Goldwater had some integrity. One of his famous quotes was "Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue. Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice."

Of course, it depends on how you define extremism. Does that mean bombing civilians? Does that mean torturing people? Of course not.

In his old age, he came out for gay rights in part because of a gay grandson. His grandson introduced him to a member of the military who was gay, and former Senator Goldwater had an epiphany...In June of 1993, when Goldwater came out against the ban...(you don't have to be straight to shoot straight) pro-ban forces cried foul. The godfather of American conservative politics, they declared, had sold out or gone senile.

(George Wallace apologized for his racism. The author of Amazing Grace was a slave holder who repented. People can change).

McCain -- in his old age -- has been shown to have no integrity. He only said what he believed in when it felt safe (torture, immigration). Now, he's willing to betray everything he's believed in to become President. How horrible.

In contrast, Cheney has a lesbian daughter. She and her partner have a child. Cheney supports his daughter (great), but not her civil rights.

The Republicans all have lesbian/gay friends. It's rumored Condi Rice is a lesbian. But, unlike Goldwater, this does not translate into a principled public stance. They have gay/lesbian aides, colleagues, business associates, but they won't advocate for lesbian/gay rights because they would lose power. THIS is the real test of integrity.

All they care about is power.

Shame

For a lot of voters (even die-hard Democrats like me), John McCain was one of the better Republicans. He did denounce torture; he supported some immigrant rights.

When McCain selected Gov. Palin as his running mate, I, like many Democrats AND Republicans, lost any respect I had for him.

How could he, on the one hand, state that he would pick a running mate who would be qualified to be President, and then pick Sarah Palin?

Karl Rove told him that he would never get elected President if he did not choose a running mate who would thrill the fundamentalist hard core right wing of the Party. McCain concurred or gave in, sacrificing his own choice, his friend Senator Lieberman so that he could win.

Palin is now playing the V-P attack dog role to the hilt. She is playing bad cop (revving up the frothing at the mouth, vicious, nasty, screaming mobs, pandering to racism, lying.)

McCain then came into personal contact with the results of the lies his supporters have been spreading.

McCain heard a pitiful woman who believed what she was saying -- that Obama was an Arab and therefore untrustworthy...McCain finally spoke up. The poor woman almost couldn't believe he was disagreeing with her, when McCain said Obama was a decent, family man, a citizen.

(Such is the cynicism of the Rove/Cheney/Palin Republicans is that they despise those who swallow their lies, and have contempt for those they use.)

So, is McCain playing Good Cop to Palin's Bad Cop? Or has he been told that the attacks are not spinning well? Has he been affected by honest criticism from former supporters? Or does he have some integrity left?

I suggest that the answer to all four questions is yes.

Presidential candidates are human beings, and all human beings have multiple agendas -- times when we are pulled towards our worst selves, and times when we embrace our best nature.

The tragic element of this election is that McCain sold his soul to the Devil -- and like many victims of the Prince of Lies, he's been cheated. He has tarnished his honor and character, and he will not be president. Lose/Lose.

I finally feel just a little sorry for him, as I cannot feel sorry for Karl Rove or Sarah Palin who are so obviously consumed by hatred and the lust for power.

You know, you really had to be there.

We tried everything we knew how to do, we rallied, we protested, there were accountants against the war, and truck drivers against the war, and hairdressers against the war, and still the government bombed vietnam and cambodia, and sprayed agent orange, destroying the people and the land of Vietnam (and our own soldiers).

There was a myth that veterans coming back were spat upon, but this was not something that anyone knew or or discussed at the time.

Veterans turned increasingly against the war, and the government that treated them in an incredible shoddy manner when they returned home.

The armed forces were in shambles, NOT due to the anti-war protesters, but due to the incredibly horrible treatment of people in the armed forces by the government.

Protesters got arrested in thousands, people poured blood over draft files, the Pentagon papers exposed the lies of the government and still the war went on....

It was a time of total desperation. I'm glad no one asked me to join the Weather Underground because I probably would have!

And no, I wouldn't have threatened or killed people, the goal of the Weather Underground was to show in no uncertain terms that we were at war -- not with Vietnam -- but with our own government.

You really had to be there to understand.

Susan McGee