Sick Letters to the editor I woke up to this moning:

[billkurtmeyer]

Three freepers in a row in the La Crosse Tribune this morning. My favorite line from the first letter:

"In his four terms as senator, he voted to kill every military appropriation regarding the development and deployment of every weapons system. These weapons are directly responsible for keeping America safe."

Don't let the facts stand in the way of a good argument - just keep drinking the kool-aid!

The second letters analogy using the Russian school tragedy to suggest that Kerry would consult the UN, the French and the Germans before doing anything! Note she doesn't suggest what Bush would have done, playing the analogy out - I guess Bush would have immediately attacked some other school were the hostages and terriorists were not, like he attacked the wrong country (Iraq) now that would be real leadership. My head is about to explode after reading these three outstanding examples of freeper logic - boy don't they use their heads. - enjoy, laugh, or puke which ever you find to be a more appropriate response. And if you live in the La Crosse area write a letter in response!

By Leon S. Madeux,La Crescent, Minn.

What has Mr. Kerry focused on to present himself to the American public? Vietnam! Not the war, but his own "alleged" heroics — two instances of which he has already backtracked on! It might have looked good on paper or even sounded good in rehearsal. It seemed to play well at the Democratic convention, where every move, image and syllable, like his Vietnam experience, was scripted. However, it backfired on him in the real world when the anti-war Kerry clashed with the current image he is trying to portray to the American public.

Muslim terrorists are the enemy. They have killed thousands of innocent American civilians. Like it or not, those are the facts. However, the facts about Mr. Kerry's career performance are not as readily apparent. He tends to conceal his real intentions by always trying to be on both sides of important issues. He has said that he is qualified to be commander and chief, to protect America. So, let's look at his record.

In his four terms as senator, he voted to kill every military appropriation regarding the development and deployment of every weapons system. These weapons are directly responsible for keeping America safe.

Mr. Kerry voted to cut funding of the FBI by 60 percent, the CIA by 80 percent, and the NSA by 80 percent.

More recently, while Mr. Kerry voted for the war in Iraq, he voted against providing funding to fight that war.

This is all a matter of congressional record. There is more. Look it up.

In short, the duplicitous Mr. Kerry has aptly proven that he is not politically responsible or even remotely qualified to protect America, to fight or win a war on terrorism or even to serve as a commander and chief. He has been consistently on the wrong side of important safety issues. Mr. Kerry does not want the American public to see his voting record. He has no core values — hence, no moral character.

That is the truth.
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Trust the president with our future

By Barbara Ball, La Crosse

This morning as I was getting ready for work, one of my grandchildren came over to say goodbye as she headed off for the first day of school. Just after she left an alert flashed on my TV screen. It said that about 400 Russian school children had been taken hostage at gunpoint and forced into the school gym by militant Muslims. They intend to kill those children. I was absolutely sickened when I thought this could be my grandchild. I am heartsick for the parents as the militant Muslims said that they would kill 50 of these children for every hostage-taker killed. What kind of animals are these people? These are just babies.

Then I remembered Kerry saying that if we were attacked he would take very aggressive action. Please tell me what action would he take in a situation like this? Would he go to the United Nations and wait

18 years for them to do nothing, or maybe he could beg for help from France or Germany. We have seen how eager they are to help. Would he give in to these animals and let captured murderers free, allowing them to kill again?

None of these actions will help, and our children will be dead. Kerry will talk them to death. We need to protect our children before the act, not after.

George W. Bush took the war elsewhere. He set up a plan to keep us as safe as possible. Even though I am aware that at anytime we can have another attack, he has done the best he can to keep us safe for as long as possible. I trust him with our future.

Kerry has no plan to protect us from terrorist attacks, just talk, which will end up with millions of Americans dead.
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Four more years

By BEVERLY CRAM, Tomah, Wis.

As I read newspapers and watch television I have this recurring thought: It seems to me that the Russians, Germans, French, North Koreans, Iranians, terrorists and Democrats all want John Kerry to be our next president.

It is frightening to me to see how foreign countries and terrorists think they can influence our election by their actions and propaganda like they did in Spain.

