" Happy Easter to you all! "

" I am kind of Partial to Jesus Christ Superstar!!!! "

" Bone, truce declared then; I respect your right to believe what you want to believe, and I am not threatened by it.

If I can "lump in" a response to daviddelker in the same post--David, the term "A-Theist" simply means "without belief"--it is a functional term to distinguish those who "believe", such as the bone. You can call me a heathen godless, whatever. It makes no difference to me, but here's why it's important for atheists to speak out.

George H Bush (the Dad) said that he didn't think that atheists should even be considered citizen of the United States--think about that for a while. Some of the more virulent Fundangelical loudmouths would have all atheists deported or killed. These are the same people who dream of a "Christian Nation", ruled by EXACTLY the same kind of harsh, ridiculously stringent laws as Sharia Law. There is NO DIFFERENCE in Muslim or Christian extremists. NONE. And in the last eight years, the push has been on by Christian Evangelical Fundamentalists--the "Fundangelicals"--to skew government policy to affect and control ALL AMERICANS--WHETHER WE BELIEVE IN THEIR BIBLE, THEIR QUESTIONABLE "MORALS" OR NOT!

Conversely, in a secular world which I would espouse, you could get an abortion OR NOT, if your religious or own moral views precluded that. You could be married if you were gay, or straight, and no one would be poorer for it. You can buy your beer on Sunday, or cut your lawn if your religion has no problem with it--or if you're plain NOT a believer.

Religionists have been trying to change the Constitution to deny basic rights to people whom they are bigoted against--mainly Gays. And they would do more--the most extreme would outlaw Contraception, and Abortion even in cases of danger to the mother's health. They would compel church attendance. They would garnish tithes to the Church.
Look at the damage and danger that the ideological policy "gift" that "Abstinence Only" did to American teen?! Look at how many people the ideological-based Mexico City Policy killed--instituted under Reagan first, then re-instituted by Bush. THIS POLICY KILLED PEOPLE IN POOR COUNTRIES!

If you only knew how much free society owes to the efforts of people like me, and organizations like Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and American Atheists, you'd be shocked.

And by the way, Obama's approach to Muslims is EXACTLY what I'd do. You saw how Bush's diametrically-opposite approach got us nothing but suicide bombers and war. Time for a change. "

" Too close to home: a week ago today, a gunman in Binghamton killed more than a dozen people. Two of them were known to my predecessor at Ithaca, who left the job because the commute from Binghamton was too far and she has a small child at home. She is also head of the local Chinese Culture Association and is now working with the families of the victims who were Chinese to make funeral arrangements because they don't speak English. She is really struggling with the whole situation.

Then today, about 1:30 or 2 PM, I see news that there has been a shooting at Henry Ford Community College, less than 4 miles from my mother's house, where I grew up. It is looking like a murder-suicide, a man killed a woman, then himself. This sort of thing probably happens a dozen times a day somewhere in the U.S., horrible as that is, but this one happened on a college campus, so it made the national news.

Really leaves me a bit shook up -- it's only been a week since I was worrying for my friend. Now I am worried that it could easily be the daughter of someone I know from home who was killed today -- many of my high school friends still live in the area and many of us have children just about that age. "

" BULLETIN. BULLETIN. President Obama just found the golden egg that he laid while he was participating in the Easter Egg Hunt on the White House lawn that he had to have natinal media cover since he is the President and wants to be on T.V. as often as possible. THIS IS NOT A PAID POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENT. "

" Hmmm. Athiests.......I think that one who doesn't believe in the existence of God, or a god is silly to waste their time or enegry naming themselves to counteract something that doesn't exist. Hmmmmm, maybe I'll ask my State Senator to sponsor legislation to ban the boogieman from the closets of all homes built after 1988 in Cayuga county. Maybe I will call the fire department to put out the imaginary fire in my home too. Also, not to pick on you Karl, but why is it you pick on Christians? Look at the group of people who's butts Obama is now kissing---the Muslims----heck, they kill innocent people daily in the name of their religion. Please do us all a favor, and pick on them for a while, because your spew against a few Christians is getting old. "

" Bone wins the Diplomat du Jour award! "

" Karl, That was pretty cool the way you explained it. No name calling or be littling. You do have the right to believe in what ever,and thats ok. I just don't like when someone mention my God in vain,that shows no respect to me. "

" Bone, the only thing that "happened" is that I started to study and read BOTH SIDES of the "Is There A God" argument--not restricting myself to only ONE side.

