Bush supporters whose eyes have been opened.

[searchingforlight]

I had a phone chat with my sister the other day. She has been a staunch supporter of Bush (conservative and Texan). We have been unable to talk about politics since before 2000 because we were at such opposite poles.

I could tell she was very disenchanted but would not admit to supporting the wrong side. I will never say anything to her and know she hopes I will leave her the dignity of not having to admit her mistake to me.

Has anyone had any Republicans admit they have been wrong or are they all reacting the same way my sister is?

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. These A&*HOLES Will Still Vote Repub When Nov. Comes

Don't let any of these so-called "converts" fool you. When it comes time to vote, they'll pull the lever in favor of the repub candidates.

King george doesn't have to run again. If he wants to remain King, he'll figure out a way. Poll #'s be damned.

What matters is that these repubs will still vote their party. Whomever the repubs put out, that's the way they'll vote. I've yet to find a repub with enough of a conscience to do otherwise.

[LSK]

5. i think they will stay home

[MADem]

14. And the ones who don't will hold their noses, vote for the Democrat,

and tell their GOP pals that they voted the party line.

[kurth]

13. Their loyalty to the Lyin' King borders on religiosity

Blind, unquestioning.

[PurpleChez]

18. I agree. I've heard my share of folks with W stickers grumbling about *,

but I fully expect that, come November, someone will convince them that the world as we know it will come to an end unless we elect more Thugs and put an end to:

1. gay marriage
2. gay adoption
3. flag burning
4. some other non-issue
5. all of the above

These clods may not like * at the moment, but I'll bet that very few have lost the fear and paranoia that has allowed the GOP to manipulate them for so long.

[madmom]

2. Yes ,had a few who say they are independents or even say,if

it wasn't for Kerry I would have voted dem. Yeah right!

[searchingforlight]

8. I know.

My sister said that the reason she didn't like John Kerry was because he was unfaithful to his first wife. Can you believe?

[LSK]

11. thats not even true

His 1st wife didnt want a life in politics. They are still friends.

[tanyev]

16. But no problem with W's history of drug and alcohol use?

Such a strange world we live in.

[titoresque]

17. maybe she should see this...

from another thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=977022&mesg_id=977022

Republican Sex Scandals

(Full list of scandals at Moral Values)


Adelphia Communications Corp.: Donated large sums of money to some of the most conservative members of Congress. They are also the first cable company to offer hard-core adult movies to subscribers. Daily Kos article

Edison Misla Aldarondo, Republican legislator, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for molestation of his daughter and her friend for eight-year period starting when they were 9. Full Article

Randal David Ankeney, Republican activist, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a child with force. He faces 6 charges related to getting a 13-year-old girl stoned on pot and then having sex with her. Source Also accused of sexually assaulting another girl. Denver ABC Article

Dick Armey (R-Texas), former professor, has been accused by The Dallas Observer of sexually harassing female students.

Jim Bakker, televangelist with Pat Robertson at Robertson's Christian Broadcasting network. Committed adultery with Jessica Hahn <1> and then used charitable donations to pay her hush money<2>. Fellow televangelists say he's gay. <3><4>Indicted on 23 federal charges of fraud, tax evasion, and racketeering <5>.

Bob Barr, Republican Congressman from Georgia. Sponsored the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, saying "The flames of hedonism, the flames of narcissism, the flames of self-centered morality are licking at the very foundation of our society, the family unit." Was married three times. Paid for his second wife's abortion. Failed to pay child support to the children of his first two wives and while married to his third and present wife was photographed licking whipped cream off of strippers at his inaugural party.

Merrill Robert Barter, Republican County Commissioner, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy. Booth Bay Register Article

Robert Bauman, Republican congressman and anti-gay activist, was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar. Source: Washington Blade

Parker J. Bena, Republican activist and Bush Elector, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography (including children as young as 3 years old) on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Source

Louis Beres, chairman of the Christian Coalition of Oregon. 3 of his family members accuse him of molesting them when they were pre-teens. Editor and Publisher article

Howard L. Brooks, Republican legislative aide and advisor to a California assemblyman, was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. Sacramento Bee article

John Bolton Bush's appointee ambassador to United Nations, corroborated allegations that Mr. Bolton’s first wife, Christina Bolton, was forced to engage in group sex have not been refuted by the State Department. Raw Story Article

Mike Bowers Former State Attorney General, prosecuted the famous Bowers vs. Hardwick case, based on Georgia anti-sodomy laws. Admitted to a 10-year adulterous affair Slate article

Pat Buchanan predidential candidate, media talking-head. His campaign refused to confirm or deny whether Pat has had chlamydia or any other venereal diseases.

