Yes, I Know It's Been A Long Time ...

... but it's the end of October (Happy Halloween, everybody), and I think every good, decent, liberal American needs to get out there and do whatever they can to stop the barbarians at the gates. If recent polls are to be believed, they may carry the day in three elections next week. No matter what happens, however, we can't afford to give up or be discouraged.

I was reminded of this several days ago, when I got into a lively exchange on Facebook with a friend of a friend who believes, among other things:

1. that compulsory health insurance is immoral, but not compulsory car insurance because no one needs to drive a car (probably one of those Tea Party protesters whose hatred of Big Government led them to complain about the lack of extra Metro service for their protest);

2. that car insurance has nothing to do with the Federal government, despite the long-standing relationship between the automobile and federal funding;

3. that insurance makes the services it pays for more expensive, and that everybody should be compelled by the Federal government he hates to pay for their own health care; and

4. that his personal word means nothing, when he claims not to care that I drive a hybrid and then posts two additional diatribes about my choice in cars.

Oh, and I didn't even get into the fact that he doesn't believe in defending his country, probably because it doesn't fit in with his self-stated desire to be "left alone." He's like his hero, Dick Cheney; it isn't convenient to protect his country, but it's OK to root out new and more exciting ways to rip it off.

That's why all of us on the side of truth, justice and the American way need to get out and do whatever we can to ensure that what we believe carries the day. Letting morons like this sad sack run our country can only destroy it.

Personal footnote and disclosure: he accused me of hypocrisy because I criticized an obscenity in a comment he wanted to post on this blog, because of an earlier reference I had made to Cheney that played off of the former Vice President's first name. There's no hypocrisy. Taking responsibility for my own comments is easy; doing the same for others demands a little more concern for the sensitivity of my readers. My advice to my critic: grow a brain, get a blog and join the debate. I'm not afraid of you.