I read both religious arguments and atheist arguments--and after about 40-50 books over many years, I just couldn't deny the truth--that the atheist arguments against "God" just made more sense.

Basically, the religious side's strongest argument was, "It's in the Bible" and we all know how contradictory, mistranslated, and just plain wrong the Bible is on so may accounts.(Even if you won't admit it, I know you do)And when hard proof was necessary to prove or disprove a contention, the religious side always came back to the damningly-ineffective phrase "You must have 'Faith'"--sorry, but that just doesn't/didn't cut it to a logical, truth-seeking mind. "Just believe it"?? Uh...no, sorry!

It bears mentioning that in nearly EVERY argument I've ever had with a religious person about my now-atheistic outlook, they ALL have asked "What HAPPENED?!" as if some great, cataclysmic occurrence had so angered me that I had deliberately turned my back on "God"--as if I really KNEW that he existed, but was somehow just trying to "spite" him, or that I was feeling like some "jilted lover" or something--like, "Well you must NOT love me, because you didn't give me X"--like, I didn't believe in God anymore, because something tragic happened to me and "God" didn't "answer" some desperate prayer or something.

This is not the case. My search for 'God" came from a deep desire to DEFEND my Faith back in the early 90's from the Secularists who arose after the Reagan years. I NEVER expected my research to lead me to Atheism, but it was a road that I could no longer deny that I was walking when I "woke up" spiritually. "

" One of the biggest reasons the earliest European settlers came to America was to be free of religious persecution. In their case, it was persecution of one religion by another religion. When the folks who came here fought for our independence and set up a new country, they made a point of writing that religious freedom in as one of the inalienable rights of all humans.

For me, I am glad we have such freedom, because it means I am free to not have to pretend to have a faith I don't have. It means I am free of being harangued about religion in school and at work and in my community.

BUT -- it also means I have to allow others their right to HAVE a faith of their choosing, even if I think they are utterly wrong, misguided, deluded or whatever.

If I enter into conversation with a person of whatever faith about religion, I will not appreciate it if that person disparges me for not being a believer. I will not appreciate having other religions shoved down my throat, being threatened that I will "go to H&ll" if I don't believe the way they do, that I am a stupid or bad person for believing differently.

It's also unproductive -- no matter how much abuse someone heaps on me for not thinking the way they do, it isn't going to change the fact that I do not have faith.

Further, if the person is trying to proselytize me, I am not even going to listen if all they do is spew abuse.

Like most things in life, that works both ways.

If I enter info conversation with someone who does profess a faith, and I want them to listen to my ideas about why I think they might be mistaken, I'm not going to get anywhere except to put their backs up if all I do is insult and antagonise them.

If you aren't interested in engaging these persons in respectful conversation on the subject, then you have to ask yourself -- why am I talking about it? Is it to convince other people that I am right and the believers are wrong?

If it is, the same rules apply -- you don't make a good case for your cause if you are insulting and abusive. You can state a case for not believing in any God or religion without being nasty about it, just as those who do believe can (if they choose) insist on their own faith without demanding it of others.

Of course, I personally believe that anyone who says "It doesn't matter if you believe in God because God believes in you" is engaging in a form of shoving his/her religion on others and not respecting their rights not to believe. If that's what you think, keep it to yourself.

Karl, I know you have some legitimate issues with the EFFECT of some religions, or at least some persons espousing some religions on innocent parties down through history and in our times as well. Would you be willing to separate the two enough to leave space for decent people to choose a different path for themselves than you choose for yourself? "

" Karl; Your right I can't see a life without God. I am open minded that God isn't a He or She there is no gender same as color. Where do you see a Catholic that thinks like that? Really it sounds like something happened in your life that made you mad and upset with Religion to make you think that way. Its not open minded,I dont believe in that crap. "

" sick of it--no, we do NOT "all have a god"--I SINCERELY mean that. I do NOT believe in a higher power, or ANY sort of overlooking deity or power as postulated by any one of the three Great Patriarchal Religions--Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. I truly, and sincerely believe that we are ALONE, spiritually--with the possible exception of the supernatural energy fields or traces we call "ghosts" or "poltergeists".

