Just a quick hello.  My name is Mike Brown, a.k.a. mikelefty22.  The name refers to my being left-handed, both physically and politically :).  Some of you may have seen my comments scattered all over the place.  Please forgive me, but I'm still new to this site and am getting the hang of everything.  My sympathies for the Democratic party, and my fierce opposition to the right, stems mostly from my upbringing.  I was raised by a divorced, single mother, and spent my childhood watching my mother cry because we had no money.  The reason we had no money was because Conservatives like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush not only left my mother out of the economic equation, but actually blamed her for her situation, justifiying this socio-economic discrimination with their archaic, narrow-minded Christian beliefs.   Needless to say, both my mother and I regarded this as a slap in the face.

     Please do not misconstrue my opposition to conservative christianity.  I am not religously affiliated myself, but I have absolutely no issue with the expression of religous belief.  I simply do not feel that it is approriate to implement religion as political policy.  My mother's presbyterian minister once said:  "I do not believe in politics from the pulpit.  I'm in a position that can influence people's opinions."  I do not believe in religion from the Oval Office.  Using the bible as justification to deny people their rightful financial inclusion and constitutional rights is a  very dangerous and discriminatory concept.  It is for these reasons, among others, including their perilously top-heavy economic policies, that I cannot bring myself to vote Republican.

     I decided to join this site because, as I mentioned in an earler comment,  I am getting fed up with all of the conservative windbags being critical of President Obama.  One of their many baseless criticisms is that the President is not promoting national unity.  These are the same people that label those of us with the audacity to fight for the equal rights of all Americans as "liberal loons."  To my knowedge, Liberals don't have a good nickname for Conservatives (maybe we should think of one). These are the same people, led by Rush Limbaugh, that said that they want Obama to fail.  These are the same people, representing 1% of the population, that selfishly blocked Obama from trying to help the other 99%.  National Unity?

     These are the same corporate millionares that "protested" a measly 3% increase in their taxes while middle-class families are losing their jobs and their houses and are struggling to scrape by. (A consequence caused by these same millionares).  They protest Obama's budget plan, somehow forgetting that spending money to make money is a concept called CAPATALISM, something that republicans are supposed to cherish.  They say he's soft on foreign policy, but fail to mention Bush's policy of making enemies around the world in the interest of "national security."  These same pundits were conspicously quiet after Obama's flawless handling of the Somali Pirate Affair.

     Well, I promised a "quick hello,"  but just like a republican, I failed to keep my promise.  I apologize for being so long-winded.  I just want to say that I'm happy to meet all of you and I'm glad to be around other intelligent people who understand the follies of the right.  I look forward to reading your comments and your suggestions for a good nickname for conservatives.  I like "conservative crooks",  "conservative crackpots", or "conservative cooks",  but your free to make your own ideas.

                                      sincerely,  Mike Brown  mikelefty22