Bobbert -

Makes me think of Germany in the 30's...

Not a chance, Bobbert. Take a close look at how the Nazi party obtained and expanded their power.

1. A political faction elected on a campaign promising a "return to Conservating religous values, protection of the family, and protection of the country."

. . . . Nazi . . . not at all like the Republicans(?)

2. Creating, or through propaganda building a terror of, an "enemy" that requires extreme defensive measures.

. . . . Soviet Communism . . . . Iraq was just 'cause we had to(?)

3. Assumption of "emergency powers" for the good of the country.

. . . . Adolph (actually at first more Hermann)

. . . But George really needs to be able to call all the shots(?)

4. Declaration of the need to keep actions taken under the Fuhrer's "emergency powers" secret from the people for "reasons of security."

. . . . Gotta confess maybe this one's questionable.

5. "Secret" expansion of the emergency powers claimed for the Fuhrer.

. . . . Oh, well, but, well

6. Enlisting of "Conservative" religion, and it's installation as the official National Religion.

. . . . The first treaty the new Nazi administration made with an internationally significant power was with the Vatican, which was almost immediately declared to be the "National Religion of Germany," and which intentionally or otherwise crushed the liberal Christians, mostly Catholic, who were the principal organized opposition to Nazi policies. (Concordat of 1933.)

. . . . Pat Robertson says he's responsible for the Republican success in the last election, and possibly he's right.

7. Emasculation of the Courts, by appointment of quisling judges who will follow the party line.

. . . . A key here was getting judges in place who would support the Fuhrer's authority to supercede the legislative bodies, to make or revoke laws on the sole authority of the Fuhrer or his appointees.

. . . . The US Supreme Court has just upheld George's assertion that his emergency powers permit him to deny protection of "whistle blowers" in direct contravention of the law passed by the Legislature granting them the same protections as any others.

8. Attacks on the unemployed and welfare recipients, labelling them as "undesirables" and propaganizing to create public resentment of them.

. . . . Germany had an enormous unemployment problem. People in jail or in work camps don't appear on the unemployment roles. Problem solved.

. . . . That's just Standard Republican policy(?)

9. Demonizing of segments of the population to give "the people" someone to hate.

. . . . One of the first pograms against a named kind of people who were persecuted/prosecuted simply because of who/what they were was a campaign to eliminate homosexuals. Best estimate is that 300,000 of them died in work camps before Germany started on the "Jewish Problem."

10. Legislate (actually just declare) limitations on marriage, as beginning step in isolating some factions of the population for later expulsion, forced labor, or extermination. Nuremberg 1935

11. Forcible expulsion and/or imprisonment of "undesirable immigrants."

12. Aggressive action against other countries because "we need their resources," and "we deserve them because we're better than they are."

13. Occupation and forcible imposition of "our kind of government" on foreign nations.

See Bobbert. It's your imagination and there are no real similarities.

John