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Just read this article over at the BBC. It talks about how the balance of power is changing at Capitol Hill.

Can any American tell me the difference between a Democrat and a Republican?

Ins't it that one screws the foriegn policy and the other screws the interns?

That's about it, yeah?

Not even close boyos..

Well, please to be explaining it then.

OH man..there's way too much to explain..

Well, I'm having enough trouble trying to decide who get's myu vot in 2 weeks time...

Republicans are right wing, democrats left. That is highly theoeretical, but it is the general idea. Geographical area is very important in deciding who owns what.

Leave it to Ush to answer for the Americans....

... or to have done an American studies module in his Politics course. Happy?

Irrelevant. Raz asked the Americans to comment....

And now Ush get's all shirty cos he did a study of Amreican Politics. Woohooo....

Cut that out, RC, you are being REALLY insulting

Insulting huh? Interesting....

Come one guys..lets not fight.

Ush is basically right. Republicans are conservative and Democrats are liberal..

I know he is, he's just having a sense of humour melt down.

Ok, RC, I actually am asking you to stop now, or I will have to go through channels.

Ush, stop being such a baby. If you want to go through "channels" then fine. Never have I met someone with such a lck of humour in their body.

Well, not since Ej anyway....

RC, can't you see how massively insulting you are being? I DO have a sense of humour, but you have crossed the line into insults many, many times and you don't even seem to realise you are doing it.

Ush, I am going to say this one last time. You did the same to me with the spelling thing.

I don't seem to remember you being as concerned with my feels then...

And I did stop at post 13 actually. Thopugh, somehow I doubt that makes any difference.

*Sigh*

I'm done discussing this.

Can we please get back to Political parties?...

Well, I'm still waiting for one of you lot to give us an indepth analysis on the American Political system....

Okay..The thing to realize is that it's more an issue of Conservative and Liberal. Republicans are usually pretty conservative and Democrats are liberal. Bush is pretty conservative..but Clinton's administration was a moderate one.

Liberal is:
Pro-Choice
Pro Environment and Conservation.
For keeping the military at a more moderate size.
Pro public welfare programs.
Pro division of church and state.
Con coporal punishment
Pro Gun Control
Pro Affirmative Action
Pro Gay rights


Conservative is:
Pro Life
Feels that we should use the environment for our needs more then for conservation.
Pro larger Military (like the New Shield plan)
Con public welfare programs. (feels they are a waste of money and people should be responsible for themselves.
Pro Prayer in School
Pro coporal punishment
Pro Right to bear arms.
Con Affirmative Action
Con Gay rights

Okay..if I'm wrong about any of this just say so.

There ya go.....

I tried..

What Dim said. Also, republicans look like elephants and democrats look like donkeys.

NOw I understand THAT.....

Well a picture is worth a thousand words, you know.

Show me the picture then.....

I am not surfing the net hunting pictures of elephants and donkeys just for you. I do have a life you know.

You do, must get myself one of those.

Mayhem is not just a job. Its an adventure.

And I'm just living in Imagination...

Well thats a nice place. Imagination leads to inspiration. Inspiration leads to perspiration. Perspiration leads to somebody getting stinky and needing a shower.

Atleast you can do something with yours..I just am.

Thanks Gundy, now I feel soooooo much better....

Interestingly enough, from a more European point of view, Democrats are just a little less right winged than Republicans.

So, what you're saying is that they are all right wing, and it's just a case of by how much?

It's all a bit messed up, because the Democrats go for high taxes, which is odd for right-wingers, but even so...

Of course, it's all relative. Some of the milita groups in the US thought that Clinton was a Communist...

This is why we should never discuss politics here. BORING !!!!!!! (Yawns, gets clown gun out) Be vewy vewy quiet....

I'm with Gundy.

Politics can *somtimes* be interesting....like that Prescott punch!

Yes, years as a Merchant Seaman served him well with that one!!!

What?

Well I guess you must have seen the footage of our Deputy Prime Minister landing a punch on a protesting farmer who through an egg at him a couple of weeks ago.

Well he was in the British Merchant Navy for many years when he was younger and apparently he was a Navy Boxer or something.

Well I heard about the punch, but not that he was a boxer when he was younger.

Well, I don't know if he definately was or not, but knowing the Merchant Navy he would definately know how to throw a punch.

Sounds exciting, but that's normal when this is not really about politics. More about a misbehaving politician.

Yeah, but don't you think he should be a little above that sort of thing?

I mean, this happens to politicians all the time, this guy is suppose to be the deputy of the man who runs the country!!

I dunno, I can see why he didn't it, but I can't condone it.

Ah well, he's only human. Most politcians seem to have no life in them anymore. Dead from the neck up.

That's pretty much the feeling in the UK. If anything, rather than damage the election campaign, it's done the party some good.

Luckily he didn't follow up, so he has a get-out clause

Hmmmm, not sure on that. Like I said, I can see why but I can't condone him for it.

It's not exactly a good example, no, but as it is it wasn't illegal so he's ok in a career sense.

What do you think he should have done?

Wan't illegal??? He smacked him in the mouth. Now I know some have said it was self defence but others have said it was excessive.

Personally I think it is something that politicians know will happen to them in their careers, be it right or wrong, and he should leave the punching to the security guys around him and not do it himself.

Well, you would certainly never get a succesful prosecution from that, because you would have to prove that he WASN'T acting in self-defence, which would be tricky.

However it was hardly the most thoughtful thing he has ever done. Shows a lot about him. 'John is John' said Tony, and that sums it up well...

If you actually saw the video, which all the news programs played in slow motion, it looked like he WAS acting in self-defense.

Well, that was just another example of Tony being Tony.

However, you know as well as I do that, if someone else had done that they would have been arrested.

I'm still in favour of a hunting season for politicians.

Yeah, 364 days a year would be good.

No, just once a year. That'll help democracy a great deal. If you don't work for the good of the people, you'll get shot.

Isn't that communism?

Is it? In true communinism there is no government anymore.

Wouldn't know, been a few years since I studied politics.

Sit down at your desk, RC. Headmaster queeq is going to teach you about life.

No. 1 It sucks.

But I already knew that.

Is ther gonna be a test tomorrow?

No. 2. I don't.

Test is next week.

I'll get a note from my mom.

Notes are for weenies.

Well, I'm a complete weenie.

Well, then I am telling you. You learned something new today.

Self-knowledge is the first step to wisdom.

Well, I've known that I'm a weenie for a long time so I must be well down the road to wisdom.

I guess you must be.

*Inner Glow*

I finally made him feel good about himself.

I always feel good about myself, it's the other people I feel bad about...

Don't feel bad about me, I'm always having fun creating mayhem or...well never mind that.

OK, well, that's not really news, RC.

Well, if it's news you want....

N E W S

What about sports and weather ?

S P O R T S

W E A T H E R


Anything to oblige....

Quite the well-rounded anchor, aren't you ?

Apparently.

Maybe we should give you a special news forum.

You mean like where RC sits behind a desk with a coat and tie and no pants ?

Normal day at the office then.

Interesting.

Somewhat, it was a nice day, I wore shorts....

Boxers or cargoes or boxers and cargoes ?

Hmmm, and now I stop typing.

BTW, I HATE boxers.

Try a cocker spaniel then.

Good one, darling.

Hmmmm, foolish dutch boy.

Yes, he is quite silly, isn't he ?

Yeah, but we like him...

Awwwe, that's sweet...

I know that.

Of course.

I think we have sunk to new depths of Off Topicness...

I think we have sunk to new depths of Off Topicness...

I'd call it "risen to new heights".

Anyway, the end.