What the Republican caucuses were like...

[Ficus]

This is really funny. Or disturbing. Not sure which yet...

In the end, I decided to go see what the Republicans had going on. They already have their candidate, so what do these folks do on caucus night?

They were gathering at Valley High School and I figured I'd have the story to myself. That was good, but the downside is that Republicans tend to be a serious bunch, not much on irony.

I walk into the lobby of Valley, the place is packed, shoulder to shoulder, with about 700 people. I wasn't the only journalist. I ran into Gwang Chul Go from the Korean Economic Daily.

I looked around and the walls were covered with Bush-Cheney posters. There on the wall - hanging over all the Republicans - is this huge banner that says, "VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER."

A joke?

No. This is a high school and that was a message for the kids. So I found some of the irony I was hoping for.

...

Then I ran into John Strong, an activist on veterans' affairs. I've seen him around town at various rallies dressed as Uncle Sam and carrying Saddam Hussein's head on a plate.

...

I wanted to hear more, but it was showtime. The GOP caucus was about to start. I found a seat in the auditorium and got ready to hear the guest speaker - Mary Matalin. The guy next to me was wearing a cowboy hat and kept mumbling "Jesus, Lord Jesus" over and over.



If you read this article, you'll see how messed up Iowa Republicans are...


http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/23303575.html

[Ficus]

1. kick

for the guy mumbling "Jesus, Lord Jesus" to himself.

[SheilaT]

2. Great story!

Makes you wonder why vets don't notice that the cut to their benefits has come from a REPUBLICAN president.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Because listening

to too many rightwing talk radio hosts and too many fundamentalist preachers bores damaging holes in your brain.

[Ficus]

5. stranger yet:

A De Witt man and a few of his friends have decided the Republicans and Democrats aren't getting the job done.

"We're starting up the Veterans Party here," said Charles Butler, a 20-year Army veteran who retired in 1970 after service in bothKorea and Vietnam.

The national party was started in Florida a year ago, said the 71-year-old Butler, who serves on the party's Iowa board of directors.

"Anybody can belong as long as they know a veteran or have the same views on issues that help veterans," he said.

"We're interested in taking care of the homeless and homeless veterans, elderly issues, and funding veterans' health care. The government has been lying to veterans on the issues since 1776, and it's still lying," he said.

Butler said the party hopes to have enough members to get candidates on the Iowa ballot by 2006.



http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/23337296.html

[Ficus]

7. blind allegiance

or just plain ignorance

[robsul82]

3. "He is hot. Very, very, very, very hot. Very hot."

Ewwwwwwwww...first Carville goes on the rampage against Dean, now I have to hear how sexy The Ragin' Cajun is to his wife. Gross.

Later.

RJS

[Ficus]

6. but remember

Carville gave Dean that great Trent Lott line in one of the first few debates...I liked that one.