At the risk of engaging in "Democrat bashing" and so risking our having to accept an honest candidate regardless of party, the truth is that Hillary Clinton did not know that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. No one else knew it either. Insufficient proof had been offered even by the lying administration and its simpering catamites. Simply saying it was so was enough for a substantial majority of members of Congress (and both parties) to give the President his Blank Check. It was as though they had been hypnotized by this inarticulate little man - except that they hadn't been; they were merely playing politics and going with the tide of lynch mob fury which had gripped the Executive branch and which they believed had spread to the general public - the precious electorate. So they handed the man the gun, and he proceded to use it. They did not know - not any of them - that Saddam Hussein had anything other than some suspect aluminum tubes. This much is certain. We went to war, dismantled a sovereign nation, and lit off the entire middle east over some non-descript aluminum tubes and some wishful thinking and the notion that the war would play well with the electorate.

Every legislator who had a hand in this disgraceful rush to judgement based upon the flimsiest of evidence owes the world an apology at least. Those of them who would grope for the brass ring of the Presidency owe more than that: they owe us a sincere confession that they did this not only without sufficient evidence, but for the basest of reasons.

Hillary Clinton has now dug herself so deeply into the Big Lie that she cannot reasonably be considered as an alternative to the lunatic now occupying the Oval Office. The best she could do would be to stand aside and return to doing her otherwise good work representing the state of New York.

Bash a Democrat? For god's sake, we are trying to fill a gaping hole in the main artery of our national honor! We should not entertain anyone as a candidate for President who ever supported this atrocity and still refuses to acknowlege that he or she did not know enough to give the President the green light to turn Iraq inside out, yet went ahead and did it anyway.

Plenty of us out here on the ground knew that we didn't know, and that was enough to make us willing to wait until the evidence was in before even considering such a move, but no one asked us. A majority of those who work for us in Congress took it upon themselves to curry favor with the worst among us and nothing else really matters.

Amen!

Well, and "thank you."

We can lynch everybody at once! Somehow the discussion of a perception of American Muslims as having failed to burst into flame oratorically over the issue of terrorism committed in the name of their religion has suddenly become open season on religion in general and particularly the three Abrahimic ones. Super. That really elevates the discourse to at least the level of playground taunting.

It's far difficult enough to have to verbally spar with the brain-damaged religious right (who call themselves Christians) on a daily basis over this ridiculous issue and a dozen other equally twisted excuses for the practice of self-righteous hatred and wilful ignorance without having it show up here in all its equal opportunity glory. Is the irony lost on everyone? What country is this, anyway?

I've just spent a week explaining contemporary racism to a bunch of neocons and now I've gotta read this. Hey, shmucks! If you want to hear Muslims condemning terrorism you can pay attention, learn who IS a Muslim, learn about Islam, hang out with a few of them, pick up a copy of Harum Yaha's "Islam Denounces Terrorism" (which was first published in the US 5 years ago), or, if you're a Real American you can just declare a crusade against ALL religions and feel three times as good in no time at all.

Jesus Christ, peoople! We are among the most self-righteous bunch of ignorami on the planet! We have no room to be elbowing Muslims to denounce anything any further, because we have our work cut out for us just to remember what it means to be an American, let alone Christians, Jews or even ethical atheists.

All I hear is the ghost of Jim Crow chattering out there.

Hey Carol! Don't look now but the comments here are every bit as creepy as the crap burbling out of the usual suspects - but they're here! They scare me!

Nevertheless, soldier on. You got it right the first time. The inane - and the insane - are always with us.