You guys insult Twain and his memory by quoting him out of context to support your cause. Twain was a liberal. He supported liberal causes his entire life. He paid the way for several of the first black men to go to college. He campaigned for a woman's right to vote. He hated war. He wrote against slavery and bigotry of any kind. He supported General Grant, and helped him write his bio. He openly supported gays. He wrote against torture many times. He even wrote against waterboarding! This quote was part of a speech, and spoken satirically. As Twain said, "It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than it is to open it and remove all doubt." Research before you quote. I'm a Twain scholar. He never would have sided with the conservatives. He was an open and unabashed liberal. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1820166-1,00.html