[Vision2020] Dick Cheney's 2003 tax savings larger than your annual income.

Joan Opyr auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Wed, 14 Apr 2004 14:34:14 -0700


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Tim writes:

>But only 50% of registered voters usually bother to vote in Pres. electi=
ons anyway you say? And only >about 50% of those eligible to vote bother =
to register?  So you're saying that the Pres. elections only >attract abo=
ut 25% of those who could participate? And that the last few presidents h=
ave taken office >without even a majority of this fractional number of vo=
ters?


So what would you think, Tim, about having publicly-financed elections?  =
No more politicians soliciting donations, corporate, private, or PAC, jus=
t a set amount of money from the tax-payers and equal amounts of free air=
 time.  Oh, and how about a six-week time limit on the general election c=
ampaign?  In other words, let's have an election like they have in the UK=
 or Canada.  And, by all means, let's get third, and fourth, and fifth pa=
rty candidates in there.  Nader would certainly add something to the deba=
tes; so would H. Ross Perot.  Hell, let's get Jesse Ventura and Pat Bucha=
nan, too.  More voices, different voices, smart voices, scary voices . . =
 I'm all for it.

In the meantime, back here on Planet Reality, those of us who recognize a=
nd deplore the damage Bush has done know that it is once again "lesser of=
 two evils" time.  That, for me, means John Kerry.  I'm not excited about=
 the prospect.  He does not make my heart go pit-a-pat.  I wish I could v=
ote for Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats, but they're running in=
 Great Britain and I'm not registered there.  And so, I must ask myself, =
what would the devil Kerry do in comparison to the demon Bush?  Would he =
push a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?  No.  Would he make =
Bush's tax cuts permanent?  No.  Would he nominate more Antonin Scalias t=
o the federal bench?  No.    =20

So, unless I can convince Herbert West to raise Bobby Kennedy from the de=
ad, this year I'll have to make do with the other JFK.  And, honey, if th=
at means I never have to watch George W. waffle his unimpressive way thro=
ugh the pathetically tame Washington press corps, I'll be happy.

With low expectations,
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment     Get more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explo=
rer download : http://explorer.msn.com

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Tim writes:</D=
IV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>&gt;But&nbsp;only 50% of registered voters usu=
ally&nbsp;bother to vote&nbsp;in&nbsp;Pres. elections anyway you say?&nbs=
p;And only &gt;about 50% of those&nbsp;eligible to vote bother to registe=
r?&nbsp; So you're saying that the Pres. elections only &gt;attract about=
 25% of those who could participate?&nbsp;And that the last few president=
s have taken office &gt;without even a majority of this fractional number=
 of voters?</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>So what&nbsp;w=
ould you think, Tim, about having publicly-financed elections?&nbsp; No&n=
bsp;more politicians soliciting&nbsp;donations, corporate, private, or PA=
C, just a set amount of money from the tax-payers and equal&nbsp;amounts =
of&nbsp;free&nbsp;air time.&nbsp; Oh, and how about&nbsp;a six-week time =
limit on the general election campaign?&nbsp; In other words, let's have =
an election like they have in the UK&nbsp;or Canada.&nbsp; And, by all me=
ans, let's get third, and fourth, and fifth party candidates in there.&nb=
sp; Nader would certainly add something to the debates; so would&nbsp;H. =
Ross Perot.&nbsp; Hell, let's get Jesse Ventura and Pat Buchanan, too.&nb=
sp; More voices, different voices, smart voices, scary voices . . . I'm a=
ll for it.</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>In the meantime, back here on Pla=
net Reality,&nbsp;those of us who recognize and deplore the damage Bush h=
as done know that&nbsp;it is once again&nbsp;"lesser of two evils" time.&=
nbsp; That, for me, means John Kerry.&nbsp; I'm not excited about the pro=
spect.&nbsp; He does not make my heart go pit-a-pat.&nbsp; I wish I could=
 vote for Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats, but they're running =
in Great Britain and I'm not registered there.&nbsp; And so, I must&nbsp;=
ask myself, what would the devil Kerry do&nbsp;in comparison to the&nbsp;=
demon Bush?&nbsp; Would&nbsp;he push a constitutional amendment to ban ga=
y marriage?&nbsp; No.&nbsp; Would he&nbsp;make&nbsp;Bush's tax cuts perma=
nent?&nbsp; No.&nbsp; Would he nominate more Antonin Scalias to the feder=
al bench?&nbsp; No.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>So, u=
nless I can convince Herbert West to raise Bobby Kennedy from the dead, t=
his year&nbsp;I'll have to make do with the other JFK.&nbsp; And, honey, =
if that means I never have to watch George W. waffle his unimpressive way=
 through the pathetically tame Washington press corps, I'll be happy.</DI=
V> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>With low expectations,</DIV> <DIV>Joan Opyr/Aun=
tie Establishment&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML><br cl=
ear=3Dall><hr>Get more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : <a hre=
f=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>

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