I've got two questions I'd love to ask these people if they ever dared show up around here. (1) If you really, truly believe that Government is always the problem, not the solution; and that a 'Government job' isn't a 'real job', then what the badword are you doing in the government?? (assuming that you're not there simply to commit sabotage). (2) Since you are, albeit grudgingly, participating in the dreaded government, are you at least, as a matter of principle, refusing to accept your paychecks?

yes, I think that's the take-home reality we saw. The GOP has no leader, and they're chasing their best potential leaders away (Ahhnold, for instance) with "purity" tests.

I read comment somewhere else that Jindal immediately went to -- wait for it -- DisneyWorld right after his campaign speech response to Obama.

You just can't make this stuff up sometimes, I guess (sorry, I don't have a link).

Anyway, as to your points, (1) he's hoping nobody notices, I guess. (2) I could not have put this point better myself. (3) Ooo! Another good one. You're pretty good at this! (4) I've been wondering about his (and all the other governors who are talking about refusing stimulus money) approval ratings in his own state, but have no data. (5) See, I couldn't even take this cheap shot, because I actually felt sorry for the guy. "Not ready for prime time" was my initial reaction...

LewDan -

I liked the mind-controlled by aliens mental image. Heh heh.

Seriously, that's a good question: Are Republicans necessary? I'm going to have to give that some thought.

Yeah, it is probably a futile effort, but when Republicans are this deep in a hole, my American pity on underdogs must come out or something. But I have to occasionally call them as I see them for the other side of the aisle. Now, if Dems had lost two elections in a row, I probably wouldn't be giving Republicans advice, I fully admit!

Stan -

We may be witnessing such a split taking place before our eyes. And then again, we may not. The two parties in America are kind of like those banks that are "too big to fail" -- they are so institutionalized that it's easier to see the party falling into such disarray that a strong personality grabs them and takes them in an entirely new direction. But Jindal (or Palin) is NOT going to be the one to do that, as he made plainly obvious last night.

-CW

What I would really like to see is the GOP split up into a variety of different parties. If these "new" parties loose their waivers to comply with all the regulations to be a national party we might see a change in the those rules which will actually allow existing and new political parties to participate in national elections.

...Stan

Hear, hear...

Republicans weren't really in charge for 6 years? They were mind controlled by aliens? They were misguided because they're just so darn eager to please and nonconfrontational that bigfoot misled them?

Please -- Its bad enough when politicians lie. But the in-your-face Twilight Zone fantasies of Republicans can no longer be stomached. If they won't even bother to pander to us by at least pretending to respect our intelligence how can we even pretend they can be our representatives?

Chris, while I'm always amused by your attempts to engage Republicans in rational conversation with sound advice, just as if they were adults -- and sane... I've still never understood what I take to be your belief that Republicans can be beneficial, even necessary.

Personally, they can't complete their total destruction fast enough for me. We need to make room for some other Party that actually has something constructive to contribute.

1) You said the stimulus bill contains $8 billion for a train from DisneyLand to Las Vegas. In fact, the bill contains money for the Department of Transportation to build rail lines, but there's no money earmarked for that route. Governor, why are you repeating a talking point that's been thoroughly discredited?

2) Governor, you made light of funding for volcano monitoring. Isn't that like someone from Washington state making fun of hurricane monitoring?

3) Governor, you said the stimulus bill was "almost a trillion dollars" of new spending and then said we should cut taxes instead. The stimulus bill actually contains more than $300 billion in tax cuts, the largest middle-class tax cut in American history. How do you square your rhetoric with the actual numbers in the bill?

4) Governor, how do you expect a Louisianan who has lost his job, and doesn't have the same unemployment benefits as someone from Texas, to vote in 2010? Do you think he might harbor some resentment against you and the Republican party?

5) Bobby, why does your delivery SUCK so badly?

Chris, the GOP is done. It's all over but the shouting. They've got nothing left anymore -- the only people buying their bullshit are themselves. They've gotten so used to "making their own realities" that now, they are completely out of touch with reality.