You wrote: "As a matter of fact and public record, since 1995 Obama has had a close working relationship with the unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Why are you, and virtually every other liberal writer, acting as if this doesn't matter?"

Your use of the words "fact" and "close" got me going to post the link and text below. I took the first proof I got on the search, followed by many other choices to prove same. And by the way, the education reform board these two men served on was initiated by an organization that is profoundly Republican-based; and these two served with decidedly Republican others on that board.

http://fightthesmears.com/articles/22/ayerssmear?source=sem-pm-fts-ay-search-nsw&gclid=CPjPjKmtr5YCFQEuxwodS1N2Kw

"The Truth about Barack Obama and William Ayers

Smear groups and now a desperate McCain campaign are trying to connect Barack to William Ayers using age-old guilt by association techniques. Here’s the truth: the smear associating Barack to Ayers is “phony,” “tenuous,” – even “exaggerated at best if not outright false.”

William Ayers is a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with whom Barack served on the board of an education-reform organization in the mid-1990’s. According to the Associated Press, they are not close: “No evidence shows they were “pals” or even close when they worked on community boards years ago …”

Smear groups and the McCain campaign are trying to connect Obama to acts Ayers committed 40 years ago – when Barack was just eight years old. Here’s what the New York Times reported on the connection:

But the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called “somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.”

Barack has publicly denounced Ayers’ radical actions from the 1960’s: "Senator Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence. But he was an eight-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost forty years ago is ridiculous."

Ok, you did it again--made me LOL about your cat doing the typing. Sometimes around here I do believe cats, any cats, not just Magical Mr. Mestopheles (sp?), could do just as well or better on these threads. (I should know how to spell that cuz T.S. Eliot is my second-favorite poet, but I'm too lazy to look it up right now ;)

I actually did see the documentary Heart of Darkness, but it was quite awhile back. Now you've got me wanting to watch it again. Hopper goes down in my book as one of the more...shall we say...eccentric?...characters, uhm, persons alive. Along with Christopher Walken. I gotta say, though, that through some very minor (in the eschelon of such things) celebrity friends, I got to attend a UN benefit concert event where Hopper was sitting right in front of me, and he seemed, well, normal; meanwhile, at an after-debut theatre event at ooh-la-la Sardi's, Walken was there and wow...was he a spacey dude! All things considered...I think I like the spacey dude and don't want to judge why Hopper is selling insurance.

Nice to go OT a bit. I'm erratic that way.

Seems to be quite a fan base building! It really was a great post and we could use more around here of what HawkeyeD brought us today.

Are you two truly aware of the consequences of your actions?!? It's one thing to bow down to the Ice Queen; another to send her checks! Settle on shipping a six-pack of rare Alaskan beer maybe...? I'm not saying who's side I'm on in the series. Just sayin' the "loser" shouldn't have to go against principles!

Thank you for the "heads up" on Hopper's vote! (I'm serious, by the way, not being snarky.) I am astonished. What a difference a day (or eight years) can make, eh?

I watched the interview with jaw-dropped awe, but mostly with disgust. I have a dear friend who grew up in Minnesota (now living in CO and active in the Obama campaign) who I'm quite sure would not find Bachmann "representative." Don't blame Minnesota--just get this Palin wanna-be gone.

Well, I was interested in following this thread until I realized that again (as so often has been the case lately) it seems to be morphing from Salon.com to Readerreader.com. That means time to go on defense--oh, Rr, here's a good point, see this link, see that link, doncha get it, puhleez? Pied Piper of Hamlin. Maestro playing the fiddle. On a positive note, I enjoyed a day of Salon with some truly smart, interesting, and enjoyable people commenting who actually advanced various discussions. Even ElephantMan got a few kudos--banner day!

That is WAY sweet (or as my buddy in Worcester Mass. would say: "wicked sweet").

I'm definitely up for her opponent coming on Hardball or any news show--would love to hear that POV. At the *very least* it couldn't be any worse. Or could it...? Ladeedadeeda...

You made me laugh about how many McCain "surrogates" are going to be tripping over their feet to get the mike in the cause of parroting talking points. (An aside--apology to bigguns, I know I just used a lot of prepositions there.)

$57,000. Think it would help if I sent in $10? (Obama got all my extras this election season ;)

Anyway, thanks for the info and good cheer.

This is the perfect place to RANT. You have every right to and you've got company. Just don't give up. That's what I tell myself anyway.

palin bachman '12

You trying to give me an early heart attack?