Anyone listening to the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of England

[Skidmore]

on CSPAN now? I could get behind a party like that. He called Labor on its failure to lead on issues concerning the working man and said categorically that a government lead by his party categorically would not support torture.

[zanne]

1. I woke up to it.

Better than a cup of coffee, and much more refreshing. We all recognize sanity when we see it.

[Skidmore]

2. I so long for a party that embraces the ideals he's speaking of

and I like it that he makes no apologies for opposing the policies of the other parties. He's not afraid to confront Blair directly and doesn't use weasel words and squishy spin in doing so.

[EST]

3. The whole of parlimentary government is much less bashful

about calling a spade a fu*king shovel and a crook a crook.

[EST]

6. Isp fell off the end of the world.

Double entry.

[EST]

7. Terrific speech, nice wrapup.

[Skidmore]

4. Party slogan is one that promotes the party as seeking to make

England "free, green, and fair."

[magellan]

5. One thing I'll give the LibDems credit for

...aside from all the other obvious things, is that they haven't once failed to call out bLiar and his top people for the dirty collaborators they are. The LibDems are a party full of people like John Conyers, Tim Ryan, Max Cleland -- oh gosh, just name the active and progressive Dems. And they're slowly but surely eating into old Labour territory.

[EST]

8. Satisfying to watch.

Makes me a bit envious.

[Skidmore]

9. Hoping the PDA here could break away and make a similar stand

at this point because over the past few days I've become less hopeful that change can be made from within the Democratic Party. I'm really feeling discouraged.

[magellan]

13. The Dems are our best shot

I know it, and I know you do too. They're all but useless, but they're the only viable opposition party we've got right now.

I figure I'll wait till November, and if they manage to win back one or both houses I'll pass final judgement based on what they do (or fail to do) with their new "political capital". Tell you what, if they don't immediately begin overturning or at least reviewing a lot damaging laws the Repugs have passed, I won't stick around to ask why. I don't want to hear about any more "plans".

[liberaldemocrat7]

10. As the party chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party USA

I endorse Menzies Campbells stance against torture. Ok I do endorse tickle torture with feathers or cumfy cushions but that appears it.

[ikri]

11. Ah, the LibDems

They're an odd party, whilst a number of their policies are to the left of Labour (to be fair, there's a lot of space to the left of New Labour) they also have some economic liberals (aka neo-cons) too.

The last party leader came clean recently about his alcoholism. During the ensuing leadership contest one of the leading contenders was forced to drop out when it was discovered he was seeing a male prostitute (most people here don't have any problems with gay politicians, as long as they're open about it). The current leader is considered something of a joke, he's much older than Blair and Cameron (the Tory leader) and is often anonymous in Parliament.

They can write a number of their policies with the absolute knowledge that they will never have to put them into practice since there's almost no chance of them ever being elected here.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Campbell is pilloried as 'old'

but he's only 2 years older than Margaret Beckett, and he's 3 years younger than John Prescott. But of course he's bald, so some see him as a fossil.

The Lib Dems are very unlikely to get in as the government on their own, without some huge disaster befalling on of the other parties, but we might get a hung parliament, meaning either deals for coalitions, or a minority government with the Lib Dems holding the balance in any no confidence vote. So their policies do have some relevance - it might come down to "we'll support you in some form if ..." - and it remains to be seen if that is, say, green taxes, proportional representation, or something else.

[izzie]

12. I did. Heck I am a social dem. and it is the same. thing,.

If one does not put a label on him it is what most people do want but for the tax on capital gains.

[Greeby]

15. Steve Bell's TOONS from this conference

I didn't post them here at the time coz I thought ppl wouldn't get it







:evilgrin: