Opening up this second front, first the war on Terror, and now Cold War II, is fraught with peril. (Perhaps they can reopen the war on Drugs and make it a trifecta) The public may simply become fatigued with too many sham wars. The Republicans are considering where they will be next year, in the event of an Obama Presidency, and it looks a lot like Bush the flip-side, where REpublicans had the majority of both houses. Will there be a Democratic rubber stamp Congress?

Republicans function better as the minority party. Now if Democrats really want to put the Republicans back twenty years, they need to work to get some Green and Libertarian candidates elected. It's one thing to be a minority party, another when you are not the only minority party. That would be healthy for America, because obviously Republican rule, whether its majority or minority, is not.

THe former Fed Chief said recently, that the U.S. economy is NOT a system of Capitalist speculators, backstopped with Socialist bailouts. Of course he isn't telling the truth, of course thats exactly how every one expects the system to work. I take risks and profit, the profits are mine, screw you and your tax base, but I take risks and lose money, and government bails me out. Simple, been that way for a long time, every one knows it, and Greenspan said it, but as usual he framed it in deceptive terminology. Is that the economic reality for the Democratic Supermajority?

Living not that far from Saddleback, I appreciate your comments not just on the debate but the concept of these Big Box Churches, which in this lousy economy are the only thing going. We have one under construction in my town, certainly as big as any chain outlet, the real question is what does it signify?

You point out that the hardcore of Evangelical voters is really much smaller than official church roles. What matters most is not that your special interest group is gaining or losing membership, its how well organized they are. Too bad one of the inner city black churches didn't hold this debate, would McCain have gone, if the Rev. Wright had invited him?

No doubt there is more money in rich Southern California churches, such as Saddleback, but one wonders how this translates into political influence, without violating campaign finance laws.

Clearly Obama was on unfriendly territory, which brings up not only the separation of Church and state, but church and church, and the new corporate church, although Falwell and Roberts have run that show admirably, for their political breathern. The model of governance more closely akin to feudalism exists in the various corporate branches of American religiousity, one always wondered if Christians didn't all want the same thing, and perhaps they do, but they want to be marketed. Is the holy leader and the Walmart greeter, one and the same?

In a year when third party politics should be taking on more meaning, is this the alternative? And was that what we witnessed, at Saddleback, the candidates appeal to disaffected voters? As a matter of issues, the Greens, the Democrats shadow on the left might take exception to Obama's thoughts on marriage. Did Libertarians gain any solace from McCain, doubtful. These traditional groups. Greens and Libertarians, have far greater numbers of voters, from which to draw. Finally the candidates must talk to them. Speaking in front of a Walmart store might offend some Target shoppers, but primarily people don't expect to shop for their political needs in such a carefully marketed environment.

McCain would do less for the economy, in fiscal matters, and in the short run that is probably a good thing. And there still is not enough pain out there to get a Democrat elected, basely solely on the consumer economy. (airline pillows?) Maybe Obama can will campaign on the platform to get wages rising (Oh wait, thats' inflationary, isn't it)

For one thing the mortgage relief bill is a sweetheart deal, and it looks to homeowners like a birthright. Sure you were thrown out of your house but so what, it didn't cost you anything.

Analysts advise their readers who are underwater, not merely behind in their payments, to turn in the keys and walk away. The good times are coming, why get saddled with a house you paid too much for?

The credit card bankruptcy laws are brutal, but no one is going to hang that on Bush, where it belongs. (Will they make at least one CC company a GSE, I think they will), but the bankruptcy laws on foreclosure are a joke. Taxpayers haven't yet seen the bill for this moral abdication, and if they vote for McCain they won't need to. (Wall street can keep putting on those short dollar, long gold trades, to handle the unpleasant consequences)

Sorry Obama is in a really bad spot here. The Socialist Economic machine will chew him up, more freebies, fewer taxes, endless consumer bailouts and rebates. They can keep the stock market going as well, as long as they control the printing press. Call em' Super Republicans.

If I was Obama I would think twice about taking the job. Let the Republicans drive the car into the ditch.