Unvield? Are you sure? How about unveiled?

Question to the blog owners...

Is there anything President Bush could say or do that you would find fault with?

Just curious.

Did anyone hear/or see the O'Reilly vs. Geraldo arguement about the illegal immigrant? any comments?

Mark -

You have given much time on this blog to expressing your devout Catholic faith. You have also spent time denying that millions of Iraqi refugees are fleeing the country, and censoring links to that effect. In fact, you have countered that not only are Iraqis not fleeing, but they are returning in large numbers - especially Najaf.

So, given that you must believe both in Papal infallibility and Bush infallibility, I was wondering what you make of Pope Benedict's Easter message, in which he said:

"Nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees."

So Mark, are you going to ridicule the Pope for being naive, misinformed, and duped by the MSM? Or are you going to attack him as a terrorist sympathizer? Or is it that the Pope just hates America?

Oh, and since you mention Najaf, maybe you'd like to comment on the fact that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis demonstrated there yesterday, calling for US troops to leave?

I am anxious to hear about the President's immigration plan. I hope it doesn't include amnesty. I have a good friend who has been here 14 years and is waiting for his citizenship. He learned English, has a good job, and has been a good person. He is totally against giving citizenship to those who have not "stood in line" as he has.

On another note, thank you for deleting GDay's and w00t's vulgar remarks. Kos and DU may allow it on a daily basis, but I'm glad you will not.

I do hope the prez and Congress can work around their differences and produce a comprehensive immigration reform plan.

However, I think deporting all illegals is both impractical and stupid.

For this reason, I hope the prez and Rep.'s in Congress introduce TWO bills addressing these issues separately, so at least the border security plan can get through.

Thanks,

ThELefTYFoOL

geez.aarontime. Thats pretty dramtic for an open thread.

Mark tends not to answer the hard questions, Aaron.

I would be interested to know what he thought of the recent article in the Atlantic, which I doubt he reads. I guess he gets Rush Weekly and Weekly Standard only. Anyway, it was an article about the growing group of military personnel requesting a motion to redress, ie withdrawal from Iraq. The article actually argues that soliders shouldn't get involved in politics on that level, and to a degree I agree. They can vote, which is how they are involved. Anyway, I am against the war in Iraq, but for the war on terror. Like many, I think the two are separate and that Bush and Co. have hurt the war on actual terror by going after Saddam and choosing to stay there after he was gone. Much evidence to support that view, though Mark tends to deny it and call those that do not fall in lockstep with him as "moonbats" and "kooks" This is not helpful. I disagree with him, but his viewpoint is valid and his opinion is to be respected. I just think he's wrong. But he is not evil. Yet, he calls those who disagree with him, and do so with factual evidence to contradict him, America haters and terrorist sympathizers. We've seen in history that people who cannot question the leaders of their party contribute to troubling concentrations of power that can lead to tyranny.

Fortunately for America, we will be rid of this tragic presidency in 2009. Even if a Republican squeezes in there by being anti-Bush, none of the current field of contenders will be as bad for America as these people have been. Now, if Tancredo becomes a contender, God help us all.

He's baaaaaack. Didn't take you long, did it? You know who I'm talking about ...

OK K4B, I'm kinda dense here. Which kook are we talking about?

You are hardly dense, navydad.

He'll deny it but I have a sixth sense when it comes to my ol' bud DougW/GoreWarRight, etc.. Mark bans him and he returns a week or so later. All you have to do is read his past and current posts to know it's him.

I'm really not sure why he keeps coming back. He must really like us. ;-)

aaron and rom - you read a lot into the Pope's statement. I read it to mean that the current situation sucks. Crushing the militias and providing security would cure this. You read your proposed solution into a statement about the problem. It is a serious reading skills mistake.

My post is floating in cyberspace ... I'm sure it will show up as a duplicate in the future so I'm apologizing in advance. :-)

You are hardly dense, navydad.

He'll deny it but I have a sixth sense when it comes to my ol' bud DougW/GoreWarRight, etc.. Mark bans him and he returns a week or so later. All you have to do is read his past and current posts to know it's him.

I'm really not sure why he keeps coming back. He must really like us. ;-)

Thx K4B!

He's kinda like Sammy the Suicide Bomber AKA GTgrad. They really think they're slick, but are only fooling themselves.
One thing we do know, they all hate America, GWB, our military and Democracy. Mostly they just hate GWB.

Romanestra,
It's sad that you have taken the ideology that you have.
If only the Democrats in this nation clearly understood the facts about terrorism and the danger and threat to the American people.
If only they understood what the supportive nations that support the terroists and their Ji-Had.
If only they understood our President and his bravery to stand for truth and to understand very clearly the threat to this country.
We still have the freedom to speak as we may, but I'm afraid that if the Democrats take the office of Presidency in 08 then we will clearly see what was ahead. Only then will we see.
Some folks have to have proof.
Some folks will not believe unless they see with their eyes, hear with their ears.
The terrorism threat is very real.
The fact is we have a man that is in the White House now that understands this.
But when the Democrats use their own grasp for power to build a wall between them and common sense then we must be subject to the consequences of their foolish behaviour and thinking.
Yes I agree, God help America.

Yes, Kahn,
I'm sure that "crushing the militias and providing security" is exactly the solution that the Pope would favor -- I think you are confusing the Holy Father with Republican Jesus.
"Your flag decal won't get you into heaven any more." -- John Prine

Sal: I'm sure the Pope was none too happy about the way Saddam was murdering his own people either.

BTW, are you Catholic?