But a "benevolent god"? Not at all.

Bone--Is it REALLY I who is "close minded"?! REALLY?!

Let me ask you this--could YOU, EVER imagine a world without your Christian "God"?!

Well, guess what? I DID. That's "what happened". I was open-minded, and broad-thinking enough to dare to question everything I was brought up to believe in--and I dare say, fear.

How's THAT for "open minded"?!

You ever think you could get that far?

Old habit--"thank god"--die hard. It's just a cultural phrase. It means nothing to me. It's like saying "God bless you" after someone sneezes. Do you still believe that the soul leaves the body after a sneeze, leaving a vacuum which could be filled in that instant by an evil spirit? That's why the phrase originated--but do you still believe that NOW? Of course not--but you still say it?

As far as the definition of "Faith"--I know full well the ramifications of the phrase, and have explored in depth--here in letters, and on my porch steps with the Jehovah's Witnesses--the full measure of the ridiculousness of believing in things that cannot be proven and for which there is NO evidence. You can take the same "arguments" for God and apply them to fairies, unicorns, and the tooth fairy.

Consider the argument for Santa Claus. As children, we are told that if you're good, there's a reward. If you're bad, there's NO "reward". Hell, he even "eats the cookies"! We "see" the "reward" at Christmastime, therefore, we "believe"--because that's what we've been told. There are books about him, illustrations, stories, TV shows--and all our friends too believe in him too, and can tell their stories of how they were "rewarded" or "punished".

The difference is, as we grow older and more insightful and intelligent, we sense that something is just not right with the story, and pretty soon, the jig is up, and we "outgrow" the need for that kind of motivation to behave.

Why is it that some people ever outgrow the need for "God"? The whole premise is exactly the same?!

"What happened" with me is that I educated myself out of the need or belief for "God". But that is not possible until you can confront the inculcated fear of damnation that is incessantly steeped in Christians from early childhood. "

" Farmer's Gal I have alot of respect for you.I like the way you get your opinion over very nice and calm. I just don't like when name calling goes on it shows really how old they are. "

" BTW, Bone, I didn't mean any disrespect with my comments -- that's just my own personal reaction to that phrase, and strongly colored by a specific negative experience. I realize that most Christians are not celebrating the Easter as some kind of zombiefest. ;-) "

" I'm afraid the phrase "He is arisen" really riles me. Not just because I personally have a problem with the idea of worshipping the unnatural (rising from the dead is definitely unnatural), but mostly because I had a Russian teacher for one semester who really hadn't much interest in teaching us the language. He wanted to make us sing (most of us couldn't, and weren't interested) and learn the appropriate responses to religious church talk in the Eastern Orthodox church. He'd make us repeat -- Christ is arisen, Truly he is! (in Russian) over and over and over ad nauseum, when we really wanted to learn things like the correct way to conjugate our verbs and decline our nouns and adjectives. The worst part was his love of food, which he would eat while he was lecturing, so we could all watch the process of mastication in detail will he spit bits of it out across the table towards us.

Brrr! Bad memories!

(In the end, I was not the only student to go to the Dean and complain -- we were paying to learn Russian, not to be forced to memorize a catechism or take religious instruction, nor did we enjoy being spit upon all too regularly).

Symbolically, the idea of death and rebirth of the planet is something worth celebrating to me, but I am most definately not interested in coming back from the dead literally.

To each his own, but that phrase brings back really unpleasant memories. "

" Sick of it: God is no color and no gender.Karl no matter what I say,you will turn it arround to what you believe in which is nothing. See you know some stuff---FREE WILL.Then why do people say thank God after something happens. We can go on with this till We both are dead because you are closed minded--I might be also. The only one on here that has a level head is Farmer's Gal,she doesn't call anyone any names like a litte baby. Karl up the definition of Faith then maybe you will understand. I know you believed at one time,what happened? "

" get real does it really matter we all have a god no matter what we know or do. or what church we go to next thing we know will be fighting over what color he is give me a brake. "

" cheeko--rave on , that the world may know ye mad. "

" OK B0NER--HERE COMES THE CHALLENGE!

