It's funny how uptight you get when people here, label you as a liberal or say that you argue from a liberal point of view, but you don't hesitate to label conservatives. I rarely see you labeling anyone liberal. Doesn't sound very moderate to me. Of course you did. But you also included this in post #2: Unless Jindal is running a self cloning program, you are also blaming the republican part of the legislature that had a hand in this, but clearly not the democrats that sponsored it and led the vote by a clear majority. The republicans will rob us, not the legislature - the republicans. The fact that you blamed dems later does not change the alacrity with which you criticize republicans, and the hesitance with which you criticize democrats. This post is quite clear to other posters even if it is not to you, or not what you intended to convey. Labeling me won't change that.
I never fail to be amused when people try to tell me what I believe. In fact, I'm the undisputed world's expert on what I believe. Are you not a conservative? Is Rex not liberal? Everyone labels themselves around here, Exactly! I was referring to Jindal and his PARTY. At that point in the thread the issue was Jindal's failure to act in order to get his PARTY'S agenda passed, by caving into the legislature. I addressed the legislatures greed later on and argued secifically that is was bi-partisan. Your misunderstanding of what I said is not my problem, since I've explained it repeatly in subsequent posts. Right now the republicans hold the Presidency and the Governorship and I'm not happy with it. The Republican party has fouled up badly recently and they deserve the criticism. When democrats are in office and start fouling up, you will hear me criticize them, too. Like I criticized Jimmuh Carter and Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco and Teddy Kennedy and et cetera . . . When I'm leaning left it is because I'm trying to pull the political pendulum back toward the center from its disasterous right swing. My hope is that it steadies somewhere near the middle. My fear is that it will swing too far to the left, as pendulums sometimes do. When it does, you will see me leaning right to influence it back toward the middle. I leaned left to support Clinton in 1992 after 12 years of reaganomics. I leaned right to support McCain in 2000 because he was closer to the center than Clinton. I leaned right to elect Jindal last year because I thought we needed a smarter governor, but his partisanship is showing already and he's putting it ahead of his own good sense. Why are you more worried about what I consider myself, rather than argue some issue and try to convince me of something? You just can't win trying to convince me that I'm not a moderate.
Actually I have never labeled myself anything. I am a registered Democrat who is fiscally conservative on some issues, and morally liberal on some issues, so by your own definition I am a moderate. Since you desire people to adhere to your own label and not what they deduce from your statements, perhaps you should follow your own advice. I acknowledged your criticism in later posts, but also pointed out that you had none for democrats initially. Your failure to admit the truth is not mine. Obviously. And though the democrats hold both houses on the federal and state level, and they actually write the bills, it all ends with the executive. Wait don't tell me, I feel another famed Red quote coming...."the buck stops with the president/governor". See, I saved you from saying it. I agree they deserve some. Democrats are in office. Did you not count Congress? As to you laying it on a democrat...I won't hold my breath. Perhaps you are, but attacking Jindal for passing a democratic written bill doesn't sound like that. You did it later, but not initially. I agree. And I am just as scared of the far right. Overzealous people in general scare me. As to the left, get ready cause it's swinging brother. Why do you get the impression I am worried? Miss the smiley face after my statement? My impression of you is based upon your accusations towards one political party and not another. It doesn't matter to me how much you proclaim one thing or another. Until I see you slamming irresponsible liberals(I have yet to see it), I am not going to buy that you are not liberal. Plenty of liberal shenanigans for you to go after, but you never seem to chime in on those. Apparently you have your opinion that I am a conservative because you have seen me defend Bush on some issues and slam Clinton on others. I don't care that you think that, even though it is inaccurate. If it bothers you so much, stop screaming it from the rooftops and start showing the moderation you proclaim. Generally speaking there is nothing but idiots in government today and plenty of blame to go around. When people see you laying in to the liberals here, maybe more of them will buy that you are moderate. Today that doesn't seem to be the case. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it anyway, as I see most people on here are quick to mislabel anyway. You labeling me conservative is a perfect example.:thumb:
This state has been run by Democrats for much of its history and we have been in last place (or close) in most quality of life categories. St. Tammany Parish has been primarily led by Republicans for 30+ years and is toward the top of most quality of life categories in the state. Coincidence? Chance? Luck? I don't think so. I don't completely vote along party lines but I find it very difficult to vote for many Democrats in Louisiana. There are a few in local governments that have done a good job but many of the higher profile positions have and still are killing this state. Just an observation... In regards to pay raises, I believe you can only justify it if one of two things are present. 1) they've done a great job; or 2) a raise would encourage people capable of doing a good job to become legislators. Unfortunately...the first one is laughable at best...and the second won't happen because we continue to elect bad candidates even when we have better options. (Blanco...:nope
I could sit here for an hour and refute everything you said and I would come out on top because the thread proves me right however, I just want to hit a couple of things. You've changed your tune and that's fine. I think your first post was a little out of line and maybe you realize that now but your current explanation was not your stance at the beginning of this thread. I hope this wasn't referring to me. I only intended to tell you what you said, not what you think. If I fell while walking that line, I apologize. Otherwise, pretty much everything Dude has said goes for me too.
Okay, sorry I wanted to let it go but I have to talk about this one too. I don't profess shock when you bring up politics, just when people are needlessly partisan. We live in a very partisan world and there's no need to bring it where it isn't already. To be clear, it's partisan debate, not political debate I don't like in this situation. You're right, I don't speak for everyone else. They are speaking loud and clear for themselves. Go back through the thread and you will see. I was merely pointing it out. I would have to be a total idiot to not know this so I almost consider this an insult.:hihi: I guess I just don't understand condemning an entire party over one man's single action, and an action that has yet to occur by the way.
You keep belaboring this point even though I've explained it repeatedly. Like martin, you imagine that if you keep repeating something then it gains credibility. Sorry. Move on. Stop putting words in my mouth. Why not speak for yourself instead? Where does Congress come into this? You are seriously confused, Dude. Go look at any gun control thread and see where I stand, OK? See what I think about increasing the size of our military. Check what I've said about illegal immigration. Check on what I think of Teddy Kennedy . . . or Sharpton . . . or Jesse Jackson. You're not going to like it . . . it won't support your imaginary notion that I'm some sort of left-wing radical. Stop foolishly trying to tell me what I believe. Just tell us what you believe instead. You've stopped arguing about Jindal and the legislature and are on some personal crusade about me. Having failed to silence my arguments, you've decided instead to try to discredit me personally. You attack my beliefs, try tell me what my philosphy is, and make assumptions about my past criticisms of democrats or republicans without apparently checking or posting any evidence of such. Can you be so naive as to imagine that being a political moderate means that I must be temperamentally moderate? Because I'm not. I'm a registered independent, I vote both republican and democrat but I've never been a member of either party, I advocate balance and pragmatism over ideology and conviction, and I'll shout it from the rooftops if I want to. What are you afraid of hearing, Dude? Exactly. I have criticised democrats and republicans when they deserve it for almost 40 years. If I'm hard on today's republicans, it's because today they are worse than the democrats.
