Reply #1: "we must find issues which can bring right and left together . . .

[OneBlueSky]

to correct the excesses of a bureaucratic center" . . .

absolutely correct, and something that I've been saying (though not as eloquently) for some time now . . . specifically, that this whole right/left dichotomy is, in large part, an artificial construct to keep us occupied with peripheral issues that divide us so we won't have the time or the energy to focus on the core issues that can unite us . . . those on the left and those on the right (except for the real crazies) have MUCH more in common than not . . .

our common interests include things like jobs, peace, honesty in government, fiscal sanity in government, fair elections, fair taxation, environmental protection, corporate re-regulation and control, real domestic security, and the U.S. position in the world (among many others) . . . these are issues that all of us could come together around and confront the ruling elite with . . . instead they keep us arguing about abortion and gay marriage and such, setting the agenda and having their house organs (the MSM) reinforce it daily . . .

what most terrifies BushCo is that people will figure all this out and begin supporting populist (as is "good for the people") and progressive (as in "forward looking and reality based") solutions to these problems . . . which would leave them with a very small following indeed for their regressive, reactionary, and imperialist policies . . .

and probably a one-way ticket out of office and into the closest federal penitentiary . . .