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jeremy_hi
mli
Stewartville, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 8:16:11 AM
Smells like liberals masquerading as centrists. I suspect most of the ideas they formulate involve the government spending more of your money.
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 8:40:50 AM
Well Jeremy—Sounds (smells??) like you’ve got it all figured-out in advance of even knowing what its about.
If you distrust the PB’s explanation, why not lift a finger to link to this organization’s own website, to see how they describe themselves. SEE
www.citizensleague.org
My only criticism about the editorial is that the PB didn’t inform us readers of some important event details—e.g.
Rochester Affiliate Kick-Off Event: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Rochester Golf and Country Club; 3100 Country Club Road W. Cash bar and hors d’oeuvres.
Admission is free and open to all.
theblueca
t
Roch, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 9:04:57 AM
Actually,
jeremy is right. Only liberals will be there. I found the buzzwords, or code words, in the article telling me this:
“That leaves plenty of topics up for discussion, including health care, environmental protection, poverty and education”.
Notice the topics weren’t “how g*ys are destroying civilization’” or “how public schools lead your child on the path to satan.” I listened to “Christian Radio” yesterday. I swear those were the only two topics discussed.
I have heard though the Citizens League that they make take a token phone call from a conservative though, perhaps a reading of “Obama’s college thesis”, the favorite hoax du jour.
Good luck. I agree with jeremy. Why pretend this will be bipartisan or include Republicans? Afterall they are discussing healthcare, education, poverty, and environmental protection.
aghast
jefferson, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 9:09:56 AM
“to see how they describe themselves.”
That ought to be a credible source.
Look how today’s free spending conservatives describe themselves, and how today’s “Big Brother liberals describe themselves.
Let’s not forget about the “nuke’em all and let God sort ‘em out ‘Christians’.”
artista
rochester, mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 9:57:31 AM
“Why pretend this will be bipartisan or include Republicans? Afterall they are discussing healthcare, education, poverty, and environmental protection.”
These four subjects don’t interest republicans?
Mrs_C
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 10:04:06 AM
Health care, environmental protection, poverty, and education are concerns no matter what one’s Political affiliation happens to be.
Either we are part of the solution, or we are part of the problem.
madrick
rochester, MN
beekeeper
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 1:37:46 PM
Considering how alcohol and “intelligent discussion” rarely mix, the cash bar part might be a bummer, but it sounds like an interesting event.
AverageJo
e
Anywhere, US
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 2:55:52 PM
Question for the organizers that will help clear up whether this is truly a bipartisan effort and worthwhile for the greater good. Are persons responsible for their quality of life or is the government?
madrick
rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:01:45 PM
Question for “joe the average six-pack”...do you believe President Barack Obama was born in the U.S.?
BillChris
topher
Olmsted County, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:11:10 PM
I’d rather attend a meeting of the justice league, but I guess if this is all we get in “these here parts...”
irishman
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:14:29 PM
Very enlightening reading the various posts. Very telling as to which crowd would show up for this and find it beneficial.
After perusal of the posters I would say for me personally I would rather have an impacted wisdom tooth, hemmoroids, a crushing migraine, a piece of glass in my eye and a pool cue jammed up my nose all at the same time, rather than listen to what I anticipate is a get together to figure out ways to steal from the workers, to give to the slackers, and the government is the answer to all of their problems.
AverageJo
e
Anywhere, US
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 3:26:09 PM
Madrick: I sure do, and I don’t pay attention to those that don’t. In fact, I put them in the same category as those that marginalize conservative viewpoints with examples of fringe behavior.
beekeeper
Rochester, MN
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 9:15:04 PM
“If you distrust the PB’s explanation, why not lift a finger to link to this organization’s own website, to see how they describe themselves.”
I wonder how ACORN’s website defines the organization. Given the fact that they were caught in the act of aiding and abetting child prostitution, I would have a hard time believing anything they say on their website.
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/28/2009 at 9:23:48 PM
“Either we are part of the solution, or we are part of the problem.”
