BK - I'll answer to the points you raised.

Racial profiling - In general, I'm against it for things like "Driving While Black". However, in the case of terrorism, giving a second look to people who look like terrorists WITHOUT VIOLATING OTHER RIGHTS is just plain smart. One can look at the way Israel protects it's airplanes. The idea of strip-searching granny in a wheechair to 'prove' equality is patently ridiculous.

Abortion - Not sure how that plays into the "can't be fiscally conservative" part of your assertation - and if you don't want to risk starting an abortion flame-war (as threads on that topic can often fall into) I'll understand. However, the overwhelming majority of abortions fall in one category - VERY early term. Without going into too much graphic detail, I've had to clean up after an early term miscarriage that my (now ex) wife had almost 20 years ago. That did nothing to change my views that, that early on, you have a batch of cells. HOWEVER - the idea of being 8 1/2 months pregnant and deciding yoou wanat an abortion, in addition to being an almost nonexistent situation, repulses me (as in "sorry, you had your chance to change your mind for some time way back when")

The war on poverty - In the government, when you subsidize something, you get more of it. P. J. O'Roourke said it many years ago - you can't eliminate poverty by giving people money. A small social safety net is one thing - with limits. Generational welfare killed more initiative than anything I can think of. Welfare reform was a much-needed step in the right direction.

- Protecting children. Can you explain what you mean?

- Protecting pets. I'm going to assume you mean valuing pets more than people as opposed to simple anti-cruelty laws. Still, I don't see how that goes against being fiscally conservative.

- Protecting Americans. It is the first job of this country to protect it's citizens. Whether it's corporations taking shortcuts that result in oil wells exploding or psychopathic Chinese businessmen tainting food with chemicals to make it look like there's more protein until it starts killing children. I'm not happy with the way, for example, the FDA or OSHA are run, I would like to see some major common-sense reform in there.

In general, I believe it is the government's job to be the referee. The ones to set the rules to keep things FAIR. Equal OPPORTUNITY as opposed to equal OUTCOME.

For certain kinds of regulations, all you have to do is look at China where schools collapse in even minor earthquakes becuase of there being lax enforcement of building codes. Contrary to libertarian beliefs (and I lean that way in many areas), sometimes it's too late to "let the market decide". I'm sorry, but the market deciding after people die is a terrible way to let things run. Like after the Cocoanut Grove fire.