I feel sorry for both Obamas -- they are both brilliant and could both be back at U of Chicago. But I'm not sure we should condemn an intelligent woman's decision to join her husband in his venture. Marriages are partnerships, and learning how capable she is makes me feel better about their upcoming presidency. Let's hope the country is more ready for a team than they were in 1992.

This article oversimplifies --- of course the insurance companies are trying not to spend money, but the doctors, hospitals and malpractice lawyers motivate expensive, invasive procedures even when they are not needed. Read Naomi Wolf's "Misconceptions."

Speaking of links, is Lebanon cleaning house in order to keep Israel just in Gaza? Or is Israel taking the opportunity to duck under the Lebanese headlines and clean house a bit itself?

And does any of this have anything to do with all the Taliban that have been getting caught lately?

Thanks Salon for shining a light on the other side once again!

I think what many letter writers seem to be missing is the impact on young Christian fundamentalists to hear the words of a Democratic president only 60 years ago who can openly say the US is fighting to defend its religion, and can openly lead a nation in prayer. I guarantee you this is a revelation to most of them, and they will never forget this day. They were not taught that in school, so they have evidence of a conspiracy against their religion. And they have evidence that only a short time historically ago their cause was a lot stronger, which will give them hope. And of course, Gingrich didn't mention that the reason Washington had to make those assertions was because the real philosophical founding fathers of the nation, like Jefferson and Hamilton, didn't believe them. Unsurprising that the old military man chose to make his assertions on his way out.

George Bush has always been deeply pluralistic --- something Gingrich is honoring in at least some of his words here, so it must be politically savvy. One of the few things Bush has done I appreciated (and partly to compensate for Falwell) was go to a Mosque a few days after September 11. Yet these kids have been told Bush is their great hope against the secularists.

Speaking as a secularist, while I find it shocking that I have been taught history so poorly (I thought America was always pragmatic until the 1950s when they started putting "under God" around the place), I am deeply encouraged to see the progress we have made. It is a shame to lose the poetry and emotional richness that FDR could communicate. But the liberation from superstition is proceeding much faster than I'd thought.

I hope Gingrich gets his way and the prayer is read on 6 June. People will be shocked and the religious briefly strengthened. But then it will be integrated into our country's knowledge and moved on from. The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.

I'd like to think spending $40M to show how silly religion is was a wise investment, but really this is going to corrupt a lot of kids brains, and America will lose (more) ground on science. And then Europe or India or Asia will become the dominant economy, if America doesn't get pissed off and blow up the world first. Shouldn't let fundamentalists own nuclear weapons, really.

I wish the Democratic debates were covered as well as the Republican ones in Salon. Not everyone has a TV.

I have to say I was just jealous when I read about this redshirting. I got skipped out of kindergarten (which I'd really been enjoying) when the teacher found out I knew how to read. By third grade they thought I was learning disabled because I was doing so poorly in my course work, but then they tested my IQ & finally asked me & figured out I was doing the fourth year work instead of the third because the third was too boring & told my parents to send me to a private school.

I have two points here -- first, putting someone a year ahead to make them less bored is a pretty blunt instrument. If kids learn faster, they will keep learning faster. We need better ways than that challenge bright kids. But second, the cost being smart, little & shifting around schools was being a complete social outcast until I got to college.

You know, sports matter. With all the problems of childhood obesity, I think we should be worrying about whether our kids are going to be picked last on the team or have confidence and capability in athletics. Picking a great place for our kids to play is not a bad idea. And helping our kids find strategies to keep their brains engaged is a different problem.

Yeah, and all pets are penguins. I think you're missing the point -- it's about not making generalizations about what's necessarily good or bad for kids.