Andrew Buhr, Republican politician, former committeeman for Hadley Township Missouri, was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy. Source

Ted Bundy campaigned for the Republican Party. Infamous serial rapist who murdered 16 women. Source: BBC

Jim Bunn Congressman of Oregon: With his success due in great part to support from the Christian Coalition, Bunn won his congressional seat, then immediately ditched his wife (and mother of his five children), married a staffer, and put his new wife on the state payroll for the unheard-of salary of $97,500. Salon.com article

John Allen Burt, Republican anti-abortion activist, convicted of sexually molesting a 15 year old girl at the home for troubled girls that he ran. Source: Pensacola News Journal

Dan Burton, Republican Congressman who, while married, fathered a child by another woman. Salon.com Article

George W. Bush, Republican president, accused in a criminal complaint and lawsuit of raping Margie Schoedinger, who was later suicided. Accused by Tammy Phillips, a former stripper quoted in the National Enquirer in 2000 saying she had an affair with Bush that had ended in 1999.

John Butler, Republican activist, was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.

Ken Calvert, Congressman (R-Ca), champion of the Christian Coalition and its "family values." Sued as an alimony deadbeat by his ex-wife. Said "We can't forgive what occurred between the President and Lewinsky." In 1993 he was caught by police receiving oral sex from a prostitute and attempted to flee the scene.

Charles Canady, Congressman (R-Florida), Judiciary Committee member. Lied to his constituents about his adulterous affair with Sharon Becker, which caused her divorce.

Helen Chenoweth, Congresswoman (R-Id.). Admitted to a six-year adulterous affair with a married associate. In 1995, Chenoweth had denied the affair when asked about it by The Spokane Spokesman-Review, but now she claims a pardon from a higher authority: "I've asked for God's forgiveness, and I've received it," she revealed.

Keola Childs, Republican County Councilman, pleaded guilty to sexual assault in the first degree for molesting a male child.Honolulu Star-Bulletin Article

Kevin Coan, Republican St. Louis Election Board official, arrested and charged with trying to buy sex from a 14-year-old girl whom he met on the Internet. Source: Newmax

Roy Cohn, continually condemned gays and gay rights. Was a closet gay who died of AIDS. Wikipedia Article

Dan Crane, Republican Congressman, married, father of six. Received a 100% "Morality Rating" from Christian Voice. Had sex with a minor working as a congressional page. Salon.com article On July 20, the House voted for censure Crane, the first time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct.<6>

Paul Crouch Televangelist, Former President of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Paid $425,000 in hush money in an attempt to cover up a gay affair. Christianity Today article

Richard A. Dasen Sr., Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, convicted of sexual abuse of children, promotion of prostitution and several counts of solicitation, enough to add up to a sentence of 126 years in prison. Investigators estimated that he spent up to $5,000,000 on prostitutes.

Missoulian Article on the trial | Missoulian Article on his conviction

Richard A. Delgaudio, Republican fundraiser and Bush pioneer, was found guilty of child porn charges. WBAL Channel article

Peter Dibble, Republican legislator pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl. News Channel 8 Article

Nicholas Elizondo, Director of the Young Republican Federation molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison. Halfway down this Bakersfield Californian article

Larry Dale Floyd, Republican Constable in Denton County, Texas Precinct Two. Arrested for allegedly crossing state lines to have sex with an 8-year old child and was charged with 7 related offenses. Age 62 at time of arrest. Dallas News Article | Atrios Article

John Fund, of the Wall Street Journal, a prominent anti-abortion columnist and GOP fund raiser. He lost his position after it was revealed that he impregnated the daughter of an old girlfriend and then encouraged her to abort his child. American Politics Journal Article

Jeff Gannon Partisan blogger with no journalism credentials and a fake name who got invited to Bush's Press conferences. Is also a pimp and a gay prostitute. Truthout Article. See also dKospedia's page on Jeff Gannon.

