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Obama braced to torpedo swift boats (Mega Barf Alert)
The Austin American-Statesman ^ | June 15, 2008 | The Editorial Board

Posted on 06/15/2008 5:18:58 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama learned an important lesson from the 2004 presidential campaign: Don’t be passive about false rumors.

When Democratic nominee and Vietnam War veteran John Kerry, who served with distinction in the U.S. Navy and won multiple Purple Hearts for wounds in battle, was attacked for a lack of patriotism, his campaign was slow to respond. Obama won’t be so passive.

The scurrilous attack on Kerry, largely funded by Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, a Republican Party sugar daddy, was outlandish. A group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth posted the ads, coining a new term for dirty politics - swiftboating.

Obama’s campaign has had to fight swiftboating all year, regularly fielding wild rumors about his heritage, his patriotism and his religion. In most instances, the campaign staff fired back quickly to a targeted audience.

But after the dustup last week over comments attributed to his wife, Michelle, the Obama campaign took to the Internet with a vengeance and a new Web site. Michelle Obama was accused of using a derogatory term for white people, which she and her husband roundly denied when it was reported and deny again on the Web site.

The name of the Web site, fightthesmears.com, says it all clearly and concisely. Obama’s camp will respond to smears instantly and forcefully. It will not be easily swiftboated, not be passive about rumors no matter how bizarre, not be caught unaware of the destructive potential of false statements.

It’s an unfortunate reality of modern politics that the most absurd charges assume a life of their own on the Internet. Anyone can post any nutty thing, and it spreads like a virus. This is the new gutter politics, and it can be effective.

Obama’s camp is smart to fight back aggressively. The Web site already answers not only the smear against Michelle, but disproves several others. Obama’s birth certificate is posted to counter that he’s not an American; his Christian upbringing is explored to prove he’s not a Muslim; a video of him leading the Pledge of Allegiance in the Senate gives lie to the smear that he refuses to say the pledge.

Also, to counter the attacks on him using partial quotes (or entirely fabricated ones) from his books, the full texts are offered. This is an effective strategy to refute the smears, innuendos and outright lies that have accompanied Obama’s successful campaign.

Obama and Republican presidential aspirant John McCain have spoken of rejecting smear campaigns this political season and raising the political debates to a new level. At this point, that looks more like hope than fact.

Even if they both take the high road, nothing will prevent hatemongers from spreading poison. Nothing will prevent radio personalities from repeating false, hateful smears, giving them another life. Nothing will prevent anonymous bloggers from posting pure fiction under the guise of political truths.

But Democrats have learned from the swiftboating of Kerry that they can and must fight back. Fightthesmears.com is an excellent tool for turning lies and smears back on their perpetrators and revealing the truth.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; election; electionpresident; elections; johnkerry; mccain; obama; obamalicker; sbvft; smearcampaign; troll
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Where does one begin? Telling the truth about a candidate is now a "scurrilous attack?" Hahaha!

So if Obama denies it, it's off-limits? MMMmmmmkay!

1 posted on 06/15/2008 5:18:59 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Thin skinned is now a race.


2 posted on 06/15/2008 5:20:34 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Wonder how fair this “journalist” has been to GWB?


3 posted on 06/15/2008 5:24:43 PM PDT by Huskrrrr
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Has anyone checked their websewer to see if they have thrown his brother under the bus yet?


4 posted on 06/15/2008 5:27:52 PM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature (Senator McCain, what did GWB promise you back in 2000? And you believed him? BWAHAAAAA!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The truth hurts anbd is going to leave a mark, and Obama and his handlers know it so they are already trying to get out in front of it all...which means there's a lot more out there.


THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

5 posted on 06/15/2008 5:29:43 PM PDT by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

However, the website Obama has set up to ANSWER his critics are now turning and attacking McCain.

Further proving what a bunch of dolts the democrats are .. they don’t even know the Swift Boaters WERE IN VIETNAM WITH KERRY (or if they do know they’re lying about knowing).

It’s just another example of PAY-BACK by the dems when you outsmart them.


6 posted on 06/15/2008 5:30:25 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Yon: "The U.S. military is the most respected institution in Iraq.")
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To: Huskrrrr

It is Austin Texas. One of the most liberal cities in America.


7 posted on 06/15/2008 5:32:39 PM PDT by sausageseller (http://coolblue.typepad.com/the_cool_blue_blog/)
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To: Jet Jaguar
PhotobucketPhotobucket
8 posted on 06/15/2008 5:32:47 PM PDT by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Obama is standing in a cesspool of deceit. He can’t fight the truth with more lies.


