution requires you to do legally, you simply side step it, you vote for an "Authorization for the use of Military Force" instead. That way, if the war goes well, you can step up, and lay claim to your part in it. If the war goes badly, then you can lay back, act like you had nothing to do with it, and blame the President. Also, it affords you to be a lazy politician. You don't have to actually get your hands dirty with vetting out intellegence, or troop equipment, or anything else you are legally required to do before sending young men and women off to die. Again, if it goes badly, you just blame someone else. Some people like to call it smart politicing. Me? I like like to call it what it is: Chicken.

Vista Granny wrote on Mar 7, 2007 7:36 AM:Like many people, Milton Olson is screaming for "justice" for Ramos and Compean, but he's wrong in saying the Mexican government is calling the shots. The truth is that the border patrol agents shot an unarmed man in the back when he was running away. This is NOT the American way. Policemen are not judges, juries, and executioners and we cannot let them just shoot at will. I don't think we relly want that kind of law enforcement in our country -- border patrol or not. Also, there may be a lot more to this case than the "illegal immigrant" haters know. The man was a drug smuggler? How could Ramos and Compean know this when the incident happened? When, where and how did they happen to run into him? What are the rules for this type of situation? I don't know -- but I do know that policemen are not authorized to shoot people in the back! Is it just possible that these two aren't the wonderful, law-abiding, church-going, citizens their fans and would-be protectors are making them out to be? This whole uproar is due to the current spread of xenophobia in our country.

Not telling wrote on Mar 7, 2007 8:14 AM:I just received a note from a friend in another state. She is disabled and I send her $75-$100 a few times a year; not a lot for me. "Dear NT, I have to tell you, you have the best timing! My electric bill normally runs $70 a month,(she must live in another state)last month it was $105 and this month it was $138. I was just telling my aide I didn't think I would be able to eat this month when she brought in my mail that contained your note. THANK YOU!!! I can eat now. Love to all." Wow. What a humbling gift to me for doing so little. If we all did a little bit to help others, things would be a lot better. It doesn't take much and it means more if you do it yourself, as opposed to paying some charitable organization to do it for you. Your money gets more bang for the buck too. God bless.

Money-saving idea for the government wrote on Mar 7, 2007 8:21 AM:Y'know, it's time the federal government downsized big time. I propose that the cabinet and associated departments be reduced to only two vast systems. First, the Department of War, which is the current Dept of Defense with a more accurate name. Second, Department of Advertising, with the task of persuading everyone that a new war is needed every couple of years, and also to persuade everyone that all the other functions that the government used to accomplish are really still being done, and done well. Oh, wait! This IS the Bush government! Silly me.

Wrong question, Thornhill wrote on Mar 7, 2007 8:26 AM:You should ask: How many of Clinton's own appointees did he fire six years into his Presidency? How many of those investigated or prosecuted members of the President's party? Please look these up and give us a follow-up cartoon. Thanks in advance.

Uncle Scrooge wrote on Mar 7, 2007 8:52 AM:That’s very well ALF (03/06/07@4:44PM) but, how many multiples of $3,333.33 are we talking? R’on never answered that one. Just wonderin’.

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 9:25 AM:Re: “Speaking up about class” by David Meyers. Finally, there is clarity. It is sad commentary such as this that appalls those of us who take our parental responsibilities seriously. English 100 is the entry level composition course taught at Palomar College. Students of ENG 100 learn how to write a basic composition, essay and end-of-term research paper; hence, dedicating four of six formal writing tasks to outré topics is of dubious merit. Critical Thinking and Composition begins with English 202, and Critical Thinking and Composition through Literature begins with English 203; however, the appropriate venue for such films as Brokeback Mountain, such plays as The Vagina Monologues and such works as Penis Passion would be Psychology 125, which is the study of Human Sexuality. No one has suggested that the use of such material be proscribed, merely that it is wholly inappropriate for an entry level course in English composition. Of course, those scholars who prefer to focus on aberrant sexual topics - rather than serious writing - will take exception to this point of view. Apropos, isn’t it is interesting to note that they hasten to invoke the First Amendment and its broadest interpretation of the right to freedom of expression whenever it favors their prurient interests, yet insist on its narrowest interpretation of the right to freedom of expression when it favors Christianity?

