At least some of you can see through the bullshit. There are too many who cannot, however, and will continue to believe the outrageous lies put forth in support of the Republican Machine. I expected nothing else. I meant every word I said, and I’m not given to hyperventilation. Thanks for reinforcing the reality, folks. The rest of you can choke on the ugliness you support.

And what about the depressing assinity of comments like this?
“it is the Democrat Machine which has been monopolizing power for the last two years and has bankrupted our Federal government—and our country.”

Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld for the previous 8 years did nothing to bankrupt the country?  And the remaining renegade neo-liberal hang-over during the last 2 years, voting NO! on universal health care and YES! on the Pentagon and private contractors’ boondoggles?

Problem is, we have created and continue to create a hall of mirrors, everything distorted, outsized and
misrepresented, and so far have done nothing except shout at each other.

Where’s the beef, so to speak?
As to campaign reform, it strikes me as one of the most logical places to begin, especially since the Supremes have made a complete mockery of our current elections.  Whatever happens as a result of that, in a few days we’ll have extra impetus to start working on that issue which cries out for revision.

Redhorse:  Thanks for bringing me back to reality.  The real reality.  Sorry for getting off track.  Sometimes the pessimism on TD gets to me even though I know damn well its worse than useless.

anaman51:

Wow. You win the hyperventilation award!

“Can you not understand that a criminal monopoly in the form of the Republican Machine has taken over our ruptured and broken Federal government—-and our country?”

No I can’t. If I’m not mistaken, it is the Democrat Machine which has been monopolizing power for the last two years and has bankrupted our Federal government—and our country.

“... the coming Republican-driven inhumane process of eliminating the country’s poor ...”

As opposed to the current inhumane Democrat-driven process of making sure there will always be poor people…

Once again, with feeling…. You do NOT eliminate poverty by eliminating wealth, which is the sum and substance of progressive economic policy. You eliminate poverty by creating wealth, which is the suma and substance of capitalist economic policy.

I am astonished—-and disgusted—-to see that there is no outpouring of rage over this issue. Can it be true that those who visit this site and read these articles are as stupid as I believe most of the voters in this country to be? Can you not understand that a criminal monopoly in the form of the Republican Machine has taken over our ruptured and broken Federal government—-and our country?

I am saddened for us all. Many of the most helpless Americans among us are going to suffer real pain and torment because of what will take place soon at the polls, but not enough people seem to care enough to stop it.

If you don’t make some kind of effort to stop the coming Republican-driven inhumane process of eliminating the country’s poor and disabled by eliminating the funding that keeps them alive, then you are culpable of the results. The ultimate weight of widespread sickness and death of helpless human beings will be on your soul. The sickest part is that most of you don’t really care if these people live or die. Are you a killer by abstention or by design? I guess we’ll find out.

We have always had the best government money can buy, but up until this election, no one has really understood how much that ugly slush-fund money can do to turn the tide of voting. It’s taking place right in front of us, on our TV screens, at every commercial break.

For the first time, the Dems have reciprocated in kind in the battle of the outrageous attack ads. The Republicans have been prepared to deal with this eventual escalation for decades, and they immediately went into their planned defense: They not only massively increased the intensity of the slanderous lies in their ads, they did something they know the Dems can’t do—-they used their illegal bottomless slush fund, laundered through their phony front organizations such as the cleverly named U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to run those vicious lying ads at every commercial break during the entire prime-time viewing period, on every channel, every night, right up until the election.
Many viewers can’t help but mentally associate those insulting out-of-focus pictures of the Democratic candidates with whatever ridiculous untrue claims the ads yammer about time after time after time. It’s saturation propaganda bombing at its worst. The Dems don’t have the financial wherewithal to compete at this level, because they aren’t being supported under the table by the wealthiest one percent of our society, as are the Republicans. The Republicans are buying the seats of our legislature with their dirty money, and the abysmally stupid American voting public can’t seem to understand what’s going on.

Hey Joe, what about the $87.5 million from the SEIU? That’s the single largest total of all “outside” groups for either party, including the Chamber of Commerce. Sewer money indeed!

Almost every American knows something is desperately wrong with their America, their sick and injured America.

The Speculative Banking / Looting Cabal is Beyond Bankrupt.  The only thing that gives them legitimacy is us, and our belief in them as indispensable to our well-being.

Now, they are going for the vital organs of our economy.  Everyone feels it now.  There are no second mortgage offers left for us to anesthetize ourselves from this painful reality. 

Their cries for our blood grow more frantic and desperate.  Their zombie mantra is “cuts, cuts, cuts.”  Police, firemen, teachers, everything / everyone (except the speculative bankers / looters) must go!

Do you believe in the solvency of the banks?  Do you think you owe them your life’s blood?  If not:
SUPPORT THE RESTORATION of GLASS-STEAGALL

GERARD: All you said is true. Then at the end of your post, as if this nightmare isn’t happening, you give away your own power and say: “Of course I’m dreaming.” Why?

    Campaign Finance Reform is the only First Step available to Americans who wish the corruption to cease. For all practical purposes Corporate Baboonus Washingtonus, other than its dangerous paranoid machinations to suppress citizen dissent, isn’t even relative to American reality.

    We’re on our own. Until we accept that, we’re doomed. A new as yet undefined America is being born. That’s the future. The “hook” and “downfall” is serious belief in the propagandist deception that tells you otherwise. The only human moral decency left in America exists in her citizens. Corporate Washington has already crossed the borders of self-destruction.

    Campaign Finance Reform can be a reality but the “who am I to be the one—it’s all so hopeless” mentality and open refusal/fear of accepting the personal power/responsibility for change, (though they sure love to talk about it), by the American progressive is a serious and deadly disease.

    They’re always calling for leadership and an agenda despite the reality that the cavalry ain’t comin’ and the fascist wolf is in the actual act of kicking their doors in.

      There are Campaign Finance Reform organizations all over America but that boogiegirl Palin, airhead news pundits and the grafty real estate developers and financiers looting their lives might not like it if they joined.

      Cheney, Bush, Rove and Rummy destroyed whatever was left of the America we were born in. Theirs is a police state empire of spooks, weapons and Homeland Security. Ours is Nation of Liberty, Human Rights and Constitutional Freedom.  They’re already on their last legs. Find and join, or found an organization for Campaign Finanace Reform today.

Item Number One:  Campaign Finance Reform to legislate appropriate and equally shared amounts of public money spent on all candidates and issues. Make it illegal for private funding to buy candidates or issues.

Item Number Two:  Repeal recemt Supreme Court Ruling on corporations as “persons”.

Item Three: Put a legal limit on contributions (direct or indirect) from private interests such as media, foundations, think tanks etc.

Item Four:  Legislate demand from media for equal time for accurate information on all issues and candidates.  Reward proven refutations of lies, distortions and scare tactics.  In other words, limit “freedom of speech” in electioneering by drawing some kind of line between “freedom” and “license.” (Admittedly a tough and dangerous call, but maybe laws pertaining to “defamation of character”, “crying FIRE in a crowded theater” etc. could be applied in a limited way.)

Item Five: Increase public school civics education so every kid, when he/she graduates from elementary school, understands the fundamentals of free and open elections and the essentials of the structure of democratic government, its enemies, and the fundamentals of citizen responsibility and participation.

Of course I’m dreaming.  It could be done.  But will it ever?  Not until a majority of people demand it.
It’s more than obvious that something similar is desperately needed.