Explain to me, 'OH Enlightened One' with your "Master in Theology" exactly HOW you apologize for God's total clumsiness and completely inept bumbling of the last 10 years so that his "flock" is so fractured and steeped in disillusionment?--oh wait--I know already--that "free will" thing?!


That's like a politician saying "I just KNOW that people will support me cuz I'M SUCH A GREAT GUY!"

Or He's really just "testing" us, huh?

I find it almost funny that you trot out your alleged "Master in Theology" without offering one real theory or idea on why "God" is such a bumbler and an incompetent deity?

There is only one answer--GOD IS DEAD. "

" Karl wrote;
" Queenie, I would LOVE to hear your theory on why people are less religious?!
Can you rationally, intelligently rebut my contentions?!
Until then, if you are silent on the issue, I will assume that you know I'm right, but your pride won't let you admit it. "

Al I have to say is that,I love being a CATHOLIC and no matter what anybody says I love my GOD. Karl remember I have a Master in Theology. So Happy Easter to all---He is Risen.Karl I love you anyway! "

" I AM SORRY IF YOU ALL MISTOOK MY EARLIER STATEMENT THAT MIKE REAGAN WOULD BE THE CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT AGAINST OBAMA THE NEXT TIME AROUND. I WILL CLARIFY MY VIEW AS FOLLOWS, Mike Reagan will get the Republican Party (since they have no backbone) stirred in the right direction to defeat any democratic candidate in the next Presidental election. Read into it because I am saying that Obama might not be the candidate running the next time around. POOR PERFORAMANCE. "

" FG, if what you say is true then, could it be that the Human Race as a whole is getting smarter, then?---uh, with a few notable exceptions, of course? LOL!

I stand by my "theory". Yes, there have always been tragedies, natural disasters, etc, but the last 10 years or so have been UNDOUBTEDLY the "Golden Age" for the Religious Right, and THEY HAVE FAILED.

There are a LOT of disillusioned people out there, shaking their heads and wondering why "Jsy-zus" didn't seize the opportunity to return and issue forth the Rapture.

I mean, if you watch these nutballs on TV late at night like Jack Van Impe, and others, who practically GUSHED about the predicted upcoming Rapture, with all its attendant gnashing of teeth, tearing of clothes, hellfire, suffering and fire storms (all Christians, all together now; "YAY!!")
they were practically giddy over the thought and expectation.!

I think that, to a large degree, what you said to bone was true--that there's not as much social pressure anymore--but that's exactly because, because of the reasons that I have stated, the "Men of God" and the fools like the Poop and the the leaders of the Churches and ESPECIALLY the Fundangelical leaders have ALL LOST CREDIBILITY.

I mean, look at the ridiculous, outrageous utterance by the Poop about condoms not preventing AIDs?!?!

The whole Christian leadership cabal has completely lost any integrity or imagined "Moral Authority" that it imagined it once had. The whole movement seems to have returned to the level of corruption and decadent self-serving, desperate-to-retain-power behavior that preceded the Enlightenment.

I also think that best-selling Atheist authors like Sam Harris and Christopher Hutchens have eloquently written of the sheer hypocrisy and illogic of the entire premise, and indeed, of the danger of religious extremism in ANY form--whether that be Islamic, Hindu, or Christian, right here on our own backyards.

God bless them both. And me too. LOL! "

" No offense, Karl, but the things you list as reasons to not believe are not new. There have been hypocritical, corrupt and abusive clergy since the Middle Ages if not also before.

There have been natural disasters which have destroyed the lives of innocent people since the beginning of people.

There have been fanatics, most of them with a lot more widespread power than they have today, shoving their brand of religion down the throats of the masses for ages too.

While all those things are true, they don't explain the decrease in the number of those professing a faith. "

" Queenie, I would LOVE to hear your theory on why people are less religious?!

Can you rationally, intelligently rebut my contentions?!

Until then, if you are silent on the issue, I will assume that you know I'm right, but your pride won't let you admit it. "

" Bone -- thanks for the honest question. I'm afraid I don't have an answer per se. The world has always been full of all kinds of reasons to doubt and disbelieve, yet the majority of people still find some kind of faith as a way to try to understand their world.

