What about:

c) Learn to sit without having his legs spread way too far apart.

@ Danny G

...EEEWWW!Perhaps it's from too much time on his bike seat?

Possibly.  With all of the other shenanigans at the big debate last week, the main thing that's been haunting me has been that image of his Obercrotch.

"Obercrotch" - LOL
I'd challenge someone to photoshop that, but I don't really want to see it...

"Oberstar" isn't a name you can have much fun with without stretching it. But "Cravaack?" It's a combo of "crevasse" and "crack," as in a really big craaack. And we all know what that implies.

Sorry Liberbaci, but a good percentage of the population doesn't agree with your assimilation point of view. The only thing a train would have accomplished is providing a cheap trip for the grey heads to Hinckley. Oh, I forgot about Buehler- All aboard!! After all, being committed to the ideal of limited government and liberty of individuals is the true definition of liberalism, not your bastardized version. Why don't you Al Gore wannabees do something productive with your mouths and go and share each others gas?

Amen Jim. Getting tired of bacinstocks and whining.

What is this post about?

Oberstar needs to go, but it will not be this cycle.  He needs to step down, and let Ness or some  young progressive take he reigns.

Term limits are great, assuming what you intend is to ensure that corporate interests are able to steamroller underprepared legislators.

Amen Baci. Best post ever!

"No wonder you need Uncle Sam's help for everything from health care to feeding your family. I'm surprised you can even tie your own shoes..."

Keep reaching for that rainbow, Jim. I don't know many folk who have to rely on Uncle Sam for anything other than a tax return at the end of April. Not saying it doesn't happen, but you're hard pressed to find anyone here who fits your cookie-cutter profile.

I do love your Reynold's Wrap tinfoil hat world view, though. Gives me something to laugh at while I'm at work. You know, earning money, so I can support my family, pay my taxes, pay my mortgage and keep shoes on my kid's feet. It ain't easy, but gosh darnit, I do so hate standing in the breadlines asking for handouts.

You can take back America, Jim ... take us back to the good old days when women couldn't vote, "all men" were rich and white and little brown-skinned folk were called slaves ... you can take it back when you've pried it from my cold dead fingers. Ain't gonna be easy, though. I own guns, too.

If you're not a part of the solution, Jim, you're part of the problem. The problem right now is the lack of progress, and your backward view of progress is the problem.

Sorry Baci, but your form of socialism is best left in Eastern Europe. Americans don't want it. And yes, you are right. The economy was "borked" when Hussein took office. It was borked because of the money we spend on illegals daily, because of the lazy libs wanting lollipop mortgages orchestrated by the likes of Barney Frank, and because of bad spending habits (or saving if you prefer) by the brain-dead public living outside of their means. To blame it solely on the Republicans shows how deep your ignorance truly is. 

And your affinity for trains is puzzling. You really think that the gray-heads (myself included) will be lining up to take a train to Minneapolis? Sorry, won't happen. Another liberal idyllic dream. Typical for a socialist to have everyone pay for something that so few will use. 

The East Coast works because of population density, dummy. Rural service doesn't work. The rail networks in the countries used as good examples of efficient /economical rural rail service such as Europe and Japan, are subsidized by their governments to the tune of billions of dollars a year (much higher than the per-capita cost of Amtrak per citizen). Same thing with Via in Canada, and China. 

Also, the European-nationalized passenger and freight rail companies have been broken up as part of the European Union agreements. The rail infrastructures (tracks, bridges etc.) are considered national infrastructure, just like our highway system and air network. In the United States, the railroads are not. If you want to make a real comparison, you would have to nationalize our 200,000 miles of track. Great idea, huh? Especially because we do such a great job of maintaining our roads and  bridges. More taxes, more debt. That's what you want, though, isn't it? 

When it gets down to it, again, you want the government to own and run everything so it can be shared equally. My suggestion is this -- move to Europe instead of trying to make this your vision of what America should be. Or try Canada. 

