Cindy Sheehan has suffered more and given more than almost anyone else in America. She deserves credit for her courage and her stubborness, and her determination to end the obscenity that caused the death of her son--the pResidency of George Bush Jr.

If Cindy Sheehan announced that she was going to oppose Nancy Pelosi in the Democratic Primary unless Nancy start moving on impeachment, I'd be firmly in her corner. Nothing like some intra-party competition to afflict the comfortable, and energize the progressive base to participate and improve the flavor of our Democratic smorgasbord.

But threatening to run as an Independent actually works to draw off progressive elements of the Democratic Party, and push it further into middle-of-the-road mediocrity. It tears down the Party, and tears up our coalition. It hurts us all.

If we have to wait for an actual Independent Party to get power and end the war, then we're looking at decades more of carnage.

Pushing the Party in a progressive direction? Hell yes! Tearing chunks out of it to salve hurt feelings and feed ego? Hell no!

If Cindy Sheehan wants this war to end, she needs to make friends and increase progressive power--not tear it into evermore ineffective chunks.

P.S. In light of recent Republican crumbling over the dismal progress of the Iraqi Occupation since the latest supplemental, Pelosi and Reid actually look pretty smart. They traded a toothless appropriation for an increase in the Minimum Wage and full funding for our veterans. It looked bad at first, but at the present rate of defections from the pResident's stinking ship, we may start leaving Iraq ahead of the original resolution's March schedule!

I didn't read any of Paglia's article, nor have I read her previous barf event in Salon. I lightly skimmed the one before that before it became blindingly obvious that it was an overripe mess of hog swill.

Yet, I look forward to her articles appearing in Salon! I head right over to the letters section, and get a heaping helping of righteous twit-slapping to stimulate the mind and refuel the snark-o-meter.

Generally, Paglia is so pathetic that few reich-wingers are willing to drop in to dilute the common sense. Apparently, even they have trouble swallowing what Camilla is dropping behind her.

So, to those willing to brave the fetid swamp of Camilla's mind, spear a degenerate denizen and bring it out into the light to disgust and inform the rest of us, I offer my admiration and gratitude. You are doing A Good Thing.

The only good thing about Paglia getting published, perhaps, but still, a pretty good thing. Kudos.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh, and to the silly letter writer who thinks our involvement in Iraq is like France's involvement in The American Revolution, I hate to break it to you:

In Iraq, we're Great Britain and George Bush Jr is mad-as-a-hatter King George III (wonder if Dubya pees blue--maybe that's why he takes a traveling toilet everywhere). By your logic, France should attack up to force us out of the country we are illegally occupying.

Nobody really intervened in the American Civil War. Britain wanted to support the South, but we blockaded it, and sent them packing.

Good luck on one day joining the Reality Based Community.

Until then, you have Paglia to admire...

My little boy was a very handsome, cheerful little fellow, but he was also an enthusiastic drooler. All of our pictures of him would show his beaming smile, with a trail of slime down his chin and a soaked front to his shirt.

So, on the photos we sent around to the folks, and that I displayed at work, I photoshopped out the drool and the wet shirt fronts. I left his eyes, skin tone and dimples the way they were, however.

I must confess, I also pasted some hair over my own bald spot in a few photos where it seemed like it was trying to hog the camera. ;^D

It might be nice to have the means to hire EPA-Certified cleanup crews to clean up lead dust in areas of old houses, but a lot of people can't afford that.

Wipe it up with a wet rag and rubber gloves, and paint over the old areas where it is coming from. Your kids are only going to be crawling around on the floor licking their fingers for a few years, so immediate reduction is exposure is critical. Even a crappy paint job that encapsulates the lead for a couple years can make a big difference.

If you can afford the pros, go for it. If not, don't let the situation sit while you try to scare up the cash. Using a conventional vacuum is probably not a good idea, unless you can have it exhaust outside (not perfect either, but better than piles of dust inside your kids living area).

Many time, actually. I even dumped my Salon Premium membership because of your hit piece on Wes Clark back in the 2004 Primaries. Don't even bring up your series on the Ohio election.

But your Machinist blog does not suck. I read it, sometimes agree, sometimes disagree, but I am able to respect your take on the subject. You know your shit and do your homework. And it is interesting and brings up stuff that needs bringing up, for machine-heads such as I consider myself. This last article was pretty damn good, as were your pieces on the iPhone.

I don't hate you anymore, and I generally like your column. I'm gonna quit paying extra for a WELL account and log back into Salon Premium (no more ads for butt-washing toilets!).

Keep doing what you're doing.