I was raised in a family with no faith, and, in fact, nearly as intense scorn for organized religion as Karl exhibits. ;-) I have had to learn my measure of tolerance towards any religion, but what that means is that I have less clue than others as to why people who used to be believers are falling away from their former faiths at this particular juncture in history.

The only factor I can see is that there is less social pressure to force people to believe, or to say they believe and act as if they do. You will not be run out of town on a rail for not going to church or even for not believing in God, or even laughed at in school as I was on a few occasions. That means that people who formerly would have professed belief, to a greater or lesser degree, due to social pressure no longer feel that pressure, and more people who DO profess belief are more likely to do so earnestly. "

" CVN wrote:

"When you don't believe in something, you'll believe anything."

TELL ME AGAIN ABOUT THAT "STRONG ECONOMY" CHRIS!

And about how we "won" the Iraq War.

And about how good Torture was as a policy tool.

Apparently YOU are the one who will "believe anything"!!!

By the way, Chris, on a serious note, using "bumper sticker" apothegms to try to post a serious commentary to a serious discussion like why there is nothing left to respect in Christianity is not exactly a way to attempt to regain your credibility.

Give me something about Christianity that there is still left to respect and I'll consider your point. And nothing like "feeding the poor" or running homeless shelters, because other religions do that too, as well as secular institutions. "

" Karl, with regard to your lack of respect towards Christianity...
When you don't believe in something, you'll believe anything.
And in your case that seems to be true. "

" once again the citizen posts karls ranting hate speech propaganda and fails to post anyone who uses a word worse than crap "

" OH BRRRROTHER, QUEENIE!

You're NOT On the "Glenn Beck" "THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR GUNS!!!" kick, are you?!!?

You're really not riding that psycho-train, are you?!?!

This guy--Beck--ought to be put in jail!

Besides--this is from an NRA website--bunch of extremists, no credibility in my books. "

" Why are people losing their Faith?

I'm surprised anyone would ask such a question.

Let's start with the Pedophile priest scandals, which proves that not only were some of the most trusted members of society "under the employ of the devil" (to use the religious vernacular) but that furthermore, there was obviously no one looking out for or "protecting" these innocent children--bishops, the Pope, or even God.

The bishops obfuscated, excused, and shuffled around the pedophiles, the Pope approved it and facilitated it, and "God" obviously was asleep, as he always is in such matters. "God" didn't even have the presence-of-omniscient-mind to keep his own in line?!

What the hell good is He, people figure?

Then there would be the hypocrisies of people like the Rev Tim Haggard, and all the numerous other "men of God"--yeah, you know the ones--the super-pious, Jimmy Swaggart types who could faithfully be counted on for their votes against Gay Marriage, Civil Rights for Gay People, Abortion, or whatever hot button "moral issue" was being pushed, but they were at home, or in bathroom stalls cheating on, or beating their wives or doing meth in some hotel room with a male prostitute. Great role models, they.

Or maybe it was Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami, or the Terry Schiavo debacle, which showed that, for all the talk, "God" really has no clue of what's going on down here, and furthermore, if he does, he really doesn't give a damn.

Or maybe it's because when the Fundangelicals finally (FINALLY!!) got "one of our own" in the White House with George W. Bush, the promised "Christian Nation" fantasy just never materialized now, did it? Furthermore, it seemed that for every step forward the Fundy's took, they took two back. Rulings against Creationism, Abortion bans, Gay Marriage Amendments, Ten Commandment displays, --Hmmmm--and "God" was "on their side'?!

Again, if "God" were my "Leader" in this grand "movement", I'd fire the guy, or put him in a paper-pushing position up in the office!

There was no decisive "victory" in our "crusade against Islam", no Abortion "victory", no "Second Coming", no "Rapture" (told ya so! ;)) and NOTHING AT ALL which showed that, in this MOST OPPORTUNE MOMENT OF HISTORY that "God" was even cognizant of the opportunity to "re-Christianize" America and indeed, the World.

GOD IS DEAD. If not literally, then politically--thank God! Requiescat in Pace!! LOL!