9 posted on 06/15/2008 5:34:35 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY ((((Stop the Obamanation!))))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Don’t be passive about false rumors.

Obomba probably should not be passive about them, agreed. But its the true rumors that will do him in, and being passive or active about them won't make much difference.

10 posted on 06/15/2008 5:39:05 PM PDT by C210N (The television has mounted the most serious assault on Republicanism since Das Kapital.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Obama’s father was a muslim and his mother a convicted atheist. She was so rebellious against any traditional values she ran off to foreign countries and twice married men outside both her religion and race.

There is no way Obama had a “Christian” upbringing.


11 posted on 06/15/2008 5:43:23 PM PDT by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
This is the opinion of the entire editorial board of an alleged American newspaper. And they label telling the truth as telling lies, and lying in defense as telling the truth. What a pile of cr*p.

Other than that, good editorial.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Gravity: Not Just a Good Idea, It's the Law"

12 posted on 06/15/2008 5:44:40 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob ( www.ArmorforCongress.com)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Commander Obama braced to torpedo swift boats

ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa.


13 posted on 06/15/2008 5:45:16 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Hillary to Obama: Arkancide happens.)
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To: Cobra64
You know, I just LOVE that 'rat party seal. No matter how many times I see it makes no difference. FYI, if you image-google "Seal of the Democratic Party", the first dozen hits are copies of that seal.

The only other image like this that cracks me up EVERY TIME I view it is the Helen Thomas dog-face. These two images will live forever in the annals of the Enemy-within history.

14 posted on 06/15/2008 5:45:16 PM PDT by C210N (The television has mounted the most serious assault on Republicanism since Das Kapital.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
This is the opinion of the entire editorial board of an alleged American newspaper. And they label telling the truth as telling lies, and lying in defense as telling the truth. What a pile of cr*p.

Other than that, good editorial.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Gravity: Not Just a Good Idea, It's the Law"

15 posted on 06/15/2008 5:46:10 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob ( www.ArmorforCongress.com)
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To: C210N

I drink my morning coffee everday from a mug with that seal on it. It just reminds me to stick my fingers in my ears when I start to hear a Democrat whine.


16 posted on 06/15/2008 5:48:57 PM PDT by Melinda
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If a repub had set up thought police on the Internet the leftist media would freak but when a fellow Marxist does it , they rejoice. Like I have warned the OLD MEDIA want this Marxist to win so they can regain there old monopoly back. Obama and Michele aka Chairman Mao and Madame Mao once in power will shut down the new media , regulate the internet and shut down talk radio and threaten Fox News into submission. It looks like Matt Drudge is already playing along with the Obama thought police in a hope to stay open.


17 posted on 06/15/2008 5:49:22 PM PDT by ncalburt
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

18 posted on 06/15/2008 5:50:34 PM PDT by Bobalu (What do I know, I'm a Typical White Guy)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I'd like to know exactly what this publication(which is from Texas btw)had to say about Bill Burkett’s smears on President Bush in 2004.
19 posted on 06/15/2008 5:52:18 PM PDT by KevinJohnson
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I'm beginning to think the Dems are putting out some of the false rumors about Obama themselves to create a smokescreen around anything truthful coming down the pike. Just as this writer lies, they will all think it is very easy to lie, and then they will attack anyone who tells the truth. The TRUTH will win this time, just as it did in 2004.
20 posted on 06/15/2008 5:55:15 PM PDT by Melinda
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
But Democrats have learned from the swiftboating of Kerry that they can and must fight back”

Naaaah.
The real lesson of the Swift Boat people is that the truth will out, no matter how much the MSM and the Democrats attack the people that tell the unpleasant truths about Democratic presidential candidates. That's why Hanoi John Kerry lost.

21 posted on 06/15/2008 5:58:57 PM PDT by KevinJohnson
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To: CyberAnt
Dolts?

Obama has gotten into the fight ahead of any real opponent - they're out there warning the faithful against the evil (but factual) words of their opposition.

We're looking at democrats, socialists, and plain delusional people who are free to vote their fantasies.
We're looking at a political machine that knows it can define honest opposition as a cliche of greed and misanthropy - and get away with it - because the left has been setting this up since kerry got bit by his lies.
Obama intends to get away with his lies, he is already out there building defenses, and the best defense is a good (early) offense.

Don't kid yourself:
"Obama’s camp is smart to fight back aggressively. The Web site already answers not only the smear against Michelle, but (several others)...This is an effective strategy to refute the smears, innuendos and outright lies that have accompanied Obama’s successful campaign...nothing will prevent hatemongers from spreading poison. Nothing will prevent radio personalities from repeating false, hateful smears, giving them another life. Nothing will prevent anonymous bloggers from posting pure fiction under the guise of political truths."
Ain't amateur night. it's new and it's politics, and it's gonna hurt.

