Re: "If this is true, then at least one Global Warming event occurred without human intervention, and given that there is a warming event going on now, what is unique about this event that makes it possible to conclude it is caused exclusively by human activity?"

In terms of global warming and cooling trends, there is nothing that unique about it. The Earth has warmed and cooled many times in the past 3 billion years. this time humans are causing contributing the greatest amount to the warming, but it has happened from other causes as well. And each time the climate changed in the past many species went extinct.

The "uniqueness" about this time is that Humans may be the ones to go extinct this time.

The Earth will go on just fine without us, of course. Other species will evolve to fit the niches left open, producing many wonderous and unique living beings. Just humans won't be around to appreciate them.

Nothing unique at all.

It is not God and Darwin who cannot get along. It is those who declare that they are the ones who exclusively speak on behalf of God who have a problem getting along with anyone who belives in critical (or independent) thought.

Re: "We have learned quite a bit actually. We've learned that not invading a third country, avoiding potential military pitfalls, and maintaining strict legal boundaries, are all more important than pursuing OBL and the Taliban. The left should be very happy today."

Can you name one Liberal who said he/she does not want Osama bin Laden captured? (I'm sure your researches at the White House, supplying posts for the blogs can find at least one, somewhere). Only Conservatives do not care if the perpetrator of the September 11, 2001 attacks goes free:

http://www.depresident.com/bushisms.asp

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."

- George W. Bush, 3/13/2002

And, because George W. Bush does not care, every Conservative has to mimic that position as well, in order to not hold President Bush accountable for his failures.

Republicans have been pushing the personal attacks since the "Obama went to a Muslim School" stories of last year.

What made anyone think that a Republican could run any other kind of campaign?

The attacks that will be coming from the Right in October will make these attacks seem tame.

Re: "How did we arrive at this fraudulent conclusion that military service automatically entitles the veteran to any leadership role? That's counterfactual and dangerous."

When the Bush White House turned the Pentagon into an arm of the Republican National Committee.

Re: "That said, that AP feed really got me nervous there for a minute...."

And count on the erroneous AP Feed to be the one quoted, unchecked, by every major TV/Vable news organization.

Additionally expect to see the Internet blogs and e-mails start to come around declaring that "obama wants to force churches to ordain and marry Homosexuals" based on this speech (and 100% of Republicans will believe it too).

The show would not likely make it today. With Leads such as Chris Matthews and Bill O'Rielly working the sets (and various sexist/racist/inane commentaries) current cable news has become almost impossible to parrody.

Does anyone actually believe this story is true at all?

For more than seven years we have seen the Bush White House put out a story line that is demonstratably false, yet get away with it because our media stenographers re-print the comments without asking for even the slightest grain of proof.

More than likely George W. Bush no more cares what Americans think of him than he did five minutes after the November 2004 elections. He is The Decider and lives in his bubble. His press office puts out whatever story of the day will keep the sheep in the media room busy: Sort of like Cindy McCains cookie recipies.

Remember, this is the man who took credit just last week for a GI Bill that he himself opposed. Does this "feeling less antipathy" have any greater "ring of truth" to it that anything else he has said since "Mission Accomplished"?

The only reason that there might be less "antipathy" is that no one cares WHAT George W. Bush says any more. He will hand over a string of debacles to his successor to solve and then head off to the Crawford compound to amass (further) massive wealth from speaking fees and consulting contracts from all those companies and individuals ("Loyal Bushies") he made rich in Iraq.