Larry King just did a great George Carlin appreciation -- clips of his appearances on the show, but also Lewis Black, Bill Maher, Roseanne Barr and Jerry Seinfeld just looking stricken at his loss, especially Black. It was very moving. Also, his brother Patrick and daughter Kelly called in; if you've ever thought a professional curmudgeon and shit-stirrer might have to be a little bit of an asshole personally, well, it doesn't sound like it. Watch it if CNN reruns it this weekend. Of course what I saw that I'd never gotten before was this funny but mainstream Irish Catholic comic my parents loved changing into this rebel mid-way through my childhood -- and, kind of amazingly, my mainstream Irish Catholic parents going along with him, to the point of dragging three kids to see him in Milwaukee at Summerfest. They were awfully cool in ways I never give them enough credit for.

balitwilight, I put "exciting" in quotes because it was a direct quote from Carlin. Thanks for your contribution!

I too felt it might be FISA, Mister Marker, because nothing has made me feel as close to Carlin's position - why vote? - as that news. I will reject that urge and I will vote, of course, but this has been a sobering weekend.

Thanks, XH, for your memories, and also for telling me to close that html tag! Even editors need copy editors.

Good question, Karenn22. I looked around before I published this post to see if she'd taken a position this week, and saw nothing. In my dreamworld, she learns from her primary defeat -- for the record, I believe her vote to authorize military force in Iraq was more damaging than sexism -- and vows never again to cave into supporting the fearmongering GOP version of national security. She opposes the FISA compromise, with Leahy and Feingold, and Obama ultimately joins them.

But it's really hot here in SF and I'm probably delirious about all of it.

lateagain, I would never speak for Ben Sen, and now he has spoken for himself, but I want to say for myself that your screen name didn't cross my mind when he talked about "ideologues." You've always approached these issues with an open mind and heart even when you've been mad at me, and I appreciate that.

Thanks for the feedback, farnsworth. Actually, Ben Sen posted something very similar much earlier; I just happened to get to read my letters tonight after dinner. And I just happen to respect Ben Sen going way back in these letters.

I'm sorry, Ben Sen, I just made myself a liar, given what I promised you in my last post. I'm outta here for the night!

Oh, and NYShooter, you don't have to slap yourself. I was quite engaged in defending Michelle Obama for the third time in a week. I'm sure that's what you're talking about! I can't help defending a Democrat who is being brutalized; that's what got me speaking out about Hillary Clinton's treatment, despite my well-documented reservations about her Iraq War vote, her Kyl-Lieberman vote, etc. I see the consistency even if my critics don't.

I also want to thank everyone who emails me privately because of the alarming tenor of these threads. I really appreciate the support, but no one needs to worry about me! Salon has never been stronger, thanks to all of you.

Ben Sen, thank you. I really don't pay attention to the ideologues. I have narrowed my communications to the people who are writing in good faith who raise reasonable questions about my posts -- and they are out there. I appreciate your contributions here and also your concern for me.

XH, cat got your sense of irony? Jesus, do you think I was using cat fight seriously? This long bitter campaign seriously sapped some folks' sense of humor. It's gonna be a long year.

But thanks, NYShooter! I love all those Leave Hillary/Leave Barack alone!!! youtube parodies.

nonebetterthantheother, I appreciate your mentioning Lisa Sullivan, whose passing in 2001 was a loss and tragedy. But I can only imagine Lisa as a huge Obama supporter -- while reserving the right to criticize him point by point, as you do!

I loved Obama's speech because of several subtle things few people gave him credit for. First, he DIDN'T only talk about black people. He talked about all dads, despite some of the headlines. There are absent dads in all communities. Second, he brought his own experience to the story, and his real sense of loss gives him a standing and realism when he talks about this that a lot of other people don't have. I don't think he was scapegoating the African American community; like bringbackmalcolm, I think these are strains worth talking about.

Thanks, weeping, I appreciate your saying that.