Just in case the current GOP Candidates aren't entertaining enough...

[akhhorus]

Tom Coburn is considering running.

Link (http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=11497)

Oh lawd.

[Spence]

I heard about that. He believes doctors who perform abortions should be put to death and the greatest threat to America is homosexuality -- specifically, lesbians in the bathrooms in public schools. In other words, he'll blend in perfectly with the other GOP candidates.

[WarEagle]

I read his website. He's a medical doctor (family practice). Formerly a congressman, then ran for the senate and won in 2004. Voted against the recent emergency supplemental bill on Iraq because of all of the pork rolled into it. A cancer survivor. Sees himself as a "citizen representative" and will limit himself to 2 terms in the senate (he did this as a congressman, too).
His website constantly identifies him as "Dr." instead of senator.

I have a buddy in Oklahoma and I asked him about the doctor-senator. I'll get back to you.

[fent]

I read his website. He's a medical doctor (family practice). Formerly a congressman, then ran for the senate and won in 2004. Voted against the recent emergency supplemental bill on Iraq because of all of the pork rolled into it. A cancer survivor. Sees himself as a "citizen representative" and will limit himself to 2 terms in the senate (he did this as a congressman, too).
His website constantly identifies him as "Dr." instead of senator.

I have a buddy in Oklahoma and I asked him about the doctor-senator. I'll get back to you.

he's crazy. he's an idealist trying to force the world to live how he thinks it works rather than accepting that he has to change in some instances. for example, his term limits are great ideas in theory, but at least in the house, if you limit yourself to 3 terms, by the time you actually gain a little seniority or credibility in the house, your self-imposed deadline has kicked into place and you're done.

from a practical matter, he's the reason that the appropriations bills weren't finished before the change in command in January. he wouldn't let them go through the senate until he personally approved of everything in them, which as we all know, never happened.

[CNYSkinFan]

I heard about that. He believes doctors who perform abortions should be put to death and the greatest threat to America is homosexuality -- specifically, lesbians in the bathrooms in public schools. In other words, he'll blend in perfectly with the other GOP candidates.
I smell a perfect VP candidate!!!!

[fent]

I smell a perfect VP candidate!!!!

i would hope that the GOP nominee is smart enough to steer clear of him. if you thought Theresa's mouth was a detriment to Kerry's campaign, just wait until the actual VEEP candidate starts running his mouth saying similar things.

[shally]

oh, Lord......what is it with doctors ? first dean, then frist and now this nut job..

failed physicians (although not in frist's case)

[Keino]

oh, Lord......what is it with doctors ? first dean, then frist and now this nut job..

failed physicians (although not in frist's case)


I don't know....Frist was able to diagnose Terry Schiavo from long distance based on 8 year old footage. I'm inclined to believe he was a Quack too.

[shally]

I don't know....Frist was able to diagnose Terry Schiavo from long distance based on 8 year old footage. I'm inclined to believe he was a Quack too.

he was a fine heart surgeon.. before he got an itch to enter politics

[fent]

oh, Lord......what is it with doctors ? first dean, then frist and now this nut job..

failed physicians (although not in frist's case)

ron paul's a doc, too :)

[shally]

ron paul's a doc, too :)

thanks.. i did not know that.

there might be a couple more in the house that i have forgotten about.
there was one from louisiana a few years ago..

[WarEagle]

he's crazy. he's an idealist trying to force the world to live how he thinks it works rather than accepting that he has to change in some instances. for example, his term limits are great ideas in theory, but at least in the house, if you limit yourself to 3 terms, by the time you actually gain a little seniority or credibility in the house, your self-imposed deadline has kicked into place and you're done.

from a practical matter, he's the reason that the appropriations bills weren't finished before the change in command in January. he wouldn't let them go through the senate until he personally approved of everything in them, which as we all know, never happened.

Agreed. Coburn's time in Congress was essentially rendered meaningless since he "got outta Dodge" so fast. There's a young congressman from Birmingham, Artur Davis (D). He was named to a couple of committees a few months ago and it actually made the newspaper down here. His office was thrilled about it. Committee assignments are really important, too, if a congressman wants to make an impact.

My buddy in Oklahoma says he likes Coburn because of his views on immigration. I wonder how many senators are lying to their constituents about immigration... I just don't see any on the cable news shows beating their chests about building a wall.

[akhhorus]

Agreed. Coburn's time in Congress was essentially rendered meaningless since he "got outta Dodge" so fast. There's a young congressman from Birmingham, Artur Davis (D). He was named to a couple of committees a few months ago and it actually made the newspaper down here. His office was thrilled about it. Committee assignments are really important, too, if a congressman wants to make an impact.

My buddy in Oklahoma says he likes Coburn because of his views on immigration. I wonder how many senators are lying to their constituents about immigration... I just don't see any on the cable news shows beating their chests about building a wall.

You would agree that building a wall one of the 5 longest borders in the world(1951 miles) would be impractical at best.

[redskin_rich]

You would agree that building a wall one of the 5 longest borders in the world(1951 miles) would be impractical at best.

I don't think a wall is the answer. Even with a wall, you still have to have guards. Why not just station a thousand or so Natl Guard troops along the border, at the easiest crossing points?
Or we could give land developers a great deal on the land but make them build the barriers.

Just throwing out ideas...

[akhhorus]

I don't think a wall is the answer. Even with a wall, you still have to have guards. Why not just station a thousand or so Natl Guard troops along the border, at the easiest crossing points?
Or we could give land developers a great deal on the land but make them build the barriers.

