As best I can tell, this recent episode started with this Nov 6th column by Drew Ball:

Quote :

"As the 2006 midterm elections approach, it is important that students understand that there is too much at stake for the youths of this nation to remain silent. Whether you agree with the positions taken in this article, it is our hope that you make yourself heard by using the invaluable privilege of voting given to us by our ancestors. As young voters, we are often under-represented; this fact works out to the advantage of those who care only about immediate political gains and little about building a solid foundation for the prolonged growth of our country and the issues that directly affect the lives of the youth. Since 2002, the Republican Party has controlled every branch of the federal government. In those four years, under the imprudent leadership of the Bush administration, the GOP-led Congress has not only failed to build a more secure nation, but has failed to address the urgent needs of average American people, all the while becoming embroiled in numerous scandals and allowing corruption to fester at the federal level of government. The Democratic Party is poised to lead the United States in a new direction through honest leadership and open government. At the top of the Democratic agenda lies real security, economic prosperity, energy independence and healthcare for all. First and foremost, Democrats plan to fulfill the greatest duty of government -- the protection of its citizens from all physical threats -- and we have a proud history of doing so. Our national security is now threatened by fanatical terrorism. Democrats acknowledge the true intricacies of this global war and will therefore implement the suggestions of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, reinvest in human intelligence and double the current contingent of Special Forces in our armed services. With more than 140,000 American troops in Iraq and 80 percent of them being younger than 35, the burden of fighting this war is clearly falling on the shoulders of young Americans. Something needs to be done. A new, innovative way to prosecute the War in Iraq will be embraced by using a vigorous commitment to Iraqi infrastructure and confidence in our military experts. For decades, the Republican Party has claimed fiscal discipline to be a mainstay of its platform; yet for the past five years we have suffered record-breaking budget deficits because of a Republican president and a GOP-led Congress that has been spending money like a bunch of drunken sailors; the results lay in stark contrast to the budget surplus of the late Clinton years. President Bush, along with the Republican Congress, has done absolutely nothing to reduce the increasing income disparity between the upper and lower classes that has become so pronounced during the last several decades. He has instead exacerbated this divide through unrealistically large tax cuts for those who dominate the economic hierarchy. While it is true that the stock market has experienced some legitimate growth, working people have not seen it in their paychecks, and job cuts have continued to soar. In the words of John Edwards, "the president is talking about Wall Street, not Main Street." Democrats have vowed to raise the minimum wage to a level that takes into account the inflation that has occurred in the last ten years. This year the Bush-controlled Congress cut $12 billion in federal aid to college students nationwide; it is the aim of the Democratic Party to restore it. Federal interest rates on college loans have spiraled during the last five years, and we will take it upon ourselves to cut them in half as well as to make college tuition tax deductible. The past several years have been terrible for idealism, but this year we ask of you to join in the belief that we can do better together. As Robert Kennedy once said, "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." It is our hope that you will stand with us on Nov. 7 as we demand a new direction for America because our future is at stake. Tonight at 8:00 p.m., the Society for Politics, Economics, and Law will be hosting a political debate in Harrelson 210 in which student Democrats and Republicans will discuss the economy, education and the War on Terror/Iraq/Homeland Security. We hope you will be able to make it out to hear fellow students debate and elaborate on these important issues in this crucial election year."

The Regean worshipers fired back with this gem on November 8th:

Quote :

"Employment comments misleading Drew Ball and Andrew Bates write, in their misrepresentation-stuffed guest column, "job cuts have continued to soar" under the Bush administration. Yet at a mere 4.4 percent according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in 6 years. Let's hear three cheers for the free market. Brittany Farrell Chairman, NCSU College Republicans Senior, Economics"

aka "your column is FULL of misrepresentations but I'm only going to mention one!"


