I find my leanings to be more centerist lately (but leaning a little more to the left than the right) and am disturbed by the amount of bitter and fascist sounding rhetoric coming from a small minority of Right Wingers.
You know the talk, basically everyone who disagrees with their stupid insular views is a traitor to virtue morality and human decency in addition to being a traitor to the United States. Â This is an example of the idocy Coulter spews
"Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots, and on the matter of America’s self-preservation, the difference is irrelevant. Fifty years of treason hasn’t slowed them down."
or this gem
"Why is the relative patriotism of the two parties the only issue that is out of bounds for discussion? Why can’t we ask: Who is more patriotic -- Democrats or Republicans? You could win that case in court. "
Hmm lets see
Prominant Democrats
Representative Richard Gephardt - Served his country in uniform, 1965-71
Representative David Bonior - Served his country in uniform, 1968-72
Senator Tom Daschle - Served his country in uniform, 1969-72
Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Medal of Honor, Vietnam
Daniel Inouye... Democrat... Medal of Honor, World War Two
John Kerry... Democrat...Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat
Charles Rangel...Democrat... Bronze Star, Korea
Max Cleland... Democrat... Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - U.S. Army, 1951-1953.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) - U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) - U.S. Army Ranger, 1971-1979.
Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - served as a U.S. Army officer in World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal.
http://www.afji.com/mags/1997/Jan/VietVets.html Ambassador "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Democratic congressman, Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit
http://www.af.mil/news/Apr1997/n19970414_970430.html Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: served in combat with the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade; was wounded and received a Purple Heart.
http://www.house.gov/mthompson/bio.html Bill McBride, Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor - volunteered and served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam; awarded Bronze Star with a combat "V."
Prominant Republicans
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve. "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
House Majority Whip Roy Blount - did not serve
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-KY - did not serve
Rick Santorum, R-PA, third ranking Republican in the Senate - did not serve.
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East and met with Saddam Hussein twice in 1983 and 1984.
GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war."
VP Cheney - several deferments, the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service")
Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - did not serve; sought deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State
Jeb Bush, Florida Governor - did not serve.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve
Former President Ronald Reagan - due to poor eyesight, served in a noncombat role making movies for the Army in southern California during WWII. He later seems to have confused his role as an actor playing a tail gunner with the real thing.
So I don't get it how can someone ignore the facts and spew garbage about how their counterparts in the opposite side who fought and bled for this country are traitor to the American People.
A few years ago these guys would have been labled crackpots and morons but now they're getting radio shows and book deals.
There is no liberal conspiricy in Government..., and I sure dont see one in the media (FOX news anyone)