Seriously. This is the image (photo and story) you chose for Salon's cover on the day of the last presidential debate?

What's next on the cover-article swap of the day--pic of Ayers w/story? pic of Wright w/story? Besides finding this wholly irrelevant to the events of, literally, THE DAY, at least I thought you liked Hillary...why bring this up NOW?

"I never want to hear about Joe the Plumber again. Ever."

Ditto.

Was Obama announcing his REAL middle name--Steve.

Barack Steve Obama.

Nyuk! I want a t-shirt!

Your point is well taken. There are many things that go on in this world where I question the dollars expended--say, for a celebrity wedding, or a corporate pleasure junket, or, how about Ms. McCain's $300,000 outfit when her hubby accepted the nomination--and I think of how far those dollars could go toward people who are hurting--bad. This isn't new for me, as in just during this election cycle. As far back as I remember, that's been my vantage point. I don't begrudge anybody wealth, particularly hard-earned and/or against-the-odds wealth. But I do see a lot of wasted money in this world that, IMHO, could be put to much better use.

I would ask, though, that you check out the foundation for which the dinner was held and gauge whether you believe that they have "done good deeds." If they can get the so-called fat-cats to hand over checks to help those truly in need, I can get behind that, white-tie soirees included.

I don't know if you saw both candidates' "roasts" in their entirety, but in fact, Obama did reference (yes, more subtly than directly, as appropriate to the nature of the occasion and type of prescribed speech) that people are out there hurting. He provided some serious commentary despite the venue.

And on a last note, I empathize with the days of physical illness during this campaign. And anger. And sadness, if not depression. Even flat-out fear. It's hard to dredge up a sense of humor on those days.

Still, I believe in the interjection of "comic relief." (Like that long-running Reader's Digest column: Laughter Is the Best Medicine.) Today, I'm back to the serious stuff of life. Last night, I got to laugh because of this event and the SNL special. I needed it.

Beyond the funds raised, I tend to think it's less about "swaying the vote" and more about "energizing the base."

So, Reps get Sarah and Hank, Dems get Bruce and Billy. I like my end of the deal a whole lot better ;)

"I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR 10 MONTHS NOW"

Yes, and we've been hearing you for 10 months now.

To your post (p. 2)...if I were making editor's choices, you'd have a red star. Well said. Thank you.

He knows exactly what he's doing. He knows who he hired to take over his troubled campaign. He knows what his inane running mate is spouting. He knows the ugliness seeping through his and (mostly) her campaign rallies. He knows about the despicable RoboCalls. Etc.

Just as I know the difference between "denotation" and "connotation." That said, I hereby weigh in on the hugely overblown discussion about the descriptor "erratic." IMHO, I find "my friend" the great Senator from the great state of Arizona to be erratic, with no ageism directly intended nor implied. I have a niece who's been erratic almost since the day she was born, and now she's 35. I've been known to be erratic, and I've got a couple of decades to go before 72. I have a bi-polar friend--she's often erratic. Yadda freakin' yadda. Nothing innately wrong with erratic; just that I don't really want that to be a primary character trait of our POTUS.

Anyway, to Glenn Greenwald, good article.

Excellent quote (with lots o' literary references in the dialogue). And to think Dennis Hopper is a Republican now. From "Easy Rider" to "Apocalypse Now" to retirement fund commercials...maybe he took his film roles too seriously.

(oh, and let's not forget "Blue Velvet"--perfect viewing for fine family values)