22 posted on 06/15/2008 6:15:39 PM PDT by norton
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To: Congressman Billybob
Aloha Billybob!

Let's see if Obama can charge swift boating on this.
Elected to the US Senate in 2004, sworn in a US Senator Jan.4th, 2005 and through in his hat as candidate for President in 2007. Time and effort apent, three years.

(Now not being a pol myself but having experience in organizational matters, some PR, this event requires time....like a year.)

Now let's juxtapose careers, say Obama was a bright middle management employee who won a promotion to upper management. Then he spent nearly all his time politicking for CEO on the notion that "Change" would benefit stockholders (who previously benefited from management). His track record is a small part of the aggregate, his accomplishments none existent in an honest review of the totality, his promotion justified only by political correctness and affirmative action.

As a voting stockholder......and as a citizen, No Way!
23 posted on 06/15/2008 6:27:35 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhaul Congress! It's the sensible solution to restore Command to the People.)
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To: I still care

Nor can he be a born-again Christian, as someone who sat in a racist “church” for years and said or did nothing to stop it.

He’s as phony as it gets.


24 posted on 06/15/2008 6:34:51 PM PDT by A_Former_Democrat
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

His own words are horrible enough.
Why would anyone even need to cook anything up?

He is a very dangerous man....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl32Y7wDVDs


25 posted on 06/15/2008 6:35:02 PM PDT by Names Ash Housewares
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Austin, the San Francisco of Texas. A different place entirely.

The Austin Anti-American Hatesman.


26 posted on 06/15/2008 6:36:40 PM PDT by garyhope (It's World War IV, right here, right now, courtesy of Islam. TWP VRWC)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If only Obama gave half as much thought about protecting The United States of America from her enemies within the borders and in foreign nations.


27 posted on 06/15/2008 6:58:09 PM PDT by weegee (In 1988 Lenora Fulani was the 1st black woman to appear on presidential ballots in all 50 states)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
When Democratic nominee and Vietnam War veteran John Kerry, who served with distinction in the U.S. Navy and won multiple Purple Hearts for wounds in battle, was attacked for a lack of patriotism, his campaign was slow to respond.

If Kerry had had the facts on his side, he would have responded in a heartbeat. He wasn't about to admit to the world that he had gotten self-promoted purple hearts for "wounds" that would not have caused a kindergartener to miss recess.

28 posted on 06/15/2008 7:01:47 PM PDT by TruthShallSetYouFree (Abortion is to family planning what bankruptcy is to financial planning.)
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To: I still care

He CAME to Christ in his adulthood through Pastor Wright (20 years ago by his testimony).

So again, Barack needs to tell us what he was practicing before he came to Trinity because he has not come clean with the voting public.

If there is nothing wrong with being raised as a muslim why doesn’t he admit to it?


29 posted on 06/15/2008 7:10:42 PM PDT by weegee (In 1988 Lenora Fulani was the 1st black woman to appear on presidential ballots in all 50 states)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
But Democrats have learned from the swiftboating of Kerry that they can and must fight back.

The newspaper employees left out, the follow through. Yes, fight back as Kerry has done but he's never followed through with any publicly verifiable proof as far as I know.

That Texas guy offered Kerry a million dollars, I believe, if Kerry could disprove some of the swift boaters' claims. A million dollars! Piece of cake -- if you got the proof. Was the offer a hoax? I don't think so. Why won't Kerry take him up on it?

Wot?

Kerry wants a wife to go with the fortune? Then he'll believe the money is real. . . .

30 posted on 06/15/2008 7:33:57 PM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: Jet Jaguar
Obama is gonna be sliced and diced.There is just too much on Obama, A LOT MORE than on John Kerry, who faked and manipulated his way out of Vietnam by claiming a purple heart for a scratch.

How much truth is on Obama? Piles and piles:

All the ammo and truth you need.

31 posted on 06/15/2008 7:50:20 PM PDT by Candor7 (Fascism? All it takes is for good men to say nothing, (Expose Obama))
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To: Candor7

Thank you for compilation. Makes it much easier to get the TRUTH out there.

The TRUTH BOAT getting ready to sail1


32 posted on 06/15/2008 8:19:00 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Off to check out the site.


33 posted on 06/15/2008 8:39:52 PM PDT by Ciexyz
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To: C210N
This one?

Photobucket

34 posted on 06/15/2008 8:40:16 PM PDT by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Exactly.