We are in charge of our own destiny. Give George Bush four more years.

[Darth_Kitten]

1. Write back.......

the only way to fight..... :)

[Sparkly]

2. I agree -- tell the editors they have a responsibility not to print lies

Their readers are entitled to their own opinions, and newspapers can print them; but they are not entitled to their own facts, and newspapers shouldn't print lies that mislead others.

[HFishbine]

3. Stongly Agree. Please take action!

This is where one individual can make a huge difference. I would begin with this very line from Sparkly: "Readers are entitled to their own opinions, and newspapers can print them; but they are not entitled to their own facts, and newspapers shouldn't print lies that mislead others."

I'd then proceed to point out the lies. Please do this. It's so important and well within your ability. This article may help:

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<snip>

To take the example that dominated the convention perhaps more than any other claim: Professional politicians and political correspondents alike know that legislators frequently vote against appropriations for a variety of reasons, even though they do not seek to eliminate the programs being voted on. They know that different versions of the same appropriation are often offered, and that lawmakers will sometimes vote for one version and against another-- not because they suffer from multiple personality disorder, but because that's how they express disagreements about how government programs should be funded.

No one who has spent any amount of time in or around government would find this the least bit confusing. Yet news analysts generally allowed Republican Party leaders to pretend shock that Sen. John Kerry would vote against an $87 billion appropriation for the Iraq War-- as if this meant that Kerry opposed giving troops "money for bullets, and fuel, and vehicles, and body armor," as George W. Bush declared ( 9/2/04). (The references to Kerry voting against body armor were particularly disingenuous, given that the $87 billion only included money for body armor at the insistence of congressional Democrats-- Army Times, 10/20/03.)

And journalists were complacent as Republicans expressed mock bafflement over why Kerry would vote against this bill when he had voted for another version of the bill (or "exactly the same thing," in former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's words-- 8/30/04). The reason that Kerry introduced an alternative bill-- because he wanted to pay for the appropriation by raising taxes on the wealthy rather than through deficit spending-- was well-publicized at the time (Washington Post, 9/18/03). Yet rather than challenging the dishonesty of this centerpiece of the Republican attack on Kerry, CNN's Jeff Greenfield after Bush's speech (9/2/04) called it "one of the most familiar and effective lines of his stump speech."

Bush himself threatened to veto the Iraq spending bill if the reconstruction aid for Iraq it included was in the form of loans rather than grants; by the logic of the Republican convention, Bush "flip-flopped" exactly the same way that Kerry did on the $87 billion by supporting one version of the bill and opposing another. Yet a Nexis search of television coverage of the convention turns up only one reference to Bush's veto of the bill, by Paul Begala on CNN ( 9/1/04). Overwhelmingly, TV pundits covering the convention allowed the charade surrounding the $87 billion to pass without critical comment.

more: http://www.fair.org/press-releases/rnc-fact-checking.html

[KharmaTrain]

4. My Visit To Wisconsin...Don't Hold Back...Speak Up Now

I was at a wedding near West Bend over the weekend...ran into several "Bushbots" at this event. I didn't go out of my way to find them...I was a guest from out of state...they found me.

This was a rather fundamentalist (there was a Cash bar) crowd...easily in the "social conservative" group...anti-abortion, liberals are heathens and so on. Not being a Christian, I knew I was gonna have some fun...I always do when you blow away any religious debate with one simple question: "Prove God exists"...not scripture, but real fact...of course they can't so then I take the discussion onto a philopsophy (gives them an out) and then have my fun from there...takes out a lot of the scripture crap and "burn in hell, too".

A couple, about our age...50'ish...sat with us and soon the discussion came to the election (gotta love being in a state where the election is being waged) and soon I heard three memes I've been hearing for the past two months...and now I had the chance to spin 'em and see what happens.

