I got so mad about this, about the success of the right wing propaganda machine that I actually called myself a Fabian. The name of the nineteenth century political action group that included GB Shaw seemed fine for me. When I got mad enough I would just call myself a socialist. I knew a guy who owned a half-way house funded by liberal governmental programs and liberal charities and would project this disdain for "liberals." Meanwhile, he manages to pull out more than 40% of the gross from the operation and pay himself $100,000.00 a year. Besides the liberals paying his salary, he benefited from liberal programs to get a community college degree that got him the job that ended up getting him ownership of the operation. I have met hundreds of people like this ingrate and I never understood the hypocrisy. Hopefully, if the left can get their propaganda machine running smoothly, the word Republican and the word conservative can carry a bad connotation for decades to come.

This really is looking more and more like an SNL skit. I voted in Minnesota and it has the easiest, biggest print ballot in the entire country. In order to choose your candidate, you fill in an enclosed oval space with ink. Just like the SAT. With money (and therefore many attys who should be attending DUI arraignments) from the RNC & the DNC, thousands upon thousands of ballots are being poured over. This country's biggest electorate problem is not that people do not know that there are 9 justices on the Supreme Court or that Cheney is the VP like Leno likes to point out. The real problem is that there are thousands of voters who do not know how to fill in an enclosed oval next to the candidate of their choice. Matthews was showing some disputed ballots yesterday. Idiots actually filled in one oval and then made a check mark alongside some other candidate's name. Or they fill in the oval with ink and then attempt to CROSS OUT the oval. Fifteen feet from my voting booth were volunteers ready willing and able to help a voter out. These people do not deserve to vote.

Good take on this nomination. Over 8 years we have witnessed State being taken over by Defense & the VP's office. It is time to reinstate State. Hillary can provide the strength necessary to do this. Experience always brings "baggage". And as Joan pointed out in her previous article, let us respect Obama's judgment. He was the one elected to do this job.

Robert Reich, an unofficial spokesman for the New Administration posits that the new "Economic Team" is filled with pragmatists. They are not center right or even center. I submit that a two year stimulus plan that will create millions of jobs, work on our nation's infrastructure, and concentrate on making us more Kermit like at a cost of 700 million dollars is not a centrist plan. This plan, mentioned by Reich and included in Obama's radio message represents something more than just lip service to the progressive wing of his party. And the President-Elect is not talking about "someday" but immediately upon taking office through the beginning of 2009. But I do not disagree with Glenn, or the Personal Democracy Forum, or OBAMACTO, or any of the other liberal/progressive initiatives. Heat and ideas must come from the ground up and not just from the DNC or the White House down to the masses. And voices can be better heard when they are organized, and thoughtfully presented. No thoughtful liberal/progressive should be yelling: YOU LIED TO US. At least not 60 days before he moves into the White House. And not when plans like this are in the offing.

Decades ago, I asked a law school prof what would happen if I lied on an job app. Take the question: Have you ever been arrested? If you have never been convicted of a crime, what difference does it make if you had ever been arrested. An arrestee is innocent until proven guilty. You are assumed innocent. I do not think an employer or anyone else has the right to ask that question unless you were subsequently convicted. (Remember, in many states traffic tickets, crimes with sentences that do not carry jail sentences, etc. do not constitute crimes and citations are not arrests) The problem I see with this White House application process is that if someone messed up an answer, he or she could be prosecuted for lying. On the other hand, are these questions any different than the ones asked by the FBI or Secret Service in order to give someone the proper security clearance? The more I think about it, the more scared I would get as I filled one of these out. It appears you have no right to privacy or free speech or freedom of assembly if you want a White House Job or any federal or state position. This also probably applies to the larger corporations.

This is the first real laugh I've had reading about this crisis. Mike reminds me that W wasn't even elected by the Supreme Court by this time 8 years ago. (As a matter of fact, eight years later and W still does not have a plan.) I hope he does not mind if I use this line every time I read something connoting frustration during this transition period.

It has to have some effect on children to go to mass and never see a woman leading the congregation. At least they make the priest wear a dress. I was raised a Roman Catholic. In Latin, catholic meant "universal." It only took the Church 1700 years to recognize that the earth went around the sun. Who knows? In a couple centuries there might be a priestess. But will she have to wear men clothes?