Dick Durbin

[lsbets]

Can anyone say over the top? Here are his words:

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime—Pol Pot or others—that had no concern for
human beings."

Here is the quote from the report he was referenceing:

"When you read some of the graphic descriptions of what has occurred here—I almost hesitate to put them in the RECORD, and yet they have to be added to this debate. Let me read to you what one FBI agent saw. And I quote from his report:

On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. ..... On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor."

This is a US Senator? Come on Dick! I think the Nazis did a little more than make the temerature uncomfortable and play rap music. If you have a legitimate argument, use some sense when trying to make your point. I hope your office is getting flooded with calls telling you what an embarassment you are to the state of Illinois.

[Buckeye]

This is a horseracing board.

Are you talking about Tom Durkin?

If not, are you in the right place?

Off-Topic.

Maybe there should be a Way-Off-Topic section.

PA?

[lsbets]

Umm, that's why the section is called Off Topic - ie, not horseracing in Off Topic.

Actually, on edit - what is your problem with someone posting the words of Senator Durbin? Why are you so disturned that they were posted in a section where these things are posted on a regular basis that all you can do is say if you're not talking about Tom Durkin your in the wrong place or PA should have Way Off Tpic. What exactly is your problem Buckeye?

[Buckeye]

ok, you got me there.

I certainly agree with you that the word atrocity does not apply here.

[Buckeye]

It's a horseracing board though, so do not ask me what my problem is.

Please don't.

Off Topic is not a license to go anywhere you want to go.

[lsbets]

I did ask you and I'll ask you again - what is your problem with me posting something that is certainly well within the paramaters of what normally appears in Off Topic?

You say it is not a license to go anywhere, but I believe this is PAs board and if he has a problem with what I posted I am sure he will let me know. Since you are not the moderator of this board, I will not edit my comments based on your opinion of what should and should not go in Off Topic, I would simply suggest that you do not read things which you don't care to read.

But, I am curious - why is this quote from Senator Durbin in particular so upsetting to you?

[Buckeye]

Carry on Isbets, I am not a moderator, just a reader.

just a reader and part-time contributor to this board.

The comment about the US treatment of POW's by the Illinois Senator, and his comparisons, don't even deserve a response.

Throw this idiot out. You are right about this.

My question is, as a horseplayer, is this relevant?

[ElKabong]

Durbin is an ass. Millions were killed in Soviet gulags over decades in labor camps via torture, shootings, etc. The Nazi's tried to eliminate the Jewish race. Pol Pot and the KR killed over 1.5 millions people in SE Asia.

And this democrat senator from Illinois is trying to make Americans believe this nonsense...."you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime—Pol Pot "....

How do you take someone like this seriously from here on in? He's an ass.

[Steve 'StatMan']

If they chained me up and made me listen to Dick Durbin all night, I'd pull my damn hair out too!

Way out of line, as usual. Grandstanding for the next election.

Some things aren't great, war sure isn't pretty, but it is nothing like the evil enemies and nations did to their own people, let alone to our own soliders. Nothing even close. Just Dick Head Durbin trying pull our country up short in the stretch, risking us losing after all our game efforts.

The fools in our state go Democrat - the former Repub. Gov. George Ryan shot his party's feet off leading a massive amount of corruption that has put lots of people in jail and has been threatening similar for him. So looks like we're going to be seeing Durbin from IL for a long time.

[Tom]

This low life is a traitor and a disgrace. He is a fine example of jut how low and disgusting the dems have become. He is not fit to live in this country.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Heat, cold, rap? He's describing the Eastside of any California city in any ethnic (including white) neighborhood.

[Steve 'StatMan']

What kind of "gulag" has air-conditioning?

What kind of a "gulag" has flushable toilets? For that matter - what percentage of homes on the island of Cuba actually have flushable toilets?

Didn't all the prisioners in Gitmo get a copy of the Koran? Who gave them each a copy? What percent of those are perfectly intact and still in the hands of the prisioners there?

