As a life long liberal, I have wanted to believe in Progress. I think that is why Amanda accepted a position with the Edwards campaign. Why shouldn't a strong feminist accept such a position? Now we know.

When you listen to all the boosterism of the Conservatives. Talking about spreading Democracy, a culture of life, values and so forth and then you see how they really operate, it tends to breed cynicism.

I will support Edwards if he is the Democratic candidate. I hope his visual optimism is the real deal. Those on his staff that brought Amanda Marcotte into the campaign had to be idealists hoping for an ideal world. In reality, however, there are TWO America's. The bad side is nasty, brutish and willing to say or do anything to dominate. I hope they can be defeated without sinking into the mud with them to engage in the battle. But the challenge has to be addressed.

I enjoy Joan Walsh on Scarborrough Country as she contests that old bear, Pat Buchanan. But I just popped over here after reading Bob Sommerby's take on this Gore article at The Daily Howler. No one has been a better media critique of left and right baloney over the last eight years than Sommerby. Media Matters for America is also excellent on most issues including Gore.

Al Gore and Bill Clinton are the most savaged public officials in the past two decades and much of it has come from the so called liberal media. As Eric Alterman says, "What liberal media".

As I read through the letters attached to this article, half of the people here are still blaiming Gore for losing the 2000 election. That's flat out wrong. Read The Daily Howler's dispatches since 1999 which are heavily sourced and you will see that the so called main street media have made a mockery of our public discourse. Sommerby's take on that is that is what you should expect when you have a press corps made up of millionaires.

Sommerby's specific criticism of the current Walsh article here is that is pulls out the old cannard that this is the "new" Al Gore. Wrong. The lies about Gore and his 2000 campaign, his statements against the Iraq war and his endless battle to save the planet have been continuous.

This wouldn't matter if it wasn't our future and that of our children. If Gore is wrong, then we can all laugh. If others are wrong the results will be so catastrophic that those individuals will be hunted down and hoisted up in the public square.