Well, many parents would love to put

• My take on gay marriages.... - anon
  • In some respects, I agree with you. We all - sm
    • SM - Patty
    • Keep it in the closet where it belongs? (sm) - Just the big bad
      • As in don't ask don't tell - New Englander
      • No double standard here. I am not a - Aunt Louise
      • No double standard - Patty
        • Ever heard of the term "full of it" - yeah, sure
        • Patty, I like that...can I borrow your word, "asscream"? - Aunt Louise
          • Have at it - Patty
        • Wrong again pattycakes...(sm) - Just the big bad
          • Bridger, only a cult would knock on your door. - Aunt Louise
            • Why do you keep calling JTBB Bridger? - IMHO
            • only a cult, hardly - ExMQMT
          • You don't - Patty
            • and you don't - yeah, sure
            • So, if a gay couple gets married...(sm) - Just the big bad
              • It affects society as a whole, something probably - Aunt Louise
                • Wrath of God....(sm) - Just the big bad
                  • I'll reply to you for fear of what I'd say to the above poster - New Englander
                    • Reading your post - sbMT
                  • I'm just going to say this - sbMT
                    • Yep....that's just about as offensive...(sm) - Just the big bad
                      • I have nothing against the easter bunny - sbMT
                  • But Bridger, you are a fairy tale. - Aunt Louise
                    • I'm not sure why you seem to think..(sm) - Just the big bad
                      • Read older posts. If I'm confused, so are many others here who - Aunt Louise
                        • You are ridiculous and paranoid....(nm) - Just the big bad
                • It's not monkey see monkey do... - ABC
                  • We murder 4000 innocent babies by abortion each - Aunt Louise
                  • I promise you - Patty
              • How does - Patty
                • So now you're likening homosexuality..(sm) - Just the big bad
                  • I'm likening it to exactly what it is... - Patty
                    • Bridger has never met a sin she didn't like. - Aunt Louise
            • They don't have to hear it in school..... - ABC
              • Well, many parents would love to put - Aunt Louise
                • The thing is...... - ABC
                • I actually went to a private CHRISTIAN school..... - ABC
                  • Well, you are just a kettle of contractions, - Aunt Louise
                    • I actually never said... - ABC
              • You - Patty
    • I have a stepson who is gay.... - AMTT
      • You tell me how an 8-year-old knows - Aunt Louise
        • Well he was 8 years old....... - ABC
          • Excuse me again. A little boy wants a - Aunt Louise
            • His father lived with him... - ABC
              • Then - Patty
                • not having sex does not make you asexual, it makes you abstinent! - Amanda
                • WOW........ - ABC
          • The two of you - Patty
            • during your extensive Bible review..... - ABC
              • She probably thinks she WROTE the Bible. - Or that she is God.
              • Stating that sin - Patty
                • speaking of sins.. - sm
                  • I bet you had to do some scramling on Google - Aunt Louise
                    • why are you such an angry person (and mean)? - nm
      • Your post has me in tears! - need a hankie
    • You are absolutely right...... - ABC
      • Please stop... - Patty
        • Trying to get a handle (no pun intended) - Just wondering
        • I actually have 2 children.... - ABC
          • Adopted - Patty
            • No wait, don't tell me -- you think if a kid is adopted, - he/she is a 2nd-class citizen too?
            • That's hilarious! - ABC
              • You sound like a wonderful mother and... - Marmann
      • So you want to "protect" your children. How are you - Aunt Louise
        • Well first of all....... - ABC
          • What pipe are you smoking from? There is no - Aunt Louise
            • Do more research... - ABC
              • Yeah, direct me to some homosexual "scientific" - Aunt Louise
                • Google it...... - ABC
                  • A "theory" is not SCIENCE anymore than the - Aunt Louise
    • Sorry, I should have signed this not "sm" but - Aunt Louise
  • Ok... - Patty
    • you really didn't need to post describing yourself - New Englander
      • And - Patty
  • Blah, blah, blah, blah. - Blah
  • Are we really going to start this again? - Old part-timer

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the bit about the open microphone on McCain during the debate was brilliant!!! I laughed until I literally cried!!  By the way, Michelle Obama was warm, intelligent, sincere and very much First Lady material!!!

