Just what is a Neo-Con?? - A great question, indeed. I do not use the term here lightly, or indiscriminately. I won't attempt here to go into the full etymology of the term, but I can tell you a book titled Neo-Conservatism was published about a decade ago, and its author Irving Kristol is widely deemed the Godfather of the gang.

I must admit its meaning was quite fuzzy to me, a true Conservative, until the November 2006 election debacle, where its meaning suddenly crystallized (Krystolized?) and became clear. Think "Compassionate Conservatism".

When Conservatives first heard the phrase "compassionate conservatism" used in connection with the 2000 Presidential election, they were enthused, assuming that it meant a return to Reaganism - where individuals should be expected to take responsibility for their lives, but where individualism and private charity would be relied upon to help those few who truly cannot help themselves - free of government coercion or interference. This is truly compassionate.

But, as it turns out, Compassionate Conservatism, as championed by the Bush Administration (which is dominated by Neo-Cons) is neither conservatively "compassionate", nor Conservative at all.

Witness: ballooning federal deficits, record-level expansion of drug benefits program, No Child Left Behind monstrosity, Katrina's colossal giveaways and waste, Harriet Meiers nomination, a tax cut which disproportionately benefited the UNDER-taxed (and is scheduled to sunset soon), starving Terri Schiavo, back-room deals cut with Vicente Fox, immigration "reform" abomination - literally giving away our sacred rights and benefits to illegal insurgents (outright treason), failure to seal our national borders, Orwellian TSA searches and seizures against innocent Citizens, steel tariffs, farm subsidies, enough pork to feed the planet, on and on.. - all without a single VETO!

This is NOT Conservatism - it's a Neo-Con sham. It's also known as Socialism.

Next, consider our foreign policy in Iraq which somehow morphed from defeating its military and bringing Saddam and his desires for weapons programs to justice to now, vowing nebulous "security and stability" in Iraq - coercing peace and harmony through imposing American democracy in the Middle East courtesy of the U.S. military (not its job). This latter, unauthorized objective, forcing a middle-eastern utopia to "make us safer" is a Neo-Con fantasy - and, if you think for a moment, it isn't compassionate at all - it's totalitarian - and it's, not surprisingly, not going very well either. Cries that we're "Surrendering to terrorism" if this fantasy is at all perturbed, is Neo-Con propaganda designed to shame and shut up Conservatives (because we know nothing at all will shame Leftists to get on the Bus).

So, to sum up, Neo-Cons, through clever phrases like "compassionate conservatism" and "stay the course" are really just right-wing socialists and totalitarians who truly believe they can impose a better society, and they can accomplish it better than can the liberals. Think about that.

As the once great American civilization sinks inexorably toward the Left, and the true Left becomes ever-more loony and radical (as we have seen), the middle of the political spectrum, the "mid-line" shifts left too, causing many disgruntled "moderate" leftists to jump to the right of the line to become Republicans. And this just happens to be the central idea behind Irving Kristol's coining of the phrase, or as he put it, "A Neo-conservative is just a liberal who got mugged by reality." They're simply more "realistic" socialists - isn't that nice?

But make no mistake about it, formerly disgruntled liberals or Neo-Cons, who jumped ship, changed their PARTY, not their basic ideology - they just recognized much of the Left was too wussified to impart their wonderful visions by sufficient coercion. Voila - compassionate conservatism.

I hope the reader is starting to recognize the pattern here. And, not by coincidence, the logo "Neo-Con" itself implies that they are "Neo", or New, as in newly enlightened "conservatives", a kindlier gentler, more "compassionate" strain compared to the "Paleo-Cons" - old, stuffy, outdated true Conservatives who still believe in silly notions such as individual freedom, liberty, private property, etc., and a government which only pursues its Constitutional duties as duly authorized.

Why is all of this so important?

Because if we fail to grasp what's happening, and who's behind it, we'll fail to learn the actual lessons of the latest election, further fracturing the Right, enabling the Left to gain even more power, and we'll continue to encourage the dismantling of our American Civilization.

No, the reason Conservatives lost is not because the Left had any great plans for America, it's because Neo-Cons have screwed things up big-time - and we'd better start calling a spade a spade. Democrats did not win - Republicans lost, because GWB and his Neo-Con administration have ever-increasingly alienated supporters on the Right - particularly Conservatives - which has caused them to drop out and become greatly disillusioned by the Neo-Con con game.

So, with all of their congenital vitriol and lunacy these days, what are the chances that Bush will win Leftists over to his causes? That's right - when there are snowball fights on the River Styx. So, why does Bush continue to throw Conservatives, and their ideals, under the bus by continuing to make overtures to the Left when:
1) He's never had their genuine support
2) He's never going to get it
3) He's had most conservatives sitting patiently on the Bus for years?

Think about that. The political BATTLE IS ON THE RIGHT. It's inevitably FRACTURING.., giving a huge gift to a death-cult Left which has done nothing to deserve more power!

Do Republicans, through relentless liberal policies and Neo-Con propaganda, think they're going to somehow OUT-LIBERAL the LIBERALS?! Let me help - IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. (i.e. it's not working - look at the last election)

The only solution is to expose the Neo-Con right, and start moving back toward Reaganism which we know is compassionate and we know it works. I'm challenging the Right, particularly Conservatives, to recognize the impending doom right before our eyes..

If you're having trouble seeing my point, just take a look at the health (near death) of the Republican Party in King County. How well do you think the strategy of out-liberaling the Liberals is working?? (Ask Eric Earling et. Al., "pragmatic" Neo-Cons)

How shall we wrestle the Bus back onto the highway, onward toward that Shining City on a Hill?

-Jefferson Paine