This is very interesting and I am probably going to regret this but what the hell...

MAV wrote: "As far as we (American conservatives)are concerned, fascist, marxist, stalinist, whatever, all authoritarianism is the domain of the left."

Well, actually, the fascists and the Nazi's were conservative movements. The communists were radicals and liberal at the beginning but once they had their hands on the controls they became very conservative. How you sort that one out is subject to interpretation.

"Like I said, all authoritarianism is of the left."

Except when it comes to telling women what they can and cannot do with their own bodies.

At one point the Clinton campaign came up in the discussion and there was a comment about Clinton signing the GOP initiatives. Well, that is the truth, kinda. He was fulfilling a campaign promise. Think way back to 1992. His major campaign promise was to break the deadlock in Congress and get the Government working again. And he did it. He took the GOP agenda as his own, humanized it and got it passed. Then the GOP decided they needed to hate him and blew the Whitewater thing all out of proportion and jumped on Monica (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun), and the rest is history. The Republican side is still ravening after the Clintons proving that they are a party of hate and unable to forget and forgive. The result of 8 years of the Clinton administration (if any party can take credit for the economy) has been the best and strongest economy in years. I believe the economy started to slump when the reality of either Gore or Bush coming into the White House hit home. Or maybe it was a matter of just being cautious.

MAV wrote: "If those people have been bashing conservatives they deserve to be "alienated", if they are self professed enemies of the Constitution....I'm sorry."

But the Republicans are the only party that has repeatedly shown itself to be an enemy of the Constitution. Remember that our president and the members of congress swear an oath to uphold The Constitution. They do not swear to support the president or any other institution. Yet Nixon and Reagan both took active steps to avoid constitutional restrictions, bending and even breaking the checks placed on the office of the president.

Democrats, on the other hand believe in the freedoms granted to the people of this country, upholding the spirit and the letter of the basis of all law in this land.

Sure there are individuals on one side or the other who screw up and let their personal foibles get in the way of their oath. Unfortunately the Republican party seems to be made up of people who march, in lock step, to the drums beaten by their leaders. As a result that magnifies the mistake of the leader.

The Democrats seem to be willing to question their leaders and argue with them. That is why they seem to be "rolling over" in the face of the Republican party these days. The Democrats have never been able to agree and come up with a consensus.

Now then, MAV, before we end up rolling on the ground, tearing at each other, let's agree on a basic principle in any argument. Only attack the arguments. Do not attack your opponent. I have tried very hard in the above paragraphs to keep the statements pointed at the Republican party in general. The degree to which you take them personally is up to you BUT THEY ARE NOT INTENDED AS A PERSONAL ATTACK.