1.) "National Security" - * makes us safer. No question this one, just swallow it as it falls into the Christian/Flag Waving/GOOP are the only patriots flavor kool-aid. I just asked who favored opening the borders to Mexico for cheap labor. Then I asked on whose watch 9/11 happened? Then I asked that did our invasion capture bin Laden who is the one who wants to kill you, and why would he want to fly an airplane or launch a terrorist attack in West Bend, Wisconsin? Pissed off at a bad blender? Then, I hit on how the intelligence before & after 9/11 have been atrocious. Of course I ran into the "it's Clinton's fault" crap. I was well perpared. First, I asked if they saw F911...of course they didn't...so I just pointed out the problems Bunnypants has had with the CIA and the sloppiness of Iraq and then ask them seriously to answer if this country is really safer? Then compare how "safe" they feel today than what they did 4 years ago...and if this is the way they want to feel for the next 4 years and beyond.

2.) "Flip Flop" - Kerry's indecisive & withheld money from defense. Yawn. This one didn't take long. First, I asked how they felt the Iraq Invasion (and I always call it that...no one argues with that name anymore...a major concession there) is going and how long they think it's going to go. No one expects it to end anytime soon. I ask if they would like to see their child or grandchild involved in that mess. Those who play patriot, soon fall apart...especially when I start going into what this regime has done to the military...from the backdoor draft to cutting veterans benefits and who was the one who didn't send the body armour in the first place? I didn't even have to mention Halliburton. Then comes out the terms "nation building"...and didn't Bunnypants flip flop on that? How about the defecits...do you want deeper debts that assure higher interest rates and inflation? Soon you can find a ton of Repugnian memes and not only show how this regime flip-flops endlessly, but outright lies and decieves it's most ardent supporters.

3.) "Social Crisis"...gay marriage, abortion and so on...how this country has lost "Christian values". This is where I have my most fun. Not being Christian, and too old for these people to try testing "my faith"...and the invisible cloud being removed from the discussion with my initial question...I ask if they were in my situation how would they feel? I go a step further...I ask them to suppose they were in Saudi Arabia or China...and how would they feel about having Islamic or Communist/Confucian values placed on you against your own beliefs. Then I ask if that's what they want here. If they dare go for "seperation of church & state" (and a couple do...I easily double back to school prayer or gay marriage...how can they justify placing their values on people they don't know and aren't a threat to their lives or faith in any way. None can justify this.

I'm certain my friend and his new bride didn't know what they were expecting when they invited us...LOL. My wife and daughter are as vocal, if not more so than I am...and we've been engaging and talking with Repugnicans for over a year now. We're seeing them sheppard from one meme to another, one fear to another, one lie to another...it's a cycle they can't see unless it's called out to them. Some see it and shrug shoulders, others may start to question. If that's what happens, that's better than another day of these people sucking up the lies uncontested and not the realities.

Rove has energized the fundies...no question...and the rest of the GOOP hive. That's what we're seeing and hearing. They took the offensive...and came out of the woodwork. Now it's time to confront and contest. Not violently, just with facts and logic. If anything for one's peace of mind if not for feeling this is what must be done to save this country from absolute ruin.

I usually finish with those who are the most fervent * supporters by reminding them that agenda they support is about inclusion...about dividing...and as this becomes more successful, the divisions will go deeper and farther. Rich will get richer, and then if "Christian values" are adopted...which Christian values? Lutheran? Baptist? Catholic? (shudder) African Methodist?

It's such a shame how the ignorance of people is so preyed upon...starting from infancy...to be submissive and so easily manipulated. I used to think ignorance is bliss...but that was before my son and many others could face going off to a war for corporate greed.

Cheers!

[Julien Sorel]

5. I smell fresh Astroturf,

and that newspaper is too damn dumb to see it? I bet the local Republican club got together and decided to write a few letters like that. Expect to see more of them across the country, although hopefully other newspapers will be smarter, or have more integrity than this one apparently has.

[skygazer]

6. Kool Aid in the water there?

Wow, these people are wacked. Barbara Ball writes that a Kerry presidency would make us "end up with millions of Americans dead"? George, on the other hand, is a good guy because he "took the war elsewhere". Doesn't matter that it was somewhere that was no threat to us, or that nearly 1000 young Americans have died there. It makes my brain hurt.... :wtf: