31. The hundreds of billions of dollars spent on Iraq haven't gone down the drain, they've gone straight into the bank accounts of a few private contractors. I've never understood why that doesn't enrage the hell out of "Conservatives" that bitch and moan about the government wasting their taxes on "lazy people".

Mike R. at 12:25PM on May 15th 2007

32. We can post to places like this all day every day. Healthy to vent but George doesn't listen. Apparently his party does not either. They should have "heard" the results of last election. As a long time republican I voted straight ticket this last time - all democrat. I will do so again and again until the republicans listen to "us". I will also go out of my way to campaign for others to vote straight ticket democrat to "resend" the message to the republican party. Well, I don't vote blindly even as supportive of the troops as I am... there are a few republicans I can still support - the ones that have denounced the Bush growd and their murdering/criminal ways.

marcprue at 12:25PM on May 15th 2007

33. What do the young Jurks think you could have bought instead? Feed the starving people in Africa?

Alan Klaus at 10:09AM on May 16th 2007

34. We spend 7 times more on liberal entitlement programs than the total cost of our War on terror. These liberal programs have a 47 year failed history, yet we dump your tax money down this liberal rat hole yearly. America has been terror-free for the past 5 years, while the libbie give-a-way programs have made these people weaker and more dependent (the democrat's actual goal). Perspective, lets get it right. See ya in 2008.

david at 12:33PM on May 15th 2007

35. Hey Danny Boy (comment #11)
You might think you sound "smart" in bashing Phil
re comment #1, but I think you're nothing but a
shit bird suffering from a severe case of Bushitis.
By the way, some of your "facts" are also full of shit. Go find another planet!!

mdembree at 1:20PM on May 15th 2007

36. France, that everyone here loves to criticize, developed a program, years ago, to safely use nuclear energy to generate electrical power throughout the nation, which dramatically reduced its dependence on foreign oil. Nuclear energy does not waste as much land as corn production for ethenol, nor does it create a risk to increase the cost of all corn based products. The $500+ billions wasted on the war in Iraq could have been spent to chase Al Quaeda where it really is : Afghanistan and Pakistan, to increase protection of our borders, airports and ports, to reinforce our first responders: police, homeland security and reaction to natural disasters. That money could also have been used to provide health care for every american. It is a shame to know the the US has the highest cost of healthcare but also the lowest healthcare coverage for its citizens than any other western developed country.

Louis at 1:54PM on May 15th 2007

37. Continuation of my previous argument.

We are talking at a crossroads...Yes, We can all agree that we need oil to produce Electricity/Ethanol, but we have forgotten about ways of achieving an OIL FREE "USA"; Free From Cr@#k Head Bob and the rest of the gang which would lead us to our own demise. And How Would we get this Free Power from? Well, lets gow down the list of things of TOP 4 things that produce Free/or Safe Power:
1)Air Powered Windmill Generators which can be utilized all over the USA.

2)Solar Power, which is not used since it is so taboo with the Feds.

3)Wave Power Electric Generators which can be placed near the coast guard island in the New York bay and can generate up to a 1/3 of the energy which is required in New York.

4)Japan currently uses phosphor driven reactors, which are about the size of a 56 Chervy and can POWER 20 New York City Blocks. And are a lot safer then the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and run Much more efficiently. Also, after the 5 year life of a single phosphor cell, the cell can be safely neutralized and replace by a new cell.

Also, Have you heard about all about the electric cars themselves and California. Combine a completely electric car with any of the previously mentioned power generator technics and All OF Us Become FREEEEEEE of OIL and BUSH AND IRAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Martin Luther King said in his address to the People of the Great US and I apologies to anyone out there for this ref razing of the great mans speech!

"Free at last! Thank God I'm Free at Last!"

lmosenko at 12:47PM on May 15th 2007

38. France, that everyone here loves to criticize, developed a program, years ago, to safely use nuclear energy to generate electrical power throughout the nation, which dramatically reduced its dependence on foreign oil. Nuclear energy does not waste as much land as corn production for ethenol, nor does it create a risk to increase the cost of all corn based products. The $500+ billions wasted on the war in Iraq could have been spent to chase Al Quaeda where it really is : Afghanistan and Pakistan, to increase protection of our borders, airports and ports, to reinforce our first responders: police, homeland security and reaction to natural disasters. That money could also have been used to provide health care for every american. It is a shame to know the the US has the highest cost of healthcare but also the lowest healthcare coverage for its citizens than any other western developed country.

Louis at 12:49PM on May 15th 2007

39. Continuation of my previous argument.

We are talking at a crossroads...Yes, We can all agree that we need oil to produce Electricity/Ethanol, but we have forgotten about ways of achieving an OIL FREE "USA"; Free From Cr@#k Head Bob and the rest of the gang which would lead us to our own demise. And How Would we get this Free Power from? Well, lets gow down the list of things of TOP 4 things that produce Free/or Safe Power:
1)Air Powered Windmill Generators which can be utilized all over the USA.

2)Solar Power, which is not used since it is so taboo with the Feds.

3)Wave Power Electric Generators which can be placed near the coast guard island in the New York bay and can generate up to a 1/3 of the energy which is required in New York.

4)Japan currently uses phosphor driven reactors, which are about the size of a 56 Chervy and can POWER 20 New York City Blocks. And are a lot safer then the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and run Much more efficiently. Also, after the 5 year life of a single phosphor cell, the cell can be safely neutralized and replace by a new cell.

Also, Have you heard about all about the electric cars themselves and California. Combine a completely electric car with any of the previously mentioned power generator technics and All OF Us Become FREEEEEEE of OIL and BUSH AND IRAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Martin Luther King said in his address to the People of the Great US and I apologies to anyone out there for this ref razing of the great mans speech!

"Free at last! Thank God All Mighty! I'm Free at Last!"

lmosenko at 6:32PM on May 15th 2007

40. The comments regarding the development of alternative forms of energy were interesting. I agree that oil underlies the Iraq quagmire, along with fear of seeming weak and loss of face, lack of understanding of diplomacy and of international relations and geopolitics, and plain ol' lazy thinking. Sometimes war is necessary, and sometimes it doesn't or shouldn't involve the military. It's so clear we should be attacking the motives and rationale behind this growing threat, instead of being stuck on guns and bombs. It's only exacerbating the problems. We have military bases in every Mideast country except Saudi Arabia, 14 in Iraq alone - all on or near oil fields. What are they supposed to think? What's our message?

Back to energy - I don't believe there's any one magic solution, like ethanol. It DOES use energy and resources to produce. There have been huge strides in technology using wind, geothermal, and solar sources,. Photovoltaics alone is being rapidly developed and refined (no pun..). Never have there been so many Americans acting so helpless and negative. Other countries are light-years ahead of us, and making money from it. Why does the federal government renew incentives for exploration of these on an annual instead of longer-term basis? It discourages large-scale investment. I'd say the industrial-military complex is alive and well.

jac at 1:11PM on May 15th 2007

41. "The $500+ billions wasted on the war in Iraq could have been spent to chase Al Quaeda where it really is : Afghanistan and Pakistan, to increase protection of our borders, airports and ports, to reinforce our first responders: police, homeland security and reaction to natural disasters."

HOORAY LOUIS!

(Hooray Red Stripe.)

vegastracon at 1:29PM on May 15th 2007

42. I am responding to Dan Collura, comment #11, you are so naive to think that Bush and Cheney are innocent bystanders to things that have happened in the past, they are involved in EVERYTHING! Remember Bush Sr., pretty much best friends with the Bin Ladens??? And Hilary Clinton is far far far from a Leftist, you moron. Also, I'm sure what you say about Gore and Clinton is true, this country is full of leading politicians who give a shit less about the people of this country, and only care about their lobbyists and the big interests groups they need to keep their fortunes.

DB at 3:00PM on May 15th 2007

43. I am responding to Dan Collura, comment #11, you are so naive to think that Bush and Cheney are innocent bystanders to things that have happened in the past, they are involved in EVERYTHING! Remember Bush Sr., pretty much best friends with the Bin Ladens??? And Hilary Clinton is far far far from a Leftist, you moron. Also, I'm sure what you say about Gore and Clinton is true, this country is full of leading politicians who give a shit less about the people of this country, and only care about their lobbyists and the big interests groups they need to keep their fortunes.

DB at 2:58PM on May 15th 2007

44. If you add in the amount of profit from the top 5 gasoline companies in the last two years. Just two year's profit ... AFTER ALL BILLS AND EXPENSES PAID ...

The cost of the war plus the amount of money taken from US taxpaying consumers by Exxon totals 456BB + 220BB = 675 BILLION dollars extracted from US citizens.

These were record breaking profits TWO YEARS IN A ROW when the price of gas was the highest in history, the stabilization of the Middle East the lowest in history and the foreign terrorist threat to the United States was the biggest in history.

Stop now. Finish the war. Convert our economy to Ethanol, biodiesel and solar. There'll be more jobs in the US, an export market to India and China and global warming might be halted where it is in 10 years.

Chip Chenery at 1:47PM on May 15th 2007

45. THAT MONEY COULD HAVE GIVEN SENIORS A LOT OF HEALTH CARE...MEDICARE COSTS HAVE ESCALTED AND THE PAYMENTS THEY DOLE OUT HAVE DECREASED, YOU PAY MORE BUT GET LESS. PERSCRIPTION DRUGS ARE REGULATED IN CANADA BUT THESE SENATORS WITH THE PHARMECUTICAL COMPANIES IN THEIR POCKETS VETOED THE BILL FOR SENIORS. THE ONLY ONES WHO BENEFITTED FROM THE TAX BREAK WERE THOSE WHO HAVE SO MUCH MONEY THEY DIDN'T NEED MORE. LOOK AT THE PROFITS THE OIL COMPANIES ARE MAKING THANKS TO THE SECRET MEETING WITH THE SECOND IN CHARGE SCUMBAG CHENEY. FOOD PRICES ARE GOING UP CONSTANTLY, MEDICAL CARE UP, ENERGY UP AND THE ONLY THING GOING DOWN ARE WAGES. REPIGS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES BUT THEY ARE BLINDED BY GREED. AS FAR AS GETTING BIN LADEN ALMOST 6 YEARS HAVE GONE BY AND BU$HIT HAD NO INTENTION OF GETTING HIM...HE WANTED IRAQ...NOT FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN PURE UNADULTERATED GREED AND HIS LEGACY. BU$H AND HIS SUPPORTERS ARE IDIOTS THEY ALL DESERVE TO ROT IN HELL FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO OUR ONCE GREAT COUNTRY. COWARDS, HYPOCRITES, LIARS AND DECEIVERS ALL OF THEM.

ANN at 2:32PM on May 15th 2007