The Iranian situation could have been defused had the Bush regime not basically told told the Iranians "FU!," after 9/11, when Tehran, through Swiss intermediaries, offered a complete rapprochement, including recognition of Israel.

Bush not only told the Iranians to fuck off, he rebuffed the Swiss government for even bringing the offer to Washington.

Considering the rejection of the Iranian offer, and the fact that the United States now occupies countries to the east and west of Iran, and that influential American policy "thinkers" routinely advocate unprovoked attacks on Iran, could anyone blame Tehran for pursuing a nuclear deterrent?

A less confrontational policy would have to be more productive.

I would hope the Obama campaign or "good government" groups would at long last sue to examine some randomly selected paperless DRE voting machines' code in randomly selected precincts in swing states. This has never been done to date -- even after all the suspicious discrepancies between the exit polls and "official" results in 2000 and 2004.

The examination of software code must be done before the election, because the machines can be programmed to delete any results-altering code after it has done its democracy-killing work -- leaving no trace.

We don't want to be in the position on Nov. 5 of scratching our heads and wondering about strange "inconsistencies" (such as landslide victories for Obama everywhere there is a paper trail) in the vote tallies while America and the world prepares for the advent of the McCain-Palin regime.

America's ubernationalists always reveal themselves as tribalists rather than practioners of realpolitik. The Georgia situation has caused ridiculous rhetorical and philisophical contortions among the neocons regarding the use of military force.

For perspective, when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to prop-up their puppet government, we reacted by foolishly arming an Islamist resistance -- which ultimately evolved into Al Qaeda.

Say what you will about the merits of the Communist government of Afghanistan, it was certainly an improvement over the Taliban or the current situation.

Georgia is a country with active ethnic and territorial disputes with Russia. Extending NATO membership to Georgia virtually guarantees military conflict with the Russians. Either these "serious foreign policy experts" are too stupid to realize this or they actually want conflict with Russia.

Can't we for once have a foreign policy based on actual long-term US interests rather than tribalism and jingoism?

Yes, like other lifelong Democrats, I've joined them, standing side by side, hand in hand, campaigning for Senator John McCain.

Many Republicans make that claim in a deceitful attempt to convince Democrats to vote GOP. It's lame, but what else do the Republicans have at this point?

However, if you're really telling the truth -- after witnessing the campaign McCain has run, including the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate -- you're what is known as a "useful idiot."

The man has been absolutely and uncompromisingly fierce in his condemnation of the Bush regime's unconstitutional abuses of power.

I never thought I could endorse a Republican as Attorney General in a Democratic administration, but I suspect that Bruce Fein would be a virtual Javert at exposing and punishing the crimes of the Bush regime.

Sarah Palin has betrayed every mentor that has helped her along in her political career. She's already showing signs of "going rogue." If elected, McCain had better employ a food taster -- that woman is on a "mission from God."

Her religious absolutism also explains her supreme confidence. Ms. Palin believes that God will put the right words in her mouth or give the right choice for any situation.

A President Palin would make W. look like an elder statesman.

Interestingly, the 2004 Alaska elections were a subject of controversy: the precinct-by precinct totals didn't add up to the official state total. Alaska Democrats tried unsuccessfully to get their hands on the raw data from the voting machines -- but the data was considered a "trade secret."

The presidential race was not in dispute, but the Senate race was. Has anyone heard of a resolution?

Sure, the Dems may attempt to get all folksy by droppin' those 'g's. But c'mon, when it comes to pandering, the McCain-Palin campaign has literally plumbed new depths with their desperate use of "Joe the Know-Nothing Asshole Plumber" as both symbol and spokesman of today's Republican Party.

Elephantman or others suffering from right-wing Kool-Aid poisoning will struggle mightily (but unsuccessfully) to provide a Democratic counter example.

Elephantman or others suffering from right-wing Kool-Aid poisoning will struggle mightily (but unsuccessfully) to provide a Democratic counter example.

To which Elephantman obliged:

I never knew enough about Joe the Plumber to use him as an example of federal taxation.

What Joe the Plumber symbolizes for me is the viciousness and vindictiveness of Democrat party bosses and government bureaucrats, like maxed-out Obama donor Helen Jones-Kelly of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

As I predicted, you struggled mightily (but unsuccessfully) to provide a Democratic counter example to "Joe the Know-Nothing Asshole Plumber" as symbol and spokesman for the McCain-Palin campaign.

Bill Clinton came into office facing budget deficits generated by Reagan and George Bush Sr., -- although not at the egregious levels generated by George Bush Jr. -- with the attendant weak job growth and economic stagnation.

Clinton's 1993 budget, which included modest tax increases on the top brackets, was assailed by Republicans as the end of life as we know it. Luckily, there was a Democratic majority at the time, and Clinton's budget passed but without a single Republican vote.

We know how Clinton's economic policy worked out -- eight years of unparalleled prosperity and economic growth -- but Democrats paid the price in the 1994 mid-terms as Republicans demagogued against "the largest tax hike in US history."

With a Republican majority, fearful congressional Dems failed to support their president and Clinton was forced to "triangulate" against Congress. This must not happen again.

Democrats must act like a political party -- with shared rhetoric, strategy and most of all, party discipline -- if they expect to achieve their political goals.