Colin Powell "Y.M.C.A." video now online...

LOL. holy shit. that is perfect.

Cute. How appropos. I am not enamoured with Kerry, but he's definitely better than Bush. Still wish it had been a Dean/Clark ticket.

I'm not a huge Kerry fan - would probably vote Democrat is I like the candidate better. However, I do applaud his stance to change such issues as hate crimes, protecting gay & lesbian families, HIV/AIDS funding, etc.

He's still not my prince charming. Give me someone that will change the fact that I pay 40% in income tax (I work from Jan. - May just to pay the IRS) and I'll march up & down the street in their support.

I think what is necessary is a president who will level with the people and say "The federal government is too big. I am willing to reduce taxes as far as we can reasonably do so, but some things must be done first. The debt must be paid off. Affordable health insurance for everyone must be achieved -- this will help businesses, too, as they are choosing not to hire people as permanent workers due to the enormously rapid escalation in health care costs. Social security must be fully funded, so that our children tomorrow will not pay the huge burden of retirement.

These are the financial and moral obligations our country should tackle before we can cut taxes... but once we have achieved them, your money should belong to you."

Ok….I agree, the federal government has gotten to big (yes there’s a “but” on the way)…….BUT….there has to be a better way of doing things than taxing a certain group of people to death. I understand there is a financial and moral obligation in our country but at best that obligation should be spread equally. Everyone needs to start doing there part. People also need to start taking care of themselves and stop relying on the government to “make everything better”. Now don’t get me wrong….social security needs to be fully funded however, people need to start investing, saving and protecting their own financial futures instead of letting big ole Uncle Sam do it for them. Regulations need to be placed on the insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals to reduce costs before tax payer money is turned over to government medical programs.

I think you're right that people need to take care of themselves better. That said, a huge problem in the U.S. is the cost to society when people don't.

Ultimately, we either need some sort of social safety net... or we need to ignore the fact that there are people starving in the streets or clogging up the Emergency Room to get treatment for ailments which could have been taken care of far less expensively had medical attention been available earlier. It is government's business when infectious diseases become epidemic because of a growing underclass of people who have no medical care.

It is also government's business when poverty leads to increased crime and social unrest, along with the cost of imprisoning 2.2 million people, up from a low of 218,000 in 1974. That's a far higher percentage than other western societies. Even if you were to assume that twice as many people should be incarcerated nowadays as in 1974, that means we are paying above and beyond that for the incarceration of an additional 1.75 million inmates at approximately $35,000 a year per inmate, or 61.25 billion a year... plus the loss to society of these people not contributing in any meaningful way.

Frankly, I don't know all the answers, except to say that there are real costs when government ignores social problems and expects people to be entirely responsible for themselves. I think we need to move more towards an investment economy, where prevention programs are closely scrutinized by a neutral accounting organization from a cost/benefit standpoint, in the hope of finding ways that this government can spend money in order to save it for a change.

Indeed. Everyone who may punch the Bush ticket is a gay-murdering, truck-driving thug, as far are you're concerned, right?

Way to play to ugly stereotypes and encourage dialogue, Mark.

Me, I dislike both candidates for different reasons, but I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish with this sort of cheap 'humor.'

*Shrugs*

- P.

Hardly everyone at all. That said, the fact remains that you couldn't create a GLBT-oriented bumper sticker that "heartland" Republican voters (predominantly in the South and Midwest) would be proud to display as a sign of unity ...and frankly, some *WOULD* appreciate a sticker such as I described.

Having just been reading a lot of Homer, that strikes a chord. A dimished seventh, to be exact.

Having just been reading a lot of Homer, that strikes a chord. A dimished seventh, to be exact.

Hi

Don't know you, but upon searching for Colin Powell's YMCA video I found your post. Thats awesome... glad to know others feel the same way!

I wonder if he does any other Village People tracks.