It isn't just people in their 20's and 30's. I lived the poor bohemian insurance-less lifestyle. I work in a corporate cube too, and I'd rather spend my time doing something more useful. Some thoughts come to mind though. "Checkbook activism" is a derisive term for those who activism consists of writing a check, and while it doesn't take long for me to write a check, earning the money does take considerable time. Since part of the problem is non-profit work pays so little, maybe checkbook activism is actually a big part of the solution. Those of us who can donate make possible the work of those doing what we'd like to do. I bought the premium membership to Salon, thereby helping Salon employees keep going, and honestly, I'd rather be working for Salon than doing what I do now.

I get impatient with questions about elecatability, and no patience for people who back a candidate based on who other peopel will vote for. Come on, it's 16 months before the election. If we can't back who we really want at this point, when the *&^% can we?

So I'll stick with Kucinich for the sake of impeachment, getting Iraq right from the beginning, and single-payer. Screw the polls. I have to admit though, I'm impressed enough with Dodd to make him my second choice. He did himself some good in this interview.

It seems the problem here is McCain's campaign engaged in the sort of fiscal management we've learned to expect from Republicans. They expected $100 million from some magical source and so spent like it, rather than finding out what they actually had. There's nothing wrong with $25 million at this point --- most candidates aren't even close to that --- but to already have just $2 million left? Wow.

Never trust Republicans with money.

That is just unfathomable to me that the judge won't allow the jury to hear that a defendant spent over three years in harsh conditions. The jury sees how the defendant carries himself during a trial, and the experience he went through because of the government prosecuting him is absolutely material. Unfortunately the jury members were probably chosen for their unfamiliarity with the case so they likely have no idea of what Padilla was subjected to.

If we wanted to play that stupid game, and maybe we do, we could compare the Republicans to past politicians. Let's see, they're all authoritarian, so how about George III? Or to really dig at them, point how how accumulating power in the presidency makes them like Hugo Chavez. Their irrational hatred of Chavez should get them hopping. (No, you aren't like Chavez: he hasn't invaded anybody and he actually wants to spend money on schools.)

For more individual names, I refer to Fred Thompson as "Career Lobbyist". After the story about Romney showing his ability to cope with crises by hosing the dog s___ off his car when he left his dog on the roof for a 12 hour drive, I've looked for a good name. Maybe "Hoser". How about "Armored Shopper" for McCain? "Marrying Man" Guiliani?

On the Democratic side, McGovern and Dukakis might be the past, but they're still alive and available for a "here's what went wrong" lecture id the Democrats will listen. Dukakis spelled it out in 2004, but Kerry repeated the mistakes anyway.

Glen, this is off-topic for this post, but since you've written before about the delusion neocons at National Review, I think you might be interested in this article by Johann Hari, who somehow got himself on a National Review cruise. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/13/2499/#comment-53279

Just to whet your appetite, this is the second paragraph:

I am getting used to these moments - when gentle holiday geniality bleeds into… what? I lie on the beach with Hillary-Ann, a chatty, scatty 35-year-old Californian designer. As she explains the perils of Republican dating, my mind drifts, watching the gentle tide. When I hear her say, ” Of course, we need to execute some of these people,” I wake up. Who do we need to execute? She runs her fingers through the sand lazily. “A few of these prominent liberals who are trying to demoralize the country,” she says. “Just take a couple of these anti-war people off to the gas chamber for treason to show, if you try to bring down America at a time of war, that’s what you’ll get.” She squints at the sun and smiles. ” Then things’ll change.”

This is typical. Wait until you get to Robert Bork saying Iraq is a success not depsite the Iraqi deaths, but because of them.

The Politico story about Mitt Romney and his $300 makeup is legit not because I care about his makeup costs, and not even so much because he tried to hide it as "communication" costs, but because he tried to make an issue out of Edwards' haircut. That he makes something out of a nothing story to attack a rival candidate simultaneous with doing the same thing tells us something about him. He is indeed so crass that he'll lie and attack in any way that might help him.

It seems like either there's been progress and country is safer thanks to Bush, or the danger is still there or even growing, depending on what's politically more useful at the moment. We're in great danger what the Republicans want to say Democrats don't take terrorism seriously enough, but never safer when Bush's record is being defended. We maybe have to stop assuming anything from the administration contains the unbiased truth, and just look to other sources. The non-embedded non-stenographer journalists actually have a pretty good record so far.