Jack W. Gardner, Republican Councilman, had been convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl. when the Republican Party, knowing of these crimes, put him on the ballot. Article with documents

Richard Gardner, a Nevada State Representative (R), admitted to molesting his two daughters. Review Journal Article

Newt Gingrich, married three times. Gingrich campaign worker Anne Manning admitted that she gave Newt oral sex while he was still married to his first wife. Informed one wife he was filing for divorce while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer treatments. Salon article

Philip Giordano, Republican mayor sentenced to 37 years for forcing two 8 and 10 year old girls to perform oral sex on him in his City Hall office. NBC Article | Newsday Article

Rudy Giuliani, had an adulterous affair. Pocketed $80,000 for speaking at a charity benefit for tsunami aid which raised only $60,000 for the victims themselves (Feb 2005).

Matthew Glavin, president and CEO of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, big player in the Clinton Impeachment, and many anti-gay jihads, has been arrested multiple times for public indeceny, one time fondling the crotch of the officer who was arresting him. Full Article

Marty Glickman, Republican activist, was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a juvenile and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

Mark A. Grethen, Republican activist, convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children. Orlando Weekly article

Jon Grunseth, Republican businessman and candidate for Minnesota governor, withdrew his candidacy after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter, and tried to grope one. "I've made some mistakes" he said. USA Today article

Dr. W. David Hager Bush appointee, member of Focus on the Family's Physician Resource Council, player in movement to ban the morning-after-pill. Had an adulterous affair, before divorcing his wife he sexually abused her, including sodomizing her in her sleep. Article

Mark Harris, Republican city councilman who is described as a "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

John Hathaway, Republican Senate candidate, was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media. Source: Casco Bay weekly

Howard Scott Heldreth, anti-abortion activist who gained fame during the Shiavo media-circus, was convicted of two charges of raping a child in 2002. page at Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Sexual Offender/Predator Unit

Mike Hintz, a First Assembly of God youth pastor, introduced by Bush on the campaign trail, and promoted his policies. Says he supports Bush's values. Two months later, this married father of four turned himself into police, charged with the sexual exploitation of a child. Article | Commentary

Also signed an ad (that called for criminally prosecuting business that sell porn), along with another pastor who was repeatedly busted for public masturbation.

Neal Horsley has called for the arrest of all homosexuals. Admitted on the Fox News Radio's The Alan Colmes Show, that he's had sex with mules. Put photographs on his Web site of naked men engaging in homosexual acts and a nude woman engaging in bestiality amid shots of grotesquely maimed fetuses. Drug dealer convicted of possession of hashish with intent to sell. He calls for "the establishment of a new government, one that can obey God's plan for government."

Tim Hutchinson, divorced his wife of 29 years to marry a congressional aide he was having an affair with.

Henry Hyde, Judge who oversaw Clinton's impeachment proceedings, prominent opponent of reproductive rights, who had an extramarital affair with a woman who was married and had three children, during the course of which she and her husband were divorced. Salon.com article

Don Haidl, Assistant Sheriff of Orange Country, in violation of California's rape shield law, led a smear campaign against the child his son poisoned and then violently gang-raped on videotape, adding up to 24 felony counts. He said that his son "acted accordingly" because the child was a "slut". The full gruesome story, with many newspaper articles.

Paul Ingram, Republican Party leader of Thurston County, Washington, pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison. Source: The Olympian

Bernard Kerik, had two simultaneous adulterous affairs.

Earl Kimmerling, sentenced to 40 years in prison after he confessed to molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her. Source

Lawrence E. King, Jr., Republican Activist, organized orgies with child prostitutes at the White House during the 1980s. Full page including Washington Times article Discovery Channel documentary

I. Lewis Libby, former Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. In 1996 published a novel containing bizaree sexual content, including beastiality and pedophillia. Full Details

Rush Limbaugh, triple-divorcee<7>, 30-pill a day drug addict. Goodies from The Smoking Gun.com

Bob Livingston, former Congressman (R-La.) resigned from the House in the wake of revelations about his past adultery.