My dad worked for GM for 30+ years and retired in his 60s only because he wasn't capable of working anymore.  They paid off their house.  They had one credit card that they paid off every month if they used it.  Dad had cash in the bank, stashed in other places, etc.  Now my dad has been gone for almost 2 years now and my mom is living in her paid off house by herself.  All that hard work that my father did to make sure that she would be taken care of after he was gone and now GM is doing horrible.  Not sure what will happen to my mother's healthcare through GM or the pension my father worked so hard for.  It is truly a shame if his blood, sweat, and tears of 30+ years didn't amount to anything.

A lot of younger people nowadays don't know what it is to work for what you have.  Everyone wants things given to them now and that is a huge reason why I have a problem with welfare.  It doesn't help the people who really need a hand up.  All of these government assistant programs will do nothing but make people more lazy and dependent on others to give to them.  I'd rather work for what I have and tell the government to leave me the heck alone, but that is just me. 

The average American has 10K in credit card debt and  think that is just sad.  My DH and I have one credit card and we pay it off every month.  The only thing we owe on is our house and it sucks that I'm terrified about losing it because the economy is so bad when my DH and I have been nothing but responsible with our money.  We just keep plugging along and hoping that DH's job isn't one of the ones on the chopping block.  If we keeps his job, we will be okay.  However, if he doesn't, especially with a new baby on the way, we are in deep sh!t!

having a website that students could use for their class.  I have no problem with that.  A lot of teachers do that.  AGAIN, the problem is that it was a conservative website. 

Teaching our children partisan politics when they are supposed to be learning history is completely not acceptable.

I also happen to agree that "real" history for the most part is not taught in high school.  You only get the real stuff when you reach college, if you're lucky enough to get a good professor.  However, I doubt very seriously what you call "real history" and the facts would match up.

This must be why you so obviously love Muslims? 

You do realize that you contradict yourself on just about every other post you make?  ROFL..

(AP / CBS) Quote This antiquated law allows the state to unconstitutionally interfere with a parent's relationship with his or her children. Kary Moss, executive director, ACLU of Michigan

Their kids still deserve affordable healthcare.  You keep talking about people making $80,000 per year, and yes that is a lot of money, and more than double what I make, but those people can still get into trouble with medical bills of $100,000 to $200,000, and is it fair for that hard-working upper-middle-class family to have to sell their house simply to pay medical bills for a sick child?  Not in my personal opinion.

Some people don't prioritize their spending well - I agree with you there, but should their kids suffer health-wise because of their parents horrible spending habits? Is it fair that many parents have to take a 2nd job simply to pay for their health insurance premiums?  Is it fair that they cannot afford to take simple family vacations because ALL of their money goes to bills and health insurance?  Is it right that many parents don't spend quality time with their children at night and aren't there to help their kids with their homework because they have had to take a 2nd job to cover health care for the family?  For most families it is not a choice between cable TV and healthcare.  Cable TV costs about $60 to $100 per month.  Health insurance premiums can be upwards of $1000 per month plus additional costs.  $12,000 per year on cable TV?  I don't think so.

I personally don't go out and buy extravagant things, and that is fine with me.  I can barely afford to take the kids on a weekend trip to the museum in the next town, but I know if I keep working hard someday I might be able to take my kids on more trips and broaden their herizons a bit more.  In the meantime, we have a lot of love to go around, and I know that is what kids needs most, but I long for the freedom to show them a little more of the beautiful state we live in without having to worry about a $1000 per month health insurance premium.

as that idea is obviously either not being taught or just doesn't work.  If that were working, this wouldn't be an issue.

The interview with Ken Allard is also very interesting. This can all be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8838904/

By Richard Morin and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, November 4, 2005; A01

For the first time in his presidency a majority of Americans question the integrity of President Bush, and growing doubts about his leadership have left him with record negative ratings on the economy, Iraq and even the war on terrorism, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.

On almost every key measure of presidential character and performance, the survey found that Bush has never been less popular with the American people. Currently 39 percent approve of the job he is doing as president, while 60 percent disapprove of his performance in office -- the highest level of disapproval ever recorded for Bush in Post-ABC polls.

