Foxx's comments are not only ignorant, but unconscionable. I grew up and lived forty minutes away from where Matthew Shepard was murdered. I knew people who knew him. There is no doubt in my mind, or the minds of thousands of others, that this was a hate crime. It- like the Republican party- was motivated by a virulent bigotry against gays.

The message that Republicans send about gays is not just about hatred for who we are, but a blatant belief that we are less than human, and therefore less worthy of legal protection or civil status. What else could motivate the Foxx's argument that Shepard's murder was nothing more than "robbery"?

This kind of hate mongering might have gained some traction when Anita Bryant was the hatemonger siren back in the late 70's, but this is the 21st Century. Nearly every American citizen knows someone who is gay, is related to someone who is gay - or is now more free to come out themselves. The unmitigated gay bashing that is the only solid plank in the GOP platform is becoming more repulsive by the day. In twenty years Americans will view Foxx and her ilk with the same disgust we now view segregationists.

The Republican party overplayed their collective hand so badly during the Bush administration, that the majority of the citizens of this country left them in the dust in November.

As it should be- they have no platform anymore. They have no solutions to our problems, only obstruction. What are they for now? They hate taxes, gays, and Obama- but this isn't something you can create a viable national party over.

All of the GOP's strongest positions were either destroyed under Bush (the myth of "small government" and "fiscal conservative"), or shown to be so utterly corrupt and repugnant (wars of choice, torture, corporatism, torture, suspension of habeas corpus, torture, Military Commissions Act) that no one will touch them with a ten foot pole.

The GOP is a stinking, rotting corpse. It will be many years, and a great deal of soul searching before they are able to be a viable party again- if ever.

I don't like the idea of an indefinite one party rule in this country. But the GOP will not be able to be a legitimate political counter as long as it is solely comprised of bigoted, teabagging, obstructionist whiners.

"Homer, that's your solution to everything- to move under the sea, well it's not gonna happen!"

:)

"...our nation's nauseating, wall-to-wall public piety is strictly pro forma. It's a kind of ideological window dressing for a social and economic system based on the ruthless exploitation of human beings and natural resources, which is about as far from the teachings of that radical Jewish carpenter from Nazareth as you can possibly get."

Fox's refusal to cover this event is nothing more than blatant politics. They couldn't suck George W. Bush's dick enough while he was in office, and now that there's a Democratic president they do everything in their power to run him down or ignore him completely.

Fuck Fox.

And for all of you out there who love having "options" and would rather watch mindless crap, than information that will directly affect your life- do you think it's better to have a poorly informed populace, or one which is aware of what's going on?

The assertion that Bush cannot be blamed because of faulty intelligence skirts the essential problem that exists with his decision to go to war with Iraq- that it was illegal in international law, and based upon choice. This was a pre-emptive war that we chose to fight- we were not attacked by Iraq and we were not about to be.

This is the point that most Conservatives unfortunately fail to grasp. When we act as an aggressor nation, we are undermining our entire history of diplomacy and military action.

Let's not forget- that the ENTIRE REASON we attacked Iraq during the first Gulf War was for doing exactly what we did in 2003- invading a country without provocation. Yet, when we decide to do the same thing Saddam did in 1990, it's okay? I don't buy it.

As for the economy- yes, it grew. But it was based upon derivatives and concepts, not material things like manufacturing. It was a Ponzi scheme cooked up by freewheeling venture capitalists who thought it would be fine and dandy to treat our economy like a Las Vegas casino.

But what most upsets THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS is that Bush has taken our most cherished tenents- The Constitution and Bill of Rights- and trashed them with reckless abandon. The horror, shame, and utter disgust the majority of Americans feel for the Bush administration stems from this recklessness and lack of accountability to what our nation is founded upon- the rule of law.

We Americans have historically held ourselves to a high standard of conduct in our dealings with the world, and under the Bush administration, we became a gang of mindless, sadistic thugs.

Republicans like to believe that history will vindicate George W. Bush for all of this and much, much more, but this is a fantasy. History will be no kinder in its opinion to Bush than most Americans are today. George W. Bush and his administration deserve derision and disgust for all time. Such things cannot be allowed to happen again in our nation.

Exactly true.

In the Republican mindset Democrats can do no right and Republicans can do no wrong.

Mind if I rob a bank in order to get some extra cash? Sure, it's illegal, but it would REALLY help out my finances.