Love it wrote on Mar 7, 2007 9:36 AM:Don't you just love it when some liberal blowhard references Paul Krugman as if his words are gospel? It would be like someone on the right referencing Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity when trying to make a point. Makes me wonder if the Krugman lover is actually typing with a straight face.

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 9:43 AM:Ron, I hope you had your coffee this morning. Though it must be frustrating to continually restate the obvious, I am glad that you have the time and the desire to do so. Those first four posts were right on point.

HUNGER wrote on Mar 7, 2007 9:46 AM:Ron, The simple truth is that there are millions of cildren who are hungry in our rich industrialized country. The most important thing to anyone who feels the pangs of hunger, is a good meal. Children need our help. We can't do anythning about the Iraqi War or the upcoming Iranian War until 2008. Then, we can get a real President.

SUCKER! wrote on Mar 7, 2007 9:56 AM:Mr. Money-saving idea for the government describes the abyss we have fallen into, despite the 1984 Orwelling warning with it bells and whistles. We fall into the drum-beat of war by the Ron’s and GW’s of the country that perpetuate the military industrial complex for profit. They use slogans of incitement much like the above mentioned book. Wake up to crock that you are being fed. WE ARE LIVING THE PROPHECY.

VERDAD wrote on Mar 7, 2007 10:13 AM:We gotta part company now, Ron ole boy. Your rant on war responsibility was a little off the wall. You see your favorite Republicans led by the neocons ran Congress. They held all the power and the Committee Chairs. They were in the majority. Both Republicans and Democrats voted for this war based on misinformation and falsehoods presented to them by the Bush administration. No one was doing the two step. We have been waging war by Presidential Degree and Congressinal Resolution ever since Korea and President Truman. This war goes on because the American people are really not effected by it yet. There is no selective service. If the young people were being swallowed up for war as they were during Vietnam, their would be riot in the streets. We are not suffering financialy either. When we should be gladly paying increased taxes to pay for Iraq, the President gives us tax refunds while at the same time borrowing trillions of dollars. You are the one doing the two step. Your verbage smoke screen can only blind us for so long. Sooner or later a breeze comes by and shows us that you belong to Bush fan club. Right or wrong he is your President.

Mike the Marine wrote on Mar 7, 2007 10:17 AM:If Mr. hansen looked at Murtha's record, he would see a person who has accused the U.S. military of terrorism without proof and has advocated a total retreat. Murtha should be required to register as the agent of a foreign government.

Right on, C1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 10:31 AM:As I recall, conservative1 is retired. He is also obviously well read and cultured. I would encourage him to apply for a newly created position at Palomar College: Curriculum Decider. All faculty will submit syllabi and reading lists to him and he can judge which class shall read which materials. I bet he'd do it cheap, too, or as a community service. God knows the colleges need his wisdom and good judgment.

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 10:43 AM:I only computed the cost per person of a 1 trillion debt given a population of 300 million in the U.S., I do not know how many trillions but once you know that the rest is easy.

JACK wrote on Mar 7, 2007 10:44 AM:Follow Up to Mike the Marine. Please inform us where we can find the quote where Mr. Murtha said that the US military were terrorists? I can not locate it.

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:07 AM:George Hejduk wants to preserve the tranquility of downtown Encinitas, there never was such a thing. But the question is - At what time does he want Encinitas frozen, before he got here or after? He says "Reasons for residing in Encinitas are being evaporated". I guess that if one considers a city as it is when they move in, to be the way it should stay forever, what about the way it was 20 or 30 or 60 years ago? Might those people who moved here back then have felt the same about the people after them? Might they have not liked it when interstate 5 was built in the early 60s, cutting streets apart? Does he really want ALL the north-south traffic to run only on PCH? What a REAL mess that would be.

Has Ron Gone Loco? wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:21 AM:Ron. You are so thick. Child obesity is a leading cause of shortened life expectancy in this country (compared with other industrialized nations), psychological depression, heart disease and umpteen other health problems due to improper diet. Fattened up children tend to have an up-hill battle with weight problems for the rest of their life. It is our business to educate and properly feed our future generation. Spending our money on cluster bombs, land mines, smart bombs, etc is your idea of well spent government funds? Get real!

