Something's Rotten... and This Isn't Denmark
William Bright bill47intx@yahoo.com

Do you honestly believe Bush's approval polls? I do NOT believe their validity or accuracy for an instant! It's another case of "don't believe everything you hear or read". I think those polls are heavily skewed by the GOP and their supporters. It makes me wonder if the polltakers call only Republican households.

Let's look at a previously unknown (to me) tactic whereby Republicans use shady -- and maybe other possibly illegal -- practices to help ensure they "win" elections.

Last week, I had taken a friend to the doctor and while in the waiting room, I struck up a conversation with a "Winter Texan". For those who do not know, Winter Texans are people who live up north and move to Texas for a few months to get away from the freezing winters in their hometowns. Anyway, the lady was from northern Oklahoma and we started talking about traveling and RVs. Eventually, the subject of politics came up, and the lady shared something that I never knew or even considered until then.

Back in her hometown, the lady had a friend, an elderly woman (now a former friend), who would visit often and chat over coffee. As friends eventually do, they discussed everything under the sun, and things under the ground, too. Yep... politics.

The elderly lady shared a secret about herself with her neighbor. Laughing about it, she said she was a Republican, but had registered as a Democrat so she could vote in all of the Democratic elections. The Winter Texan asked why in the world she would register with the opposing party. With a smile, the old woman said she did it so that she could vote for the "weakest Democratic candidate", to help the Republican odds in the general elections.

Is that dead fish or something else I smell?

So now we know that the Republicans will -- and do -- *anything* to help their party, including infiltrating the opposition party(s) to weaken their opponent's chances of winning an election. If this is a typical characteristic of Republicans -- being sneaky and dishonest -- then I wonder what else they do that they want to keep hidden.

If people open their eyes and ears, I think they will see the Republicans as a "hook or crook" party, where they will do anything to win power and to stay in power. Can you imagine the hue and cry from the hypocritical GOPers if their opposition were doing what they are doing?

Any Republicans that happen to read this far, are you proud of yourself... proud that your party includes trickery to help their party? Are you so desperate for power that you cannot be honest and open about your thoughts and actions? Do you think that the radio station in Florida was sponsored by Democrat supporters when they misled hundreds of people by purporting to help them register to vote, then -- wonder of wonders -- never even bothering to send the paperwork in to be enrolled as a voter? Or that Democrats were responsible when the voting site was at schools that were closed or torn down, and no one bothered to inform many Democratic voters? Can you spell "chicanery" yet? (For another example of what some high-ranking Americans had planned many years ago to control public thinking and gain power, do a word search on "Operation Northwood".)

Think about it. I'm sure there's much more Republican subterfuge that has been kept away from public view. And of course, if you call them on it, they'd only laugh and accuse you of being a conspiracy nut. Sure, there are a lot of nutty conspiracies, but there's also some truth in a lot of them.

What can be done to counteract this and other hidden Republican trickery? I don't have the answers, but I do think we need to unite and expose every deceptive tactic they do in the name of Democracy. It's too bad we can't trust Republicans to do what's honest and above-board.

In closing, I'd like to leave you with the sobering words of the man who campaigned that he'd bring back dignity into the White House:

"There ought to be limits to freedom." -George W. Bush, May 21, 1999, in response to learning there were many anti-Bush websites

"If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." -George W. Bush, December 18, 2000

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier... there's no question about it." -George W. Bush, July 26, 2001

Sooner or later, what you think will surely slip out.