Donald Lukens, Republican Congressman, was found guilty of having sex with a minor - a girl he was accused of sleeping with since she was 13. Time Article

Pat McPherson, Douglas County Election Commissioner. Arrested for fondling a 17-year-old girl. Article

Jon Matthews, Republican talk show host in Houston, was indicted for indecency with a child, including exposing his genitals to a girl under the age of 17. Source: ABC News

Jeff Miller, (R-Cleveland), Senate Republican Caucus Chairman in Tennessee and the sponsor of Tennessee’s Marriage Protection act, getting divorced (as of April 2005) because of an affair he was having with an office aid. Miller described the Tennessee Marriage Protection Act as a means of preserving the sanctity of marriage. He opposed an amendment, however, which stated that “Adultery is deemed to be a threat to the institution of marriage and contrary to public policy in Tennessee.” <8> <9>


Nicholas Morency, Republican anti-abortion activist, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor The Dallas Morning News article.

Sue Myrick, Congresswoman (R-NC), describes herself as a "devout Christian." Committed adultery with a married man.

Bill O'Reilly Right-wing conservative talk show host on Fox News, sued for sexual harrassment by his producer.

Bob Packwood, Senator (R-Ore.), resigned in 1995 under a threat of public senate hearings related to 10 female ex-staffers accusing him of sexual harassment.

Jeffrey Patti, Republican Committee Chairman, was arrested for distributing what experts call "some of the most offensive material in the child pornography world" - a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped. Daily Record News Article

John Paulk, lied about prowling for gay sex while running a fundamentalist group to cure gays.

Brent Parker Utah State Representetive. Arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover officer posing as a male prostitute. KSL News Article |Deseret News Article

John Peterson, Congressman (R-Pa), accused of sexual harassment and creation of a hostile work environment by six women. Peterson has refused to admit a crime, saying only "I may have been an excessive hugger."

Harvey Pitt, SEC Chief under George W. Bush until he was forced to resign in 2002. Worked for New Frontier Media, a firm which distributed teen sex videos.

Mark Pazuhanich, Republican judge, pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Pocono Record article

George Roche III, carried on a 19 year affair with his son's wife, while serving as president of Hillsdale College, which "emphasizes the importance of the common moral truths that bind all Americans, while recognizing the importance of religion for the maintenance of a free society."

Beverly Russell, County Chairman of the Christian Coalition, sexually molested his step-daughter, Susan Smith, who later drowned her two children. Herald-Journal Article |Commentary on Newsweek Article

Jack Ryan, 2004 Republican nominee for US Senate from Illinois, pressured his wive, actress Jeri Ryan, to have sex with other men. Tricked her into visiting sex clubs, where he asked her to have sex with him while others watched.<10>

Joe Scarborough, former Republican Congressman, currently a conservative talk show host. Resigned his congressional seat abruptly to spend more time with his family, amidst allegations of an affair. His intern, Lori Klausutis, was soon after found dead in his office. The medical examiner, who had his license revoked in Missouri for falsifying information in an autopsy report, and suspended in florida for six years, ruled the case an accident, after giving conflicting information about her injuries. He said he lied about them because "The last thing we wanted was 40 questions about a head injury."

Ed Schrock, two-term republican congressman, with a 92% approval rating from the Christian Coalition. Cosponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment, consistently opposed gay rights. Married, with wife and kids. Withdrew his candidacy for a third term after tapes of him soliciting for gay sex were circulated.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, right wing conservative radio host. Promotes family values, estranged from her mother, opposes birth control, has had her tubes tied, espouses saving oneself for marriage, admits to having had sex before she was married, opposes adultery, has committed adultery while she was married, and has slept with a married man, opposes divorce, is divorced and remarried, has posed for nude photos which are available online.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican governor, had sex with a 16 year old when he was 28.

John Scmitz, right-wing republican congressman, who had had his committee chairship taken away from him in the California State Senate after issuing a press release attacking Jews, feminists and gays. Forced out of office in 1982 for having an adulterous affair and fathering two children out of wedlock with one of his students. He was caught because his baby was admitted to hospital for having hair tied so tightly around his penis that it was almost severed. His daughter, Mary Kay LeTourneau, was convicted of having an adulterous affair with one of her students, and giving birth to two of his children. Wikipedia article

Larry Jack Schwarz, Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, fired after child pornography was found in his possession. Rocky Mountain News article With his political career over, he went to work in the hard-core pornography industry for Platinum X Pictures, owned by his daughter, porn starlet Jewel De'Nyle (Stephany Schwarz). Wikipedia article

