Why can't everyone be more like me, and stick to calm, rational discussion based mutual respect for our fellow commentators?

Bad language, insinuations against and impugning of the character of other commentators only leads to discord, and distracts us all from our shared Socratic goal of reasoned debate.

Half the country, perhaps the same half that didn't vote for the president, is legitimately opposed to the approach on health care by this administration. Ad hoc attacks on the motivation and sincerity of the opposition seems to be the play of the day with the authoritarian, busy body, know-it-all, morally unassailable left.

Let's see what we have… representatives receiving death threats, representatives needing police escorts to cars, conservatives in many districts all up in arms over Limbaugh's urging to shout down their own elected representatives at town halls. Some wingnuts may be calling for violence against representatives and Democrats in general…

Where are the Republican leaders trying to tone their crowds down? Oh, I forgot…. they're joking along with the wingnuts that Democratic elected officials almost got lynched….

Last year it took the Secret Service to step in before McCain and Palin denounced the people at their rallies shouting death threats towards Obama.

Yup, that's real Republican leadership these days.

Last year when the crowds at Obama's rallies started to get a little rowdy, he calmed them down and told them to “just vote”.

As an American, which party would you rather belong to? A party that promotes violence (if not explicitly, then implicitly) against fellow Americans or a party that believes in the power of the ballot box?

Terror: “violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands”.

mudslinging101 wrote: “In America you can not carry a firearm to a “public” gathering such as this case.even with a concealed weapons permit.as for Canada's nearly “free” health care , isn't there a line 5 miles long waiting for that so-called health care. and it isn't free. your taxes pay for it.”

Absolutely. Even Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) made you check your guns at the door.

mudslinging also 101wrote: “… as for Canada's nearly “free” health care , isn't there a line 5 miles long waiting for that so-called health care. and it isn't free. your taxes pay for it.”

This too is true, it's also true that the taxes they pay is less then they would have to pay if they had to buy their own health insurance.

If employers pay their employees the money (both employer and employee contributions) and the government provided health care (as is done in Canada) provided through tax revenue: a) the unemployed indigent would have health care; b) middle class America would be money ahead; and, c) the wealthy, as always, would not be affected.

Ok jwest and casualobserver, run with it! LOL!

casualobserver wrote: “Yesterday, Rahm Emanuel called lefties who are overtly critical of blue dog Dems…”f__ing stupid” and no one censored him.”

Thanks for the heads up CO… I hate it when Rahm uses the “Dick Cheney Playbook” without checking with me first.

There's a auto-moderate feature for certain swear words and they are automatically replaced. I'm watching it carefully to make sure it doesn't make folks' words sound too crazy. “BS” to “crap” ain't bad. LOL!@@

SteveK, I would suggest you appeal this matter to a higher authority. Yesterday, Rahm Emanuel called lefties who are overtly critical of blue dog Dems…”f__ing stupid” and no one censored him.

Unfortunately, yes. One far right nutcase is going to shoot someone and either get arrested or shoot himself. Then the entire left side of the blogosphere is going to pick up the story as an indictment against ALL conservatives.

The wingnut crazies already killed a doctor and three cops because Obamama will give away abortions and take away your guns. But Limpbaugh wants these nuts at the doors of the SL SEIU…

Clean up your act, lefties. We disagree with you, and have a right to do so. We don't appreciate leftists spying on us from the WH, or organizing goon squads to assault us on the streets.

Thank you very much.

In his defense, the point that the only violence has been by leftist union thugs against concerned citizens is something that could only have been left out of the original article on purpose in order to deceive the readers.

What is it about the truth that makes liberals do everything in their power to avoid telling it?

I disagree with you that someone of that definition is going to be swayed by what I, or any other rational conservative, might write or not write on a blog.

I do agree that over the top rhetoric about the bill's faults might contribute to that- so, I have no problem giving a blanket statement condemning that.

And I'm cutting this comment short in order to not appear to be qualifying that condemnation toward a few actors on the other side because I know you'll feel that that would weaken the condemning statement I'm making toward some dishonest extremists of the left. I also happen to disagree with you though that such statements give 'winks and nods' or nullify any of the sentiment that I'm willing to express toward my own side of the aisle. Personally I think we'd be all much better off if we did apply scrutiny to both parties, and particularly on a blog where there are people from left and right, it helps people feel that one side isn't getting examined constantly while the faults of the other side get ignored. If the main bloggers here would pick up on stories that are critical of the left as often as they do so toward the right, then the conservative bloggers wouldn't feel such a need to mention those stories in response to the ones that are critical of right wingers. There doesn't even have to be an equivalency- just some indication that left leaning readers and bloggers here are even aware of such occurrences. If you're only reading about right wing loons, of course you're going to have a feeling that the imbalance is so skewed- but I assure you that conservatives who only read right wing blogs get the same impression in the other direction.

Stay classy, Sam. Stay classy.