[Tom]

What percent of the PRISONERS there are still intact?

I don't recall any beheadings there, unlike the followers of those nasty little devil's manuals. Frankly, as a taxpayer, I thinkg it downright disgusting that my tax money went ot but "korans for the morans" in the first place. This is in direct violation of church and state and I think they should all be collected and sold on ebay and the money put back into the general fund.

[Doug]

Sell the Korans to the Charmin Company

Doug

[JustRalph]

Looks Like old Dickie boy is eating his words............


Sen. Durbin Apologizes for Gitmo Remarks
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050621/ap_on_go_co/guantanamo_durbin_3

[lsbets]

I normally forgive people. You guys have seen me do it before. But he defended his remarks over and over again until the pressure built and he was forced to apologize. Does anyone really think he's sorry? I sure don't. Sorry Dick, it doesn't seem genuine to me.

[Steve 'StatMan']

I normally forgive people. You guys have seen me do it before. But he defended his remarks over and over again until the pressure built and he was forced to apologize. Does anyone really think he's sorry? I sure don't. Sorry Dick, it doesn't seem genuine to me.

I agree! I normally try to forgiving too, at least in my personal dealings, but Durbin's appology, from the quotes I read, is that he upset people with his words. He appologized to those who thought his remarks were over the top, but he didn't admit or agree that they were over the top, just applogizing to those who were hurt by them (and there are a LOT of them). Yeah, I'd cry too if I'd said something that stupid and seriously put my life-long career and credibility on the line as well as the nations best interests!

So to answer Sen. Durbin's question, NO, we wouldn't automatically think the things he described were being done in a gulag, by the nazis, Pol Pot, and the whole ugliest meanest regiemes of humanity.

[ElKabong]

Does anyone really think he's sorry? I sure don't. Sorry Dick, it doesn't seem genuine to me.


I agree with Steve. I heard his speech replayed on WBAP tonite (you'll hear it on Davis show tomorrow if you haven't heard it yet). I think after 5 days he simply got enuff flak from his constituents that he felt he had to say something to (try to) stem the tide of ill feelings.

Props to the good people of Illinois for torching his ass for his comments.

[Tom]

A democratic senator would lie?

Come on, now.....that could never happen! :rolleyes:

[lsbets]

Good advice for the Senator on how to apologize:

" Just say you're sorry. Never say you're sorry "if." Say you're sorry.

"I'm sorry I was rude" is good.

"I'm sorry if I was rude" is not. It weasels. It implies that maybe you weren't rude. It implies that the person being apologized to has a twisted little worldview if they think "Oh, shut up, frog-lips" is rude.

An apology should give the sense that you actually feel some form of regret. "Sorry if" is a conditional apology. Conditional apologies make things worse, not better.

"I'm sorry your frog is dead" is better than "I'm sorry if your frog's death causes you pain."

Similarly, "I'm sorry I taunted you about your frog's death" is better than "I'm sorry if my taunting you about your frog's death caused you pain."

http://archive.salon.com/people/feature/2001/08/23/sorry_if/

[Figman]

National talk show host Mike Gallagher and "Turbin" Durbin" look like twins.
Are they?

[Tom]

"Good advice for the Senator on how to apologize:"

And one more.......don't say stupid, guttless, cruel things to begin with. Being a Senator would imply some degree of education, maturity, inteligence. Durbin showed none of these attributes. He can stick his apoloy up his arse. I don't accept it and I don't believe it.

[dav4463]

Our own government did the same thing at the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, and there were even little children in there ! They turned off the air, shined lights in the building, played loud music, etc. Where was the outcry then ? These were our own people, but we care more about people who want to kill us.

[dav4463]

It was during Clinton's time in office though, so he gets a free ride I guess.

[JustMissed]

and have you ever seen a group of people work so hard to get votes for the Republicans as the DemLibs do?

Every time you turn around they are sticking their foot in their mouth.

JM