You wrote: "So who do you want for president?

1) a man who has been taken prisoner in a wildly unpopular war and tortured for 5 years

2) a woman who has been humiliated and hounded by the Republican establishment for most of her political career

3) a younger man who has lived a challenging but not a crippling life and is now living out the American dream.

-- Baloo. "

You'll excuse my tardiness at responding to your post, but, I've been rolling on the floor, convulsed in laughter, since I read it. Please let me respond:

Point 1: Whether or not the Vietnam conflict was "wildly unpopular", objectively, one must give John McCain his due; he served honorably in Vietnam and represented the US honorably. Don't confuse a person's honorable service in uniform with the person who unwisely sent him there in the first place. Republicans love nothing more than to equate Democrats with a dislike of the military; you do us no service by denigrating the men and women who serve.

Point 2: Hillary is not unique to being "hounded, villified, demonized, shellacked", or any other buzzword you choose to use, by the Republican slime machine. Personally, I see their flaccid attempts at pejoratives as a badge of honor: she must be doing something so right to receive so much flack. She gets extra points from me for withstanding the incoming fire from the Republicans and having done so for many, many years. You'll note she is still there, still standing up to them and still achieving things for her constituents and America.

Point 3: Your simplistic shilling for Barack Obama is duly noted: he is indeed young (inexperienced/green/untested). He is not leading a "crippling life" (wonder if his wealthy patron, the indicted bag-man Tony Rezko, had a hand in that?) and is "living out the American dream." (That comment is so incomprehensible, it defies logic.)

I realize that you are a Barackophile, but, really, dude, trying to boost your own candidate by denigrating the competition may work well with BallPark Franks, but, doesn't here.

You, however, compare favorably to BallPark Franks: full of baloney.

From reading the psycho-dribble posted by some of the "newly engaged" Obama Democrats, most of you appear to be young. No problem; happy for ya. Youth rocks.

However, with that youth, comes inexperience at politics, lack of depth due to a lack of life-perspective and a propensity to wax ecstatic for the "newness" of your candidate. We're pleased that you have joined the party...however, you have come in about halfway through the second course. You, it would seem, are late.

Those of us who have been fighting the Republican dirty tricks and soulless despoilatry for probably as long as you Gen-Y people have even been on Earth appreciate your fire, your passion and your ardor. However, you need to focus that laser in a different direction.

Its the Republicans who should be the target of your attacks and not your fellow Dems. Try not to be the progressive yin to the neocon yan, k?

Thanks for your semi-attention.

I can already tell you the content of a President Barack Obama Inaugural Speech; it'll be two words long:

"Now, what?"

Honest question: why does Barack Obama portray himself nearly always as "black" when he is, as far as I can ascertain, "bi-racial"? To a jaundiced eye, that would seem to be a pitch for the "black vote" as if they were a monolithic entity and voted en masse for only black candidates. We all know that, historically, they don't.

Frankly, if I were Senator Obama, I'd play up the bi-racial ancestry aspect, by calling it having the best of both worlds. Actually, he has a foot in both worlds and could appeal to both groups as "one of you."

Now, if he can learn fluent Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, the man's then not black or white...he's golden!

Although I probably would not have voted for Ron Paul, I must say that he was a refreshing voice in a sonorous din of verisimilitudinous Republicans. He brought honesty to a rather disgusting group.

I hope we haven't heard the last of him...

As a Clinton supporter, I take no particular offense at one of Mr. Obama's minions hurling pejoratives around; I'd ask the Obama people to do the same. It's part of the political process, that's all.

As for the Obama-bots wanting to run a "kinder, gentler campaign", look what that did for John Kerry four years ago when he was slimed by the SwiftBoat crowd, et al.

Hell, Hillary may, indeed, be a "monster", but, she's MY "monster" and my choice for President. End of discussion.

With the Pennsylvania Democratic primary a scant six weeks away, this article in today's Philadelphia "Inquirer" by political maven Jonathan Last, entitled "Who Can Go The Distance?", is a must-read. In the article, he makes the case for who CAN and probably WILL "go the distance". His conclusions are eye-opening!

Enjoy the read...

www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20080309_One_Last_Thing_.html