...it says that the Obama and Clinton CAMPAIGNS are pursuing these strategies. IOW, Salon isn't saying that Obama is a woman or that Clinton is a man (in spite of what the stupid headline says); it's saying the Obama campaign is presenting Obama in a way that they hope makes him appealing to women and the Clinton campaign is presenting Clinton in a way they hope makes her appear strong. And if this is really what the campaigns are doing, then this is a worthy and valid news story.

...the problem is that the left doesn't have anything to stand for; hence we get pointless unfocused grandstanders like Cindy Sheehan and other posers.

Too often, being 'left wing' in this country simply means not being 'right wing.' That allows the conservatives to define all the terms of discussion and leaves liberals floundering in a weightless intellectual vaacum, both within the Democratic party and on the so called fringes as well.

...are heavily insulated to conserve heat and save on fuel bills. However that same insulation means that modern homes don't cool off on summer nights as they used to, hence air conditioning is now a virtual necessity in most homes.

I found that out when I put insulation in the roof of my old house; I saved a lot on fuel bills, but then I had to go out and buy a window air conditioner just to make the house livable in the summer. We never needed an AC before that.

Look at the old Victorian homes; fuel was cheap in those days or not a concern, so the main concern was to cool off the house in the summer. Victorian homes had many, many windows and doors. This was to create drafts in the house. In the mornings, the doors and windows on the lower shady side of the house would be opened, while upper story windows would be opened on the sunny side. This would bring in cool air from below, while forcing hot air out at the top. In the afternoons, the doors and windows would all be reversed. Today many homes only have a few windows, so this is now impossible.

What would be ideal would be a house that is insulated in cool weather but not insulated in hot weather. You don't wear a winter jacket in summer. If you did, you would need a cooling system just like an astronaut does. Yet this is how we have our homes.

...he didn't pardon him and Libby still has to pay a $250,000 fine and have a felony conviction on his record.

This isn't going to help Bush with his base. Bush still comes off as a heatless prick. And it won't help him with anyone else either.

Real grandmaws will shoelace your nuts if you try to call them 'grandmaw,' let alone attempt to make them gasp.

Is there no one clued into the real world anymore? What is so interesting about all of these empty anonymous people in their shiny clothes that are worth more than they are?

Since when was George Bush ever the president in anything but name? It's Dick Cheney who has 570 days to go and I have a bad feeling he isn't quite done yet.

...after the Republican and 'mainstream' media spin gets through with them?

What are the numbers for John Kerry?

...that someone would confront the bald guy with this. But it'll never happen and he might even win.

"Mean" and "dumb" are the exact words that so need to be said and heard. And the exact words we'll never hear.

...the once and maybe future first couple, who've taken themselves supremely seriously going back to their Yale days

In this day of manufactured, reality free imagery, it has to be asked: what, if anything, do you base this perception on?

One would hope that presidents and presidential candidates would have reason to take themselves seriously, if not "supremely seriously," whatever that might mean. The current occupant, for instance, doesn't seem to take anything seriously and that seems to be a big part of his problem.

1-618-033-9887 for a Phi time!

...the 'Commander Guy,' he's afraid of the Veep, right?

Isn't that kind of sad?