"A HOUSE DIVIDED" - Pukin's FReeperversary Rant

[Pukin Dog]

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." – Abraham Lincoln, 1858

It is getting somewhat strange around these parts when not only the President, but yesterday the First Lady was personally attacked by someone claiming to be a ‘Conservative’. Can there be any doubt that there are forces among us looking to drive a wedge between us?

A few weeks ago, this forum’s owner attempted to remind all of us of the big picture, that regardless of any personal animosity towards the President or Republican Party over their adherence to Conservative principles, that they are still a clear choice over the alternative Democrat Party rule. At that time, I assumed that FReeper-sanity had been restored, and that some of the negative rhetoric aimed at those in Washington D.C. would be dialed back.

Free Republic is a political forum with a proud history and vision, responsible for dragging Dan Rather from his post, and providing countless radio-talk shows with their daily talking points. FReepers are unique in their determination and energy towards protecting and defending the goals of our Founding Fathers.

We are also quite a powder keg of emotion and anticipation, expecting our Republican majorities to take advantage of this opportunity to make permanent gains in our Conservative agenda. Some might argue that this opportunity has been squandered, but those persons would be ignorant of history, lacking understanding that change cannot occur overnight in Washington, and that this is the way our Founders designed our Republic.

In frustration, impatience, and ignorance, we have allowed this forum to become a haven for those who do not share our Conservative goals. I do not blame our enemies anymore then I would blame a scorpion for stinging me. If anger and stupidity were one’s nature, I would expect the trolls that infect this forum to be angry and stupid consistently, which also makes them somewhat easy to detect.

The trolls are not the problem, though. The problem is that so many of us are allowing ourselves to be taken in by those who seek only to prevent us from going to the polls in November to keep their stinking hands off our government for another term. There can be no doubt, that no matter how disappointing our current government has been in promoting the Conservative agenda, that the alternative, enabled by our staying home will be MUCH worse.

The way to deal with Republicans who have actively worked against our goals is to defeat them in Primary elections. We do not even have to defeat them all, only enough of them to send the message that we will indeed target them if they work against our agenda. It should be the goal of EVERY conservative to see that Lincoln Chaffee is defeated in November. His seat is one we can afford to lose. Were I a Rhode Island resident, I would vote for the Democrat if only to send a message to Snowe, Hagel, Collins, Graham, and especially that bastard Specter that their primaries just got a lot tougher.

We only need to get one of them, and Chaffee is the one to get. It does not really matter if a Democrat takes his seat; he will be junior and mute as long as we maintain our overall majority in the Senate.

The one thing that bothers me here like nothing else, is the simple disrespect of the President. Am I am Bush-Bot? Damn straight I am. If you want to know why, click on my handle to read Southack’s excellent list of Bush’s accomplishments in office. But if Bush had done almost nothing in office, it would be no excuse for some of the slights and disrespect he has received from some of us on this forum.

Some of the things I have read here this past week match in tone what one can find on our favorite Democrat sewer site. Someone calling himself or herself a FReeper was promoting shooting aliens at the border until they stopped coming. Is that what we are about? Obviously not, and that so-called Conservative has been eliminated from this forum.

I think it is important to remember that you and I have just as much responsibility as George Bush does in changing our culture to better reflect Conservative values. Right now, this very moment, Conservatives have the government they deserve. We put them there. They are not our mommies and daddies sent out to bring home our Conservative bread. That responsibility lies with all of us. These Republicans represent us, they don’t serve us. Our job is to pick the best individual and send him/her to Washington in the hope that their CHARACTER will see them through.

This is why it is such a nutty thing to consider punishing the Republican party, when we should be letting them know that we’ve got their back, but if they cant do the job, we will replace them with ANOTHER Republican, instead of handing the reigns of government to the party of anger, hopelessness and despair. We sometimes like to think that those people we send to Washington are different from us, that they are capable of meeting our every need and desire.

