Obama's Speech on Bin Laden a Silent Rebuke to Bush

"2. Weapons of Mass Destruction"

I don't think that qualifies as fear mongering, but rather incorrect intel, believed and pushed by both parties.

Actually, from what I hear, we DID find WMDs but couldn't go public because it would make certain people look bad, who we didn't want to look bad (namely, the US that was likely holding the receipts.) No way I can verify that, though, so it's just something from the rumor mill. Maybe that was the real point of the war; to cover our own tracks for doing something we shouldn't have been doing.

"3. Obama is a foreign, socialist, Muslim who wants to destroy America"

There's certainly a fringe element saying those things, but they aren't from the GOP proper or even conservatives in general. That's like claiming the 9/11 Truthers are representative of Democrats. It's just not true.

That isn't to say there aren't plentiful legitimate examples of GOP or conservative fear mongering; the "jack booted thugs" letter from the NRA back in the '90's comes to mind. My point being that BOTH parties engage in it, and failure to acknowledge that is to prove oneself blindly partisan.

Rich of CO 11:41PM May 03, 2011

@Buddy (and sipaco)

Re:"It IS a war on terror, fools! What else is it?"

The point is that we should extricate ourselves from a mindset of being in a "war" which has no end. This mindset, as illustrated in George Orwell's 1984, is not healthy for our country. It allows the government to get away with removing our Liberty in the name of National Security (e.g. the Patriot Act, waterboarding, Guantanimo).

@sipaco

Politicians publicly criticize the other party's leaders all the time. They will criticize their own party's incumbents during the primaries. Your assertion that this makes him unfit for the presidency is just silly.

@Rich of CO

I would add to your list:

2. Weapons of Mass Destruction

3. Obama is a foreign, socialist, Muslim who wants to destroy America

I'm sure that Stephen Colbert could come up with a few hundred examples. I'm not as zealous as some people seem to be; I just don't have the head to memorize such things.

Most of the hateful and fearful speech that I see comes from the right wing voters themselves. Look how just in this thread, Buddy thinks liberalism is a disease / mental disorder. Jeanne says the author is an "American hater" and "you disgust me beyond words." Then she goes on to accuse the author of "destroying America with your vitriol and hate."

Am I the only one who sees vitriol and hate in Jeanne's words, but not the author's?

@Hunter

Re: "Allen Grayson ( republicans want people to die" - I had to check that out for myself. He actually said "The Republican Health Care Plan is this... If you get sick... Die Quickly." He is saying that the Republican Health Care Plan does not provide for patients who require long term care. Those people, mostly elderly, would have to pay most of these enormous healthcare costs out of pocket. I can't tell if your mention of "sending hundreds of billions overseas" refers to our costly wars or our foreign aid. Many uninformed people think that we can balance the budget by cutting back on foreign aid, but it comprises only about 1% of the budget. When disasters such as large earthquakes and tornadoes create headline-making news, I'm glad that we are able to help. It spreads much goodwill towards us worldwide, which is the opposite of what our wars are doing. Foreign Aid is not what is causing our budget woes. Our military spending is much, much bigger and should be on the table.

After re-reading this article, it seems very well written. The point, that the "war on terror" is refreshingly being toned down by Obama rather than exacerbated as many on the right have done, is well taken. As these Reader's Comments themselves demonstrate, it does indeed cause strife between Americans. Maybe we all really should take it down a notch and try to find common ground, rather than grounds for more bickering.

Amiante Tarvoke of CA 8:26PM May 03, 2011

"I think you are just playing dumb and naive. I don't believe it is possible to be cognizant and not be aware that the republicans are fearmongerers. Not after 50 years of it. All you have to do is read."

No, you're just making yourself look more foolish with every post. You haven't been able to come up with a single fact to back your claim. Which means you are either an idiot, or a troll. Or both.

Rich of CO 12:22AM May 03, 2011

To a liberal, suffering from that mental disorder as Michael Savage aptly puts it, anything that smacked of Bush is bad.

It IS a war on terror, fools! What else is it? It's not a war on a particular country or religion but rather on those who would and have harmed us and many peoples the world over by blowing up restaurants, parks, buses, trains, buildings and more. If that is not terror, what pray tell is it? They don't care whom they kill and we must not sit comfortably prancing about and arguing about wordage until they strike at YOUR town, your restaurant, school or bus. THEN you will say this indeed is terror.

Jamie, sadly, suffers from the disease of liberalism and likely will never be cured. So sad for Jamie. And for all of you with the same affiction; it will be your undoing. Let us hope it is not America's.

Buddy of NY 11:30PM May 02, 2011