Ripper, there is a clear core of right-wing religious evangelicals who now pretty much dominate the Republican Party. They just haven't chosen the spokesperson to put a pretty face on the theocratic goals they are intending to impose.

Inhofe. Coburn. Ennis. Sanford. Huckabee. Palin. Ensign. Bachman. Katherine Harris was one of them. The entire C-Street gang. Jindal. Vitter. Boustany. Tom DeLay was one of them. Santorum. I don't know, but I'll bet Joe Wilson is one of them. Probably DeMint and Sessions, too. Judge Roy Moore. Bush was one of them. And many, many more. I'll also add Scalia and Thomas.

Their goal is to roll back the move into modernism to a time before the Enlightenment. They think they can do it but keep the technology that has grown out of the scientific thinking of the Enlightenment.

The twentieth century was a moral disaster to them. They are looking for a leader like Bush who can be accepted by the independent voters. Karl Rove gave them Shrub in 2000. They are looking for the next "W." (Palin appears to have self-destructed. So far. Can she find her own Rove and be resurrected?)

I think you and Lisa are both right. We need to recognize that there is a system, focused on the rural areas and opposed to the people of the large cities, and that system is designed to frustrate every step into modern times and the future.

We need to put a face on it, but we need to remember also that it is a system designed to obstruct Democrats and adaptation to modern problems.

What has been accomplished in 8 months by President Obama?

He stabilized the markets, so 401Ks are starting to slowly come back and we are not about to meltdown anymore. Unemployment numbers are coming down dramatically from when he took over. GDP went from 6.5 shrinkage to 1 shrinkage since he has been in office. Tens of thousands of state employees still have jobs, and services are maintained because of his stimulus.

He ended torture. He IS closing Gitmo.

95% of Americans are receiving a tax DECREASE.

He provided unemployment, food stamps and a 65% reduction in Cobra for those who lost their jobs.

He set new emissions standards.

He protected wilderness land set for oil leases.

He got Pakistan to agree to fight the Taliban, which Bush never could. The top leader was taken out this week.

He nominated and got confirmed the first latina Supreme Court Justice in history.

He signed Equal Pay for Equal Work, Children's Health Bill and Credit Card Reform.

He has a first time home owner's credit, a modification of mortgage plan in place. (This needs work, but it is in place)

He has made it easier for students to get college loans. (UMass just gave a 1500 rebate to all students because of the stimulus money.)

He has improved America's image around the world, especially with Muslim countries.

He got the 2 NK journalists out.

He got the non-proliferation treaties going again, and he will chair the next meeting. Already an agreement exists to reduce Russia's and US's arms.

A significant amount of the bailout money is being paid back. This is a good thing.

He has taken on healthcare, the most difficult thing to pass in the US. I am not completely happy with how he is doing it, but he is doing it.*

He ended the abstinence only thing. And the law that said a pharmacist could refuse to give birth control pills to women if they so chose.

He is sticking to the timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq.

He got funding for the useless bomber cut.And those heliocoptors. He plans to make more weapons' cuts.

He has cut 2 trillion from the budget over the next ten years.

He has taken on energy, the second most difficult thing to pass in the US and it has already passed the House.

He saved the American auto industry. (Cash for clunkers is doing great too, both for the industry and jobs, and for the environment.)

He is building a green economy for the US. First steps in the stimulus, others in the energy bill.

More jobs will be created in transportation when rest of stimulus kicks in in 2010.

He is facing complete disrespect and vilification from the media and the wingnuts,getting more than 30 death threats per day,and still goes on, calmly and with determination and intelligence.

I know only too well that feeling when you can't see around the corner. Just wanted to say good luck, but you don't need it. From what I've seen of you here, I'm willing to bet you come out better in your next job. Don't let it get you down (and screw 'em if they can't take a joke).

I'm sorry you lost your job. But that doesn't justify your continued attempts to snipe at me within your "apology" so you can feel better about things.

Agree with the job well done.

I think one must study the gilded age to truly appreciate what is going on here. The forces arrayed in full contempt of the people, that make their existence possible, has never been clearer.

That we're in opposition to forces that have most of the wealth and power in this country (and want to keep it that way) is fairly obvious. Just look at the utter abomination that the SCotUS is arguing this past week, (corporations are persons and should be able to make political contributions) and we can give the system it's name. Corporate interests.

A corporation exists for one reason only: to make money for its stockholders. Because of this, it is stupid, short-sighted, and in the end, self-defeating. Our distant forbearers avoided many of the pitfalls we are now experiencing because they recognized that a corporation had an unfair advantage over other "persons." Most people cannot limit themselves merely to chasing after wealth, they have to eat, they have to sleep--oh, and they die. So corporations were dissolved every 75 years or so in order to address this inequity.

When they are allowed to live beyond this, we get what we have here, a corrupt system that is geared to benefit the few at the expense of the many.

Are massive demonstrations needed? Perhaps, but I would remind people that the largest demonstrations in the history of mankind were held to protest the invasion of Iraq, and they didn't exactly do anything. So blaming the populace is a cop out. Things just aren't that simple.

As an aside, I've always found blaming the victims to be morally reprehensible.

What is needed is trust-busting, and leaders with some sense of decency. Leaders that speak softly, carry a big stick, and have piranhas for a legal staff and the fear of retribution from the populace to cower Congress into doing what is right for the majority. Having a Liberal SCotUS would help, but obviously, that's just another part of the bought interests at this point, so that will take some time to fix, if not a generation.

Until then, I agree with Lis that it is helpful to look broadly as well as narrowly. There are a few that do, like Bill Moyers, who has worked tirelessly against these inhuman corporate interests.

It's time we called them out, too. Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees.