The problem with elevating discourse is that there is no middle ground on the (far) rightwing side, no subtle shading of differences. They only have two conceptual boxes - GOOD and EVIL - to put thoughts in. (Boxes which are handily, and not coincidentally, colored white and black.) So of course "liberal" ends up in the EVIL box with "communist", "nazi", "atheist", and any other concept that doesn't go into the GOOD box. It doesn't matter that they have nothing to do with each other, they're all EVIL and therefore all interchangable.

Sadly, you will never elevate these people to a level of mature discourse that makes fine distinctions and weighs concepts along a scale. The only solution is to do what worked in the past - leave them out of the larger public discourse and let them go back to fulminating around the cracker barrel at the general store.

The national forum is place for dialogue amongst adults, people who realise the world is a complex and interactive place that can't be reduced to binary reasoning. Trying to compromise with the black-and-white crowd is like debating with a child who is just going to stick to their point and whine until they get their way. This is not how a civilisation operates, and one that tries to do so will soon fall thereafter.

Do not pet the troll. Do not pay toll to the troll. The troll lives under the bridge, in the muck and stink, avoiding the light of day and seeking to tax all who pass by. It is the nature of the troll to try to take what is not his and to never give in return. The troll is a self-deluded creature, for he were not, he would weep at his sorry state until he perished in dust.

Do not pay toll to the troll. Particularly one afflicted with Asperger's, or even Assburger's, Syndrome. He is a thing to be pitied and scorned, but never to be acknowledged.

Back on the topic of Nazis - since the GOP and their cronies are so keen to defang this term whilst they emulate the mannerism, I suggest a new term in it's place. From now on, when I wish to compare someone to a Nazi, I'll say "Gopi".

"Gutting the constitution, that's so Gopi!"

"Yeah, I know. Frigging Gopis are turning America into a Fourth Wreich*."

* use of W optional but recommended

It bothers us because to most politicians, what they do is just a job. They're not in it because they care about the law, or the nation, or the people, as much as we'd like them to be. They're in it because it means money and power. Just like doctors who don't give a toss about curing the sick, and lawyers to care not one whit about justice, these legislators are only in the game to make money for themselves and their friends, and where possible dump on the people they hate.

In order to keep making that easy money, they have to keep getting elected so that they can get entrenched and cut bigger sweetheart deals. And getting elected means keeping their name in the press and throwing meat to their base as often as possible. And when you can't throw pork, in the form of government welfare for local bridge-to-nowhere projects, you throw red meat in the form of partisan hyperbole.

So of course it drives us crazy when they act like clowns and throw wrenches in the machinery of good governance with their antics. But thanks to our non-representative duopoly political system, they're only doing their job.

That is the exact problem. Blackwater is the private army of the rightwing authoritarian power elite, and they will have no compunction over turning it against the America public if they feel it necessary.

When you have too many honest cops for a police state, when there are too many conscienscious generals for martial law, when you've managed to alienate even the CIA, your best bet is a privately-run force owned by your allies and directly beholden to you. Indeed, it's the preferred course to take when you're a privitisation-crazed capitalist in the first place.

Any bets that they'll be providing "security" at the poll booths come next election?

So now there's TWO Representatives doing their elected job of representing the will of the people?

Doesn't that violate some law of physics?

Over and over the Democrats are the abused wife in this relationship. And they never learn that no amount of fawning, pleading, cowering, or striving-to-please will stop hubby from beating them if he's in the mood.

I'm done being their enabler. Third-party time.

since the run-off for candidacy seems to be the only time any politician will come close to saying something of substance.

I'm with RMP on this one - Obama isn't terminal, but he's definitely got the symptoms. This may sound trivial, but the incident that cooled me towards him was his response to the young lady who did the "I Got a Crush...On Obama" song. Instead of embracing this spontaneous and creative outburst of public support, he instead spoke out about how "disappointed" he was that this woman should be singing about a crush on him when he was a happily married man. You could sense him flinching inside as he visualised the big Clinton Punishment Stick looming overhead. Pathetic cowardice in every way, and a classic hallmark of the new Democratic leadership that pre-emptively chastises itself in the hopes no one else will.

If he can genuinely get past this reflexive submissiveness that pervade the Democrats, then he's got a chance of being a good candidate. But for that to happen his deeds need to match his words, and his words need a lot more honest feeling and lot less callow compromise.