And today, the tree huggers throw down the gauntlet:

Quote :

"College Dems' offer to Reps Thank you for finding our error and for making us aware of it. Please take into consideration that we wrote that column in the wee hours of the morning after much grueling campaign work (I was an intern with Congressman Brad Miller, and Drew ran the Wake County Democratic Party's GOTV), and I apologize personally for any misrepresentation of fact. I do feel that Ms. Farrell's further derogation of our piece is out of line, however. She later commented in her letter that our column was "misrepresentation-stuffed," and I would appreciate it if she would substantiate that claim. I would also like to reiterate (in response to her statement regarding free markets) that the College Democrats' cordial challenge to a political debate, which the College Republicans have shirked repeatedly, is still very much on the table. Andrew J. Bates Sophomore, Political Science "

Have shirked repeatedly???? Oh snap, somebody's done been called out. Whens the debate people? I'd love to see it go down. You kids don't have any elections to fight over for a while, make it happen!

11/10/2006 8:21:22 AM

The Republican at that SPEL debate got whipped.

11/10/2006 8:49:47 AM

i bet the fight will happen when they can get some poor people that dont know any better to do their fighting for them.

[Edited on November 10, 2006 at 8:56 AM. Reason : they being repub]

11/10/2006 8:55:49 AM

i'll get my brother in on this, he will tear anyone from the coll. dems' a new one, he's very very good at debate

11/10/2006 9:06:15 AM

what a bunch of wasted time

go fucking help the service raleigh kids or something

11/10/2006 9:24:14 AM

Quote :

"what a bunch of wasted time go fucking help the service raleigh kids or something"

don't you know, in political circles it's better to bitch and argue than to do something good for people

11/10/2006 9:25:19 AM

Quote :

"what a bunch of wasted time"

53819 Posts 47127 Posts

Hmm?

11/10/2006 10:35:34 AM

OH MAN HE GOT YOU

11/10/2006 10:35:56 AM

FUCK DA JOOOOSSS

11/10/2006 10:37:49 AM

^^^How many posts do you have on your older accounts?

[Edited on November 10, 2006 at 10:39 AM. Reason : ^]

11/10/2006 10:38:56 AM

^ no way, this is either a bone fide n00b or someone else good at acting like one. only the raw dog n00bs attack the post count.

11/10/2006 10:45:20 AM

lol

he got me

11/10/2006 10:47:02 AM

OMG SUSPENDED

11/10/2006 11:19:28 AM

Quote :

"what a bunch of wasted time go fucking help the service raleigh kids or something"

11/10/2006 11:23:59 AM

maybe i should do my hw first

11/10/2006 11:24:49 AM

sorry to post on topic, but the dems werent misrepresenting anything if you consider the types of jobs lost and gained

11/10/2006 11:27:58 AM

Quote :

"3 of 11: The Republican at that SPEL debate got whipped."

Who did they end up using?

I had been asked to be there for the Republican side, but ended up having to spend the entire night (and the entire weekend before it) trying to finish a CSC236 project  

11/10/2006 12:31:22 PM

i love how the term "unemployed" is such a benchmark and a trophy to all sides of the argument.

the pain felt in the economy needs to be measured also by "underemployment". underemployed are those that really haven't adjusted, and are really struggling.

11/10/2006 12:34:12 PM

"I AM IN COLLEGE! I KNOW EVERYTHING!"

"I AM IN COLLEGE ALSO! YOU ARE AN IDIOT! I KNOW EVERYTHING!"

who gives a shit?

11/10/2006 3:18:38 PM

this is stupid and will accomplish nothing ... shouldnt a debate be used when running for an office, not to prove a point because essentially, no points will be proven. this is simply going to be a typical political argument with students who think they are God's intellectual masterpeice. the republicans will leave as republicans and vice versa.

stupid fags

11/10/2006 11:45:55 PM

Quote :

"Who did they end up using? I had been asked to be there for the Republican side, but ended up having to spend the entire night (and the entire weekend before it) trying to finish a CSC236 project "

i'm pretty sure it was the 20 yr old virgin

and i don't think you would be able to represent the republican side.... not after the list of candidates your endorsed on here... too many D's

[Edited on November 12, 2006 at 12:26 AM. Reason : ]

11/12/2006 12:23:17 AM

^You don't know shit about local politics, huh?

