Brokenduck's Comments (58)

“I could not possibly agree more. Thank you.”

“Mr. Baldwin.... I only wish you could have run against Diane Feinstein.”

“I hate Illinois Nazis.”

“Hang in there....you can do it.”

“......earning their stripes by making the most uninformed, asinine, hate and stupidity-filled comments (see below).”

“Has anyone noticed that there has been a flood of Repub trolls on this site lately? Conservatives with a reasonable and at least relatively informed opinion are one thing, but most of these trolls are probably nothing better than College Republicans trying to earn their stripes.”

“Ayn Rand.....Andy Warhol......really, what's the difference?”

“Crackpot populist ideas:

1. Single-payer healthcare
2. Access to quality education
3. International diplomacy
4. Reasonable regulatory structures
5. A reasonable cut in military expenditures

These are just broad strokes, but my point is: the things that we liberals are asking for in this country is not much, certainly not "revolutionary" or god-forbid, "Trotskyist". Most of us are free marketers......we support capitalism and profits and apple pie just like most everyone else.”

“Huh?”

“Hey Junebug...... your comments add up to a pretty dizzy assessment of history during the last fifteen years. And you are obviously one of those who plod on, facts be damned. I'm just curious about something: where do you get your news? There's no right or wrong answer....I just want to know. Fox? Worldnet Daily? Michelle Malkin?”

“Actually, the GOP has practically owned the Governor's mansion, with the exception of Gray Davis; and I don't think he even knew what party he was in. The Republicans in the legislature have been hijacking the budget process for years now, with the Democrats always dazed and confused as a result. The Republicans' childish stomping about taxes has turned this state inside-out. My only wish has been that the Democrats tell the GOP to stick it and start actually leading.

Meg Whitman? Gawd! That we would have to look at that mug everyday.......”

“You guys are awesome. Thank you.”

“Gavin: you are a hero to me, and I base that statement on this issue alone. You have been a solid mayor under very difficult circumstances, but you have put your political life on the line over this most important issue. And this while your party has basically thrown our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters under the bus for a long time.

It's been a long time since I could say that I admire the courage of a politician. And frankly, I feel much the same about Obama. With all the wackadoodle doos out there in this country currently loading up on canned goods and shotgun shells, I would be very afraid if I were Obama. That guy is not putting his politically neck on the line, but his real neck.

All while trying to quite smoking.

Anyway, I really do honor you, Mr. Gavin. Keep up the good fight.”

“I look back at all the elections after GWB stole his way into our hearts and always wonder how things might have been if elections were fair and square. The so-called Republican Revolution was a sham, from GWB himself to politicians like Saxby Chambliss: folks who most likely never won an election. Unfortunately, the Democrats never did a damned thing to try to turn this around.

Obama and company could fail at most everything in the next four years, but if they could merely bring about meaningful election reform, I think I would be satisfied.”

“I agree with you; however, California is a very large and diverse state. And the cutural differences between places like San Francisco and more conservative burgs like Fresno could not be more stark. That being said, I think boycotts should be left to the churches that funded all the lies peddled in this campaign. Also, pressure should be put on Obama and the Democratic congress to revisit the whole topic of Faith-based initiatves. Obama was giving a lot of lip service to religious groups still getting Federal funds for social services. That should change.....

Ironically, most of the allies in this fight live in places like California and Florida. The fight has it's setbacks, but we move on. But let's not alienate anyone in this struggle..­..includin­g minorities who voted for this proposition. The battle now is over ideas, and must be done smartly and deliberately.

P.S., Thank you Mr. Fierstein. When are you running for public office???”

“On a positive note, let us remember that Proposition 22 in the year of our Goddess 2000 passed by an overwhelming margin (61% to 38%). That coupled with the fact that Prop 8 was armed with a barrage of unmitigated BS which finally put it in the lead within the last few months before the election, and it passed by a slim margin.......

We are making progress!

It seems that part of the problem is that the Gay/Lesbian community needs a unified strategy and some very good message management. Mr. Fierstein's article was right on the money, and his ideas, if properly delivered with the right amount of frequency, could sway those who were bamboozled by the slander and lies of the Yes On 8 campaign. ofcourse, there will always be those who think that Gays and Lesbians are merely lifestylists. Such people cannot be swayed back into the light of Truth, but I still believe that there are many well-meaning people who just need to be educated.”

“Your Honor,

I have neither been a fan of local Democratic machine politics nor the fact that you're a Santa Clara guy. For various other reasons of more importance, I even volunteered for Matt Gonzales a few years back. However, your stance on gay marriage since you took office has shown me the kind of courage that I thought had been gone and lost forever in politicians. Since 1993, the Democratic Party have treated our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as expendable, not allowing them to serve their country honorably as who they are, as well as denying them their "inalienable" right to be "married".

