Huh???? Most independents favor Democrats?

According to the Washington Post, independent voters favor Democrats over Republicans by 2 to 1.

Hmmm. I always thought Independents were against the two party system and, therefore, against both Republicans and Democrats.

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Billions spent on Midterm elections - Worth it?

I think most politicians suck. I say career politicians are largely worthless.

After having witnessed both Democrats and Republicans run the country, I can honestly say that neither party really changed my life. For decades, regardless of which party ruled, the divide between the rich and poor has increased and the Middle Class has all but disappeared.

When midterm elections require $2.6 billion, it becomes obvious that American politics can only be controlled by one thing, money. When money rules politics it also rules politicians.

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The connection between Iraq and women's rights?

Still don't believe the War Against Iraq and Terrorism are about freedom?

Well, just ask the women in Iraq and Afghanistan that are risking their lives to fight for women's rights what they think about freedom. Ask them why they are dying and why they are willing to die just for speaking about women's rights.

"What UNIFEM is seeing on the ground — in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia — is that public space for women in these situations is shrinking," Heyzer said Thursday. "Women are becoming assassination targets when they dare defend women's rights in public decision-making." (more)

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Foreign oil dependence, flex-fuel lies, and hybrid vehicle tax credits: Is Congress failing America?

"A public advocacy group on Thursday said Ford Motor Co. has avoided as much as $135 million in fines by marketing vehicles that are supposed to run on the gas-ethanol mix E85 that don't work and accused the company of running misleading ads." (more)

Moreover, aside from the obvious, the fact is that for years the majority of flex-fuel vehicles sold by both Ford and GM have not ever filled up with E-85. Yet, each company has avoided millions and and millions in fines by selling these vehicles.

"Public Citizen and other environmental advocacy groups have long complained that automakers get credits to meet federal fuel economy regulations by building flexible-fuel vehicles that are hardly ever filled with E85, since it's available at just 900 of the country's 170,000 pumps."

So, Congress gives small business owners huge tax incentives to buy the worst gas-guzzlers, provides huge tax incentives to oil companies, enables the big three to avoid 100's of millions of dollars in fines for violating fuel economy regulations - increasing our foreign oil dependency, and limits tax credits for Toyota hybrid vehicles because they are too successful.

That sure sounds like the right path towards achieving energy independence.

Even the President says hybrids are possibly the most important way to change consumer behavior. Yet, Congress hasn't passed proposed legislation to provide small business tax incentives for buying hybrid cars or other fuel efficient vehicles, nor has Congress passed proposed legislation to extend hybrid vehicle tax credits.

Good work, ladies and gentlemen!

We live in a country that blames the President for quite a lot these days. Fair enough. Let's extend at least as much blame to the current - do nothing, partisanship is more important - Congress.

Flex fuel lies, foreign oil dependency and hybrid vehicle tax credits - Congress is failing America.

Forget the Left and Right, Vote Red, White and Green

Do you want to change America's energy paradigm? Do you believe in energy conservation? Do you want to end foreign oil dependency? Do you want to raise fuel economy standards? Do you want fight global warming? Do you want to buy a hybrid car or other fuel efficient vehicle?

You are not alone. It is estimated that 45.3 million Americans would answer yes to most of the questions above and they are not all tree-hugging hippies. In fact the majority of the Red, White and Greens are non-partisan moderates, but there are also significant numbers of liberals and conservatives - these issues are more important than party politics.

Civil Society Institute President and Founder Pam Solo said: "Red, white and green is the new patriotism for this complex era in which energy, the environment and national security are all bound up together. What we see here are a new set of values that equate love of country with energy independence and protecting the environment from global warming. These survey findings show that there is a huge group of Americans who are very clear about their strong embrace of environmental values and the elected officials who reflect those values. The existence of red, white and green voters could have huge implications for the 2006 and 2008 elections." (more)

Let's get some more red, white and green representatives in political office!

Politics: Does the whole system suck?

"This is not about one party or another. This is about how the whole system sucks," Robin Williams told reporters when talking about his new movie, Man of the Year.
According to reporters, Williams, "criticized the influence of special interest groups, the millions of dollars needed to campaign for office and the negative advertisements candidates use to hurt their rivals." (more)

Just check out the latest news. John Hopkins University researchers put out a study about Iraq deaths, intentionally meant to influence voting. One analyst stated, "This is not analysis, this is politics."

I always thought objectivity was required for scholarly work?

On the other side, David Zucker, a long time Democrat-turned-Republican has created a campaign ad that is even too negative for Republican strategists, the negative campaign experts.

What's going on?

Isn't consensus the point of multiple parties, multiple voices? Isn't the essence of America that consensus enables the best solutions that best match everyone's opinions, rather than just one opinion?

Yet, politicians are focused on party domination, not the type of consensus required to achieve much needed legislation. Too many politicians intentionally avoid consensus so they can blame the other side for legislative inaction, and on-and-on we go. Today it's Democrats, tomorrow it's Republicans, etc.

I agree, Mr. Williams, politics in America do suck.

Are too many liberals fascists?

I live in Los Angeles, a pretty liberal community. Many of my wife's friends are very liberal Latinas, and some of them are incredibly racist and fascist.

"It's all those middle class white people killing all the mom-and-pop stores because they want their Starbucks coffee," my wife's friend went off on one of her gentrification tirades.

"I can't even find a cheap apartment in Echo Park because of all those fucking white people," she continued.

"Wow," I interrupted. I was listening in the other room and she didn't know I was there. "That's kind of funny because I know several Latino real estate brokers that buy homes from other Latinos in financial trouble for less than the value of the home. Then they do a Mickey Mouse remodeling job, inflate the price and sell it to another Latino using an ARM loan. Of course, they don't explain to these people that they won't be able to afford the house in a couple of years, but hey, as longs as its Latinos screwing other Latinos, right?

"I suppose that's all the fault of white people too?"

That was my last word. I wasn't allowed another because any other viewpoint is apparently wrong, and there has been a lot of that lately. How many times have I seen liberals storm some college campus to prevent a different point of view from speaking?

Now that's standing for freedom of speech!! I thought such fascism was the domain of ignorant Republicans. Where's the ACLU? Protect Nazis marching down Jewish neighborhoods, but don't protect the rights of those whose politics are different?

I say too many liberals aren't liberals, they're simply ignorant fascists masquerading as liberals. Anybody whom doesn't value difference is typically either a racist, classist, facist or some combination of the above.

Why are sound-minded liberals letting facists take over the liberal platform?