Free Republic

Why would you think this person is associate with FR?

Checking the article, the targets of his attacks were absolutely in line with the preferred enemies of readers of this list ("liberal" reporters, celebrities, and politicians). His politics apparently were very much in line with those here, although his tactics were obviously reprehensible.

Checking the other, much larger thread on this topic (already linked above), it appears that it's been confirmed that he was a member (now suspended). Apparently, he often posted in Katherine Harris threads, although I suspect he also had a few laughs from any threads on the fake anthrax letters.

Obviously, that doesn't mean that everyone here is a terrorist like this guy. But it might be a good idea for people to tone down the vicious rhetoric about what they'd like to see done to those that disagree with them.

Yes, but that's exactly the point. "Republicanism", as it has been practiced in the United States in the last six years, has drifted quite a ways away from "conservatism" - whose chief principles include limited government, limited fiscal spending, and limited interference with the lives of its citizens.

What's more, even original "republicanism" - the government of a republic, with focus on states' rights having higher precidence than an overarching federal government - has not been well represented by the recent Republican party.

Odd. Do you have a link for this? The closest thing I can find on any site is that Ken Mehlman is stepping down from the RNC.

Not quite the same thing, really.

He's been genuinely olive branching the crap out of the Democrats the whole time he's been in office.

I'm not sure that's really a defensible statement. In fact, it was Bush's eagerness to depict his opposition as being "with the terrorists" - or any other number of nasty charges that amounted to calling them treasonous - that first seemed to fuel the growing view of him a a divider, rather than a uniter.

It is in the best interest of the GOP to be courteous and polite, respectful of those they disagree with and willing to listen as well.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with this viewpoint. The bitter divisiveness that's consumed politics is absolutely what pushed voters, and our best hope as a nation is to learn how to work with the other side without simply calling them traitors.

I think Bush and Pelosi have both recognized that: that's the feeling behind Bush's speech on working together, and that's why the Democrats have said they aren't focusing on impeaching Bush.

If they both stick to those promises, we'll have some real potential in the future.

American republicanism is conservatism

It used to be, but has since changed into something rather different. I believe the growth of big government and fiscal irresponsibility is clear enough proof of that.

We need time for the Republican party to return to actual conservative policies, rather than what we've been led to.