Oh man... (0.00 / 0)

The Republican Party is basically an amoral criminal conspiracy.

What an epic quote.  

"Don't hate the media, become the media" -Jello Biafra

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by: LandStander @ Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 22:39:34 PM CDT

it really is a crime syndicate (4.00 / 1)

Look no further than the FBI investigation of ACORN.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 22:43:41 PM CDT

also, what a cheapskate (4.00 / 1)

What is this guy's net worth anyway? Given the typical socioeconomic profile of the GOP member of Congress, I am guessing that $20K a year does not mean anything to his standard of living.

But why not rip off the taxpayers of VA?

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 22:44:42 PM CDT

It is amazing... (4.00 / 2)

...how cheap a lot of Republican officials seem to be. Many are rich, and these same people fight tooth and nail to keep their lobbyist goodies, tax loopholes, etc. And they give themselves raises, which strikes me as bizzaro-world-style insanity every time it happens.
Reminds me of Joe the Plumber whining (lying) about how sad he will be when he loses 2% of his quarter-million dollar income. Poor guy, we had better give him a tax cut.  

"Don't hate the media, become the media" -Jello Biafra

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by: LandStander @ Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 23:02:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

oh kids (0.00 / 0)

come now, we know the old glad handing club doesn't stop at the GOP door. cough Rangel cough Jefferson cough.

Realizing and promoting that its the individual behavior, not the lapel pin that matters is the only way reformists will ever gain a majority - you need to peel off the faithful of both parties.

Michael Bloomberg, prince of corporate welfare

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by: Will @ Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 23:47:42 PM CDT

i have a reputation for senseless dem-on-dem hating, but even i must (4.00 / 4)

interject that it's a matter of scale. seriously. this isn't that scene in 'MP and the Holy Grail,' and we do care about "ooo killed ooo."

republicans = broke the entire economy, killed millions, stole trillions, messed things up for an entire future generation and possibly more.

democrats = riddled with corrupt playboys who occasionally go over the top in buying their mistresses lingerie with taxpayer funds.

it's just not even close. at least in terms of the money part. as a friend of mine likes to say, "all i'm asking for is a return to Honest Graft." politics will always have a problem with corruption, but i'm very tired of republican 'epic scale,' and i don't believe that such mismanagement of biblical proportion can go on forever. i also worry about the ultimate costs, which i believe i will see paid in my lifetime.  

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by: chicago dyke @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 03:19:08 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, no false balance, pls! (0.00 / 0)

Of course, Dem wrongdoers should be exposed, too, but this doesn't make it wrong to point out that in the overswhlming majority of cases, it's the republicans who turn out to be crooks. That's an inherent systemic trait of that party and it's totally appropriate to use this as an argument against the GOP.

No way, no how, no McCain!

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by: Gray @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 03:29:20 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"honest graft" (0.00 / 0)

reminds me of that old joke that Boston residents don't tolerate corruption--they demand it.

Thanks for your comment.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 06:40:41 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Uh (0.00 / 0)

"Martin Gillespie, a Smith spokesman, said the application doesn't violate any laws because Smith's daughter does, in fact, live in Virginia. The in-state exemption, he added, was co-filed not by Smith but by his wife of 31 years, Marie, who works in Virginia as a non-resident and pays taxes in both Virginia and New Jersey."

It's not that they're scamming the state of Virginia, it's that he is "out of touch" because he lives in DC.

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by: Baldrick @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 00:51:33 AM CDT

"non-resident"? (0.00 / 0)

Does this change the legal situation in any way? What's the exact wording of the law in this regard?

No way, no how, no McCain!

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by: Gray @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:53:15 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hope this thing has legs (0.00 / 0)

As someone who used to live in his district (now represented by Rush Holt in the 12th) I really want to see Smith ousted.  

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by: Jon Niola @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 08:43:51 AM CDT

Ousting Smith (0.00 / 0)

As someone who grew up in Smith's CD, I wouldn't be optimistic about unseating him. I've been loosely involved in a couple of the campaigns against him, and he always ends up winning by large margins even in typically Democratic years. Nothing sticks to this guy, not even his extreme anti-abortion views.  

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by: Bulworth @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 09:10:34 AM CDT

What is a Republican? (0.00 / 0)

And when will Republican voters begin to feel the shame? Or have they no shame?

Carville and Begala:

They will need to answer fundamental questions: What does it mean to be a Republican? Do Republicans support laissez-faire or nationalized banking? Do Republicans support a balanced budget or half-trillion-dollar deficits? Do Republicans want a "humble foreign policy" like George W. Bush, or preventive war against countries that pose no threat, like, umm, George W. Bush? Are Republicans the party of limited government or a vast Medicare prescription drug benefit? Are they wary of Big Brother or eager to expand warrantless wiretaps? Do they support Christian values or torture? Are they the party that believes that cutting-edge technology can shoot a missile out of the sky or the party that believes humans and dinosaurs walked the earth simultaneously?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

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by: MaryinBelltown @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 11:51:49 AM CDT

A standard scholarship (0.00 / 0)

Giving out of state students in-state status is fairly common practice.  I know my school does it, and when I was looking at out of state schools pretty much all of them offered it as well.  There could be more to the story (maybe the school doesn't usually do this, or maybe she wouldn't qualify for that type of scholarship without her dad's influence), but as the story is right now I don't see anything there.

I would love to see him lose his seat, but this kind of argument bothers me.

I feel kind of guilty that this is my first comment here (I've been a daily reader since you guys left mydd).

Jason Pellett

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by: jpellett @ Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:28:26 PM CDT