"... The republic has seen dark days before, but I have not experienced personally nor have read of a time in history when the public and our representatives have been so complacent in the face of the diminution and destruction of our republic." CRL

I don't know, CRL ... is it complacency or apathy or maybe people nowadays are just so wrapped up in themselves and their own little lives that there's no room for trivial little things like politics and civil liberties and watching our Constitution and our country go to hell in a handbasket. I can't help but think back to the Watergate era (was it only 25 years ago?). The White House Press Corps were like sharks circling in the water (Sam Donaldson particularly comes to mind). They were outraged at what they were finding out and they were outraged at being stonewalled by the White House. All of America knew they were outraged and before you knew it, most of America was outraged too. (I'm still amazed that the top of my head didn't fly right off after a week-end of Watergate-related firings and resignations that came to be known as "The Saturday Night Massacre"!) It took a while but eventually politicians from BOTH parties were also outraged enough at Nixon's abuses of power to unite in their commitment to see the impeachment process through to its logical conclusion. And they were united in their SADNESS too ... that was obvious from the looks on each and every one of their faces (Barbara Jordan, Charles Sandman, Trent Lott ... 17 Republicans and 21 Democrats) as they voted. I was glued to the television watching those hearings day after day after day and I think the kind of compassion and sensitivity to the historical significance of what they were doing that was so obvious then is completely missing in today's politicians. I don't know what in the world has happened to everyone in the last 25 years but I'd give anything to see just a fraction of the outrage that swept this country 25 years ago. This country has earned it and, more importantly, George Bush deserves it!

I, for one, think that the majority of Americans are STARVING for someone to step up to the plate ... someone who'll start focusing on the things that most Americans are concerned about ... affordable health care, a decent minimum wage, a FAIR income tax instead of a tax system that's been bombarded with one tax tax cut after another for the wealthiest Americans and big corporations like the oil companies, a plan to reward companies that keep jobs in America and penalize companies that outsource their jobs. I think a majority of Americans want a Congress that's more interested in doing what's right for the majority of citizens instead of a Congress that supports legislation that favors whatever special interest group happens to be the most persuasive or that waves the most amount of cash for their re-election coffers. I think a majority of Americans are sick and tired of having a strident minority group dictate what this country's moral and religious values should be.

I totally support Senator Feingold's fight to preserve our civil liberties and our Constitution and I'm stunned by the breathtaking apathy of a majority of Americans who, when they're asked if they'd mind losing some of their civil liberties if it will keep them safe from terrorists, say that that's fine with them. I can only conclude that we've become a nation of cowards, more interested in staying safe than in being free. I honestly don't think there's anything that Sen. Feingold or anyone else, for that matter, can say or do that will convince these people that losing their civil liberties is more dangerous than the threat of another terrorist attack. So be it. The Democrats need to start talking about the things that DO scare them ... losing their job, going broke trying to pay for health care or a college education for their kids, living in poverty when they retire. And if/when we regain control of the House and/or Senate and if/when we win back the White House, craft a new Patriot Act that will keep us safe without sacrificing our civil liberties, roll back all those tax cuts, reinstate environmental protections, encourage reasonable stem cell research, come up with a Federal budget that reduces the huge deficit that the Republicans have saddled us with without hammering the people who can't survive without Medicare and Medicaid, and bring our troops home. The majority of Americans will be so happy that they've finally achieved some measure of economic security that they probably won't even NOTICE that all those intangibles that they didn't think were all that important have been restored. But I'll notice and I think a lot of other Americans will notice too.

I must say, Matalin's Time interview sounds a lot more rational than her appearance on Sunday's Meet the Press, where she looked and sounded like some dreadful cross between Cruella DeVille and the witch from Snow White. She was defensive, sarcastic, mean-spirited and downright nasty.

Come to think of it, who better to spin for Dick Cheney?

The more I see and hear from Paul Hackett the happier I am that he dropped out of the Senate race. So far he's offerred up four completely different reasons for why he dropped out, each more whiny and implausible than the previous. Regardless of the reason, he could have at least tried to muster up a mature response to what happened and brought a little unity to the Ohio Democratic Party. For someone who's supposed to have the best interests of the people of Ohio uppermost in his mind, it sure seems like the only thing uppermost in Paul Hackett's mind is Paul Hackett.

Thanks a lot for all your divisive comments, Mr. Hackett ... you've really been a big help.

An Ohio Democrat