[Edited on November 12, 2006 at 1:07 AM. Reason : local]

11/12/2006 1:00:41 AM

haha... i know you did not just say that to me

11/12/2006 1:15:11 AM

No, I did say that to you.

Most Republicans up for office this term sucked mad balls...so if a Republican declined to vote for those ball suckers, I wouldn't call that person a Democrat...

[Edited on November 12, 2006 at 2:13 AM. Reason : or a non-Republican...]

11/12/2006 1:50:35 AM

Quote :

"twoozles: not after the list of candidates your endorsed on here... too many D's "

haha well when you get thrown out of the GOP for being "a dirty and unshorn hippie intent on destroying traditional Christian marriage" (part of ex-Rep Russell Capps' speech against me)... let's just say I don't lose a whole lot of sleep supporting the people running against them, and I was celebrating my ass off Tuesday night

I'm still very much a libertarian / neoconservative blend though... i mean vengeance is about as Republican a trait as you can get

11/12/2006 3:59:33 AM

Quote :

"i bet the fight will happen when they can get some poor people that dont know any better to do their fighting for them. "

Dam Kyle, how about some consistency? I thought republicans were the party of the rich elite?

Besides, this debate would simply devolve into an argument about Bush and Iraq when there are other issues on the table that should be discussed. The other problem is that most of the stuff that republicans are right about are unpopular among college students that are busy living a life that doesn't at all resemble the real world. They're either being supported by parents or scholarships or loans, very few actually work long hours and, lets face it, college is easy as fuck. You get to drink 6-7 nights a week and party. It is in college that everyone seems to get along, wars seem SO 20th century and communism and socialism look like shining gems in a sea of selfishness. That's the reason that most republicans spend some time as a crazy liberal in their youth. And its why a debate on a college campus would be largely stacked against republicans.

11/12/2006 10:10:40 AM

Quote :

"They're either being supported by parents or scholarships or loans, very few actually work long hours and, lets face it, college is easy as fuck."

and yet its weird how the rich students who are getting everything from their parents are usually republicans while students with less money are generally democrats

weird

11/12/2006 1:21:23 PM

When i was in college, i was a democrat, graduated, become moderate democrat, getting more conservative as i make more money. I would never switch though. My sisters did the same thing, in college Democrat(when you are poor) then when you graduate and start making money, you start the transition...of course, some of yall will be making min wage for life so it would not affect you.

11/12/2006 1:24:24 PM

that doesn't really explain hollywood liberals

11/12/2006 1:30:48 PM

^^ the logic behind this makes no sense and it never has to me. I could see someone becoming alittle more fiscally conservative but that would never allow me to vote for the republicans. Maybe thats what your saying im not sure.

AND SCREW CHURCHILL HE WAS A DRUNK

11/12/2006 1:53:12 PM

Quote :

"more fiscally conservative but that would never allow me to vote for the republicans"

did you just put fiscally conservative and republican in the same sentence?

11/12/2006 6:57:30 PM

Quote :

"and yet its weird how the rich students who are getting everything from their parents are usually republicans while students with less money are generally democrats "

Sweeping generalizations for all!

11/12/2006 9:13:16 PM

i know, right? I sure as heck aint rich, but I sure as heck aint a democrat, either...

then again, I'm also no longer a republican, so...

11/12/2006 9:19:33 PM

^^^ im in a time warp

11/13/2006 12:10:53 AM

The College Republicans actually agreed to debate the College Democrats - just after the election so their time could be spent actually doing something rather than standing around yelling.

Andrew Bates is out of the loop... and unprofessional.

Which is a pity because the Republicans and Democrats were working together so well this year.

11/13/2006 10:27:13 PM

not really, andrew was just the one who agreed to write the letter

11/14/2006 7:49:53 AM