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:25 AM:Well, "Conservative1", in your 9:25am post you gave more accurate descriptions of where the material in question belonged than I did some time back. We are in agreement, GASP!! I had the "they aren't kids" argument tossed at me, but when you get right down to it, the instructor got "free" publicity and was wrong. The student, on the other hand, continues to do something that bothers me as well, he uses the instructor's first name when referring to her. Regardless of her bias, unless otherwise informed, his use of her first name is insulting, discourteous and an attempt to place himself on her level, which he is not. He was a student, she was his instructor.

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:26 AM:Well, I did have another post about Abscam Murtha, warprofiteering Murtha, and of course, the General Murtha and his troops in Okinawa, available for quick re-deployment back into Iraq???? Not to mention, his sincere desire to meet and greet with every wounded war veteran over at Walter Reed. Unfortunately, he never mad it to building 18, never saw a trooper from there, never a worried wife, or mother, or father, never heard a thing???? But, he's a Marine's best friend????

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:27 AM:Jack, wrong guy, that was Durbin-D IL. said they were POL Pot, and something about Soviet gulag's. yeah, he's a patriot.???

To JACK wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:30 AM:Mike Marine won't find the quote. You will find though, that the Republicans have had a habit of miss-quoting Lincoln in speechs and articles. Google the subject.

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:31 AM:The last sentence in the 9:25 post by "Conservative1" raised a question and it is unfortunate that both sides employ double-standards if and when it suits them. I believe that the left uses them more, but the right cannot claim that they do not use them.

A Beautiful Mind wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:46 AM:I’ll answer that question for Uncle Scrooge. The debt is $8.8 trillion. It is no wonder that those prolific writers to this page don’t want to remind us of this little inconvenient truth. That means nearly $30,000 per every man, woman and child in this country. Or using presidential dollar coins (as per yesterday—facing head to tail), 4,400 laps of this planet—a swath 380 feet wide!

old man in a hole wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:50 AM:I guess Ms. Walker and her ilk still think it is perfectly ok to drag an old Iraqi out of his house, shoot him to death in a hole in the ground, and then lie about it. What bravery we see in our Marines these days. I know they are scared to death and they should be. The Iraqis will probably fight to the death to remove our occupying troops. That is probably what we would do if we were invaded.

Rick wrote on Mar 7, 2007 11:55 AM:Dear Mr. Ebmeier, thank you so much for your letter expressing concern about our voting system. Now, I understand why Republicans have fought so hard for electronic voting machines with no paper audit trail. It is to protect the Secret Ballot. Now, the ballot is SO secret that if the machines choose the election for us, there is no paper available to recount. Now that's innovation! What a time saver! And Mr. Ebmeier, please don't worry about the democrats wadding up the Bill of Rights! Thanks to Mr. Bush and the republicans, WE NO LONGER HAVE a Bill of Rights. If you don't believe me, check it out. I think gun rights are the only ones left.

plutonium wrote on Mar 7, 2007 12:17 PM:That's a great line by Jon Coughtry, "filling in the border tunnels with nuclear waste". I bet Imperial Beach would love that. But someone else has already came up with the idea of sending all the illegal Mexicans to Iraq. I have a strange feeling that these ideas won't quite make it though.

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 12:29 PM:Regarding your 11:25 AM post: I agree with you, Alf. I am tempted to ask, however, whether the student is at fault for not referring to the teacher by her last name, or the teacher is at fault for concentrating the bulk of her efforts on the homosexual agenda, rather than teaching her student how to write well.

I love it too wrote on Mar 7, 2007 12:29 PM:I love it when people demonstrate that the worst insults you can throw at a Democrat show that they are just like Republicans (the war profiteers; the no-visits to Walter Reed).

Great News from the AP wrote on Mar 7, 2007 12:37 PM:QUOTE After seven record-breaking years in a row, the number and cost of so-called pork barrel projects is way down, thanks to voter outrage and a one-year moratorium imposed by Democrats after taking over Congress. That's good news, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, a watchdog group that has railed against congressional "earmarks" for years. ENDQUOTE

Brenda wrote on Mar 7, 2007 12:40 PM:Oh please dear bloggers. Explain the game to me. Is this just a game of Got-Cha-Tag. Dear old Ron just billowing on and on playing Democat-Got-Cha. But I do wonder why the Republicans should be blamed for something that IMHO might have been caused by the likes Andrew Jackson, a Democrat.

for Charles Bondy wrote on Mar 7, 2007 12:53 PM:At least they didn't show Prince's nipple. Oops, can I write "nipple" in this blog?

