You are right, DG, it is very difficult to repond to it, except to try to put their aquiescence (“equivalence”), at times even support of such diatribe in perspective, as dr e. has so effectively done with her description of child molestation.

As you bring up the “two wrongs make a right” argument, the thought comes to mind when some keep bringing up the vile things that were said against George W. Bush as an “explanantion” for the vile things that are being said of Obama: I bet you anything that Democrats were bringing up the insults Republicans launched against Clinton (“you did it, too”), whenever Republicans complained about the insults hurled at GWB, and so on, and so on.

I guess what I am trying to say, yes, both sides “do it,” but who is going to be the first not to use that as an excuse to continue this madness ad infinitum….

Actually, I think its not hard to respond to. You use facts, and you use examples of the other side doing it and ask them to face their hypocrisy while at the same time condemning hypocrisy when your own side presents it. Maybe I just see things this way because I despised Bush in many areas and don't have a high opinion of Obama thus far either, for many of the same reasons. I disliked the way Tom Delay ran Congress and I dislike the fact that Nancy Pelosi is running things the same way. As long as you keep your standards the same no matter who is in power, its really not that hard. That does not mean giving up your own views.

For example I can say Joe Wilson's remarks were inappropriate (I have done so because they were) point out that others have made similar remarks and note that those were not being brought up because it was more an effort to demonize one political party for the partisan agenda of some than to discredit such behavior by all, and still assert that dispite this churlish behavior by Wilson, that it did get the positive result (In my view) of having Obama add in an inclusion of nationality verification in his plan. This is not saying 1 wrongs make a right, this is saying that there are 2 wrongs not just one, face the facts.

and I could be totally wrong

If your referring to me, you are. But don't take my word for it, just read what I post with preconceived notions and I think you will get it after you take a wider and unpredjudiced look at my posts over time. You don't seem like an ideologue, although each of us has some boas. I got mine, and you have yours but that doesn't mean we don't apply our standards to our own preferred side.

Could you point me to where Personhood Florida has killed people? Thanks.

NONE of which occurred in the first 9 months of GWB presidency. Again, this doesn't excuse the Right-fringe of it anymore than it does the Left-fringe.

The “They did it first” excuse gets very old after age 5 don't you think?

Let's see, perhaps because the anti-abortion kooks and the Taliban have both killed people they don't agree with?

NOTHING President Obama has done has come anywhere near the same galaxy as molestation so there is no excuse to for the reference.

DaGoat: “Both comments are however in poor taste and inaccurate.”

I'll agree with you on that.

However, none of the comments were anywhere near as divisive as what has been said about Obama (who I did vote for).

In fact, I think that was the first time I ever agreed with DaGoat on anything.

You are right, DG, it is very difficult to repond to it, except to try to put their aquiescence (“equivalence”), at times even support of such diatribe in perspective, as dr e. has so effectively done with her description of child molestation.

As you bring up the “two wrongs make a right” argument, the thought comes to mind when some keep bringing up the vile things that were said against George W. Bush as an “explanantion” for the vile things that are being said of Obama: I bet you anything that Democrats were bringing up the insults Republicans launched against Clinton (“you did it, too”), whenever Republicans complained about the insults hurled at GWB, and so on, and so on.

I guess what I am trying to say, yes, both sides “do it,” but who is going to be the first not to use that as an excuse to continue this madness ad infinitum….

kluiewscience

DE I think you're right, and I've often seen people trying to use the “two wrongs make a right” argument. There is sort of a corollary argument though, that it seems like many people are not bothered so much by the ugliness, but that it was ugliness directed against their “side”. There are certain contributors here that consistently complain only about comments directed against the party they are sympathetic to, and ignore or defend the rest. I don't know the best way to respond to that.

Yes and yes.

However, it is my suspicion—and I could be totally wrong—that when some incessantly and invariably bring up “counter-examples” of similar vile behavior by others, they may be just trying to extenuate, mitigate, or just plain excuse behavior that has absolutely no justiification, on either side.

Republicans have no Honor.

The same might be said of those who paint with a broad brush of stereotyping.

The Right Honorable President of the United States Barack Obama is my President, of whom I am well pleased.

Americas median family income is less now than it was in 1999.

Pretty much to be expected when a bubble collapses, when the economy is artificially propped up it will eventually suffer a market correction no matter what government tries to do. The market is stronger than big government.

PLUS, nothing that was said about GWB was anywhere near as divisive as what has been said about Obama.

I would not say that. “War Criminal” comes to mind. Bush burned in effigy does as well, as does Bush-Hitler comparisons, and Progressives throwing shoes at someone dressed in a Bush mascot style outfit in prision stripes comes to mind as well.

Lets face it, both sides have participated in this type of behavior. Being honest and recognizing it is the first step to ending this type of thing, as long as criticism is directed only one way it isn't going to stop.

By the way…. the $700 billion that was released by the Bush administration at the end of his term…. with the last half of it released in 2009…. I believe the full $700 billion is reflected in the 2009 budget figures as it was released after the 2008 fiscal year. So the graph showing the large figure in Obama's first year in office… a large chunk of that is from Bush.