Let's be honest, if this was a black couple, these two wouldn't have gotten the automatic entry. Since they "looked the part," they were allowed in, despite the glaring red flag of not being on the list.

While this story may seem trivial at first blush, it should not be taken lightly. It shows that it can be frighteningly easy to get close to (and possibly do harm to) a president if you look nice and "seem safe."

Someone had the ability to thwart this, and given the importance of the safety of the president, whoever fell down on the job needs to be fired.

As an African American woman, this gives me a lot of pause. That there is clear knowledge that every other year screenings may result in more problems than they solve, why are we going for less prevention? Where are the breast cancer advocacy groups lobbying against this?

Ok, so Medicare will pay (for now), under the old rules; what about insurance companies? Since I'm one of those who isn't poor enough to be on Medicare but not flush enough with cash to easily pay for a mamagram out of pocket (since I'm paying a kings ransom for health insurance), what happens to me?

Sigh.

What often seems to be missing from the discussion is that middle and upper middle class kids often are paid for their work - via allowance and via presents big and small for grades. And, when the grades weren't up, the taking away of privileges as punichment (no car for C's, etc.). With kids who are in environments where academics aren't valued and where they do not see the correlation between school and the real world, cash and other incentives show a direct correlation between those things.

While it would be nice to want kids to do well for the sake of learning, the reality is, many don't see what the point is, and for understandable reasons (if no one you know stays in school and they manage, why stay in school?). If cash and prizes for grades program get kids working hard and staying in school, I'm all for it.

Ms. Walsh - Virtually each time you mention issues concerning race and racism and the President, you bring up your disagreement with those who believed that President Clinton engaged in racially charged tactics during the campaign. We can agree with you or agree to disagree with you, but why must this nearly always be your preface? And how does it have any relevance to your point in this piece? By highlighting the tactics in the campaign, aren't you throwing President Clinton in with the healthcare opponents - i.e., painting him, purposely or not, as one who also "coat[ed] their opposition with the sweet special sauce of racism"?

We've got at least 3 more years with Obama, as well as with both Clintons. The stuff from the campain you continue to mention happened over a year ago. Obama seems to have moved on. Please, let it go.

Totally agree with you here, except for one point. The Eugene Robinson statement about the comment being "un-American" seems to be taken out of context. Mr. Robinson immediately notes that while England's parliamentary rules of decorum may be different, this is not how our Congress (the American part of the "un-American" remark) is supposed to behave. In other words, we don't behave as if a joint session is a town hall here in America. I guess, we didn't, until now.

When Eric Holder said that in discussions about race, we are a nation of cowards, people took offense. This study shows that Holder wasn't exaggerating. If folks offering to participate in a study about race can't even talk about it with their kids, who can?

It is clear that the parents are confused about what to say about race to their kids. If a child brings up differences, a parent has to be able to respond in a healthy way. And, if a parents want to teach their child that everyone is equal, then the parents need to be honest about whether they are living that truth. Are all of their friends of one race, what about the images in their children's books and toys? Asking their kids to do as they say not as they do is a recipe for trouble down the road.

I hope that the book, in talking abuot the issues, also provides a roadmap on how to have age appropriate dialogue with children about race.

As many women grow frustrated with the celebrity laden "look great at 40" articles that fail to make any mention of the fact that the celebs have had plastic surgery, African American women are tired of seeing magazines filled with articles about black hair and hair care that feature nothing but weaves. While Tyra may not be sporting a "natural" I do appreciate that she is showing us what real regular old hair looks ilke. And guess what, it actually looks pretty good!

I doubt that Sen. Kennedy could have changed minds in this political climate, but he may have been better able to keep the Dems on task. Maybe his passing can bring a renewed energy to the legislators who are sincerely interested in health care reform to get things done once and for all.

I would be more impressed if the magazine took a more concerted effort to include more accurate representations of women's many shapes and sizes rather than patting itself on the back for this single shot. Essence Magazine, for example, has regular features about flattering clothing for various sized women (from 4-6 to plus - not average - sized women). It isn't a onetime thing. When Glamour starts to show, on a regular basis, more women who are regular sizes and it isn't the subject of fanfare, that's when I'll get excited.