Floyd wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:04 PM:As a matter of fact, the Federal Government did rename the "Department of War" to the "Department of Defense" in 1947 to describe the mission as opposed to the activity. Changing it back might make you feel better, but it won't change either the mission or the activity.

going for a walk wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:14 PM:That guy Bill Homann has it right. Is dialing 11 numbers to make a phone call better than writing a letter to the editor of the local rag? Or is writing a letter to the editor complaining about the other guy who wrote the letter to the editor about dialing too many numbers more productive? Or is writing comments about letters to the editor about a guy who complains about another guy who complains about too many numbers to dial a waste of time? I am going for a walk with my dog.

JACK wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:16 PM:Follow Up to Brenda. Yes. It is just a game of gotcha. Nothing we say or do on this blog will solve anything. In fact, I rather doubt that anyone but the regulars even read this section. The gang is just having fun or has too much time on their hands-including me.

Regular Person wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:30 PM:I'm not fanatic about the Republicans or the Democrats, in fact I think that Power Corrupts Them All. But I do wonder why it is that the conservatives on this blog exhibit such windy pomposity over and over and over and over and over? Holy cow! Get over yourselves, will ya?

to Brenda & Jack wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:35 PM:I agree. It's astounding we don't get competely bored!

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:38 PM:Well, "A Beautiful Mind", it was less than 10 years ago that the national debt was about $22,000 for every man, woman and child in this here United States AND that was based on 250 million people not 300 million. Let's see adding 50 million people should reduce the per capita debt. Adding 20 percent more people and still having the per capita debt rise 36 percent means someone is spending a little, don't you think?

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 1:52 PM:"Conservative1", your 12:29pm post asks about fault. Sincew I have to start somewhere, let's start with the student. He may not respect the teacher, but HIS shameful writing, first name usage, constitutes a wrong. Now for the teacher, her shameful behavior, times 2, texts not appropriate for the course description and down-grading his work, constitutes wrongs. However many wrongs there were total, they still cannot add up to a right.

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:02 PM:"JACK", I almost agree with your 1:16pm post. If anything discussed here inspires even one person to commit an act of kindness, to look at someone with compassion rather than scorn then something will be solved for someone, ja?

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:14 PM:My favorite Ann Coulter joke of all time was done by Jay Leno: "I liked Ann Coulter a lot better back when she stuck to fighting Sigourney Weaver in those Alien movies".

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:15 PM:Conservative Christians have been some of the largest supporters of President Bush’s war on terror. If it weren’t for such strong Christian support before the invasion of Iraq, the scales of public opinion would have been severely tilted in favor of finding a peaceful diplomatic resolution to whatever issues we might have had with Iraq. After all, Republicans wouldn’t have very much ground to stand on if it wasn’t for the Christian vote. There are plenty of peaceful Christians such as myself, but the spreading disease of blind patriotism has plagued many in the church. I have seen my church’s morals fall apart before my eyes. What has caused so many Christians to ignore the peaceful teachings of the New Testament, such as Colossians 3:12, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”?

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:27 PM:The collapse of the Bush administration and the danger America faces from these wounded Republicans, on the war in Iraq and rumors of wars is on our minds. While we focus on a premature Presidential campaign which is taking our eyes off the ball and distracting us from the real work at hand, many states are striking out on their own. While it may seem as a joke and as traditional conservatives are laughing behind their hands at the Federal paralysis they've wrought, state government is still government! States are moving quickly on global warming and health care. California has a health care bill working and Oregon, which made physician-assisted death a health matter, rather than a moral one, a bill has been introduced which makes a lot of sense. The front man for the bill is former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (D), himself an M.D. The bill has this simple statement, which blows away all of the complexities that the medical industry throws at us, "the objective of our health care system is health, not just the financing and delivery of health care services." Oh yeah. The object is not making money for the medical industry. What a concept!

Conservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:31 PM:Scooter Libby was found guilty! This is the best news for Republicans and conservatives there could be. All conservatives will now circle the wagons, after going dormant last fall for whatever reason. The more the Democrats and liberals gloat, the better news it is for us. They are POKING THE BEAR! They'll be SORRY!!"…

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:35 PM:The conviction of Scooter Libby on four counts of perjury and obstruction of justice is first of all a human tragedy. A man who served his country at the highest level, who sat in every morning at the senior staff meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, has been dishonored and disgraced, and will be disbarred. Unless his conviction is overturned, or he is pardoned, Libby will go to prison. His life will end with an obituary that declares in its headline and lead paragraph that he was a convicted Dick Cheney aide. Yet, this was a narrow case. Libby's convictions call to mind Martha Stewart's, who went to prison for lying to investigators about a crime she did not commit. Libby has been convicted of lying about the outing of a CIA classified officer, a crime for which no one has been indicted. Valerie Plame, the wife of Ambassador Joe Wilson, who was outed as a CIA "operative," was no longer covert and had not been so for half a decade when her name was pushed out of the White House to the press. Joe Wilson, her husband, target of the White House vendetta, yet contends that not only was her career destroyed, a crime was committed -- and that is why the CIA demanded an investigation. Yet it was an arrogant and stupid thing Libby did. He lied to the FBI, to Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, to the grand jury. He fabricated a story about where he learned about Wilson's wife, when, as sworn testimony proved, he learned it from Vice President Cheney and was himself moving it to the press. However, this was about a larger issue than the narrow question of whether Libby lied about leaking the role of Valerie Plame in having her husband sent to Niger to investigate a report that Iraq had been seeking "yellowcake," a critical component in a uranium enrichment program. That larger issue is this: Were we misled, were we deceived by our government, as the White House made the case for invading and occupying Iraq? Did neoconservatives at the Pentagon cherry-pick the intelligence, stovepipe it to the vice president's office and Libby, and then feed it to sympathizers and collaborators in the media, to stampede our country into a war against a nation that, no matter how odious its regime, did not threaten us, did not attack us and did not want war with us?

Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 2:44 PM:Just a little trivia on Andrew Jackson: his administration was the first and last time that the US government was debt-free. His opponents called him a jackass; he liked the name and the rest is history (Democratic Party mascot). He disliked paper money (preferred coins) yet he’s featured on the $20 bill.

to Ron wrote on Mar 7, 2007 3:31 PM:Please most of us work (I'm guessing unlike yourself) and don't have the time to scroll past your verbal diarhea. If you want anyone to pay attention to your unending posts how about cutting them down to a few sentences. Or better yet, take a break for a few days. Spend some time reading, if you can...read that is.

libs & conserv's wrote on Mar 7, 2007 3:38 PM:Here's why they will never get along. Conservatives hate us because they think we think they're stupid. And we hate them because they're stupid.

Still skeptical wrote on Mar 7, 2007 4:05 PM:I can understand debating the texts chosen for that Palomar class. I can't understand why anyone would assume the student is being honest about the grade being lowered for disagreement. This kid probably will get a job in Bush's Department of Advertising.

Fran wrote on Mar 7, 2007 4:05 PM:I agree, Ramon and Compean have suffered a tragic miscarriage of justice. I have emailed, wrote letters and called my representatives, as well as the White House. Not surprisingly I did not receive a response. It is evident that George W Bush does not care about anything about The working/middle class Citizens. He does care about his war, and his rich corporate donors. Our two brave Border Patrol Agents don't need to be pardoned or have a new trial, they need to be freed now. We must all bombard the White house with our outrage.

to Alf and c1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 4:06 PM:Just for the record: have you two actually read the books that were assigned in that class, or do your objections stem from their titles and/or what you know about the Brokeback Mountain movie? Curious. Be honest, now.

To Alf at 202 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 4:24 PM:Alf, read the conversations here. Why in the name of heaven would you think that anyone would be moved, as a result of this back and forth mudslinging, to acts of kindness or looks of compassion? Pity, I can see, but kindness and compassion?

to libs & conservs wrote on Mar 7, 2007 5:19 PM:Your 3:38pm post contained a word that I'm sure you didn't intend to backfire on you. That word is "hate". Conservatives tend not to hate anyone. Certainly not libs. We just think their views of the world are misguided, pathetic and downright pitiful. An analogy: the dope smoking 30 year old who never grows up and never intends to leave his parents' basement, where his comfy bedroom is located. But we don't hate you. Not at all. Libs attitude toward conservatives, I'm not so sure, as evidenced by the Huffpost commentators following the failed Taliban bomb attack on VP Cheney. I don't think libs hate fanatic muslims of course. But I do believe they hate Christian conservatives. That is odd. But only deep within the recesses of the liberal-socialist dope-filled mind, can one see the logic in that.