Just throwing out ideas...

The solution is one we don't want to consider, and thats to reform and improve Mexico.

[redskin_rich]

The solution is one we don't want to consider, and thats to reform and improve Mexico.

I was also going to suggest that we work with the Mexican Govt on this and even throw them some money to help us out.

Hey, what choice do we have?

[akhhorus]

I was also going to suggest that we work with the Mexican Govt on this and even throw them some money to help us out.

Money isn't the problem. They have a seriously corrupt elite(run by basically one man, who's the 3-4th richest man in the world) that have no interest in change and the Drug Cartels who are openly fighting the army and government(and are trying to take over northern Mexico). The only solution with both of these two factions is to use the military to destabilize the Cartels and provoking a revolution to toss out the elites.

Hey, what choice do we have?

Take over Mexico?

[shally]

The solution is one we don't want to consider, and thats to reform and improve Mexico.

it might fly with our people, but the ruling class in mexico would likely not buy into it.

i agree totally that without some kind of reform in mexico that makes it more desirable to remain there, it is hopeless.

i would only point out that ireland was a net exporter of population for hundreds, if not thousands of years. they were considered hopeless.
not any more. mexico has more natural resources than ireland and an incredibly hard working populace.. what they do need is complete reform of their bankrupt political system. if they can do that, the problem will be solvable.. but we cannot do that for them, it has to come from within.

[redskin_rich]

Money isn't the problem. They have a seriously corrupt elite(run by basically one man, who's the 3-4th richest man in the world) that have no interest in change and the Drug Cartels who are openly fighting the army and government(and are trying to take over northern Mexico). The only solution with both of these two factions is to use the military to destabilize the Cartels and provoking a revolution to toss out the elites.



Take over Mexico?

Hey, if it lowers the price of tequila... ;)

Yeah, nevermind. We will never solve this problem.

[shally]

Money isn't the problem. They have a seriously corrupt elite(run by basically one man, who's the 3-4th richest man in the world) that have no interest in change and the Drug Cartels who are openly fighting the army and government(and are trying to take over northern Mexico). The only solution with both of these two factions is to use the military to destabilize the Cartels and provoking a revolution to toss out the elites.



Take over Mexico?

they need a bolivar, and not a castro. that is the risk...

[WarEagle]

You would agree that building a wall one of the 5 longest borders in the world(1951 miles) would be impractical at best.

Cement wallage at the most violated parts of our border would substantially reduce illegal immigration. I don't think we have to literally wall off the entire border, because much of it is in Death Valley country, so to speak.

[akhhorus]

Cement wallage at the most violated parts of our border would substantially reduce illegal immigration. I don't think we have to literally wall off the entire border, because much of it is in Death Valley country, so to speak.

A wall is pointless unless its contiguous. Thats why the Great Wall of China failed to achieve it's goal(mostly because its a series of walls that have large gaps in it). If you wall the 10 most used border crossings, then the crossers will just find new crossings, and pretty soon you have to wall the entire border anyways.

[shally]

A wall is pointless unless its contiguous. Thats why the Great Wall of China failed to achieve it's goal(mostly because its a series of walls that have large gaps in it). If you wall the 10 most used border crossings, then the crossers will just find new crossings, and pretty soon you have to wall the entire border anyways.

again, the problem is internal to mexico.. that is where the problem must be solved

[WarEagle]

A wall is pointless unless its contiguous. Thats why the Great Wall of China failed to achieve it's goal(mostly because its a series of walls that have large gaps in it). If you wall the 10 most used border crossings, then the crossers will just find new crossings, and pretty soon you have to wall the entire border anyways.

Oh, in my view we should have hundreds and hundreds of miles of continuous wallage, but illegal aliens already know that if they try to cross over in the desert wilderness they'll die.

[WarEagle]

again, the problem is internal to mexico.. that is where the problem must be solved

It ain't easy sharing a border with a corrupt Third World country. One day they're going to experience a violent revolution down there when the aboriginals rise up against the Spanish-cast elites and wipe them out.

[shally]

It ain't easy sharing a border with a corrupt Third World country. One day they're going to experience a violent revolution down there when the aboriginals rise up against the Spanish-cast elites and wipe them out.

that is why it is in our enlightened self interests to provide some sort of safety valve for the corrupt system until some kind of quiet revolution happens.

the worst case scenario, by far, is to have a hugo chavez idiot running mexico. dont think for a second it couldnt happen. this past election was a knife edge close and obragon isnt even close to a worst case scenario.

we need to work to get the system reformed before it collapses and we have a hostile marxist regime on our border.. can you imagine a mariel type purge of thousands upon thousands of criminals released through our borders ?

[WarEagle]

that is why it is in our enlightened self interests to provide some sort of safety valve for the corrupt system until some kind of quiet revolution happens.

the worst case scenario, by far, is to have a hugo chavez idiot running mexico. dont think for a second it couldnt happen. this past election was a knife edge close and obragon isnt even close to a worst case scenario.

we need to work to get the system reformed before it collapses and we have a hostile marxist regime on our border.. can you imagine a mariel type purge of thousands upon thousands of criminals released through our borders ?

That's a doomsday scenario. ugh. If it happens, I hope it doesn't happen on Bush's watch.

[akhhorus]

Oh, in my view we should have hundreds and hundreds of miles of continuous wallage, but illegal aliens already know that if they try to cross over in the desert wilderness they'll die.

That doesn't seem to stop them now.