Jeb Bush says Reagan would have no place in current GOP

[The Dad Fisherman]

Both of you need to take a step back and relax.......before this thread gets shut down.

[Jim in CT]

Paul -

"So what was "deranged"?

In my opinion, it is deranged to suggest that if someone proposed a clean water act, that meaningful numbers of conservatives would be so opposed, that they would react by throwing bricks at whoever (presumably a heroic, selfless liberal) proposed the bill. Conservatives do not have a history of violently rejecting environmental legislation.

Your first post clearly stated that Republicans, as a group, only care about the environment inasmuch as there is a profit to be made. I do not think you can support that statement in any way.

"Sure it (Tea Party Racism)is (widespread). They had local teabag leaders with signs. Then when the heat got to be too much, everyone got the teabaggers to lay off with the racist signs. Is that bile also?"

Of course it's bile, that's exactly what it is. Paul, how do you know that the folks with signs were Teabag (your words, not mine) "leaders"? How do you know they weren't an insignificant minority?

Do you know that liberal groupa have admitted to going to Tea Party rallies with racist signs, hoping to discredit the Tea Party? How do you know the signholders you are referring to, weren't liberal imposters?

Finally, and most obviously, what idea supported by the Tea Party could possibly be construed as racist?

Paul, I concede that there are racists in the Tea Party. How about the New Black Panthers, Al Sharpton, Rev Wright, 100% of whom almost certainly vote for Obama. They are obviously racist. Does that mean I can accuse all Democrats of racism?

The Tea Party believes that it's irresponsible for the federal government to annually spend hundreds of billions more than we collect. If you want to view that as racist, so be it. I'm quite comfortable defending that ideology. Not only is it fiscally responsible, it's clearly not racist.

In my opinion, when liberals find themselves faced with a superior conservative argument (like the controversial conservative suggestion that bankruptcy is bad), liberals are quick to paint that idea as racist.

I can find individual racists in any large group. That doesn't mean that group promotes racism.

No anger or hate here. Just responding to your fanatical caricature of Republicans as a racist, profit-at-all-costs, rape-the-land boogeyman. It's a lot easier to paint me as a boogeyman than it is to debate me on why I believe what I believe, because what I believe is based on a combination of love and common sense.

[Jim in CT]

Paul, you have concluded that there is widespread racism in the Tea Party, because you have seen racist signs in news coverage of Tea Party rallies.

Paul, if you are correct (that the Tea Party embraces racism), can you please tell me why the Tea Party has endorsed so many high-profile minority candidates?

Allen West, Florida congressman
Nikki Haley, SC governor
Bobby Jindal, LA governor
Marco Rubio, FL senator
Tim Scott, SC congressman

That's just off the top of my head.

Why did the Tea Party endorse these people? In the cases of Rubio and West, the Tea Patry absolutely loves these guys, they are heroes to the Tea Party. How can that be, in a racist organization?

I anxiously await your reply.