to libs and conserves 519 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 5:54 PM:We know conservatives don't hate liberals. If they did, they'd have cheered on 911 to see all those New Yorkers go down in flames. (You might recall that in NYC, Kerry beat Bush 3:1; in DC, the other actual 911 target, it was 9:1). Conservatives are cool wid it because they love their martinis. Cheers.

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 6:01 PM:First, "to Alf and c1", My friend is "gay", she has dealt with many narrow-minded people, I cherish her friendship and accept her as she is. I did not see the movie "Brokeback Mountain" for 2 reasons, it is fiction and I do not seek out such stories. I also don't seek out "Sense and Sensibilities" or "snuff" films, in other words, I am an adult that makes my own choices, and will not be labeled by anyone because I choose not to read or see certain things. Any book that describes child molestation in any context, unless as a mandated part of a criminal psychology course, is one that I will not read. Anyone who would voluntarily read such a book, knowing that such acts are described, is suspect in my judgement. We have such furor about child molestation that an un-Constitutional Prop 83 was written, and passed by voters, knowing that the un-Constitutional parts would be voided. I call into question the morals of someone who would write it, someone who would publish it, someone who would knowingly read it and, worst of all, someone who would assign it as text outside of a Criminal Psychology or Psychopathy course. Does that answer your question?

Alf wrote on Mar 7, 2007 6:10 PM:"To Alf at 202", there is much rancor here, I agree. Assuming that this is not simply a spouting off spot, sometimes the words become more gentle rather than escalate. If the anonymous words here simmer down, so too might the person, ja?

to C1 at 214 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 6:30 PM:That's rather unfair and offensive to the aliens...

TheRealConservative1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 6:56 PM:Having perfunctorily viewed this afternoon's posts, I could not help but notice that a rank impostor has abused the English language as well as my good name. Anyone the least bit conversant in writing styles will immediately discern the demented, degenerate, and deranged ranting of Conservative1's posts of 2:14PM, 2:15PM, 2:27PM and 2:31PM and know that I was not their author. Ron, wherein Mr. Libby is concerned, the prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, conducted an investigation on a non-existent crime, knowing all the while that Richard Armitage was the one who had outed a non-clandestine employee of the CIA. Diehard leftists who are in denial may read about it in one of their foremost opinion journals at: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14533384/site/newsweek/. Armitage was accorded immunity from prosecution in exchange for his cooperation and his oath to remain silent while the bogus investigation was underway. Before signing off, I should like to add: to the Conservative1 impostor, whomsoe'er you might be, thank you for the huge compliment. When my words so move someone that they provoke such hostile, irrational, deceitful, psychotic behavior, I know that I have hit one out of the park. God Bless You!

To to C1 at 214 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 6:59 PM:Read my last post; it may just surprise you.

to C1 wrote on Mar 7, 2007 8:03 PM:So have you read the books assigned for that Palomar course? We've heard from Alf. What say you? Be honest, now.

gays wrote on Mar 7, 2007 10:59 PM:I'm a Christian, but don't think it's my place to judge people for being gay. I don't agree with their behavior and I see that God clearly condemns it (Roman's 1:17) but I am also sure that many gays are good people who are simply confused and trying to do the best they can do in a confusing world where judgment and condemnation push people from God. I say love everyone and let God sort it all out.

To: HAS RON GON LOCO March 7 11:21 wrote on Mar 11, 2007 12:20 AM:You're calling someone else "thick"???? You have got to be kidding. It is not the responsibility of a school, taxpayers, the government, or anyone else to properly feed children so they don't get FAT (OBESE). It is their PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY. If they can't even keep their children from getting fat, they shouldn't be having children. It's called DISCIPLINE and there seems to be quite a lack of it. THAT is why so many children are getting OBESE. I didn't make them that way and I shouldn't be expected to pay for it. My boys 19 and 23 years old have never been FAT in their lives. You had better get real. Why don't you volunteer to pay the doctor bills for a few of them.