Obama is evil and hatred personified.

Now he is lashing out against Americans who expose him?

Such behavior demonstrates that he is more evil than I thought.

35 posted on 06/15/2008 8:41:48 PM PDT by Prole (Pray for the families of Chris and Channon.)
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To: Candor7
Obama is gonna be sliced and diced.

By whom?

John Tax-Big-Oil-McCain?

Photobucket

36 posted on 06/15/2008 8:57:55 PM PDT by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If someone is “swiftboated,” it means they’ve been caught lying. So why not?


37 posted on 06/15/2008 9:01:29 PM PDT by lainie ("You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." - C.S. Lewis)
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To: Cobra64

(lol — good imagery)


38 posted on 06/15/2008 9:02:18 PM PDT by lainie ("You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." - C.S. Lewis)
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To: Candor7

[Obama is gonna be sliced and diced.There is just too much on Obama, ]

Wow, great website. Just wait till testimonials from brother Roy, the militant muslim Luo get aired. I don’t think it’s going to be a Kumbaya moment.


39 posted on 06/15/2008 9:12:55 PM PDT by FastCoyote (I am intolerant of the intolerable.)
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To: norton; All

Excuse me .. the website is being used to ATTACK the right.

You can pretend it’s to “refute” all you want .. but it has migrated (as all things liberal always do) into a monster. Another “war room” the same as the Clintons - where they controlled the media and everything about the candidate.

You can say it’s just “politics” but this is not the politics I remember being involved in. This is more propaganda than politics and I don’t like it one bit.

I do know what brought it on .. radio. When the conservatives took to the radio waves the liberals went ballistic realizing that their scheme to take over America was at risk. Today’s media is still bent on keeping the liberals in power .. but they’re really further from power than they’ve ever been .. and I still believe they will not make it back into the WH this time either.

And .. if people think they’re mad now .. just wait until they lose in November. I hope we’re all ready for another round of hostility.


40 posted on 06/15/2008 9:15:19 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Yon: "The U.S. military is the most respected institution in Iraq.")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What a pile of crap. Why do you continue to post this garbage?


41 posted on 06/15/2008 9:17:23 PM PDT by smithone
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Of course the term “Yellow Journalism” was coined long before the Swift Boat Vets.


42 posted on 06/15/2008 9:21:06 PM PDT by EDINVA (Proud American for 23,062 days.... and counting!)
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To: Congressman Billybob

And we pay good money for that liberal cr8P every day. Sigh.


43 posted on 06/15/2008 9:21:14 PM PDT by WOSG (http://no-bama.blogspot.com/ - co-bloggers wanted!)
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To: smithone
"What a pile of crap. Why do you continue to post this garbage?"

Oh, I didn't realize you were the Big Kahuna here: I'll try and run threads by you before I post them. Will that suffice?

44 posted on 06/15/2008 9:35:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only the Marxist Obama can!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Oh, I didn't realize you were the Big Kahuna

I've noticed that you regularily post inflammatory articles without comment, the pattern is obvious. You like to stir up trouble on FR. It's just my opinion but I think it's obvious to others too.

45 posted on 06/15/2008 9:45:17 PM PDT by smithone
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To: CyberAnt
"Excuse me .. the website is being used to ATTACK the right."

Yes, it is.

Please read before reacting.

46 posted on 06/15/2008 9:50:16 PM PDT by norton
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

So didn’t McCain ride to the defense of Kerry and renounce the Swift Boat Vets for Truth?


47 posted on 06/15/2008 9:53:03 PM PDT by Sunnyflorida
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Here is the link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5612836/


48 posted on 06/15/2008 9:56:13 PM PDT by Sunnyflorida
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To: Cobra64

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5612836/


49 posted on 06/15/2008 9:57:03 PM PDT by Sunnyflorida
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To: smithone
"I've noticed that you regularily post inflammatory articles without comment, the pattern is obvious. You like to stir up trouble on FR. It's just my opinion but I think it's obvious to others too."

First of all, if every thread here is by a conservative, this becomes a "Rah-rah echo chamber" and we learn nothing about what the "other side" is up to. In military inteligence we called that "Know Your Enemy" and for good reason. Secondly, I did comment, see post #1. Thirdly, you & I are equal here, and neither of us is Jim Robinson. If Jim doesn't like my threads, he'll 86 me. Fourth, who are these "others" that you mention? I get 99.9% positive feedback from other FReepers, so, besides yourself, who thinks I'm a sh*t-stirrer?

50 posted on 06/15/2008 10:07:22 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only the Marxist Obama can!)
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