And Zra, nice folksy posturing. Shucks, I love it when liberal crazies like you get their panties in a bunch. Glad to know you've got guns. Maybe you can use them to rastle up some grub when your employer lays your ass off and your too proud to stand in a bread line. 

The truth is that we won't have to pry it from your fingers, because you will be in that line, with your hand out, fingers stretched, just like your whiny liberal buddies. P.S. -- Do your own homework. I don't feel it's my job to substantiate everything I write to those that won't believe it anyway.

Is that some new dance? I guess I need to get out more.

Paul, I appreciate your venue. So much so, that in appreciation, I'd like to buy you a beer at my favorite spot. Stop by and see me at Murphy's next time you are downtown. You can usually find me in the basement playing pool or listening to the Inkspots on the jukebox.

Tony-
A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married. 
H. L. Mencken

Seems to me that the Tea Partiers have to hurl juvenile insults at Congressman Oberstar because he doesn't speak in trite sound bites and utter Palinsesque platitudes like Cow Chip does.

I know I shouldn't comment, but come on Jim do you really believe the stuff your saying?  You seem like a halfway intelligent person.  You say:

"It was borked because of the money we spend on illegals daily"

You do know that paycheck withholding occurs with illegals as well as legals. Only these funds are never claimed because illegals don't get social security. These unclaimed funds amount to 6-7 billions of dollars annually.  They are funding our retirement benefits. Plus these illegals pay real estate taxes through the houses they own or the rent they pay. These taxes pay for some of the education costs of their children. Yet this is conveniently not discussed. Way to pick on unrepresented people and demonize them for the failing of our leadership. 

Next point:
"because of the lazy libs wanting lollipop mortgages orchestrated by the likes of Barney Frank"

I urge you to read factcheck.org's article on "Who Caused the Economic Crisis? Their underlying conclusion is: "The U.S. economy is enormously complicated. Screwing it up takes a great deal of cooperation. Claiming that a single piece of legislation was responsible for (or could have averted) the crisis is just political grandstanding. We have no advice to offer on how best to solve the financial crisis. But these sorts of partisan caricatures can only make the task more difficult." Of course we should rectify the mistakes, but to blame one side entirely is wrong.

You Jim are yourself a socialist by supporting the status quo of continued reliance on the automobile. Road projects in Minnesota cost 3.6 billion per annum. Most of this is paid by the gasoline tax and tabs. Roughly 1/3 of that sum (roughly 1 billion) is paid by local revenue like property taxes. That is a direct subsidy. If more drivers were to pay the true cost of driving then the interest in train travel would rise. Why can't we subsidize train travel? It worked with the light rail in the cities. (Despite all the Republicans continued nay saying)

By the way I am writing this while on a train in Germany sipping on a beer. I wish you both Baci and Jim and the rest could all enjoy the ride with me. 

http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/apr2006/pi20060407_072803.htm
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/10/who-caused-the-economic-crisis/

German Chris:

A well-written, well-reasoned post. But alas, as I have learned, using logic, common sense, and the truth to appeal to Jim only results in him spewing other nonsensical vitriol in your direction, tossing random insults to those he fears along the way.

C'mon, Jim--whatcha got to say to German Chris? Whatcha gonna call him? Gonna say something is wrong with him if he is on a train in Germany, because that place is just full of foreigners, and they have a different word for everything and if the Euro fails because of England's socialized medicine and Amsterdam's legalized mara-ja-wana--and because France is part of Europe, and those frog surrender monkeys all hate freedom--all them there Germans will be pouring over the Canadian border (via the North Sea, Greenland, and Iceland--or maybe just U-Boats through the Great Lakes) to steal our jobs like those other illegals who forced us into this Great Recession! Is that what you're going to write?

Oooooh, I can't wait! This is so highly entertaining.

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another!

That from a man who is so dull and unimaginative he can't see that no matter how old the mode of transportation, "progressing toward the future" is about making transportation (and a whole lot of other things) more economical and ecological and the world less dependent on petroleum. And in that department right now, modern trains have the advantage over automobiles.