I want every one of you to think about what you would consider to be your perfect mate. Maybe some of you think you have found that person. If you are married and totally in love with another person, that is great. Now I want to ask you to think about the last time that person you love, who is PERFECT for you, completely pissed you off. Remember, this is your perfect mate, your one true love. Do they do everything you want them to do? Obey your every desire? If you answer yes, I am going to put you on my troll list.

Those people in Washington do not even cut your lawn, yet you expect perfection. Get over it.

I am issuing a challenge to every person who considers him or her to be a Conservative; why don’t we all commit to a return to HONOR? Do we honor our Conservative agenda when we comport ourselves in disgraceful ways? Is it an honorable thing to suggest that our President is a moron, as I read here a few days ago? Is it honorable to attack Laura Bush or any other person representing true Conservative values?

Some of you might argue that George Bush is not representing Conservative values to your liking. I would remind you that the first thing Bush said upon taking office, is that he was going to be President of ALL the people, not just some. You know that if you followed Bush from the beginning that he campaigned of the very immigration platform he is defending right now. Did you vote for him? Yeah?

If you have ever had a steak at a Ruth’s Chris restaurant, you know that sometimes they bring that wonderful steak to your table with a sprig of parsley on it. I hate parsley. Hate it. If I were to treat my steak the way some of us want to treat our President, I would have to throw out the steak, due to that nasty parsley that comes with it. I can deal with the parsley to get the steak, and that is what I am asking FReepers to do.

Expecting perfection from any person, group or team is a recipe for disaster. George W. Bush is my president. You can disagree with him, you can blame him for your problems if that is your desire. If you disrespect his office, his service, his risking his life to be with our troops in Iraq, his steadfast desire to bring a new tone to Washington, or if you just like the way he keeps Democrats so pissed off they lose their minds on a regular basis, I ask you to treat him and his wife with respect and cut the personal attacks. If you call him ‘Shrub’ or ‘Jorge’ consider yourself my enemy.

Right now, our real enemy are the Main Stream Media, the Democrat Party, and all who follow and support them. If you want to jump-ugly on someone, why not start with those leaky bastards and give our side a break?

Do it for Pukin.

I knew that you could.

[DCPatriot]

Yes, I know. Was reminded of that already. ;^)

[Mo1]

No talk whatsover about the Canadian border?

I think Leahy had an amendment about including the north

But other then that .. it's been all about down in the southwest

[onyx]

Now, next question - should Bush be called to task for wanting a guest worker program before the borders are anywhere close to secure (I am not demanding an airtight border, but one where an illegal has a better than 50-50 chance of getting caught).

WHY waste time calling on POTUS? You know that snarky remarks of "Jorge and traitor" are not 'calling on him.'

Did you hear his speech? IMO, he's come around about as much as he's going to.

I have spent my time writing to all GOP senators and to House members who I deemed are the toughest ones to hold the line.

I take heart today, that Senator Sessions' amendment passed!

[AntiGuv]

They have the roll call up now. Here it is:

YEAs ---33
Allard (R-CO) Allen (R-VA) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Bunning (R-KY) Burns (R-MT) Burr (R-NC) Byrd (D-WV) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cornyn (R-TX)	Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ)	Lott (R-MS) McConnell (R-KY) Nelson (D-NE) Roberts (R-KS) Santorum (R-PA) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Talent (R-MO) Thomas (R-WY) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA)

NAYs ---66
Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brownback (R-KS) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Chafee (R-RI) Clinton (D-NY) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Craig (R-ID) Dayton (D-MN) DeWine (R-OH) Dodd (D-CT) Domenici (R-NM) Dorgan (D-ND)	Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL)	McCain (R-AZ) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Salazar (D-CO) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 1
Rockefeller (D-WV)

So, it would seem 33 Senators make up the core against GWB's guest worker amnesty. That includes a majority of Republicans, but Bush is overruling them with the almost unanimous support of Democrats.

[SeaBiscuit]

LOL, sans sleep..