Or maybe it's just because, when it really came right down to it, maybe people saw how Religion just made this country a more NASTY, divided place to be?! The more "Religion" they tried to shove down our throats--by decree, statute, or Law--the more it divided us and caused deep divisions in society-WHICH RELIGION ALWAYS DOES.

B0ner, those "christian" people are just lost sheep, searching and questioning. Many of them have so far made the big jump to Logic and Reason, and become Humanists, who know that, indeed, it is HUMAN BEINGS ALONE who are responsible for Humankind's fate and destiny and survival, and who know that they who rely on Divine Providence are as doomed to failure as the Jews ave been for their entire theological history.

Lastly, it's been because of my sage, insightful letters to the Citizen. ;) LOL!! "

" Why is it that rural upstate republicans constantly whine that they are footing the bill for the less fortunate while wealthy democrats in New York City cover the comparatively pathetic contributions of "wealthy" republicans upstate? Do I sense a lack of compassion for fellow man? Turn the other cheek whiner. "

" call your lawmakers and urge them to oppose these anti gun measures http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?id=4729 "

" Farmer's Gal, Why do you think that is happening,that fewer people have a faith. "

" UPDATE: The "Two Cents" gang are now under surveillance by Homeland Security. There have been substantiated rumors that talk of forming a militia are underway. On a lighter note, I feel that the Gregorian Calendar should be banished from our society. "

" There was another article a few weeks back which indicated quite clearly that people who do not believe in any god or higher being and who do not participate in any religion has increased from around 8.5% to 14.6%, I think it was. I gave a whole run down of the numbers here at the time. Regardless the specific wording of the article Karl mentions, the fact is that fewer people have a faith. "

" Karl the 2nd...you forgot..."No more wars to pad the rich GOP businesses' pockets, and kill poor Americans "

" Hey karl, I read the whole article.What it say's is They dont BELONG to a certain religious group. But they still say that they are still CHRISTIAN and believe in GOD. So dont get to happy.
The other day you said you were in HEAVEN so you really do believe,I am happy for you. "

" EXCITING NEWS, PEOPLE!!!!

Read this article in Newsweek this week--a story about the decline of people who identify themselves as "religious" in America today!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583?from=rss

"...the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 to 15 percent."

And--"...the Northeast emerged in 2008 as the new stronghold of the religiously unidentified."

YAY!!!

"To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population."

Where's the champagne? Time to tie on on! lol! "

" OK, so does that earn me an invitation to the wedding, or do I have to watch the papers next fall and be a wedding crasher? ;-) Just teasing.... "

" Farmer's Gal wrote on Apr 7, 2009 6:58 PM:
" Better: I'll get a gun permit and sign up for the local militia -- you know, the one that protects the PEOPLE from their corrupt government. "

Now your talking! "

" and there of who will win this argument who's right and who's wrung who ever gets the last say be for they end this wins lmao omg the fighting is almost over there coming home soon look what there coming back to more fighting! as long as we keep this up no one wins. "

" Better: I'll get a gun permit and sign up for the local militia -- you know, the one that protects the PEOPLE from their corrupt government. "

" That Mike Reagan is such a nutter and headcase it's not even funny. The thought of him as President makes me want to bail off the whole planet. "

" cheeko--oh my god, you are just a COMEDIAN!!!

Mike Reagan has no brain. I am convinced of it, He is just an automaton, programmed by some nefarious Republican puppet master to mindlessly spew divisive, silly Conservative talking points.

Oh yeah,--and Ronald "I'm a Contra too!" Reagan was his creator. "

" Mike Reagan will step up to the plate and lead the Republican's against Obama and DEFEAT HIM IN THE NEXT ELECTION. The reason is simple---Obama is fading fast. "

" He's back!!! "

" No, david, your ideas have some merit, but I'm sure you're not privy to ALL the facts and details.

What gets me is that you're so willing to blame Obama fro the hardship right now--how come you're not calling for the head of George Bush and Cheney and his wasteful war-for-profit?

How come you're not calling for the heads of the Haliiburton profiteers who blew BILLIONS of our tax dollars?

How about getting THOSE pr!cks to pay back a few billion to home owners who hold bad mortgages?!