Your position on this issue since February, 2004 has made me a true believer. San Francisco has been fine, and you have been a solid mayor during what would be for anyone a trying time. You are certainly not perfect, but for a fellow like yourself who has always had aspirations for higher office once the term limits kick in, you still stood up for what is right, when just about every Democrat across the country was telling you not stir the passions of the right by doing this. As a voter, you have my support; as a human being, you have my respect.

So....run for Governor, and remember:

"Damn the martinis, full speed ahead!"

(Just kidding...you probably shouldn't drink anymore.)”

“What planet do you live on? Seriously....when you have Wal-Mart as the largest private employer in the nation for several years now, you know something is wrong. And the only real job growth in the last six-seven years was in real estate/con­struction/­finance: all based on the bubble that has now blown up.

I am from Fresno originally and drive there often to see my folks. I see the vast communities of McMansions that have gone up everywhere. My old neighborhood is gone. That would be fine, but in a place like Fresno, you had people....­low-income people.... buying into this market with lies being whispered in their ears. They had been told for years that housing prices would never come down and that the American dream could be theirs, interest only. If you don't believe me, just turn on any AM radio station and hear all the ads for super-low financing that are still everywhere. Of course, there are a lot of debt repair ads too.

I never bought into that crapola because I live in a place where even doctors and lawyers cannot afford to buy in. And I also refused to believe all that Republican BS about the economy being stronger than ever.”

“I think Mr. Sirota is smart enough to have brought that up if given the time. The problem is that on media platforms like Fox News (as well as NPR, et al. nowadays), back-and-forth discussions are for sound bites only, time-wise. The difference with Fox is that someone like Mr. Sirota has to not only answer the questions, but respond to absolutely ridiculous things being said on the other side.

And no.....state and local taxes have an important place in a national discussion, as states have been hit hard by national tax and economic policies over the last eight years.”

“I'd say that he's not the greatest closer in the world because he doesn't completely know who he is. Let's put Bush, Cheney, the GOP, the economy, and change aside for a moment and try to figure out what Obama stands for and who he is trying to reach out to. Rearranging deck chairs on a ship that is rapidly sinking is not my idea of changing a destructive political, economic, and cultural paradigm that has spawned the likes of Sarah Palin and her male counterpart, George W. Bush.

I've heard Barack Obama speak many times and the last word that comes to mind for me is "change", and I mean that for both his foreign and domestic policy positions. Naturally, many is the ardent Obama supporter who would say that we cannot afford to have McCain in the White House, and I would agree in many ways, but think for a moment about what will happen during an Obama first term. The Republican Party will eat him for lunch and the Democrats will not be able to do a damned thing about it because their weakness stems in large part from their lack of identity. All the while, the GOP will slither back into insurgent mode and I guarantee: we will have a Republican in the White House in four years.

Democrats need to not only stand up to the GOP, but we outside the Beltway have to learn how to stand up to our own party as well.”

“Excuse me, can you tell me how many filibusters or threats to filibuster we've seen in the Senate these past two years?

I would agree that Pelosi and Reid are not up to the job, but mostly because they have not realized that the Republican Party, post-1994 has been nothing but obstructionist when out of power and totalitarian when in power.”

“Bought on credit, my friend.”

“"And whatever the employment rate is (I think it's most likely higher than advertised), underemployment and the quality of employment are also very important issues."

I meant "unemployment", not "employment".”

“Great point. Any discussion of this fraudulent "war on terrorism" should include the issue of Israel and Palestine. Specifically, We should put an end to our propping up the world's largest military welfare state (Israel) and the corrupt PA. It's a complex issue which should definitely involve the international community with the United States taking a strong role as mediator.

The fact of the matter is that some kind of truth commission should be convened to sort out the history of the conflict, as well as designating Jerusalem as an international city. Balance is key and making sure that the Palestinians have a legitimate chance at having a viable state will do more than anything else in defusing the popularity of international jihadist groups.”

“KTM.... I'm sure that you are a very intelligent person and most wise in the ways of the financial markets. I do think that Pdubya was trying to raise some good questions about how the real economy can possibly respond to a bailout that does little to address the fundamental problems with the economy.

People were undoubtedly taking out second mortgages, refis, and other kinds of loans for many reasons. The fact is that incomes in this country have been either flat or going down, depending on the numbers one wishes to use. And whatever the employment rate is (I think it's most likely higher than advertised), underemployment and the quality of employment are also very important issues.

You also deflected the issue of the dollar's value most likely taking a dive by claiming that this bailout plan is not meant to deal with external issus like that. Well, considering that we the taxpayers are fueling this massive package, shouldn't we be a little concerned about these kinds of issues? My greatest concern is that there will be no reform of this extremely sick system and that we are just trying to paper over one crisis before heading on to the next bubble, just like we did post-Enron.”