Welcome

Greetings all. Mr Fulks and I have been friends for approximately 25 years.  He and I have had many of the same experiences, some of them shared together, that have helped shape our views.  But we do differ on many issues and I look forward to seeing where our views diverge.  

A little about me.

I love politics and I hate politics.
I look at the Republican and Democrats as two Corporations fighting for control of the same pie.  With that viewpoint, I am never disappointed when I see a pol in one party or the other, support something that is not beneficial to our Republic.  Politicians are in the business to get themselves reelected.  There secondary goal is do see their comrades-in-arms reelcted.  Their third goal is to serve their constituency.  I write this in a general sense as there are some politicians that I believe are actually in it for the people who they represent.  But they are in the extreme minority.

I have voted for both R's and D's in my life.  I consider myself conservative, with a lot of libertarian leanings.  Being a conservative I do tend to vote Republican and of all the politicians out there I do tend to identify with them the most.  However, just having an R behind your name means little. 

Actions do indeed, speak louder than words.

As for the matters that Mr. Fulks mentioned I stand with him on most all points.  I do divulge from some of his views though.  A few of those divergences: Gay Marriage- Homosexuals can and should have all of the same rights as do married heterosexuals.  However, to me, Marriage is a sacrament and therefore is something that a church conducts.  The vast majority of christian churches don't look favorably upon homosexual marriage.  Equality is what needs to be reached so since the state wants to be involved in the union between two individuals, perhaps they should get out of the marriage business and get into the civil union business.  Leave Marriage to churches.  Foreign Policy- There exists a fine line between policing the world and supporting our interests in the present and in the future.  One of my main issues with Ron Paul is his belief to retreat from our foreign bases.  In what universe does that make sense?  We have spent blood and treasure to secure those bases.  Bases that will keep our military fighting on other people's land when the next inevitable major war starts.  We save more lives and save more money by haviing foreign bases.

Those are a few thougts to kick things off with.