I found this great entry over at DailyKos. It's designed to counter some of the worst of the GOP's hollow talking points. As we all know, wingnuts are masters of speaking without actually saying anything. Here's how we can start nailing them down and force them to defend what we know to be weak, hollow, straw-man arguments full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. And then we can take back the National Dialogue and therefore the National Direction.

Daily Kos: 50 states, 50 questions:

Here's what he's started with... If you think of any good ones, add them in the comments section. I'm going to think hard about this myself and I've vowed to come up with at least 5 good additions myself. If he we all hit 50 really good winners, I'll spend a day and turn it into a great flyer/poster/handout as well as a really good website. I've edited one question for him simply because he named the wrong Govt. Program (in italics).

"I do not believe in amnesty for illegal aliens."

I am with you that breaking the law to enter the country should not be rewarded and I appreciate your stance. Do you also support real penalties on the companies who hire these people knowing they are undocumented and who profit from paying low wages and little or no taxes. Would you support a law that fined employers caught with undocumented workers the equivalent of the CEO's salary for every undocumented worker found?

"I support our troops!"

Thank you for supporting our soldiers with your words. I hope you will do more than that. Would you support de-linking service members health insurance from Medicaid so they can receive adequate health care? I think it is wrong that medical insurances payments for the families of soldiers is limited to what the Government pays for indigent people. Soldiers work hard and they should have the same medical care that reflects that. Would you support a bill that has TRICARE payments be that same as those for Congress?

"I support our troops!"

Thank you for your support of the men and women in uniform. Since you do support them, would you support equal retirement benefits for them so they can receive the same TSP matching that other Federal employees receive? Congress has already authorized it but never funded it. Would you fund it?

"We have to have the ability to target terrorists. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about from the NSA."

I absolutely agree and I have nothing to hide. I respect your stance and I think more should follow you. Since we agree that people with nothing to hide have nothing to fear, would you support a national gun registration program? It would not limit in any way my ability to own a gun and since I am not planning to commit a crime, I have nothing to hide or fear. That way if I ever got stopped I could say, "check me out, I'm Registered!"

"I am concerned about the health of our elderly population."

Thank you for your support of elder care. I hope this means you will support a repeal of the law that prevents the government from negotiating for lower drug costs. Would you support a bill that requires the government to negotiate for the best prices on drugs in this country?

"Social Security is important and must be protected."

Thank you for your support of Social Security. I sleep well knowing that my hard work will be rewarded. Would you support an extension of FICA to put a one half of one percent tax on compensation exceeding $1,000,000. I don't think it is a lot to ask of people who have been fortunate enough that they will never depend on Social Security to help those who will.

"I am Pro Life!"

Thank you for your support of the unborn. Would you support 100% federal funding of nutritional health and well baby medical care so we can bring our infant mortality rate up from the worst in the industrial world? Would you support 100% federal funding of preventative care until age 6 so we can reduce our long term medical care costs? Would you support 100% federal funding of teen sex education so that every young adult would know the consequences of unprotected sex?

I cant think of any more for now but there are so many issues that Republicans have gotten away with talking one thing and doing another. We have to have a POLICY for every issue. We have to stand for something, not just be against something. We can take every one of their issues and make them reject a reasonable idea. If the press wont ask the questions, we have to. If our candidates wont stake a position, we have to guide them to one. People are begging for real leadership. They are begging for someone to stop the partisan bickering and implement good policy that helps make life better. I am anti immigration because it breaks the law, not because I hate immigrants. I am a gun owner and I am for gun registration because I don't want thugs having guns, not because I hate hunters. I hate abortions because they are necessary, not because they occur.

I have no doubt that we can build a list of 50 questions. After that, we have to actively ask the questions. Veterans should challenge "I support the troops." Elderly people should challenge Social Security and drug statements. Immigrants on immigration, etc. Make them look someone in the eye and choose to a) lie or b) anger their "base" or c) see the error of their ways. Personally, I bet they will go with A!