And how about the Taj-Mahal-style embassy we've built in Iraq, with the Olympic-sizer swimming pools and indoor air-conditioned golf courses?!

You think THAT came cheap?! "

" These partisan idiots are hilarious. Yeah like george and the repubs never spent money either, hahaha. Both parties waste money equally well, like everyone else in America. "

" How about a flat tax? No deductions--No IRS!!!!!! no breaks for the wealthy---

Karl, are you saying I am wrong about my ideas? PS--don't worry, in 7 years or so, the current president at that time will be blamed, I am sure. Whether it is his fault or not. "

" I hope that the thousands of patrons flocking to a new theater in Auburn are not discouraged by the damage that their vehicles undercarriage will sustain. Everybody...WAKE UP and *iss, Rome is on fire!!! "

" usdwht wrote: "It'll take a lot less than that to destroy this country."--ha ha!

Yeah, sure--don't worry--if Bush and his "Dick" didn't destroy it in eight years, there's no way that Obama could possibly wreck it.

Newt GrinRich and Glenn Beck though? Maybe... "

" Almost all economists agree on just one point. We will be worse off if we do nothing about the economy. What is the republican's program. Do nothing! All through the campaign the republicans fought over giving the rich a tax break of 3%. The new plan is to give the rich a cut of 13%. That would make their tax burden actually lower than the middle class. Why not just charge the rich no taxes? That should stimulate the economy. The rich could then get richer off the backs of the rest of the country who would all be poor. I think this system was used in Europe many years ago. It was called the feudal system. The rich would be the ruling class and the rest of us would be the serfs. Good plan Rush, Sean, Karl, Dick and Newt. Good plan. "

" "karl the 2nd wrote on Apr 6, 2009 4:58 PM:
" David, you can start blaming Obama--WITH MY FULL ENDORSEMENT--say....oh,,,,7 years and some odd months from now?!


It'll take a lot less than that to destroy this country. "

" Our government hasen't been in the control of either major party for quite a few years, but rather by professional politicians, who wave the banner of either major party to get themselves in, and then turn their full attention to the lobbyists in Washington and the other special interest groups. The American people continue to be duped by this. At least Obama is talking a good game, and I hope he does make a difference & turn things around. The elections have been nothing but a big contest to see who gets their turn at getting their fingers into the pie. The previous 8 years were nothing short of the American people burning while Washington fiddled. "

" David, you can start blaming Obama--WITH MY FULL ENDORSEMENT--say....oh,,,,7 years and some odd months from now?!

Until then, put your panties back on, Junior. "

" Karl, you are truly a drama queen. If Oblama is doing such a great job, then you won't have to worry in 44 months, now will you? I can only say that we are in deep trouble---it is dangerous when one party controls everything. Just look at our disaster we call a state budget. It is one of the most foolish spending sprees I have ever seen. I am not excusing the Republicans by any stretch either for their past fiscal mistakes. It is not about the income (our tax dollars and fees) coming in, it is all about restraint when it comes to spending. Not one party runs the government like they would run a business. Suffice it to say that if I ran my business at a deficit year after year, I would no longer be. We need to protest the spending measures taking place. We didn't need to stimulate the economy with billions of dollars given to the business' that messed up the system in the first place. The Feds should have repealed the federal tax, placing the $$$ back into the hands of the ones who could truly spark the economy----US. No oversite committee, no huge bonuses, no pork, etc. The government should have bought up Sallie Mae, and Freddie Mac mortgages, applied a stipend equal to 33.3% of the outstanding balance, and refinanced at the prime rate to make the payments managable so that the turnover of foreclosed properties would decrease. My ideas may not be the best, but they are certainly better than what is going on right now---how many of us are better off now then we were a few months ago? Unemployment is climbing, and the banks are STILL not lending $$$. I thought Obama's measures were to spur the economy on RIGHT NOW. I think that his administration made a huge mistake. Oh, yea, I guess I will ask again----when is Obama going to be held to a standard? When can we start blaming him for the state of the economy? "

" Yes, only 44 months of Civil Liberties, Equality for Women, Responsible Tax Policies, and sensible foreign policy before Newt, the Republiscums and the dittoheads have the opportunity to COMPLETELY %@#&! it all up again! "