Elitist intelligentsia types only add to societal challenges instead of solving them
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 12:28:12 AM
Well Irish, old friend—If all you had to offer was to show-up and demonstrate in person what you like to excrete online, I imagine that they too would rather you experience those unpleasant things, privately.
If, on the other hand, you (or even Othelmo) went there with an open mind, who knows what good things might come-out of the experience.
You could even take your GOP buddy Othelmo, to spread some of his unique `er...Insights.
theblueca
t
Roch, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:32:22 AM
I admit when I read Sean Kershaw’s comments above, I thought he/she was either a sweet sincere young person or a polite/cynical older person. And I thought what was said would also draw no Republican support. I wasn’t joking in my first comment. And there was jeremy’s first comment supporting what I thought initially.
While some people here may disgress, I do believe that perhaps the majority of Republicans have gone fringe. Recent polling has shown that nearly 40% of NJ conservatives think that Obama could be the anti-christ. And when I worked the phones in SE MN for the election, I talked to people here in Roch. who also thought that.
Here is another study from Democracy Now:
“Analysis:
Why Republican Leaders will have Trouble Speaking to the Rest of America
The self-identifying conservative Republicans who make up the base of the Republican Party stand a world apart from the rest of America, according to focus groups conducted by Democracy Corps. These base Republican voters dislike Barack Obama to be sure – which is not very surprising as base Democrats had few positive things to say about George Bush – but these voters identify themselves as part of a ‘mocked’ minority with a set of shared beliefs and knowledge, and commitment to oppose Obama that sets them apart from the majority in the country. They believe Obama is ruthlessly advancing a ‘secret agenda’ to bankrupt the United States and dramatically expand government control to an extent nothing short of socialism. While these voters are disdainful of a Republican Party they view to have failed in its mission, they overwhelmingly view a successful Obama presidency as the destruction of this country’s founding principles and are committed to seeing the president fail.
...
The Republican base voters are not part of the continuum leading to the center of the electorate: they truly stand apart. ...
The conservative Republican base represents almost one-in-five voters in the electorate, and nearly two out of every three self-identified Republicans. ...
First and foremost, these conservative Republican voters believe Obama is deliberately and ruthlessly advancing a ‘secret agenda’ to bankrupt our country and dramatically expand government control over all aspects of our daily lives. They view this effort in sweeping terms, and cast a successful Obama presidency as the destruction of the United States as it was conceived by our founders and developed over the past 200 years.
This concern combines with a profound sense of collective identity. In our conversations, it was striking how these voters constantly characterized themselves as part of a group of individuals who share a set of beliefs, a unique knowledge, and a commitment of opposition to Obama that sets them apart from the majority of the country. They readily identify themselves as a minority in this country – a minority whose values are mocked and attacked by a liberal media and class of elites. They also believe they possess a level of knowledge and understanding when it comes to politics and current events, one gained from a rejection of the mainstream media and an embrace of conservative media and pundits such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, which sets them apart even more. Further, they believe this position leaves them with a responsibility to spread the word, to educate those who do not share their insights, and to take back the country that they love. Their faith in this country and its ideals leave them confident that their numbers will grow, and that they will ultimately defeat Barack Obama and the shadowy forces driving his hidden agenda.”
Two out of three Republicans according to this study want/need Obama to fail. They don’t want to do any problem solving on any issue that may per chance help Obama.
Perhaps the citizens league could offer clever themes/title to inadvertently lead Republicans in, like, “Will a Nixonian approach to environmentalism work again?” Just a suggestion.
madrick
rochester, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 8:40:13 AM
this sounds like a description of a few posters on here, for certain!
Atilla
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 9:22:26 AM
“Rochester Golf and Country Club, the St. Paul-based Citizens League..”
Oh yeah, the freakin Rochester Country Club. That’s just the place the elite “citizen league” oooops I mean your average working stiff gets to meet at every day now isn’t it?
Will there be free grub too?
AverageJo
e
Anywhere, US
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 1:01:53 PM
Hey Bluecat, don’t you know you’re supposed to link to sites that support your argument, not copy paste the whole frickin text.
