It should be obvious to everyone that each new Israeli settlement means a smaller and less-contiguous Palestininian state -- should one ever be formed. The Israelis know it and the Palestinians know it. Since the Israeli settlement program has continued unabated, it signals to the Palestinians that Israel has no interest in a two-state solution.

Under that reality, the Palestinians have no motivation to pursue a peace agreement with Israel -- and America, as Israel's patron, is damned by association in the Muslim world.

Under America's system of legalized bribery (campaign finance), financial aid to Israel has been used to influence our government to further one-sided pro-Israeli policies that have caused untold damage to US interests. The Israeli tail is literally wagging the American dog.

We can only hope that Obama is strong enough -- and principled enough -- to confront the powerful Israeli lobby and put US interests first.

Currently, there are no liberals on the Supreme Court.

There are currently four non-ideological jurists (joined infrequently by Justice Kennedy) and the Federalist Society radicals: Scalia, Alito, Roberts and Thomas -- who are usually joined by Kennedy.

If Sotomayor joins the court, she will be joining the ranks of the non-ideologues.

There hasn't been a liberal on the court since Thurgood Marshall -- and that was a long time ago.

Beck: “It's the economy, it is political correctness, it's corruption in Washington, it's the militant Islam. It's all of these things.”

Beck (and Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, ad nauseum) will never admit it's really about them collectively shouting "Fire!" in a crowded lunatic asylum.

There should be legal consequences.

Racists, fascists, theocrats and anti-government gun nuts now have their own national 24/7 propaganda channel masquerading as "fair and balanced" news.

For First Amendment purposes, Fox News is shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater full of armed lunatics.

Strangle the last ayatollah with the guts of the last shah.

Neocon (n): Americans who embraces a political philosophy whereby any short-term international conflict (as defined by the ideology of the Israeli Likud coalition) is to be resolved by American bombing attacks and ground invasion without any concern for long-term U.S. strategic, diplomatic, humanitarian or economic interests.

Is the WaPo now owned by the Reverend Moon or Rupert Murdoch? It's hard to remember these days.

There's no doubt that the 2004 US presidential election was stolen. Differences between exit polls and the "official" results were resolved by news organizations by either changing the exit poll results to conform with the "official" tallies, or they simply ignored them and shoved the exit poll results down the memory hole -- where they remain to this day.

When Republicans pontificate against Iran's stolen election I want to puke. The only difference between Iranian election fixers and Republican election fixers is that the Iranians are willing to fight for their democracy.

..are sweeter than honey.

Ayn Rand freely admitted she was searching for heroes, and as such she was basically a romantic.

Atlas Shrugged suffered from being an extended polemic. I found The Fountainhead much better, and her semi-autobiographical We the Living to be, by far, her best book.

Unfortunately, there's nothing romantic or heroic about American capitalism -- despite Rand's best efforts.

Democrats must remember that political power is the means to an end, not an end in itself.

If Obama and the Democrats would exercize the power they have been given to further the interests of average Americans, the people would follow.

It's called leadership. Democrats seem to have forgotten the meaning of the term.

As it stands, congressional Democrats seem more like a group of independent freelancers -- devoid of leadership, common strategy, rhetoric or agenda -- and a political party in name only.

Palin's attorney is objecting to rumors of an allegation that don't exist, i.e., "embezzlement." The actual rumors concern a "kickback" of some of the money spent to build the Wasilla sports complex to build the Palin's home.

Palin's attorney seems to be straining mightily to deny allegations of embezzlement, when embezzlement has never been alleged. It's as if he's trying to change the subject.

..FDR was thought to be intelligent but was liberal scum, sleaze, low-life trash and garbage.

-- terkoy

Time to turn off the AM radio and ask the doctor to adjust your meds.

Now off to run with the bulls in Pamplona (ouch.)

Michael Jackson cocktail, anyone?

-- terkoy

I'm afraid you're speaking in wingnut code that those of us in the "reality-based community" don't understand.

1. Ignorant

2. Dishonest

3. Demagogue

That Ms. Paglia finds those traits praiseworthy say more about Paglia than Palin.

The Republicans have made a strategy of convincing the rubes to vote against their own interests.

If the Democrats fail at passing some form of national health care, we will then know our two-party political system is hopelessly corrupt, and those of us who have supported the Democratic Party -- and their election-year posturings -- are just a smarter bunch of rubes.

I think the brown-haired guy who isn't Steve Doucey may be doing high-concept comedy: a parody of right-wing rubes.

Once around Thanksgiving, I saw him, with a straight face, recount how the Pilgrims were aided by that native-American tribe, the "Heckawis."

That Sarah Palin is still considered a viable presidential candidate proves that an alarming percentage of Americans are too dumb for a functional democracy.

One would think even these dimwits would realize by now that Bill Kristol is always wrong.

What you mistakenly perceive as "hate" for Sarah Palin is simply the recognition that the woman is too ignorant, too incoherent -- and too dishonest -- to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate.

After the last eight years of a president lacking the intellectual capacity to hold the office, do you think those of us in the "reality-based community" will politely remain mute while you knuckleheads attempt to inflict an even worse national disaster on us?

You'll get your daily Palin fix on Fox News. Leave it at that.