Is there anything President Bush could say or do that you would find fault with?

Yes, Jeremy. If he said, "Now you listen to ol' Jeremy Wilcox; he's a smart fella," I would find fault with that. However, it wouldn't be the first time he complimented a moron. You'd be in select company, Jeremy...

Silly Rapid Republication!! or should it be "The Two Americas of the Edwards" or "Ban the 2nd Amendment Now!"

Elizabeth Edwards says she is scared of the "rabid, rabid Republican" who owns property across the street from her Orange County home - and she doesn't want her kids going near the gun-toting neighbor.

Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, particularly recalls the time neighbor Monty Johnson brought out a gun while chasing workers investigating a right of way off his property. The Edwards family has yet to meet Johnson in person.

"I wouldn't be nice to him anyway," Edwards said in an interview. "I don't want my kids anywhere near some guy who when he doesn't like somebody, the first thing he does is pull a gun out. It scares the business out of me."

But Johnson defended the occasion he brandished a gun, saying those on his land didn't have the proper approval.

  "I use the gun for protection, and I considered that an appropriate time," Johnson said. "Sometimes you have to take drastic measures."

Edwards views Johnson as a "rabid, rabid Republican" who refuses to clean up his "slummy" property just to spite her family, whose lavish 28,000-square-foot estate is nearby on 102 wooded acres.

Johnson, 55, acknowledges his Republican roots. But he takes offense to the suggestion he has purposefully left his property, including an old garage that he leases for use as a car shop, in dilapidated condition.

Johnson said he has lived his entire life on the property, which he said his family purchased before the Great Depression. He said he's spent a lot of money to try and fix up the 42-acre tract.

"I have to budget. I have to leave within my means," Johnson said. "I don't have millions of dollars to fix the place."

Johnson, who has posted a "Go Rudy Giuliani 2008" sign on a fence just 100 feet from the entrance to the Edwards' driveway, has criticized Edwards for the scale of their nearby home. The property and home, which includes an indoor basketball court, an indoor handball court and an indoor pool, is valued at $5.3 million.

The Edwardses are still putting the final touches on the property, which they purchased in 2003.

"I thought he was supposed to be for the poor people," Johnson said. "But does he ever socialize with any poor people? He doesn't speak to me."

Sooooo, lefties, no condemnation of Don Imus yet. He is one of you, so where's the outrage? Not that I give a whit about what the so-called Reverends Sharpton or Jackson say, but what Don Anus said was outrageous, don'cha think?

Of course, if he agrees to go into rehab, then all is forgiven, right?

Keefer,
Okay, fire Imus. Are you happy now.
Actually both Crooks and Liars and Media Matters (Two of the more leftwing sites) have covered the story and there are a lot of people on the left calling for his firing.

Casper: You're a Republican but will be changing to an Independent, right? Why are you hanging out on far-left web sites? Just curious.

kimberly4bush,
I don't hang out, I just read them. I also checkout the Daily Kos, Redstate, Michelle Malkin, and a half a dozen newpapers. When I watch televison news, I watch Fox, MSNBC, and CNN. I like to view a story from a variaty of sources. I also teach current events and I try to be careful not to pick stories from sources that are biased anymore that possible. This is the only blog I comment on currently, because Matt and Mark allow more leaway than most blogs. .Besides I have always considered myself an American first and a Republican second.

I wasn't saying you weren't an American first. Aren't we all? I was just wondering.

I've posted on DU and KOS before. Tried to debate with them but they cussed me out. Then I told them they should learn to debate intelligently and calmly and I was banned. Crazy, huh?!

...Matt and Mark allow more leaway than most blogs.

"Leaway?" You don't teach those sixth-graders spelling, do you?

kimberly4bush,
Sadly, there are sites for both sides that are more interested echoing talking points than listening to others.

Keefer,
You caught me. I am a poor speller. It goes back to how I was taught to read in kindergarten. I have taught spelling and with the right program I do well. Luckily, now I teach Social Studies and I try to use spell checkers when possible.

Sorry, I'm a stickler about grammar, word usage, and in some cases, spelling. Mostly grammar and word usage, though.

And I play favorites...

Keefer,
Feel free to nail me anytime I mess up. I continue to try to get better.

Hey Casper

My wife is a USC Eng. major (SC Sucks...go Bruins) with a BA in Broadcast Journalism.....try living with that.

I don't send any product info to print without her blessing, nor do I even sign an xmas card without here checking to see if I spelled my name right!!!

Keefer has it right though, we should all work harder on spelling, punctuation etc. and if we don't, it just makes us look like that guy Steve a while back that was sooo bad, I almost felt sorry for him. He honestly couldn't spell his name at times.

So lighten up on us eh Keefer....LOL!

PS. I have big hands and at times my fingers cover two keys. You know what they say about big hands??? This ought to be good.

Navydad,
Sounds like we both lucked out. Took my wife two and a half years to get her BA. Took me five and a half years to do the same. If I hadn't met her I would probably still be there.
She has been checking my spelling and grammar for over thirty years. I do try and I even reward my students when they catch with mistakes, but I still make more mistakes than I care to.

Bolton: Iran Won

Actually K4B,
The last Pope also condemned the U.S. occupation of Iraq -- which I doubt could be construed as an endorsment of Saddam.
I have no religious affiliation (not that it's anybody's business) -- but it always amazes me to see the sanctimonious protestations of religious fealty that accompany calls for more death and destruction, executions, torture and international mayhem -- especially among the Catholics here -- clearly in opposition to the Pope's pronouncements.