Tell me the composition and voter turnout of each House district, whether there's an incumbent, whether he or she is swing or hard line idealogue, whether the district has re-elected incumbents forever, and you might make some educated guesses about the House. Most of the polls published about people wanting a Democratic House are worthless. They are across the board polls. We don't elect House members that way however. Some voters use national issues when voting for a Congressperson; some don't. Some will vote for another party is the Incumbernt did him a favor or has brought jobs to the district …
All 35 comments by...
knocko
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I agree w/whattheheck let prices rise. invest more in trains. but mass transit won't serve to meet the way americans have spread themselves out in suburbs. foolish planning, sure. but that's where most of us are. the democrats i hear make generalizations about alternative fuels and massive govt subsidies for alternatives. but unless prices float higher, the market won't be there no matter how much is dumped into "research". the alternative fuel subsidy could end up like a lot of Pentagon projects: cost plus spending; no quality controls; few penalties for failure; and a few large companies getting rich and new …
Posted to Running on Empty
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criminal penalties for users and small time dealers don't work; there's a consensus here about that. however, even legal drugs can be abused, and adulteration would continue if dealers convinced users that there is "better" stuff than what's legal. there would still have to be regulation, like for prescription drugs. Is anyone suggesting marijuana or cocaine be "over the counter" or just available on the streee without any safety checks?
Posted to What do you think about the decriminalization of some illicit drugs?
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next time you demand the USA pull out of iraq like yesterday, think of whether the killings will go up or down in the following weeks, and who will be killed. Hurl insults at poor ol inarticulate bush all you want to "entlightened" liberals. He did not invent the Islamists. They are real; they are tough; and they intend to bring back the middle ages with a vengeance. And millions of Muslims around the world think that is just fine.
Posted to Iran Exports Anti-Gay Pogrom to Iraq
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The West needs oil. The nations of the Middle East have oil. there is on reason to believe that Iran or any party in Iraq would not want to sell oil to the US. Oil should dominate our policy. We should have businssmen, a reasonable embassy in Baghdad and in Tehran, and no troops in either nation. Under Ike, the business of America was business. He got us out of Korea, had a brief and relatively non-violent landing of Marines in Lebanon who promptly left, and all in all was the most peaceful postwar President. I like Ike.
Posted to Why Exiting Iraq Wont Be Easy
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most "political" art is propaganda, shallow and without the complexity of thought and feeling that defines great art. For every Goya, there are a million poster artists from the Dada to the Maoists of China. Interesting as historical phenomena, bu not art. In the end, the public decides what art is, because museums and tax laws determine what gets shown and what doesn't . No doubt some great artist has never been shown because of censorship, but look at what hangs in american museums. we are pretty tolerant and eclectic. this seems like a non-problem.
Posted to Disclaimer
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the gangsta culture problem is real. I have taught bright young black men who simply disregard the option of positive values because black masculinity for a subclass has become what rap says it is. Another problem which affects all youth of modest means: lack of after school and summer activities. Kids simply don't know what options are out there. Poor black kids, regardless of the curriculum don't know what multicultural is; indeed they have no idea of any "white" culture, American or European. To them, all Asians are the same. Where's anything on the map? Forget it. US history, black, white, …
Posted to Black Men: The Crisis Continues
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Mr. tanton is a true conservative, which ironically these days is a true progressive. Illegal immigration not only artificially raises US population and damages the environment, but allows employers to ignore existing black and white workers, particularly young people who lack experience in jobs. The No Child Left Behind Act will result in millions of high school dropouts. Testing will discourage young people who are not "college" bound or proficient readers. Talented young people who could find lucrative blue collar careers are underpriced by illegal immigrants. Unions are undermined by the illegals as well. America, like Mexico and every other nation, …
Posted to Keeping America Empty
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this guy is not too smart outside of his business, at which he's very smart. he wonders what the homeless lady outside his hotel did to the people who build hotels? nothing. but they did nothing to her either. they build hotels for people who can afford to live in the hotel. they dont force anyone to sleep on the street nor do they force anyone to stay at the hotel. people have different abilties, and yes, some people are lucky enough to live in countries where there is a better organized system of law and investment than others. having children …
Posted to The Ultimate Fighting Anarchist
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why I am commenting on a food poll ? I dont know. Do 10% of the readers really get food from the garden? Your own? Hey it's great if you do. I wish you were my neighbors!
Posted to Where do you get your groceries?
