You did a fine job of picking out what is of concern regarding Sarah Palin. It's the "anti-elite" response out there. That anyone lined up behind her is disturbing. Our (those of us who think she isn't worth listening to except for yuks) response to it has been scoffing and that has gotten us into trouble.

I like friends, presidents, authors, etc. to be smarter than I. I, too, have tired of Sarah Palin even as a joke (not as a person but as a person of substance).

She wants easy acclaim and money and this opportunity fell into her lap.

I share your concern about President Obama's next steps.

to see you on Salon! Thanks for a terrific piece!

Ms. Houppert, your last sentence says it all.

I won't pick through the bones of how you got to that spot-on conclusion. Since the Susan Smith murders, I have been horrified by how so many people I've talked with have prescribed violent, brutal deaths for her and Andrea Yates. As I listened to their justifications for putting these mothers to death, I wondered if condemning them out loud somehow made them feel better about themselves. I don't know. I do know that it alarmed me.

But then, whenever I say (out loud) that I would not bring a child into this world now because of how things are going (greed, materialism, destruction of the planet. . .) because I can't ensure them a future with any quality (and maybe not even with potable water they can afford), I'm not sure how whoever is listening takes that.

Thank you for your exploration.

I love what you said on Hardball! You totally nailed it. Thank you for posting the video, too!

Joan, I thought you did really well. If I were you, I wouldn't bother to do it again, though. It isn't true that "It takes a village to debate O'Reilly." He is incapable of debating.

It was clear as soon as you appeared on the screen, that you were prepared to discuss. But there IS no discussing with a guy like Bill O'Reilly, who just wants to "impress" his fans with how "tough" he is and how he pounces on guests. He comes across about like the bouncing Rush Limbaugh--as a hyper baby who is only prepared to ambush his "guest" because he really isn't much of a thinker. Talk about show prep! The prep you describe with your daughter, your ex, etc. is nothing compared to what a guy like O'Reilly does so that he won't have to actually BE in the conversation (and it is not a conversation).

Speaking of hyper, all this hype about the bravery of going on O'Reilly's show just feeds his ego. And I'm not talking about how you've talked about deciding to go on the show. I respect you for attempting to take him on on the issue, but he just can't handle an "issue" like an intelligent person. He just thinks he's showing off for his friends.

That you were able to fire off many good points in spite of his baiting B.S., telling you to "Stop talking," etc. is really impressive. I loved your statement about his attacks on liberals like Janeane Garofalo, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell and the fact that nothing these people have said has incited any murderous, violent acts. (I recently challenged a friend to name one liberal whose has engaged in hate speak. This friend maintains she is conservative even though there seems to be little the Republican party stands for today that she can endorse and she certainly has no use for Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and O'Reilly. She has come up with no names for me.)

I think it is fine that you said that Dr. Tiller is a hero. I urge you to not regret that one. As you said, he is performing legal procedures for women whose health is threatened. Most (I really think all) of us who are pro-choice are not "pro-abortion." Like you, many of us work for a reduction in abortions, education, adoptions, etc. The contexts of O'Reilly's psychiatric expert (who "testified" not about mental health issues but about medical ones) and the young woman who had had an abortion at Dr. Tiller's clinic, were unclear. O'Reilly implies that Dr. Tiller is out trolling for women on whom to inflict this procedure. That doesn't add up,obviously.

I am proud (but not surprised) that we liberals address the problem of hate speak without engaging in it.

Finally, I find it interesting that O'Reilly's show is taped, cut and then aired. That is not the case with Keith Olbermann's Countdown or The Rachel Maddow Show. Their shows are live with mostly live guest interviews.

That may be my one and only viewing of The O'Reilly Factor. I found it vile.

I was hoping you'd do a follow-up after your appearance on Hardball.

Chris Matthews sometimes gets carried away with extrapolations on news (last night, the awful shooting and murder at the Holocaust Museum in D.C.) to further sensationalize his show. He's a smart guy, but I have had trouble with this more than I care to recount. That can promote problems of incitement similar in nature to those with which he may charge certain groups--last night, broadly Republicans on the far right.

You and Susan Page rightly dialed it down. Charging ALL conservatives, "pro-lifers," etc. with fomenting hatred is not helpful. Von Bronn killed the security guard. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly ratchet up hatred with their crazy talk.

The hate talk does need to go away. Thanks for this piece, Joan.

Pat Buchanan just is "not that intelligent."

Joan, I haven't done due diligence on Sotomayor so thanks for the intro. Also thanks for countering Buchanan's b.s.

Really, though, you need someone more intelligent with whom to spar. Buchanan is out of his league with you.

Keep it up!