(That's a bit thick, but once I started I just couldn't quit. I thought it was funny.)

My first post in this thread was a reply to TB. And then you, recognizing TB's more and more frequent slips into senility, chose to defend him. Your initial statement was:

"Tom and I both have repeatedly commented that the FedGov is too big and has too much power."

Did you vote Republican? If you did, you are saying one thing and doing another. It's that simple.

As for those folks in Washington not being Conservatives. That is hard to deal with. Like saying Obama isn't a Democrat. Or America under Bush doesn't routinely torture prisoners. It doesn't compute.

If I have wronged you personally in the area of civil and human rights I apologize. I would have been wrong. And if you voted for Bush and Cheney, I didn't wrong you. Again, what one does, not says.

After a while we get judged by what we do, not our intentions. "The US did not intend those "collateral" casualties. We had information a militant was in their ranks." That's saying kiling any number of innocent people doesn't count, because of the intention.

And that, as you will have to agree, is nonsense.

Again, apologies if they are due. Only you know.

Regards, and thanks for a cogent, temperate, logical and reasonable post.

Arf