absolutely agree with johnw1141's point here

Posted at August 20, 2008 9:19 PM in response to A Speech for Barack Obama

Thanks for a really important post. And I had not heard about the subpoena story you link to that was given to the new york political blog, room 8. This is really surprising:

"Citing a Bronx grand jury subpoena this year that tried to identify anonymous writers on the Room 8 blog, the Manhattan Democrat says the subpoena threatened the bloggers with jail time if they publicly disclosed its existence. It was later withdrawn."

Posted at August 15, 2008 7:05 PM in response to Why Bloggers Need A Shield Law--Ask Raja Petra

Beautifully said, and I really think---well history shows---mountains can be moved when people unite for a common purpose.

Posted at August 15, 2008 6:12 PM in response to Are You Cynical?

I agree the book could likely backfire, but I do think Obama must address all lies in some way. Kerry did not fight back effectively, but Obama is a very effective at calling b.s. in a way that gets through to the voters.

Eventually, people do catch on. A recent example of this is the underwhelming support for the Bush clan's second attempt to misuse the very same WMD scare-tactics for war with Iran that he used for the unnecessary war with Iraq. (talk about the boy who cried wolf; who knows what would happen if there was a real threat)

Posted at August 14, 2008 8:51 PM in response to Swift-Backfire 2008? Fool Me Once...

Not sure why, but I'm always surprised when those who claim allegiance and servitude to an almighty god have the audacity to see themselves as god's all-knowing peer.

Posted at August 14, 2008 8:16 PM in response to Breaking News! Left Behind Authors Confirm Obama Is Not the Anti-Christ

I think you've been way too easy on Grigoriadis.

I dislike the way Grigoriadis thinks, as evidenced by her analysis. The article seems base (envious?) and does not at all represent the way most Americans I know think, what they care about or the way I (as a white American) see the Obamas.

It reads as an attempt to slight the Obamas by exaggerating any trace of humanness into a relevant difference that will make people uncomfortable. That underhanded approach just backfires and red-flags the writer as the bad apple.

Bottom line: the Obama's are an undeniably young, worldly, charismatic, intelligent, refined, beautiful and street smart American couple who seem to be good parents and decent human beings. It's foolish to try to manufacture irrelevant weaknesses out of that cloth.

Nobody can know for sure what a President Obama will do. I'm a white American willing to work for an Obama presidency (even harder when I read articles like that) for the following reasons:

-he has shown he is able to lead with new ideas
-he has shown he is able to unite and mobilize voters
-he has shown he is able to outsmart opponents
-he has shown a willingness to tell some truth and educate the public (I'm hoping for much more of this)
-he and his wife have a track record that shows they make the most of opportunities. So given the current state of this country, a President Obama will have a unprecedented opportunity to leave an outstanding legacy
-The new McCain is the only other option

Posted at August 14, 2008 3:54 PM in response to Blacker than Black? The Obamas' Marriage Gets the New York Treatment

This is outrageous and brings to mind an eye-opening story I heard about a dentist who had a first-time asthma attack:

After the dentist had the attack, one of the dentist's siblings --a doctor --wrote an asthma prescription using some strategy to prevent the medication from being linked to the dentist so the pharmacy would not record the attack or notify the dentists insurance company.

The point was to prevent the asthma attack from coming up in the future as a preexisting condition that might preclude the dentist future coverage or affordable coverage. So I guess if you get certain illnesses, they drop you or price you out of the market, unless one of your siblings is a clever doctor and erases the record?

There's little doubt we have a dangerous health industry if people have to marry to get coverage, and doctors and dentists are so afraid of the system that they will commit fraud to hide a family members' asthma attack. So much for promoting family values.

Posted at August 13, 2008 11:09 PM in response to Marrying for health insurance

The predators have not won the game unless Americans choose to quit on America. The voters could nullify Buckly with a movement on par with Civil Rights or women's suffrage in which Americans agreed not to vote for candidates who take donations. We could also Lobby the states for a constitutional amendment that would override the Buckly decision, outlaw campaign donations and mandate public financing.

Posted at August 13, 2008 9:37 AM in response to Politics Under the Predator State

Is there a difference between parties? Sure. How big a difference? The answer is, as big as you want to make it. The candidate of change might take on the predators if a lot of someones demand it. Step one is realizing what the problem is.

So true. The "other party" excuse has become so transparent. It's beyond irrational for any voter to believe the Democrats--or any particular Democrat--will change anything meaningful if American voters don't demand it, fully participate and hold leaders accountable when they don't deliver. We'll get the results we work for and nothing more.

Posted at August 13, 2008 9:28 AM in response to Politics Under the Predator State

Really powerful, Larry. The suffering evident on the faces of innocent children and brave soldiers in this video... what better evidence of something uninspired, visionless, rotten to its core and perverse? And all for a war of choice.

Posted at August 12, 2008 12:56 PM in response to This Needs To Be The Next Viral Video