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AlanSmithee is right about the reality of todays national politics: there are very few competitive races. Assuming all the latinos over 18 who demonstrated today were legal and voted in November (dubious proposition) and all eligible black voters voted (even more dubious), the effect on House races would be minimal. Gerrymandering by Democrats as well as by GOP means overwhelming majority of so-called "minorities" (who increasingly are not minorities) live already in Democratic districts. To defeat Republicans, you have to appeal to white middle and professional class people who believe that they pay too much tax and receive too little from …
Posted to A Primary Concern
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Harrower, what makes you think there is laissez faire capitalism in the USA? The Tax Code, energy subsidies, subsidies to universities that train corporate staff, etc. The military is also an "industry" that employs millions, including the contractors. Prosperous communities around DC and Boston would fold if it weren't for Big Government. Also, I believe if you checkout the Economic Policy Institue Website, you'll find real income for households has fallen for several years. The media focuses in on Gross income, national product, jobs. The quality of jobs or cross-section analysis is absent. Finally, the "income" figures are meaningless unless you …
Posted to A Primary Concern
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Jay Cline suggests that Sirota's Free Trade message be a sales pitch for Dems. Unless free trade is "in their face" guys, it won't happen. at candidate meetings, fundraisers, blogs, caucuses and state conventions this issue needs to be raised with the urgency that the immigrant lobby recently showed about its concerns. If we can't tie free trade into Ms and Mr America's concern about payment of this month's bills, then let's move on to something more productive. We need then a simple, graphic, easy to show (pictures, graphs, ads) message: free trade means you don't get promoted; you can't work …
Posted to A Primary Concern
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major major and cabdriver are both correct. Israel has become a miniUSA in many, tho not all, respects. I personally think that is not all bad. I'm sure those of you who are critics of American political philosophy and economics disagree with my positive evaluation. (I am by the way overgeneralizing; there is much of America, like materialism, that I do not like. But I accept basic American values as the best in the real world of today.) I will say that for those of you who do not like the shape and content of American society, there is more bad …
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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forest from the trees debate? ladies and gentlemen. The israelis are there. there is a country called israel. it does have a language. nearly all nations do business with it (including some who don't "recognize" it). israel is composed of diverse people; not only by ethnic and religious group, but by political opinion. far more diverse than the USA. I daresay those of you on the US left would feel very comfortable in Israel compared with the US. Your opinions would actually be taken seriously.! Now. Given that real human beings are involved, and not chess pieces to be moved about …
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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sorry to take up two consecutive posts. My memory must be fading. cabdriver, you mention US investment in Israel. I could be wrong, but the Israeli biomedical, electronics and medical equipment industries are heavily invested in the USA, particularly in high tech suburbs around Boston, DC, NY, LA and other major areas. Israel also does defense work subcontracting for the Pentagon or its contractors (how much I don't know). None of the above concerns me a bit. In fact, it means Israel generates jobs in the US. But if you have a problem with Israel from some form of Marxist perspective, …
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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cabdriver in chicago's discussion of israeli investment in US and how global capital affects employment is an excellecnt example of how a discussion site can inform. I do not feel qualified to offer any specific criticisms I do know that we need more contributions from informed readers of ITT like this so as to expand the range of our questions. The world, unfortunately for an old timer like me, becomes more complex. We need agile minds to clarify matters yet with an analytical intellegence that the post I refer to has.
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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wanzellarts: israel causes headaches. so does the us. there are real people however in both countries, the overwhelming majority of whom are decent people who would like fairly boring lives: family, an occasional holiday, hearing a good joke, a job that provides basic living decency. palestinians desire the same. I read your post, and to be honest the image I see is hate. your hate. that is my impression. if you state that you do not hate jews, i will take your word for it. but that is the tone you exude. rightwing fanatics are not the majority of israelis. there …
Posted to The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
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it is a sad commentary that the press spends so little time on the negative impact of illegal immigration on African Americans and working class Americans without high school diplomas.
Posted to Are you concerned about illegal immigration?
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cabdriver in chicago. your angry comments about what all prolife people believe is simply smear type politcs. The Left loves to demonize Senatro McCarthy fifty years after his death for allegedly (he didn't) calling all leftists "Communists". The same appropriate revulsion against labelling all prolife, antiabortion advocates applies. A person who does not want to service a prescription that they view as a step in homicide should be respected, even if most professional druggists would fill the prescription. As a former lawyer, there were clients an cases I simply did not want to touch. That is individual ethicl choice. Professionals ought …
Posted to Contraception in the Crosshairs
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"Life is about compromise and seeing things in context". My friend cabdriver, you have stated timeless wisdom with these words. Now all you merely need to do is to take your own advice. Point out the obvious: that those who believe that life begins (bear with me here) at the moment of implantation simply do not see things in context. Indeed, many of them might agree, as believers in religious absolutes might logically argue that context is what allows us weak humans to argue against moral dictates, and thus sin. You and I agree so far, I think. We depart when …
Posted to Contraception in the Crosshairs
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i'm old enough to remember articles like this from the1960's. society is not going to spend the billions in each state neceessary to allieviate overcrowding and to provide programs for those prisoners who really want to have skills other than criminal talent. Violent criminals will stay increasingly behind bars; if we don't have alternative, safe facilities for them, what else can we do? Crime is down in part because career criminals are in jail and not in the street. Would it be nicer to try to "save" some of these people; sure but it's not going to happen. Prisoners have no …
Posted to Race Riot?