Sorry, Danny. Guess I was being a spaz.

"BEERS ON A TRAIN!" .... C'mon Jim, isn't that alone enough to get you thinking as a progressive? I had crafted several replies to Jim but realized that it's pointless. The best thing about this post .. other than 

Deutsch Chris kennen zu Bier in einem Zug trinken und Schule ein Recht Flügelmutter-job 

... is that we've turned people talking about Oberstar's crotch into advocacy for socialism! Socialism is American.

Another thought just struck me. 

@Jim. -  what you may not understand is that I consider it the greatest honor to share what ever meager "wealth" I may have with those less fortunate. This is the heart if true socialism and communal existence. This should be the driver of government.

BTW this is Mrs. Double Barrell Darrell speaking.

Alterior motives lurk around every corner.

Danny ever heard of another Paul closer to home, Paul Wellstone? But Ron Paul is good to. I wish we had more of both.

Jim I love dancing on bridges. To say Baci is Karl Liebknecht reread history. Liebknecht was against socialists. He was a communist killed by socialists. But then again you may still not know the difference between socialist and communist. I pity the American public school system. 

It's funny, once again Jim is railing against the unrepresented. And talking out of his ass.  Welfare reform happened about 15 years ago.  Welfare (total budget 11 b/y) is hard to get long term now adays. Thank Clinton and the Repubs from the mid 90s. 

You'd think the big talking man Jim is he would take on a real fight. Corporate subsidies ($92b/y) or even farm subsidies ($20b/y) would suit a  man of his warmongering stature. But alas he seems brainwashed like all the rest of the right leaning trolls and keeps his sights low.

First thing businesses owners do is tackle their largest expenditures/losses first. You'd make a poor businessman Jim. You react on emotional issues. Your business model = fail.

rabid reactionaries run like rabbits when rebuffed with reason.

The vehemence of the fundamentalists is merely the death flailing of outmoded ideology. Now that Jim has admitted defeat, let's talk about a one world representative government. Since he has admitted that resistance to a more humane and progressive future is futile, the next logical step is for all the world's people to come together and use intelligence, good will and the principals of stewardship to guide our planet to sustainability, growth and expansion. The Green party is the ONLY populist global political organization!

BTW Jim, the bridge you hide under was built by the WPA during the last financial crisis. It was an infrastructure investment which brought jobs to the people, carried us out of the depression and left the country with 70 years of cool art-deco foundation for progress. It's crumbling now and should be re-built with political will and vision to take it another 70 years of sustainable multi-modal transportation use. We can even make a solar powered troll hovel for your types to hide in and cling to your hater ways.

Yeah I have been finishing up a degree in Duisburg Germany for the last year. The only thing this city has in common with Duluth is that it begins with Du.  Can't wait to be back. 

Just have to see what jobs there will be.  Germany is enjoying better employment chances than the US. So finding a job here might be easier.

"To say Baci is Karl Liebknecht reread history. Liebknecht was against socialists. He was a communist killed by socialists. But then again you may still not know the difference between socialist and communist. I pity the American public school system."

Another example of how truly stupid you all are. Liebknecht was a socialist, dummy. I think you need to go back to 7th grade history class. His extreme views (ie:Baci) turned him to pursuing a more agressive form of socialism, communism. There's the hook. Get it?? 

Zra, I love it when you talk naughty. Picking the corn out of the WLSSD tanks is a mighty unique job, I'll give you that. I'm sure it offers plenty of job security too! I'm sure you'll do great when you break out on your own. Feel free to come over to my place and pick until your hearts content. I might even pay you! 

Baci, I have nothing to say to you, other than maybe you should try dungeons and dragons. It will give you much more satisfaction than your current fantasy role playing! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Liebknecht

troll = baited har har. Just wanted to see if I had the old charm.

Been playing D&D since 1975. Saved me from being an idiot... you should try it.

Voting is occasionally interesting here in the ol' USA.

For example, I wish I lived in New York. No one can argue with one of the one-plank political parties there. Certainly, the rent is too damn high.