Virtually the only possible bright spot for Bush in the survey was generally favorable, if not quite enthusiastic, early reaction to his latest Supreme Court nominee, Samuel A. Alito Jr. Half of Americans say Alito should be confirmed by the Senate, and less than a third view him as too conservative, the poll found.

Overall, the survey underscores how several pillars of Bush's presidency have begun to crumble under the combined weight of events and White House mistakes. Bush's approval ratings have been in decline for months, but on issues of personal trust, honesty and values, Bush has suffered some of his most notable declines. Moreover, Bush has always retained majority support on his handling of the U.S. campaign against terrorism -- until now, when 51 percent have registered disapproval.

The CIA leak case has apparently contributed to a withering decline in how Americans view Bush personally. The survey found that 40 percent now view him as honest and trustworthy -- a 13 percentage point drop in the past 18 months. Nearly 6 in 10 -- 58 percent -- said they have doubts about Bush's honesty, the first time in his presidency that more than half the country has questioned his personal integrity.

The indictment Friday of I. Lewis Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, in the CIA leak case added to the burden of an administration already reeling from a failed Supreme Court nomination, public dissatisfaction with the economy and continued bloodshed in Iraq. According to the survey, 52 percent say the charges against Libby signal the presence of deeper ethical wrongdoing in the administration. Half believe White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, the president's top political hand, also did something wrong in the case -- about 6 in 10 say Rove should resign.

Beyond the leak case, Americans give the administration low scores on ethics, according to the survey, with 67 percent rating the administration negatively on handling ethical matters, while just 32 percent give the administration positive marks. Four in 10 -- 43 percent -- say the level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has fallen during Bush's presidency, while 17 percent say it has risen.

Faced with its cascade of recent setbacks, the White House is hoping the latest court nomination can rally disaffected conservatives and score the president a victory akin to the one he enjoyed in the nomination of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Alito begins the confirmation process with the support of 49 percent of the public, while 29 percent say he should not be confirmed, the poll found. One in 5 Americans -- 22 percent -- did not yet know enough about him to make a judgment.

The dissatisfaction with Bush flows in part out of broad concerns about the overall direction of the country. Nearly 7 in 10 -- 68 percent -- believe the country is seriously off course, while only 30 percent are optimistic, the lowest level in more than nine years. Only 3 in 10 express high levels of confidence in Bush, while half say they have little or no confidence in this administration.

Just 35 percent of those surveyed rated the economy as either excellent or good, with 65 percent describing it as not so good or poor. Although the government reported last week that gross domestic product rose 3.8 percent in the last quarter, despite the effects of Hurricane Katrina, 29 percent of those surveyed said they regard the economy as poor, the highest recorded during Bush's presidency.

Attitudes toward Bush are sharply polarized by party, as they have been throughout his presidency. Almost 8 in 10 -- 78 percent -- of Republicans support the president, while just 11 percent of Democrats rate him positively. Republicans long have been the key to Bush's overall strength, but Bush has suffered some defections since the beginning of the year, when 91 percent approved of the way he was handling his job.

Among independents, Bush's approval has plummeted since the beginning of the year. In the latest poll, 33 percent of independents approved of his performance, while 66 percent disapproved. In January, independents were evenly divided, with 49 percent approving and an equal percentage disapproving.

The intensity of Bush's support has changed since his reelection a year ago, with opponents deepening their hostility toward the administration. In the latest survey, 47 percent said they strongly disapprove of the way he was performing in office, compared with 35 percent who expressed strong disapproval in January. At the same time, the percentage who say they strongly approve of his performance has fallen from 33 percent last January to 20 percent today.

Iraq remains a significant drag on Bush's presidency, with dissatisfaction over the situation there continuing to grow and with suspicion rising over whether administration officials misled the country in the run-up to the invasion more than two years ago.

Nearly two-thirds disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation there, while barely a third approve, a new low. Six in 10 now believe the United States was wrong to invade Iraq, a seven-point increase in just over two months, with almost half the country saying they strongly believe it was wrong.

