http://www.easternecho.com Primaries are an odd thing. Blanche Lincoln found herself combating organized labor in Arkansas, while Nikki Haley of South Carolina was the target of two unsubstantiated allegations of infidelity and the recipient of a racial slur. But more curious than just local idiosyncratic narratives is the general principle that underlies primaries nationally: the necessity of electing a viable candidate who also protects the party orthodoxy. en-us Gryphon 2.3.1-dsw (pewabic)/Foundry5 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:26:58 -0400 webmaster@easternecho.com http://www.easternecho.com/index.php/comment/view/921 Those conservatives also ought to bear in mind that Federal and state subsidies for transportation are an old and time-honored thing. The Federal government built the National Road in the first few decades of the 19th century (under authorization by Congress and President Thomas Jefferson) and subsidized the construction and operation of the Transcontinental Railroad (Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 and 1864). Early railroads were partially financed by the states, and the states also got part of the passenger revenues from them, too. If conservatives wish to be TRULY conservative, they should look up to tradition and history, as you said. And, in some cases, subsidies are, indeed, traditional and historical, such as subsidies for transport and infrastructure. Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:26:58 -0400 http://www.easternecho.com/index.php/comment/view/921