And, I find it interesting you try to pin a psychological roadmap on the conservative mind at the same time all media are trying to figure out what part of Obama’s brain makes hime so averse to criticism that he attacks networks.
At least NBC and the NY Times realize there will again be a Republican President and they don’t want to be on the other side of this lame-brained precedent set by Obama’s bulldogs.
irishman
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 1:13:47 PM
Ah yes frank, you old so-and-so. There have been a very few memorable occassion in my life where I found myself in a gaggle of lefties and I am speaking for myself only when I tell you there would not be enough alcohol at the cash or open bar to entice me to hang out or reasonably discuss with people who’s entire thought process is so foreign to any rational person I know, or any intelligent debate I have ever had.
Just this one mans opinion, I do know my limitations.
theblueca
t
Roch, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 2:25:43 PM
AverageJoe,
Guilty as charged, posted long sections of a very long article. But it’s extremely pertinent to the issue at hand.
Conversation and discussion on issues of common interest is important. Unfortunately the spokesperson for the Citizen’s League posted a statement that would get the ire up of a lot of conservatives here in town. See comments above as posted.
To avoid doing that in the future, the Citizen’s League should understand the mind set of Republicans here. What’s here on the PB online may be irrelevant of any overall sentiment on anything - multiple avators and everything, but the sentiments I read in the article are ones I hear about town. MPR has learned how to placate Republicans with discussion like - “Is Reagan as great as Churchill” etc. My earlier suggestion was a discussion of Nixon’s approach to environmental protection.
And I do find the article on the Byron Schools an exception to a lot of what I hear. Nice job. People in Byron can rationally, for the most part, discuss the school referendum. Good example for everyone.
AverageJoe, I do not pester “fringe” people to make a point Your so-called fringe is the majority. I am concerned that the Republican Party may have left you. I can’t help it if you don’t think that there’s a good chance that Obama is the anti-Christ or born in Kenya or born in Indonesian or wants to kill seniors with flu shots. Maybe your in denial. I don’t know.
And for your rant on Obama and the media, as I stated before, I think the White House decided that Fox News with all its’ anti-vaccination talk and the segments on the possiblity of the govt implanting of the tracking chips in the arm was over the top, and anti-public health. Why cater to that mentality?
mdb325
Kasson, MN
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 4:07:36 PM
Frank, you have already made it abundantly clear how you feel about people who lean towards ‘conservative’. Why on earth would anyone want to sit in a room with you just to hear how ignorant and hateful they are? You say that you can have reasonable discussion, but I have yet to see that displayed here. Mavrick, there’s a reason you needed a new handle; and reasonable discussion was not it.
See you there.
Atilla
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/29/2009 at 4:23:45 PM
Comment Removed.
Editor's Note:
Keep comments civil.
Atilla
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/30/2009 at 7:11:48 AM
Comment Removed.
Editor's Note:
Please keep comments civil.
Atilla
Rochester, Mn
Posted on 10/30/2009 at 8:44:37 AM
What the....I WAS civil.
The truth hurts?
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/1/2009 at 8:49:02 PM
Right on, mdb325. Hawthorne’s self-important diatribes and offensive name-calling is what one comes to expect if their thoughts don’t mirror the serial posting leftist librarian and union boss’s own.
Ron_Burgu
ndy
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/2/2009 at 2:39:19 PM
Yeah, this group is a bunch of left-wing extremists, but the tea party people are most certainly not card carrying Republicans that get ALL their news from Faux, right?
Pot calling the kettle black!
apollo13
rochester, mn
Posted on 11/2/2009 at 7:55:30 PM
Irishman’s first post describes this meeting best.
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 12:46:27 AM
Planned Parenthood Leader Resigns After Watching Abortion Ultrasound (Video)
(Available at http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2009/11/planned-parenthood-leader-resigns-after-watching-abortion-ultrasound/)
The leader of Planned Parenthood in College Station, Texas left her post after watching the ultrasound of an abortion procedure. Abby Johnson told reporters that Planned Parenthood changed it’s business model from one that pushed prevention, to one that focused on abortion.
According to Johnson, the non-profit was struggling under the weight of a tough economy, and changing it’s business model from one that pushed prevention, to one that focused on abortion.
