What you vote "yay" for is more important than the votes you miss. And missed votes is a non-starter for morons who failed out of their high school civics classes (which I guess is the majority).

We're too smart for that. And the press will never cling to a voting record story because it bores the viewers who aren't West-wing Box Set owning, C-SPAN watching, Greenwald reading poly-sci junkies like some of us here.

In 2002 Barack Obama said going to war in Iraq was a bad idea, even though he was not yet a US Senator. In 2003 Hillary Clinton voted "yay" to authorize military force in Iraq, a vote that at the time would have very likely enabled the Iraq war. Even a dimwitted, uninformed hack like me knew that.

Turns out I was right, as was Obama, and Clinton was wrong.

That's the voting record that she can't run away from. One "yay", over 4000 Americans and nearly a million Iraqis.

All three senators have missed votes, but when it counted Clinton stood and delivered.

Should the Senator from New York drop out of this race? I think so.

However, she does not have to. In fact, I would vociferously argue that it is imperative that she continue if that is what she wants to do, as it is her right. Her right to continue her campaign is absolute. Her right to lobby for votes and delegates she originally agreed not to seek or accept is absolute.

She absolutely has every right to continue on.

I draw a distinction between "can" and "should". While her candidacy is legitimate, its continuation is perhaps foolish. Maybe the famous quote "that which does not kill you makes you stronger" is true in the case, for both Clinton and Obama.

If anything, a spotlight is once again shining on our imperfect electoral process. When my sisters and father proclaim that the entire election should last only 8 weeks and be entirely publicly funded, I accuse them of indulging in fantasy.

But maybe that would be better.

The problem is that, given equal time, someone like Dennis Kucinich with crazy ideas like "peace is possible" might become viable candidates.

I do hope that Obama accepts the challenge of a 90-minute forensics debate. I think he can handle it, but I think his advisers are telling him not to take the bait, because "when you are explaining, you're losing."

I don't trust Clinton to have a fair unmoderated debate, but I trust that Obama can out-maneuver her if cornered. And if anyone really believes that the Obama campaign has played dirty against Clinton, I relish the knowledge that such a debate would free up Obama's swinging arm.

A rigorous contest is always healthy, but knowing when to pull up the stakes is also important. Clinton can continue, but she should not.

Wow, NYTShooter, Obama can't catch a break? First he's guilty by association with his pastor, now he's guilty by association with millions of supporters?

I can't recall the speech where Obama tells his supporters to make sexist attacks on Clinton. Can you post the URL?

In fact, and despite your claims to the contrary, I think he is on record several times urging his supporters to do exactly the opposite.

Maybe you are waiting for him to denounce each pro-Obama, woman-hating poster on salon.com individually. Sounds like the kind of impossible and unreachable goal post the Clinton camp likes to toss out, like a game of Calvin-ball a' la Calvin and Hobbes.

Cute. But we aren't taking our ball and going home, because we weren't playing it in the first place. The game we have been playing we're winning.

See you in November, and I hope you vote for Obama.

Remember: I might be a jerk, but that doesn't mean Obama is. But as bad as I might be, I'm not John McCain with his fingers on the button. Keep it in perspective.

It was good to see Nan Visitor again. I commented on it, URL in sig.

Can I buy some pot from you?

I have already planned my FU Obama parties (for each debate when he will look the part he was born to play -- arrogant retard) to be followed by the celebratory WAY TO GO MCCAIN Party. And while I drink champagne and eat caviar remember that I am, with each sip and each bite, figuratively screwing each and every one of you.

Wow, that's great.

Next time someone balks at Obama supporters suggesting that some Clinton supporters are traitorous turncoats, I will simply refer to this post and suggest that they can the charade.

I pray to whatever gods that may exist that you are in the minority -- if all of America is as stupid, spiteful, petty, vapid and thoughtless as you are we might as well just give up.

As despicable as Clinton's campaign and recent career have been, this sentiment absolutely makes her look like a saint.

Perhaps you will rethink this selfish and self-defeating position when someone close to you dies because of a war of choice enabled by Clinton or McCain.

Your "FU Obama" and "GO McCain" parties will not seem as cute in hindsight when you are left with only memories of someone you can never touch, talk to, wave at or fight with ever again, because you're stupid cutesy little sore loser act meant you were part of the problem, not the solution, and that you sent them to their grave.

I hope no one else has to die, and I hope you never have to learn that lesson the hard way. Those are the stakes. Get serious or go away.