I am repenting for being petulant. I do not think that I was ever going to vote for nor donate money to McCain. I have been put off by the arrogance of Obama supporters. You will have to forgive me if I do not enjoy being talked down to and I can be very pig-headed. But that does not mean I will vote for Obama or financially support or give time to the Obama campaign. I would understand Obama supporters if they felt the same way because I am the first one to say that Obama supporters do not have a monopoly on incivility. But, on this site and others, the overwhelming number of nasty posts belong to Obama supporters. Look at how many people are called trolls because they do not support Obama. That attitude has ruined so many publications and left-wing blogs for me.

I also do not want my partner (whom I intend to make my wife in Massachusetts, no thanks to Bill Clinton and DOMA) to disrespect me by holding an Obama fund raiser in our home. I think it is inconsiderate to strong arm me and others into doing something we do not want to do. That sort of thinking (that I should just get over it and give up my opposition to his candidacy and allow his supporters to use my home to raise money for him) is what will make it impossible for Clinton and Obama supporters to work together. You just can't mistreat people and expect them to work with you.

I intend to vote for a party other than the Democratic party this year. I can participate in our Democracy in many ways other than voting. I do it now by donating my legal services to battered women and children, I donate time and money to homeless shelters, support groups for survivors of sexual violence, GLBT causes especially for young people and other causes close to my heart. I give when and where I can and I think that is important to shaping our democracy. Voting, while important, is not the only way to influence what goes on in this country. I can sit this one out or vote for another candidate. I can do more than vote my conscience, I can continue to do things that are in line with my conscience and arguably harder to do than cast a vote, and continue to be socially active.

No one said her opinion on the appellate system was relevant, I said her knowledge of civil procedure and other Constitutional issues is insufficient. I do not know if you know this, but appellate courts and the Supreme Court do not exist to re-litigate issues of fact. Jurors are the finders of fact. Judges who serve in the appellate courts must have an intricate knowledge of the vast rules of civil procedure and it is not for people who have not practiced law in years or not practiced law in that arena before. You obviously have no idea how the smallest things that happened at trial can sink a case (this often comes back to people who proceed pro se and do not raise objections and therefore have their opposition to a piece of evidence or testimony waived for future consideration) Clarence Thomas stays silent during oral argument because he does not possess the knowledge of procedure and the Constitutional

issues surrounding them to do engage lawyers who are making their case. I would urge you to read transcripts of or listen to audio of oral argument. The litigants are constantly being interrupted, grilled on things way beyond the writ of mandamus or cert (which is entirely at the Supreme Court's discretion, by the way). Please stop talking about things that are out of your realm of knowledge. I won't continue to argue the intricacies of the appellate system, the rules of civil procedure, or any other points of law with you because not only is it out of your knowledge base (I am not saying you are not smart enough, I am just saying it is obviously not something you know about) and this is not the appropriate place.

I do not know how my support for issues that would make a Republican vomit makes me an advocate for the GOP. What I am saying is that picking fights is not the way to "unify." GOP talking points would be to encourage the infighting. I am hoping that Clinton supporters who are willing to support Obama are welcomed, not mistreated. That is the only way the Democratic party can hope to win: rounding up every resource in terms of money and manpower and not to take anyone or any vote for granted. Failure to do so would be catastrophic for the Democratic party. I am going to do my thing and continue to support the causes that are important to me. Again, I do not view voting as the only way to participate. I am sure that there will be another candidate from the Democratic nomination I can get behind, but not this time. I do not think that is whining, I think that is a reasonable presentation of the alternative route that I, as someone who would never vote for Obama, can take with good conscience. I was fooling myself when I said I would vote for McCain or vote for him. I was pissed off for a while but I am too strong willed and my hatred for Republicans runs too deep for me to fix my hands to pull a lever or write a check for him. I was being honest when I said I would do it because that is how I felt, but now that I have calmed down, I recognize that donating money to McCain would be money I could never recoup for the people and causes I passionately support.