Refuting this leftist chain e-mail is like shooting fish in a barrel. Posts like this fall into the too lazy to espouse one's own views and really 'too dumb and trite to want to respond to' category. But since other folks here take it seriously the job has to be done.

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today:

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Saddam was a useful tool to engage the Iranians who had captured and held over fifty hostages in Nov 1979. Since the Iraqis had not captured Americans - and Sunnis were considered less fanatic and educated than Shiites - Saddam was assisted. Of course if one's an idiot or a twenty-something year old kid one might not have known that - what's your excuse Bowser?

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because Fidel Castro is a hopeless anti-American thug who was loading missiles from Russia into Cuba to point at the US. This is also common knowledge. Trading with China is different because not only are they a much larger, and profitable market for the US to trade with, but their government has shown democratic steps, especially in regards to their economy and embracing capitalism, and it is hoped that with these signs that the land of Mao will eventually be turned free through our open-market policy - an approach thaty would not work with Castro who has refused repeatedly to embrace capitalism in any form. After Castro is dead a whole new picture will emerge. Not really an intellectual challenge to figure this one out either.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

The UN is an increasingly corrupt organization. The US has dealt with it and used it out of tradition and in homage to the ideals that it was conceived under. As its most powerful member it has an obligation to attempt to enforce the resolutions which were passed and give them some teeth, dragging and kicking all the dead-weight nations who simply used Saddam and Oil for Food to line their pockets and supply cheap oil to their nations. The statement is not contradictory at all when one pays any attention to the UN.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

A fetus is another body, not the womans body any more - its genetic material is buiding with an entirely different DNA code. Most scientists understand this - a lot of leftists do not.

Multinational corporations can market whatever they want but it is all regulated. The statement is an outright lie - leftist hyperbole at its finest.

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

More meaningless anti-Christian nonsense. And I am definitely not a Christian.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

Praising troops certainly is good for morale. Most folks like to know their efforts are appreciated, especially when a segment of the population treats soldiers like dirt and labels them pawns of neo-imperialists. The Bush administration is working to make amends for past cuts under Clinton and the Democratic congress at the same time take in account the fiscal reality of waging an immense operation like the one undertaken in Afghanistan and Iraq. Another nice leftist soundbyte, but with little real bite.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

Since when are adolescents supposed to be having sex at school? Another no-brainer clung to by folks with no brains.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

If belittling equates asking them to carry their own weight in the world community than that is a bizarre definition. If France and Germany had not been knee-deep in bed with Saddam and if the 9-11 Saudis hadn't came fresh from living in Germany, then perhaps we would not have asked them to start cleaning up their own mess. And yes, that is a good way to fight terrorism.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

Iraq is not the US. The US has a better level of healthcare by preventing government run health clinics. In Iraq's pitiful state under Saddam government healthcare is better for the masses than nothing. In America nothing is by far better for the masses than government healthcare.

HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

This is true. Primarily when you compare their interests to those of the government.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

More meaningless hyperbole. Global warming is junk science. Almost none of the models take in or measure the output of the sun. Republicans do not believe the tobacco/cancer link is junk science. But it certainly sounds good in a mindless chain e-mail! I'm not aware of any Republican only schools teaching creationism. Must be somewhere in the leftist Bizarro universe.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is a impeachable offense.

A President lying under oath is an impeachable offense. Regardless of what he is lying about. It's also manged to get Clinton disbarred. However, playing on leftists fear of government cameras in their bedrooms (though they seem to bring cameras there all the time), the sex issue is a good one to dwell on for folks who generally tend towards extramarital sex and are paranoid/delusional personality types.

A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Where's the lie?

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

Dang! Those Democrats are obsessed with someone interfering with their sex aren't they!

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Can you make illegal profits on a driving record?

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness, and you need our prayers for your recovery.

I thought all drug addicts were victims of CIA drug dealers and the CIA drug trade? The left better get their rhetoric together on this one.

You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

The Attorney General has the job of enforcing Federal law. The Attoney General doing his job doesn't have anything to do with the Republican desire to shift more legislative issues to the state level.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

More filler rhetoric with no substance or credibility. Not too surprising.

There you go. The e-mail refuted piece by piece.

Not something I enjoy spending my time doing. But it's a civic duty to nip lies and innuendo in the bud. This board here has WAY too many folks who eat this up without even thinking.

SDAI-Tech1