Jim Stelling, Seminole County Republican Party chairman who believes in "family values", as he told a judge. Filed a defamation lawsuit againt Nancy Goettman, a former county GOP executive committee member, for falsely claiming he had been married six times. Stelling has been married 5 times. Article

Don Sherwood, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Eventually admitted to an affar with a woman 30 years younger than him, after she accused him of physical abuse and attempting to choke her. Post-Gazette article

Tom Shortridge. Republican campaign consultant, was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. LA Times article

Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr., Republican City Councilman, pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison. Sex Offender Registry page | Article

Craig J. Spence, Republican lobbyist, organized orgies with child prostitutes in the White House during the 1980s. Full page including Washington Times article Discovery Channel documentary

Jimmy Swaggart, televangelist, said during a sermon "I'm trying to find the correct name for it … this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. … I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died." Had an affair with a prostitute.

David Swartz, Republican County Commissioner, pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Rocky Mountain News Article

Randall Terry, Right to Life activist, founder of Operation Rescue, involved in the Terri Schiavo protests. Once imprisoned for sending former President Bill Clinton an aborted fetus. His son Jamiel is gay; his daughter Tila had sex outside of marriage, became pregnant, had a miscarriage - she is no longer welcome in his home; his daughter Ebony had 2 children outside of wedlock and became Muslim. He has campaigned against infidelity and birth control, gays and unwed mothers. Terry himself was censured by his church after committing adultery.

Bill Thomas Republican congressman, had an affair with Deborah Steelman, a health care lobbyist who steered huge campaign gifts to Thomas' war chest.

Strom Thurmond, republican senator and racist, raped and impregnanted a 15-year old African American maid. (BBC Article)

Robin Vanderwall, Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate, director of Faith & Family Alliance, (a Christian Coalition spin off), former student of Pat Robertson's Regent Universtity, member of Ralph Reed's inner circle who funneled money to from lobbiest Jack Abromoff to Reed <11>, convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet. Virginian-Pilot Article

J.C. Watts, Representative (R-Oklahoma), loud champion of "moral values." Has out-of-wedlock children.

Jim Wesr, Spokane Mayor. Supported a bill, which failed, would have barred gays and lesbians from working in schools, day-care centers and some state agencies. Voted to bar the state from distributing pamphlets telling people how to protect themselves from AIDS. Proposed that “any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person” among teens be criminalized. Had a sexual affair with an 18 year old boy.Source: Spokesman review

Keith Westmoreland, a Tennessee state representative (R), was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to minors under 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children). Tennesean Article

Stephen White, Republican preacher. Was arrested after allegedly offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him. Daily Pennsylvanian article | Daily yale News Article

Includes content from Demopedia

See also:

* T. Rex's Guide to Republican Family Values
* Myth: Repuiblicans values sexual morality Includes an experiment you can try at home: use file-sharing software to spy on conservative VS liberal porn habits.
* Doublethink: Conservative Babylon
* BlogActive: site dedicated to outing gay republicans


Child Molestor Statistics

One of the myths regarding child molesters is that they “look different” or behave differently from others in some way. Here are some statistics describing child molesters:

* 91% are heterosexual

* 91% are religious <12><13><14>

[peacebird]

23. Wow. Just Wow. Why do they sexually abuse CHILDREN?! Did you see

how many of these were child RAPE???

:grr:


Obviously for a republican "family values" are bush-speak.

War=Peace
Up=Down
family values=raping children

[blue cat]

3. Yes, I've posted several times

My sister is a fundie Bush supporter, who told me that she was wrong about Bush. She said what opened her eyes was the immigration issue. I don't think that she will ever be a dem, because her other issue besides immigration is abortion, but I never thought she would say that she was wrong about Bush.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

19. Wrong....But Still A Proud Repub....

Which means she'll still vote her party.

I bet if you asked her whether previous regreted decisions to vote for Shrub, will now make her think twice about voting for a repub congressman who supported King george 100% on everything he did.

Tell her to stay home in November, as the dems need all the help they can get.

[LSK]

4. ive seen quite a few who know things suck

But they still refuse to admit that they will vote Democrats. I have seen them deny supporting Republicans, but they seem to either completely give up on the system or want to start a 3rd party.

Im betting they will not vote this November.

