Politics

I'm curious - what is the majority sentiment in Merrie Olde England regarding [url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-connery5apr05,0,5160222.story] this [/url] issue?

Quote from Jay J. Foraker

Pelosi is a wicked witch and she is only surpassed by Hillary!
Cheers - Jay

During my 70 years, there's been only one Democrat president who I thought was worth a damn and that was Harry Truman. And I can count on the fingers of two hands the Democrat members of Congress I thought were worth the powder it'd take to blow them to hell. Can't think of a single one in the current Congress except possibly Ike Skelton of Missouri. What a sorry bunch of losers.

Of course, the current crop of Republicrats aren't much better. Considering their record of spending money, growing government and selling themselves to various special interests from about '97 'til now, they definitely deserved to lose in '06.

Quote from arthurarnell

Hi Stumpy

I have just seen your thread on Scotland. Most people tend not to worry about it, after all we have a Scot for a Prime Minister, which people are starting to get concerned about but because of his ability not his origin.

Scotland traditionally was alway allied to France against England until the Union, but since the 1700's I think it is fair to say that we have needed each other. And even with the split I assume the status quo will remain.

Regards

Arthur

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Thanks for your thoughts on the subject, Arthur. I was beginning to think that it was such a sore topic that no Brits wanted to comment on it.

As a strong believer in human freedom, I personally would see no problem with independence for both Scotland or Ireland, so long as they remain firmly allied with England. I wasn't aware that the Scots had sided with France against England.

Quote from DukePilgrim

I think the best way forward would be a state like system like US with assemblies taking over bread & butter issues like health, roads, education and central government only having defence, foreign affairs and law formulating powers with the proviso that they have to get the approval of majority of states within UK.

That way you get accountable government at a local level and in theory we get one step away from Brown & his cronies.

It would be wonderful if it really worked liked that, Mike, which is the way our Constitution was written and is supposed to work but in actual fact, the feds over here have been for many years ignoring the restrictions placed on their activities and powers by that document and running roughshod over states' rights. In fact, that was a major cause of the U.S. Civil War, with Lincoln insisting the Southern states bow to the supremacy of the federal government and outlaw slavery. I would never defend slavery but if the Constitution had worked as it was written, the right to keep slaves would have been decided at state level instead of at federal level. Same thing with abortion and a host of other issues.

Quote from DukePilgrim

I see we are finally reopening coal mines. We are sitting on 300 years supply of coal and dont use it!!!!

Same thing over here. Americans are now paying historically high (but still lower than European) prices for petrol (gasoline) but instead of developing alternative sources of energy or using our huge coal supplies, this stinkin' government lets the environuts dictate energy policy. Like no coal, no nuclear, no drilling in Alaska or offshore. I think those idiots won't be happy until we're all living in caves again.

Quote from DukePilgrim

I see Clinton and Obama are tearing each other to pieces!!!

As a hardcore conservative, I think it's wonderful. I'm not filled with joy at the thought of a McCain presidency but the alternative is horrible to contemplate. Not sure we would survive an administration by the communists/

Peggy nails it precisely, IMO.

The following is the text of one of those emails people are always forwarding. Most I regard as little more than spam but this one I agree with completely. We should vote every single incumbent out of office just to send a powerful message that we aren’t gonna take it anymore.

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper who wrote:

"Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.

In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.

They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.

I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it.No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.

No normal human being would have the gall of a SPEAKER, who stood up and criticized G.W. BUSH for creating deficits.

The president can only propose a budget.

He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.

Who is the speaker of the House?

She is the leader of the majority party.

She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.

If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto.

REPLACE THE SCOUNDRELS!

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.

I can't think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation" or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Unfortunately nine of the 545 we can't vote out of office. The constitution gives them their job for life, but the president and senators who put them there can be."

Quote from DukePilgrim

Obama is flawed and non-winner the Hillary machine is an universal hate figure who would galvanise the republican vote.

Don't bet the farm on that scenario, Mike.

I'd bet money that the next president of the U.S. is an individual who will move the country sharply leftward. Not sure we will survive the experience.

Quote from kilo 6

Hello Stumpy could you explain why you sense a likely swing to left of centre on the horizon ? Hello DukePilgrim which Obama flaws have you identified?

IMO, Murray, both the Dems are socialists who will grow government, both in size and obtrusiveness; increase taxes and spending; unilaterally disarm; try to confiscate our weapons; throw open our borders to every Tom, Dick and Harry who can make it across; make nice with the jihadists and others who want to eradicate the Western world; appoint liberal bleeding hearts to the federal bench and in short, do all the things Fidel Castro, Joseph Stalin, and Mao have done to diminish human liberty.

McCain ain't much better - about all we can count on if he wins is a continuation of resistance to Islamic aggression and fewer taxpayer dollars poured down various special-interest ratholes.