Out of the mouth of idiots...

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado in which he called for expanding the nation's foreign service.

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
The Obama transition team declined to comment on Broun's remarks. But spokesman Tommy Vietor said Obama was referring in the speech to a proposal for a civilian reserve corps that could handle postwar reconstruction efforts such as rebuilding infrastructure — an idea endorsed by the Bush administration.

This came from an article discussing comments that Paul Broun, a Representative from Georgia's 10th district (which covers the Northeast portion of the state including Athens) made to AP in an interview on Monday. To say that I am appalled, as well as embarrassed, to live in the same state as that man. He knew what he was saying was unhinged; any comment that starts with "it may sound crazy and off base" will most likely sound crazy and off base. If you feel that way about a comment and especially if you are a politician, it would probably be best to err on the side of caution and keep your comment to yourself. While I would not insult the Republican party by saying that he represents their overall views, I do find that these comments, combined with the criticisms the Republicans as a whole have levied against the administration of a man who isn't even in office yet, show just how immature and ill equipped they are to lead this country in this time of much needed change and transition. Instead of following the lead of their own standard bearer John McCain, they have already degenerated into petty bickering and infighting. They have the chance to prove themselves to be relevant and capable of true serving leadership and instead they are flushing it down the toilet. They are proving the criticisms of their detractors from the last 8 years; 8 years during which they had the opportunity and the ability to make real and fundamental changes. They aren't even asking the question "Are you better off then you were 8 years ago?", because they don't want to hear the answer. Now they have the chance to work together and make things right, but they are already setting up what they view as the inevitable opportunity to chant "I told you so" at the end of Obama's term, while ensuring that as little as possible will get done by not cooperating and taking action.

I am very disappointed- as an educated, white, middle class, female in her late 30's, I'm the vote they tried to get by bringing Sarah Palin into the race. However, all they are doing with this fear mongering, petty, BS, sniping is further pushing me away from listening to and embracing what they stand for and what they have to say. I hope that McCain truly is the maverick he says he is; maverick enough to say "Ya'll are crazy! Let's buckle down and getter done; don't make me have to come over there and smack ya upside the head with a 2x4!" I think that if he could get his party in line, get them focused on the real issues and on coming up with real solutions, and encourage EVERYONE to out their egos and self-serving interests aside, he could have my vote for president next time around. I hope that he doesn't fade into obscurity (Bob Dole, anyone) to lick his wounds, but that he takes his commitment to his country seriously and amps up his effort in the service of what is right.

The simple fact is Obama can't do what needs to be done, in the scale that it needs to be done, alone. Let's hope that he acts with humility and a focus on serving the country as a whole over ideology and acts as inspiration for others in Washington to rise above. Let's hope that Washington as a whole sees that humility and focus and reacts with humility and focus of its own. We have the chance to be the America we all want to be; the America that we can all be proud of. We will always have our differences, and that's okay- good even, but we have the ability to unite behind common principles and prudent courses of action that work for the benefit of us ALL.