[pretzel4gore]

6. send her an email, telling her you 'saw de light' and now support bush!

haha....poor thing won't know what to think! (suggest you expect lotsa their money to be earmarked for the '06/08 campaigns, the 'party' need etcetera)

[rusty_parts2001]

7. Our best hope...

is that they sit on their hands and not vote. Forget about converting them. There is too much embarrassment and cognitive dissonance over the scam that Bush and his band pulled on them.

[danalytical]

9. All the ones I know

are acting like your sister. My Father has been the most outspoken though, he said he feels the problem in his wallet, and that he will stay home in November.

[kestrel91316]

10. My DBF is, and will probably always be a conservative (but liberal on

women's issues, mind you) but he has begun to grumble about Bush.

I wait for him to say something because I hate Bush with such a passion we just can't have anything resembling intelligent discussion of the man. So I don't provoke. But every once in a while he lets slip some comment or other that makes me think he, too, has begun to TURN.

And he ACTUALLY SAID a couple of weeks ago that he thought high gas prices were a blessing in disguise because it was the only thing going to wean us off dependence on Middle East oil. I about fell over. Then I remembered how many times I have said that very same thing to HIM and he poo-pooed me and said it was all the Dem's fault, blah blah blah. Now he thinks he has come up with this brilliant observation all on his own, lol (or has too much pride and testosterone to admit I was right all along).

We'll win them over one by one.........

[acmavm]

12. I know a couple who start to say something when I bring up how totally

screwed up bush** is and how much destruction and damage he and his buddies are responsible for. They end up looking down at the ground because if they were to say anything I'd let 'em have it.

[AlCzervik]

15. My bil is a total asshat, he hates the war but loves the tax cuts--his own

son my nephew has done one tour in Afghanistan and 2 in Iraq--BIL still votes for the bush because of the tax cuts.

Ok about 2 months ago he calls my house--5:00am here (someone better be dead or in jail calling that early) well he forgets about the time difference, he lives in Florida(naturally) and i live in California, so i pick up the phone half asleep, i hear a voice but can't really make it out or understand what it's saying but eventually i wake up a bit more and i figure out it's him---"I really think Bush is a disaster, i wish my son was home" wtf??? i say to myself and please, oh please let there be some coffee in the pot from yesterday "I've made a mistake, i should have not voted at all" he says

Anyhow, about a minute later he pauses and i'm dying, it's like 5:20 by now and he's pretty much been talking the whole time and he says "OMG i'm so sorry, i just looked at the clock, i forgot about the time change" i tell him it's ok especially since he needed someone to confess too i was glad that i was home to answer the call.

He would never have voted for Kerry so i didn't even bother telling him he should have, baby steps. Until that phone call we had a deal--no talking politics because it was useless but something in him snapped, maybe he was more scared for my nephew this time or maybe the retired military community he lives has finally had enough of Bush, i'm not sure but either way it's good to know that some of them are at least opening their eyes.

[LaurenG]

20. My Mother admitted she was wrong

She keeps apologizing over and over again. He finally lost all credibility during katrina, now she just complains about everything he does.

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

21. My dad

First of all, a little background. My dad is a republican. He believes in the traditional republican views like smaller government, low taxes and social conservatism. I would define him as a REAL republican. His parents were straight ticket dems and some days I think he's a republican because of that. He's not one to really pay attention to all the political goings on. But, I digress...

A few days ago, I was talking to him on the phone and the subject of gas prices came up. We discussed price gouging, supply and demand and how the oil companies are posting record profits while the government continues granting them subsidies. Corporate welfare and then the Bush families ties to big oil and the Saudis. I told him about the book "House of Bush, House of Saud" and how it would change his mind about the Bush family. He said "I think I made a mistake." I asked about what. He said "I voted for him twice"

First of all, my father and I don't discuss politics because we always end up arguing and being a "daddy's girl" I don't want to argue with him. Needless to say, I was stunned by his admission. All I could muster was "I didn't!" Looking back, I do wish that I had said something different but, I was too stunned to really think about it.

My point is this: If Bush has lost my dad, a man who really doesn't pay attention to everything going on, who is true republican, he's in trouble. My dad doesn't admit to his mistakes freely and doesn't talk politics with anyone especially one of his most outspoken liberal children. This was HUGH111 to me.

[madmunchie]

22. My longtime girlfriend

What put her over the edge, was * comments when he went to India and then of course the trade.