The issue of "gay marriage" has got to be the most ridiculous non-issue the public has had its face rubbed in for a long time.

Have we learned nothing from the civil rights movement and our whole history of widening the rights of citizenship to all individuals in the country? The government does not sanctify relationships of affection and trust and in its eyes all heterosexual marriages are civil unions already. Any two adults may claim this right under the concept of equal protection.

In any civil union we have a consensual bonding of two persons for mutual assistance and support. Why shouldn't this relationship, which is of financial value to the government and society, be allowed to be legally formalized, regardless of the chromosome complements of the partners' cells or the hormone levels in their tissues?

Politicians need to get this issue clear in their heads before they go spouting off a lot of reactionary bigoted crap. Either they are in favor of recognizing the rights of all citizens or they are ignorant bigots toadying to popular prejudice. History has consistently shown us which side of this issue will be favorably regarded in the future.

In case you were wondering, I'm not gay.

Republicans in name only (RINOs)--> abortion-tolerant, gun-registering "liberals" like Rudy Giuliani.

Democrats in name only (DINOs) --> "conservative" politicians like Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein, and all the Blue Dog Democrats in Congress (are you listening, Representative Mike Thompson) that promote the outlook and policies of Bush & Ilk more than they oppose them.

I say, a pox on all politicians who endanger our liberties by promoting warrantless wire tapping and perpetual warfare, our prosperity through runaway government spending and balance of trade deficits, our sovereignty by entering into globalist trade agreements, and our safety by encouraging illegal immigration.

A very serious realignment of the political and economic power in the world is about to take place and we need a leader with a new vision. The old neocon approach of intimidation and violence just ain't gonna do the job. The world is shrinking as the population continues to rise and as the resource base of fossil fuels, rich mineral ores, and fresh water shrink, it will get a whole lot smaller. Innovative thinking and radical readjustments are needed, fast.

Most of the "front runners" have sold out to the corporate globalists a long time ago. The last thing we need is Hillary Clinton with her neocon-lite policies. She is the only Democrat I absolutely would not vote for. Let's see, is Nader running again...

Want a war that "will not end in our lifetime", an unending series of attacks and counterattacks? Want to be reminded daily of the dangers of Islamofascism and how we must continue to sacrifice our money and our children to fight it? Just vote Rudy Giuliani or just about any of the other Republican candidates into office. The hatred and fear they engender will provide the collective emotional fuel to keep the U.S. in perpetual war.

Want a candidate who has taken the trouble to understand the various situations of current conflicts objectively and from the other side's point of view, whose goal is reconciliation, not retribution.? Look into the campaigns of Republican Ron Paul and Democrat Dennis Kucinich. They offer a reasonable alternative to endless warfare that only serves the purposes of the already economically privileged and politically powerful.

Karl Rove is, legally, indictable for treason for his role in revealing Valerie Plame's CIA status to the press. Only his connections with the rich and powerful have kept him from being brought to trial.

Karl Rove has betrayed the American values of justice and fairness by the devious, underhanded methods he has promoted in election campaigns, seeking victory at the cost of honor.

Karl Rove has betrayed the Conservative movement in America by promoting big, fiscally irresponsible, intrusive government, the antithesis of fundamental principles.

In a just America, Karl Rove would be shunned, stigmatized, and indicted. The fact that he is not under indictment and is even honored by some shows the depth of the legal and ethical corruption in our halls government.

Every piece of coal, when burned, is lost as a source of feedstock for the manufacture of innumerable items, from plastics to dyes to aspirin and more. It is gone FOREVER. Senator Clinton, like almost all Americans, shows love for her country in the present and near future, but does not for a moment consider that in all likelihood, our species and even our nation could have a future stretching into the hundreds of millennia. The continuing use of fossil fuels for energy is myopic. It would be much better to put all our efforts into developing truly sustainable energy sources of wind and solar, while promoting conservation and altering our infrastructure to one that is less energy expensive.

The War of Independence is also know as the American Revolution because it had two coequal results. The former British colonies on the eastern coast of North America became politically independent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At the same time certain principles of governance were established, including having the leadership selected by a system of voting, justifying its authority as having the consent of the governed, and, simultaneously, limiting the powers of those leaders. These limitations are enumerated in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Since the Revolution Americans have fought fiercely to preserve our political independence and to defend the principle of limited powers. The assertion of a "unitary executive" with powers to exercise surveillance on American citizens without warrants is the antithesis of American political theory and tradition. It needs to be recognized and exposed as being alien to the institutions of our liberties and a threat to the freedoms that the Founders articulated and risked all to establish.