The only real hater and fascist here appears to be you.

I've read every post in this thread. Yes, there are a few Christian-haters out there. There are a few atheist-haters as well. Is that somehow more acceptable? Mostly, we have a bunch of people angry about somewhat different things who do not have good ways of communicating with each other. I wish I knew how to fix that, but I do not.

If John Breaux is the good news, then there is no good news.

OK, I'll bite. Webb got elected. We give our money, do our thing and we get more Democrats and maybe a Democratic Pres. Then, what? What do we get? Do we get immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal from Iraq. Uh, No. Do we get single payer national health care? No. Do we get equal rights for all Americans regardless of status? No. Do we get elimination of tax subsidies to investment income? No. Do we get elimination of corporate welfare (ag subsidies, Export-Import Bank, market promo program, etc.). No. Do we get rid of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell? No. Do we get real environmental protection? Probably not.

So, what do we get? I'm really not trying to be mean here. I just want to know what I get other than not Bush.

I've been doing all that stuff for 40 years - probably a lot longer than you have. I've held my nose and voted for centrists for decades. I'm tired of supporting people who do not share my values. It's a serious set of questions that you endlessly avoid. Issues are what drive me not the tag on the candidate. I have never voted for a Republican and never will, but I need to see something better than Jim Webb who is a DINO at best. I hear the same crap from the so-called center every year, and win or lose, things end up staying the same.

Real wages are at 1979 levels. Real incomes are below 2003 levels. We count maybe half the unemployed at best. Income growth has exceeded inflation in only 4 of the last 16 months. What planet indeed, Mr. Goodwin.

John Breaux repreatedly voted against the Democratic Party, our interests and our values when he WAS a Democratic Senator from LA. If you call people like John Breaux and Billy Tauzin friends, you don't have any friends.

Stop with the clothes bigotry. Republicans do NOT wear Italian suits. First, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada suits are not all that fancy and not all that expensive - depends on your standards of course, but they're around $1500. These suits are made for very, very slim guys. I'm 5'8" and 157 pounds, 42 regular (52 Reg in Italian sizes) and I can't even button one of these suits.

I'm a leftist. I wear Isaiah suits. Made to measure, handcrafted, about twice the cost of Armani. Republicans don't wear those either. Then, there is Brioni and Kiton - even better, more like $5500. Republicans don't wear those either. Repubs wear inexpensive sack suits.

So, why does someone having a nice suit make them so unacceptable?

From my point of view as an atheist, all religions are whacky, and, yes, the Joseph Smith thing with the golden tablets is weird, but so is the idea of some guy walking on water and rising from the dead and another guy having stone tablets etched by god on the top of a mountain. Most religions have this stuff - one is not particularly more whacky than another.

Another thing about being an atheist in the U.S. is that I have to vote for someone of some religion or I can't vote. There aren't going to be any atheist candidates for serious office anytime soon. So, I ignore the religion per se and focus on the issues which might or might not be related to religion. Hold Romney and all the others to the same test.

I thought that Martin Bormann would be much older by now.

You said one thing that really makes me angry. The FRC, Focus on the Family, Traditional Values Coalition and other similar organizations are most definitely not 'pro-family.

1- Opposing contraception is anti-family

2- Working to ensure that women have no access to family planning services is anti-family

3- Attempting to impose their religion on people who don't want it is un-American and anti-family

4- The vicious hatred, bigotry and intolerance toward homosexuals is anti-family. My brother is a homosexual and a very fine man. I love my brother. You attack him, and you are attacking my family.

These organizations are the premier hate mongers and bigots in America. Hatred, bigotry and intolerance are anti-family.