BUDGET INCREASE FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS

The Drudge Report ^ | 01-28-2004 | Matt Drudge

[Captain Peter Blood]

BUSH TO SEEK BIG BUDGET INCREASE FOR NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS... Laura Bush plans to announce the request -- for the largest increase in two decades -- on Thursday... Developing...

[Heartbreak of Psoriasis]

Governments thoughout history have funded patriotic art and memorials. The NEA designed the Vietnam Memorial, for example (or, rather sponsored its design).

And, while I'd happily pay for patriotic art- it's rather clear that a lot of other people won't. Therefore, government should encourage it.

Your words evince an utterly leftist/statist orientation, in utter contrast to your screen name.

Free markets, anyone?

I don't see anything in the Constitution authorizing the federal government to forcibly take money out of my wallet and give it to some "artist", no matter what it's spent on. Never mind the fact that it's largely been spent on prgrams designed to undermine my culture.

If I want art I'll buy it, thank you very much. I sure don't need any federal bureaucrat taking my money and giving it to Robert Mapplethorpe.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

I am all for making the NEA support itself or die. More importantly, it should be required to keep some sort of moral code in what it promotes.

Like it or not, there will always be a fringe element of people in the world and the NEA continues to cater to the extreme. Like anything, that has to be changed from within.

[Texasforever]

Look how can you argue with a scabby skin disease?

[Fledermaus]

Lost what 2 years later? The GOP has held the House since the elections of 1994 and only had a tie in the Senate once.

[jpsb]

I am a Texan, and I remember ma Richards very well thankyou. She was an embrassment to Texas with her remarks at the Dem convention. "You can't blame George Bush, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth".

[Fledermaus]

I don't see anything in the Constitution authorizing the federal government to forcibly take money out of my wallet and give it to some "artist", no matter what it's spent on. Never mind the fact that it's largely been spent on prgrams designed to undermine my culture.

If I want art I'll buy it, thank you very much. I sure don't need any federal bureaucrat taking my money and giving it to Robert Mapplethorpe.

Now that I'll agree with!

[Fledermaus]

Look how can you argue with a scabby skin disease?

I argue with you on occasion...the difference?

[nopardons]

Maplethorpe is long dead.It was under the auspices of RONALD REAGAN, that Maplethorpe got the money and Reagan did NOTHING about it.

[onyx]

Silver foot.

[Texasforever]

I argue with you on occasion...the difference?

I am not contagious.

[jpsb]

Lost what? We didn't lose, a GOP traitor changed parties. Admit it you just don't what a constitution republic, you must have you hand in the tax payer's pocket.

[nopardons]

You have a lousy memory...not " spoon "...FOOT !

[Heartbreak of Psoriasis]

Give me a break folks, you're going to give your tacit support to the Party of Treason over a few million? How stupid are you?

Yeah, a few million here, a few million there, the next thing you know you're talking about real money!

Man, you must be rich.

You're talking about my tax dollars here. Nearly half of every dollar I make goes to the government in one way or the other to support the mad plans of world domination of Wolfowitz and Perle, and to pay for the non-productive parasites who can't hack it on their own.

If the GOP doesn't stand for limited federal government, then it's as useless as teats on a boar hog, as we say in Wisconsin.

LEAVE THE GOP.

[Texasforever]

"You can't blame George Bush, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth".

That's the one and she didn't have a bit of trouble getting elected after that. So thanks for proving my point? Who is the "empty suit" again?

[jpsb]

you're right thanks for the correction.

[nopardons]

Leave FR !

[jpsb]

Oh only when I make a obvious silly mistake do you talk to me, I see how you are.

[Texasforever]

LEAVE THE GOP.

You make my teeth itch.

[Chunga]

"I am a Texan, and I remember ma Richards very well thankyou. She was an embrassment to Texas with her remarks at the Dem convention. 'You can't blame George Bush, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth'."

Actually, the quote was "Poor George...he was born with a silver foot in his mouth."

[Sabertooth]

Are you aware that the Republican Party was once a "third party?"

It wasn't.

The Republicans grew out of the ashes of the Whigs, with some Free Soil sprinkled in.

We have two major parties because of certain peculiarities of our electoral laws.

Electoral laws determine party systems. This is an axiom of political science.

Parliamentary systems use slates of candidates, and foster multi-party systems.

Our systems of proportional representation, election by plurality, and the Electoral College all steer our system to two major parties. It's always been thus.

First we had the Federalists and Republicans (later the called Democratic Republicans, then Democrats); then we had the Democratic Republicans and the Whigs; then we had the Democrats and Republicans.

In our 216 years of democracy, we've only had four major parties, and never more than two at once, spread out over three separate two-party systems.

Only two things can change the status quo: completely impossible Constitutional Amendments (too many states of low populations would have to willingly give up power), or the death of one of the existing major parties. Otherwise it's Democrats and Republicans as far as the eye can see, other than the occasional, unsustainable fluke.