“It seemed like maybe that’s not what a lot of people were believing any more because that’s not where the money was. The money wasn’t in family planning, the money wasn’t in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that,” said Johnson.
Johnson said she was told to bring in more women who wanted abortions, something the Episcopalian church goer recently became convicted about.
“I feel so pure in heart (since leaving). I don’t have this guilt, I don’t have this burden on me anymore that’s how I know this conversion was a spiritual conversion.”
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 12:52:01 AM
“Smells like liberals masquerading as centrists. I suspect most of the ideas they formulate involve the government spending more of your money.”
FrankHawthorne’s feculent, defensive response validates your concern.
Pirate77
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 7:22:24 PM
Othelmo, I was going to post the exact same link. I wonder if all of these proud liberals would feel so cavalier about abortion if they also saw one performed.
The other thing I wonder is how they can subscribe to such broken logic. Case in point: in arguments past, freethinker has made it very clear that he doesn’t want anyone else involved when “health care choices” are being made between his daughter and her doctor. At the same time, they have no qualms about government run health care. The irony is morbidly splendid.
THIS VERSION of the same story talk about how much $$$ PP gets for each abortion and that they needed to do more to get more money. So much for Frank’s faux desire to keep abortions rare.
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 8:21:11 PM
The inscrutable & all-seeing (but oft-predictable) Mr. Pirate posted:
“Othelmo, I was going to post the exact same link. I wonder if all of these proud liberals would feel so cavalier about abortion if they also saw one performed.”
Well, I wonder How many non-medical folks would agree to Any Legal, medical procedure if they saw one performed?
[But this also begs the question: Would Pirate allow the abortion if he were God & could see that the future child would grow-up to be a Homosexual Episcopal Bishop???]
Don’t wish to sound like Andy Rooney; but I sometimes wonder if we’re seeing so much of the same-old, same-old GOP generated boiler plate because it IS in reality the multi-personality ODS posting under multiple screen names…
Nah—He’s an Olmsted GOP “activist,” he’s got a full-time job, plus a Big family (who would Never see him if that were the case). Can’t be.
Stil-l-l; Stranger things in cyber-space have happened.
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 8:25:40 PM
P.S. And—since I know They will ask—My excuse for missing tonight’s Citizen’s League event is a bad cold, that kept me In all day.
I figured that if I went out this evening and accidentally infected our friends & neighbors of The Right, we’d never hear the end of it.
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 9:41:56 PM
“Well, I wonder How many non-medical folks would agree to Any Legal, medical procedure if they saw one performed?”
The problem is that the “procedure” involved slices and dices an unborn human being at his or her most vulnerable stage of development. Seeing a scalpel dismember and decapitate a baby finally snapped former Planned Parenthood leader Abby Johnson back into sanity, morality and humanity.
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 9:45:54 PM
“...since I know They will ask—My excuse for missing tonight’s Citizen’s League event ...”
Actually, NObody cares. Besides, I saw plenty of liberals in the audience, former legislators Dave Bishop and Sheila Kiscaden as well as Olmsted Count DFL Party of Shame chairperson Lynn Wilson among them, to more than make up the (in)difference.
FrankWHaw
thorne
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 9:46:10 PM
And what will it take to bring You “back”...
Othelmo__
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/3/2009 at 9:48:21 PM
The leftist intelligentsia’s “retorts” are becoming lamer and lamer.
Pirate77
Rochester, MN
Posted on 11/4/2009 at 4:56:28 AM
“...because it IS in reality the multi-personality ODS posting under multiple screen names...”
Ah, Frank, you’re wrong again. How delightful!
Abortion is the only legal surgical procedure designed to kill a living person. Frank, your attempt to insinuate that all medical procedures are horrific was beyond lame, just like most of the justifications offered for abortion continuing to be legal.
The massive contradictions that exist within (extremist?) liberal thought/logic are quite astounding at times.
madrick
rochester, MN
Posted on 11/4/2009 at 5:04:55 AM
mdb321: why so negative? how many other posters here are reasonable?
