Getting real tired of the circular firing squad here

[Rude Horner]

More specifically, the Franken bashing.

What do some people feel the need to divide us just because we don't see eye to eye on every single issue? Look, the people here at DU don't agree on every issue, yet we are a community. What - are we going to split up into "DU Left", "DU further left", etc... Some of the folks here are starting to sound as bad as Bush's "If you're not with us you're against us" philosophy. If you're going to start seperating yourself from everyone who doesn't agree with you 100% of the time on every issue, you're going to end up as an awfully small island, my friend.

I make fun of freeptards because I feel that their mindsight is just so closed to seeing other people's points of view. The "my way or the highway" philosophy". Are we going to be the same thing, just on the left side of the dial? I hope not.

So Franken says he supports staying in Iraq to help stabilize things. Anybody who listens to his show knows that he doesn't support this war. That he believes that the reason we are there is based on lies. He says this constantly. Just because he believes in
a different exit strategy than you, is it really necessary to brand him as not "one of us"?

I happen to disagree with him. I think we should get out of Iraq now. But because I disagree with someone, doesn't mean I have to brand him "one of them".

Look at the bigger picture. In this day and age, We need all the voices we can get. If you don't agree with him, fine. If you can't stand him, fine. Don't listen. But this mindset lately of having to attack not only the RW, but also attacking our own isn't doing us any good.

[Ron Mexico]

1. Why are you so full of hate? Why do you hate America?

Sorry, bud, I just couldn't resist :)

[Rude Horner]

2. hehe

Just in the mood for some venting. It's been a loooong week. :)

[Ron Mexico]

12. Actually, I liked the vent, and I'm not even

a fan of Franken's. I love his Limbaugh imitations, but outside of that I never found the guy funny. Give me Randi Rhodes any day.

[bushisanidiot]

3. Well said!!!

what separates the democrats from the repukes is our ability to think for ourselves.. unfortunately, that also means that we tend to split up into small narrow-minded groups and miss "the big picture" which is taking control of this country back from the looney right.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Look...happens like clockwork when there's news that unites us...

Nader, Race, Sexism, and now Franken.

And if think it's a coincidence, I've got a bridge that's about to be sold for scrap metal.....

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. The people around here call it bullshit regardless of who says it

It's a fundamental difference between "us" and "them".

[atreides1]

6. I have to agree with you.

We all have different opinions, and you're correct when you say we're
not always going to agree on everything.

Like you I disagree with Franken, mainly because it will take years before Iraq is stable, if it ever becomes stable.

Perhaps someone should ask Franken, how much time should we allow for Iraq to become stable? 5 years, 10 years, this way he has the
chance to be more specific. By saying "until Iraq is stable", is like reading a Bush flashcard.

So the next person to call, ask him how long, how many, and don't let him off the hook until he answers the question.

All in all, Al Franken is one of us, and like everyone here he has a different opinion.

[emulatorloo]

7. Repugs unite and win, Liberals eat their own

and personally I am sick sick sick to death of it.



Thanks for posting.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. I totally agree. I'd appreciate not being told which radio shows

I should or shouldn't listen to. I commented in another thread that Franken has been a loyal supporter of progressive positions, and was a tremendous help in Minnesota after Wellstone was killed. We don't always have to agree with everybody about everything -- isn't this supposed to be the "big tent" party? Sometimes Franken isn't "left" enough for my tastes, but if even he never does anything beyond helping AAR get started, he's still earned our gratitude. Requiring total ideological purity is for those who can't think on their own. Just like Republicans.

(Note: I don't like the DLC, but that's mainly for reasons other than ideology -- it's really because they are too willing to roll over for the Republicans and compromise on damn near everything because they're afraid of seeming "unreasonable" or something. Screw that.)

[acmejack]

9. Democracy is based on compromise.

Willingness to compromise is a good thing, knowing when to give and take is a gift.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. BRAVO!!!

Well stated!!!!

:applause:

[JDPriestly]

11. It isn't Franken's stance on the war.

I agree with him on that. We started that horrible mess. I wish we hadn't. I believe we were wrong to go there. But we can't just walk away now. We can't leave innocent Iraqis to the mercy of the chaos and fanatical Islam that we unleashed.

What I don't like about Franken is that he invites all these right-wingers on his show and lets them talk on and on without really challenging them. I don't have time for that.