About 3 in 4 -- 73 percent -- say there have been an unacceptable level of casualties in Iraq. More than half -- 52 percent -- say the war with Iraq has not contributed to the long-term security of the United States.

The same percentage -- 52 percent -- says the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored, and only about 1 in 5 -- 18 percent -- say the United States should withdraw its forces immediately. In the week after U.S. deaths in Iraq passed the 2,000 mark, a majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- said the United States is not making significant progress toward stabilizing the country.

The war has taken a toll on the administration's credibility: A clear majority -- 55 percent -- now says the administration deliberately misled the country in making its case for war with Iraq -- a conflict that an even larger majority say is not worth the cost.

The president's handling of terrorism was widely regarded among strategists as the key to his winning a second term last year. But questions about Bush's effectiveness on other fronts have also depreciated this asset. His 48 percent approval now compares with 61 percent approval on this issue at the time of his second inauguration, down from a 2004 high of 66 percent.

Bush also set new lows in the latest Post-ABC News poll for his management of the economy, where disapproval topped 60 percent for the first time in his presidency. And 6 in 10 are critical of the way Bush is dealing with health care -- a double-digit increase since March. On gasoline prices, Bush's numbers have increased slightly over the past two months but still remain highly negative, with just 26 percent rating him positively.

The survey suggests a rapidly widening gulf between Bush and the American people. Two in 3 say Bush does not understand the problems of people like them, a 10 percentage point increase since January.

Nearly 6 in 10 -- 58 percent -- doubt Bush shares their values, while 40 percent say he does, another new low for this president. For the first time since he took office, fewer than half -- 47 percent -- said Bush is a strong leader, and Americans divided equally over whether Bush can be trusted in a crisis.

Told of the poll results, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said Bush will rally support through such issues as education reform, changes to the tax code, and a new energy strategy to show the public that he will continue to push for changes in our government to serve the American people.

A total of 1,202 randomly selected adults were interviewed Oct. 30-Nov. 2 for this survey. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus three percentage points

This has not been broken since 9/11/01, please keep it going...
This has been kept alive and moving since 9/11. In memory of all those who perished this morning; the passengers and the pilots on the United Air and AA flights, the workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all the innocent bystanders. Our prayers go out to the friends and families of the deceased.



IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say I love you,
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day BR>to say I love you,
And certainly there's another chance
to say our Anything I can do?

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say I'm sorry,
Please forgive me, Thank you, or It's okay.
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

But a speech like that would mean that Bush is being honest, and that can only happen in our dreams... sigh...

finding that people who are normally neutral (in public) have been talking out lately about  our situation here at home. Keith Olberman usually was quite funny most of the time, but not of late. He has issued some scathing comments directed at the ineptitude of the administration and their outright refusal to do anything about it, even acknowledge it. Joe Scarborough has been talking up the administration's mess as well. There comes a point when, no matter what side you are on, the truth is so enormously in your face that you must address it if you want to maintain any kind of credibility at all. It heartens me to see people who are not progressives, Democrats, liberals, whatever, stand up and say these people have crossed too many lines too many times. It is not okay. I really believe the protesters or dissenters or those asking questions being likened to Nazi appeasers was the last straw for a lot of people.  Oh, and by the way, it seems the U.S. has lost Anbar province to Al-Qaeda and have no hope of getting it back. This happened in August. Anbar province is 50,000 square miles. How's that going to play in Peoria.

Cheny on Meet the Press....talk about pretzel logic. He made no sense whatsoever.  He said we would have gone to Iraq even if we knew they had no WMD (which of course they did know) anyway. Then he said Iraq did have them. Then he said he wouldn't address this and wouldn't address that and he didn't remember, yadda yadda yadda. And W. That interview with Matt Lauer creeped me out. He kept getting closer and closer and in Matt's face and putting his hands on Matt. I thought he was going to start finger thumping Matt's chest. and start an actual fist fight; he was that stressed when he could not answer why if what we are doing in secret prisons is legal, then why can't we do it here?  Good question. I used to feel that it was us against them, the Bush people versus everyone else but I truly now feel that it is the Bush administration against the whole country. It is really really frightening.