<And no, I don't know you are right. The way you've got it figured, Bush doesn't have a chance.

Didn't say that. There's actually an excellent chance of the economy improving and the war effort going well.

You have this view of the Democrats vs. Republicans conflict that is absolutely amazing! They can perform exactly the same acts (only catering to a different bloc of voters) and you proclaim the Democrats as evil yet the Republicans, somehow noble, and underdogged. Democrats and Republicans are both just a set of people with different spending priorities. Or to use your term Democrats and Republicans prefer different ratholes. Democrats would prefer to make sure that seniors can afford the drugs they are prescribed. Republicans would prefer to buy a missile defense system that wouldn't work and would never be used.

You make a good point, and I am well aware that the Republican Party is not stain-free. Just less so than the Democrats, and it'll be a cold day in hell before the Libertarians get anywhere.

Keep in mind that sooner or later, with enough money and time, the missile defense system will be actually built, and it will work. End of the story. A new entitlement--which I do not believe is actually necessary except to consolidate the grip of the government on the most reliable voting group in America--will drain the treasury for a hundred years, and never get smaller. This is something that should be considered when comparing the two programs.

If it takes away from your precious power when Democrats go about trying to figure out how best to feed, clothe, and house everybody, keep from turning the planet into an industrial park, etc, then that is your definition of power. You have had many times when conservatives controlled the agendas to make things better. Instead of doing so, you say some variation of "capitalism will solve all these problems if you just give it a chance" (maybe, how many more centuries will this process require?), or "there will always be poor" (unproven), or "not my job" (it should be). Where are your solutions? How noble of you to opt out of any constructive acts and carp at anyone who has an idea!

Yeah, yeah. The Democrats have a patent on the Bleeding Heart. See? It says so right on the label. Only they do things out of compassion.

A constructive act is one that will create fewer people in need. This is what Republicans try to do, or at least should. The Democrats try to ensure that people in need will always be there, and dependent on them forever. Is this compassion?

The government has not destroyed poverty, or need, or ignorance, but has created a permanent class of people whose existence depends completely on that government. And all of them vote.

When was the last time the Democratic Party created a policy or a program that would REDUCE the dependence of a citizen on the government? Think a while. Education? Poverty programs? Aid to the elderly? Social Security? Have ANY of these actually alleviated the problems they were designed to after billions of dollars have been spent?

Why do you think they're so eager to take over the medical system?

Whatever. For my part, I would like to see the entire Federal structure, Democrat and Republican, peeled out of our economy and social system like a tumor.

How is it evil when Democrats create a Prescription Drug Bill or a welfare reform bill, yet noble, when Republicans do it?

I don't think there SHOULD be a universal prescription drug bill. Maybe something to assist poor elderly, but not universal. That was the mistake made with Medicare, and it's blown up beyond all reason. When I last checked...it could have changed...the "assistance to the poor" approach was the Republican proposal. As for welfare reform, I still get a kick out of the Democratic Party taking credit for it. For years, the concept of workfare was shot down in flames by the Democrats, until finally a Republican congress jammed it down Clinton's throat after two vetoes.

Besides, the original subject was that the national situation has evolved to the point so that only American misfortune can get the Democrats back in power, and I stand by that.