You say: "The institutionalized racism of a mere generation or two ago certainly does continue to reverberate today."

There is no denying the pernicious effects of the institutionalized racism of years past. But I can tell you that, in New Orleans, beginning around 1980 or so, institutionalized racism in city government took an interesting turn. This time, the racism was black on white. In nearly every corner of city government, there were virtual signs reading "No whites need apply - for employment or promotion." Because of bloc voting by race, black politicians became increasingly greedy, corrupt, and incompetent over the years. The city fell apart in front of everyone's eyes.

Held captive were the many thousands of blacks living in veritable Third World conditions who could be depended upon to vote for these crooked politicians year after year. Whites, many of them well meaning and increasingly disillusioned, dared not raise their voices in this climate, as the cry of 'racism' would immediately arise. And so the city became almost completely stalemated. Meanwhile, many thousands of black children who were lightly parented, to say the least, were doomed to repeat the poverty cycle, to become functionally illiterate thanks to a complete politicization of the corrupt public school system. Crime became rampant, public services deteriorated, vast stocks of housing fell apart, the streets were filled with trash. New Orleans was well on its way to being destroyed long before Katrina hit.

After the storm, when America got a look at the some of the realities of non-touristic New Orleans, who got the blame? "Whites living in rich enclaves on the high ground." This was a bitter joke to those of us who were middle class at best, who had purposely avoided moving to the suburbs in the hope that we could somehow make a difference, who lost nearly everything ourselves and had to start all over.

My point? Some of the black community's problems in this country can only indirectly be traced to a legacy of white oppression. They cannot be solved by superficial gestures or hand wringing in All-White Falls, Iowa. They most especially cannot be solved while whites continue to look at blacks as some sort of separate social unit, one which operates outside the human condition.

You say: "I think we should unite now before it gets too late in the game and obama and clinton supporters are hopelessly embittered with one another."

This is a really nice thought, but just take a look at some of the anti-Clinton posts on this thread, one thread out of how many? Take a look at Huffington Post/Daily Kos/Name Your Leftist Blog. The vitriol that's been thrown at Clinton (and her husband), not to mention her supporters, for many weeks now has grossly outpaced and out-uglied any judgments Clinton supporters have tossed Obama's way. No epithet is too strong, no condemnation too foul, no half-truth incapable of being twisted into The Absolute, when it comes to Clinton bashing.

Maybe I tuned in late but, far as I can tell, this ugliness originated with the Obama camp; I've seen stunned references to it from Clinton supporters all over the Net. So, for those who have so thoroughly castigated and maligned Clinton week after week, wouldn't it be sheerest hypocrisy for them do a 180 and support her in the general? Aren't we past the point of no return in this regard?

Just love the righteous outrage from Obama supporters who feel perfectly free to throw mountains of mud and bile at Clinton, then pat themselves on the back for being so progressive and openminded, so on The Side of Good and Right and Virtue. If you can't see your hypocrisy, others can - and do.

All along, Obama's campaign has been complicit in the effort to smear both Clintons. Check out David Axelrod's background - he's not exactly seminary material, he's pure old school Chicago and that's about as down and dirty as it gets.

So, get a grip, all ye Clinton haters. You're the reason the Demo party will likely go down in flames in November. But you'll never admit this to yourselves. Like everything, your failures will be Clinton's fault. Right?

You say: "So, Kate, when Obama does win the nomination, and when he does become president in November, will you admit that Obama and his supporters had the right idea all along? Or will you continue to wallow in your increasing bitterness?"

Obama may end up being the candidate, but he cannot win the general election, unless voting is limited to his partisans in the blogosphere. And if he were to win, how would that validate your claim that his supporters have 'had the right idea all along'? Bush won two consecutive terms - does this mean that I should concede that his supporters were right all along?

Re the alleged bitterness: is this how you view anyone who doesn't buy into the carefully crafted Obama image and disagrees with your personal conclusions?