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i have a reoccurring nightmare: Howard Dean will be fired as DNC chair, MoveOn will go bankrupt, and Nancy Pelosi will be deposed in favor of some leader who has actually lived in a normal American community and understands normal people. Oh yes, and the Democrats will realize that the welfare of the working class is more important than made-up constitutional rights to sodomy and abortion. Whew! I woke up. That was a bad dream. Good thing most nightmares aren't predictors. Keep doin what your doin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted to Barbarians at the Helm
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Rocco and the Land Grab: If you don't believe in national sovereignty, fine. Just say so. The US developed an economy that allows its working class to have an excellent standard of living because of Northern European values. Not Hispanic, Latino or Catholic values. Protestant v Catholic. North v South. Birth Control. (Does anyone in Latin America take the pill?) How many medical breakthroughts, scientific discoveries have all the Latin American countries together created compared with North America or Europe? Where is massive corruption the norm? Ssh: Mexico? PC is not the real world. Columbia is not a nice place. Or …
Posted to Theyve Come for Us All
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rocco is concerned about the displaced illegals who won't find jobs when the housing bubble bursts. (Or Rocco, when the US dollar collapses when the rest of the world realizes our IOU's are as worthless as a Mexican peso since we print funny money to pay for our soaring social security, medicare and medicaid expenses). Not to worry. they can go to the workers' paradises of Cuba and Venezuela. After all, there's all that "free" education and "freedom" (unless you're gay, individualistic, a democratic socialist, religious or not a passive drone). That way these "immigrants" won't be discriminated against by the …
Posted to Theyve Come for Us All
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and ITT readers are in synch with the average working American?
Posted to What do you eat?
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glad vegan works for you. i do support organic farming. that does not mean that we must condemn people who choose not to be vegan or eat organic as "immoral". the self righteousness of the secular/neopagan Left is as boring and obnoxious as the sanctimoniousness of the christian right. people are animals too. by the way, don't compare victims of Hitler and Stalin's concentration camps to pigs and cows. frank perdue is a jerk. he is not Adolph Eichmann.
Posted to What do you eat?
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sam seder neglects the core issues that define the Democratic Party: labor, taxes, education, social welfare and the environment. Joe Lieberman has stood with labor consistently. And he is a leader on environment protection and global warming. Iraq can be debated as public policy. But it is not a partisan issue. Bill Clinton is not for immediate withdrawal. Nor is Joe Biden. Saddam was a fascist and if he could have used nukes on his neighbors he would have. That he may not have had WMD at the time Bush invaded was not a given; every intelligence agency in the world, …
Posted to Why Ned Lamont is a Democrat
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brian28: poll numbers only prove that people belileve something at a given point in time. A short while ago the American people thought GWB was Winston Churchill, JFK and Arnold wrapped up in a Burrito. Now they seem to think he's a lying version of Elmr Fudd. Who cares? What you believe in, Right or Left, should not depend on the fickleness of the American public which never met a benefit it didn't want, and a bill that it didn't want to pay. If not for the Japanese-caused Pearl Harbor, the American people never would have fought Hitler. Bush may be …
Posted to Why Ned Lamont is a Democrat
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Only ITT readers still revere Freud.
Posted to How is the government spying on us now?
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history of violence was ignored. a fine, fine film.
Posted to Who do you think should have won Best Picture at the Oscars?
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"Gay Rolls on the Lawn" is it me? why isn't any one pissed off that there is an Easter Egg Roll on the White House Lawn. How stupid.--- No Hot Mustard. These kids and Presidents and wives and ribbons look like idiots making out like harvey on weed. so gays want to roll into the hutch and hatch. If Two make Three, why not One?. collect the Wholeeggscrew drop them on a sidewalk. Humpty Dumpty is Announced. Break em all apart ! Brown and White Eggs Too. Democracy= the power to pass gas thru all Holes at One cc. It's sweet …
Posted to An Anti-Gay Easter
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Or spayced, homosexuals haven't caught up to society. Heterosexuality is the primary relationship for reproduction and adaptationof the species. Several Hundred thousand years of custom cannot just be swept aside as "backwards". To put it simply, it works. The species reproduces, and has successfully adopted to severe climatic and technological changes. This is not to say that there has not always been homosexuality. Or that new forms of social relationships will not be accepted as normal. However the petulance of homosexuals (I like the traditional definition of gay, thank you very much) about the alleged bigotry of the majority is tedious. …
Posted to An Anti-Gay Easter
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islam is not a tolerant religion. it is an insult to mohammed to pretend that it is. he was a hater. give him the respect of his beliefs. "tolerance", "diversity" and all the feely good current nice nice is liberal protestant/reform jewish ideology that had a moment in the 60's. political corrrectness and secular leftism took over the education establishment in America, though little else. PC is its legacy. we pay lip service to tolerance and diversity, although most of us know however we choose to live is better than people who don't live the way we do. Islam is honest, …
Posted to What was your first reaction to the controversy surrounding the Danish cartoons?
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and the future of the world economy and thus workers after an extremist victory in iraq and consequently in the oil-rich persian and arabian gulfs would be_________________?
Posted to How to End the War
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