[RinaseaofDs]

I don't understand your comment:

"Your comment wrt the Senate is nonsense. 38 or so Republicans voted AGAINST the bill conservatives claim to hate. That is almost 2/3s of the Republicans in the Senate. And the GOP should be "punished"? What am I missing that changes this way of thinking from Insanity to sanity?"

First, I'm not sure the GOP should be 'punished'. I just think they need to be more effectively led.

Second, doesn't your observation prove mine? Of 55 Republican Senators, only 38 voted against a bill 'hated' by conservatives. If it is the bill in question (which one specifically?) is that bad, where's the other 17?

[Lead Moderator]

"Bush started talking guest worker program without the border secured. Illegal immigration increased."

I have an assignment for you. Go dig up that speech or newspaper quote where Bush said: I want a guest worker program, just make sure the borders aren't secured. I'll wait.

[justshutupandtakeit]

I suppose more practice is in order.

[Beagle8U]

"I resist the idea it is the jobs that americans refuse but rather it is the wages offered for those jobs. Change the wages thru free market scales that are balanced on both sides ( employeee versus employer) and I offer that americans would indeed take those jobs."

That is a just and reasonable point, but you also need to look at "going rate" and "world market".

There is a point where business's will just close, and things will be imported.

Stoop labor veggie pick/planting is a good example of that. It pays about $10 an hour for anyone willing to do it, few legal Americans will sign up for that 60+ hours a week.

Double it to $20 an hour and some will, but the point is moot because the local farm closes and things just get imported.

Its not as easy as some think.

[yellowdoghunter]

I can't hardly believe Tancredo is being bashed on FR.....anyway, listen to Rush, he is spot on with his observations concerning this matter, even though he would probably be banned for saying those things here.

[Toby06]

Ask anyone who knows me here, and there are lots, i am one of the nicest people they have ever chatted with. That was not a play for the cameras.

[Kokojmudd]

We have opposing parties. The Republicans vs the RINOs. Hopefully, someday, we'll have enough Republicans to overpower both the RINOs and their Democrat accomplices.

Here, hear or hear, here or whatever the case may be!

[Mo1]

Oh Geez .. Uncle Teddy is screaming again

[DCPatriot]

A bill that allows up to 150 million immigrants isn't parsely.

No..that's more like broccoli.

[prairiebreeze]

Members have rap sheets?

AARRGGG!! We're being watched? What about my civil liberties?!

I'm gonna call the ACLU.

heh...!

[justshutupandtakeit]

Modesto likely does not hold a candle to Chicago for car theft.

[dirtboy]

I have an assignment for you. Go dig up that speech or newspaper quote where Bush said: I want a guest worker program, just make sure the borders aren't secured.

Gawd, that was your worst post yet, and you are clearly being obtuse now.

Bush started seriously talking about a guest worker program.

The borders were not secure when he did this.

And then illegal crossings increased.

And you know that's what I meant.

Onyx, here is one poster who is not for border security first, BTW. LM seems to be unwilling to learn from Reagan's amnesty that you cannot deal with those already here without closing the door first, or else more come in the door.

[r-q-tek86]

Ask anyone who knows me here, and there are lots, i am one of the nicest people they have ever chatted with

except to architects

[MayflowerMadam]

"I won't sit out the election, but I also will not just willy nilly vote for anyone with an R by their name. They'd better have a large "C" on their chest as well or I just flat won't vote for them. Just my opinion."

That's my opinion, as well. The original post mentions our "Founding Fathers". I believe they would not appreciate the direction Pres. Bush and cohorts are taking. So much sacrifice by patriots throughout history to form this country... it's a shame to consider that it might have been in vain.

[armymarinemom]

If you want to do something today call your Senator. United for Peace and Justice is having a call in today concerning NSA wiretapping. Tell your Senator to NOT LISTEN TO EXTREME LEFT WING ORGANIZATIONS!! If we let the extreme left wing take over a fence will not be needed to keep out illegals. We will all be poor, overtaxed, and have rotten health care.