Reagan Is Dead. Get Over It.

Differences emerge as Republicans debate

The Democrats should use their newfound majority to impose strict penalties on Republicans who are riding Reagan's Cold Warrior coattails to cover their own incompetence. I propose a law that punishes the next Republican candidate that says Reagan's name with a swift kick in the balls. Not that I was counting or anything, but I'd be willing to guess Reagan's name was used upwards of 100 times at the first Republican debate. Shocking.

The New York Times said it best: Bush is rarely invoked, Reagan is repeatedly, as the 10 GOP presidential hopefuls each promise change if elected in '08.

Exactly. The thing is, Reagan was president in a time completely at odds to ours. He was fighting a united, monolithic (or at least, so we thought) communist infliltration (yeah Reagan, get those commies!). We are fighting a decentralized, fractured, divergent network of terrorist organizations that operate around the world through a temporary medium (the internet). So yeah, stop pretending that using his name will somehow invoke his spirit. While Reagan is the second best thing to Jesus for Republicans, invoking him won't hurry his resurrection along. You've gotta wait for the real rapture for that one, kids.

Here's some other goodies, courtesy of the LA Times, for those of you who actually give a shit about politics. Have a ball.
-	Giuliani, Clinton lead in Connecticut
-	First debates draw around 4 million viewers
-	Fred Thompson calls for continued presence in Iraq
-	Schwarzenegger loses debate--and he wasn't even in it
-	GOP presidential candidates, gathering for first debate, also tap California donors
-	Fred Thompson: Actor. Senator. Presidential candidate?
-	What do presidential candidates watch on TV, besides themselves?
-	Democratic debaters get their first close-up
-	2008 Candidate Profiles