What I don't like about the DLC and the self-styled "moderate Democrats" is that they did not stand up for Gore when he won the election fair and square. They compromise on too many issues like the bankruptcy bill and the war and the patriot Act and the list goes on and on. They have compromised so much that they have lost not just the respect of liberals and progressives but also of conservatives. They are the guys and gals that Republicans point to when they talk about "girlie men," etc. They give the rest of us a bad name. We Democrats stand for many things -- compromise with injustice and evil is not one of them. No way.

Actually, we Democrats are pretty united on issues, and there is room to compromise among ourselves on the few on which we disagree. We disagree about style and about how to handle the Republicans. We liberal/progressives can't accept the moral compromises that the "moderates" make to appease the Republicans. Don't tell me any Democrat really believes in allowing credit card companies to enslave middle class Americans without placing any meaningful limits on the credit card companies' abusive lending practices. The "moderates" voted for that bill because they are cowards and for no other reason.

[GoBlue]

13. Show me the leash

"We can't leave innocent Iraqis to the mercy of the chaos and fanatical Islam that we unleashed" /irony

[MsAnthropy]

14. Excellent! He does a RADIO show!

He's an entertainer! We are so desperate for a savior that we expect perfection. We look ridiculous bashing our own when someone says something we don't like. We aren't Repukes--we don't all use the same script.

[sandnsea]

15. No politician supports instant pull out

They support a strategy that WILL leave Iraq stable, but believe that creating an atmosphere of withdrawal in the near future is more beneficial. When I say NO politician, I mean NO politician. Stability has always been a qualifier to withdrawal, from Kucinich to Woolsey to Hackett.

[OneBlueSky]

16. I understand what you're saying . . . personally, I've never liked . . .

Al Franken, but I've also never felt the need to post my feelings here on DU or anywhere else . . .

(oops . . . I just did . . .)

[The Night Owl]

17. I agree with Franken about US staying in Iraq...

US has to stay in Iraq. That is what sucks about what George W. Bush did. He managed to put both the United States and Iraq in an impossible situation. Stay in Iraq, and we bleed troops and money while Iraqis die in bombings and murders. Pull out of Iraq, and thousands of Iraqis die in civil war. Either way, we are all fucked. Only George W. Bush could create such a fucked up situation. Thanks, chimp.

Some situations have no good solutions. What burns me up is that the situation in Iraq was avoidable.

[proud patriot]

18. The hide a thread feature is an awesome tool

:hi:

[BuyingThyme]

19. This is the most divisive post currently on DU.

Bravo.

[Rude Horner]

22. yeah, whatever (n/t)

[Andromeda]

25. Bwahahahahahahaha....

You're joking, right?

[BuyingThyme]

26. No, it's designed to be so. And it's the epitome of hypocrisy.

[Fly by night]

20. Franken was (is) a wuss on the 2004 election theft. Hasn't touched it.

[Ready2Snap]

21. Rude, Dude, you're absolutely right.

Have you read the profile of Grover Norquist in the Aug. 1 New Yorker.

He doesn't care what your cause is as long as you vote his way. Period.

Everything else is bullshit.

[rockymountaindem]

23. You haven't been here long, so you still have hope.

I've decided that a lot of people here pretend to be far left so as to divide us in the reality based community without getting banned. Others are really that shortsighted.

But either way, we're all going to stick to our views. I'd like it a lot more if things were like your post, both on DU and in the Democratic Party at large, but alas it seems otherwise.

[OzarkDem]

27. There are quite a few disruptors

who post here, Air America and Franken are among their favorite topics. Ignore them or hit the alert button.

[Andromeda]

24. This is common at DU...

attacking our own is a popular sport here. Just remember that not all people who post here are Democrats, or even Americans, so they don't really have a dog in our race. They just like to criticize and point fingers. Some of them are just (really young) kids, some are adults with their own agendas and are just here to stir things up and deliberately cause dissention.

It's not that I think you have to fit into a certain group to post here; on the contrary, I think it's good to hear other people's opinions as long as you're respectful when you disagree.

It just pisses me off when they try to tear down what we have established. The Democratic party isn't perfect but it's all we have so I'm going to do what I can to make it better. People who want a third party should just form one instead of trying to destroy mine.

I like Al Franken too but I don't always agree with him. Overall, I think his show is great and I listen to him whenever I can.

It's just plain silly to think you have to agree with someone 100% of the time to put any kind of value on what they say. Sometimes what they say has merit and sometimes it doesn't.

IMHO, people who accuse others of being the "enemy" are, themselves, the enemy.

[iconoclastNYC]

28. Well you are now part of the circle.

Instead of bashing other DUers for your views why don't you write a thread praising Franken?

Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Right?