I'm not a huge Starbucks fan, but this is pretty cool...

[Willy Lee]

Moments after picking up a venti vanilla latte from a St. Petersburg Starbucks, Sam Maston removed his cup's cardboard sleeve to inspect a message printed beneath. "America's national debt is now $7.5-trillion, and it's skyrocketing, even as America's population ages," the cup read. "There will never be a better time to start paying off this crippling debt than today."

<snip>

The Seattle coffee chain has raised some eyebrows over its "The Way I See It" campaign, which prints quotes from thinkers, authors, athletes and entertainers on the side of your morning machiatto. The goal, according to the company, is to foster philosophical debate in its 9,000-plus coffeehouses.

<snip>

The problem, critics say, is the company's list of overwhelmingly liberal contributors, including Al Franken, Melissa Etheridge, Quincy Jones, Chuck D. Of the 31 contributors listed on Starbucks' Web site, only one, National Review editor Jonah Goldberg, offers a conservative viewpoint.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/03/25/Business/Coffee_with_steam.shtml

[trotsky]

1. Free market.

Repukes, go buy your coffee elsewhere. Problem solved.

[7th_Sephiroth]

2. is this the

Libural Media?

[NYCGirl]

3. Everybody knows that only liberals drink latte!

:evilgrin:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. Not true! I drink espresso!

:evilgrin:

Actually, my favorite Starbucks drink is a non-fat mocha valencia! :9

[NYCGirl]

15. Sorry! But alliteration always makes the joke funnier.

;-)

BTW, I prefer espresso.

[SCDem]

4. Starbucks wants to foster thought and philosophical debate

not brain numbing mind control!! :)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

5. But it's OK that Alaska Airlines hands out Bible quotes

The Repukes can always drink Dunkin' Donuts...

[Willy Lee]

13. Say whaaaa??

Alaska Airlines hands out bible quotes???

[KansDem]

21. Personally, I'd steer clear of ANY airline that passes out Bible quotes...

:scared:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

22. Yes-see link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7233622/?GT1=6305

[BornLeft]

6. Well let those critics go

to the racists places like Cracker Barrel and Dennys.

[fryguy]

12. and WalMart

[mopinko]

8. 'cause

republican thinker is an oxymoron. talkers, sure. thinkers?

[cmf]

9. So?

There are tons of fast food places that put bible verses on their cups, are we going to start demanding that they include verses from other religions? Give me a break.

[fryguy]

10. sounds to me like a whole latte "wah" from the conservatives

maybe they should just "get over it"

[AmandaRuth]

11. Starbucks is a very progressive company

and a great friend of the Democrats. I cringe when I see them slammed on these forums.

[pstans]

14. That rocks

Too bad that there isn't a Starbucks within 60 miles of me. But next time I head to the big city, I will make an effort to stop at one.

[NYCGirl]

16. I have five of them within a 10 block radius of my apartment building,

and one around the corner from my office. That more than makes up for your situation. Good thing I love Starbucks!

[fryguy]

25. they closed the one nearest to me

Which, in and of itself was noteworthy, but it was also the first one to open in NYC.....now I gotta walk all the way to Columbus or down to 81 for one....

[blondeatlast]

19. Well, there's FIVE within a square mile of me.

I admire their progressive politics, but they are determined to put the kibosh on small business. They've wiped out two coffee houses near me, the bastids.

[Willy Lee]

24. Yeah, I'm a coffee roaster myself.

Starbucks is a mixed bag for Indies. Still, it is not too difficult to compete with them if you are passionate about what you do. And if your coffee rocks!

[coloradodem2005]

17. Starbucks is one of ours.

[Neecy]

18. because Starbucks knows...

That if we start getting bible-thumping or neo-con messages or corporate brainwashing with our lattes, we'll drop them like a rock. Hell, we get that crap every time we switch on the television - enough is enough.

[ComerPerro]

20. Honestly, one conservative viewpoint is all you need.

Because every single conservative I have ever met has the exact same viewpoint, the exact same talking points, and the exact same agenda.

[fishwax]

23. keep it up, starbucks, don't cave to the pressure

conservatives sure do like to whine, though.