Why is it that John Kerry's service could be and was significantly examined and attacked by the MSM after the swiftboating--and that in comparison to Bush's lack of service during the Vietnam war--but McCain's service is somehow sacred and not-to-be-questioned?

I wish Kerry's service had been significant examined by the MSM. Unfortunately, the facts of his service got a lot less attention than the accusations.

(Now, of course, at least one of the Swift Bloaters is participating in the fake outrage about General Clark.)

Oh wait, no I don't.

Tom-Delay-flavored schadenfreude ... saaaa-weeeet!

That would be an easier task were it not for McCain's record, and his admission, "On the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush."

What does McCain's record have to do with anything? If his record were relevant, he wouldn't be the (presumptive) Republican nominee, even given the lame competition he had.

On the upside, the AP reports that Obama leads in the all-important barbecue poll. According to an AP-Yahoo News poll, 52 percent of respondents would rather have Obama at their summer cookout than McCain, who only got 45 percent.

As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up.

But give me the choice between eating GM foods without pesticides and foods with lots of pesticides, and I'll take the GM food any day!

If those were the only two choices, I might agree. But they aren't.

No one can stay in business long by alienating good workers.

[laugh] You almost had me going there. That's some excellent snark. Until this last bit, I actually thought you were serious.

I've lost track of how many times I've thought "If this is what counts as 'controversial' about Obama" it makes him look pretty good to me.

Seriously, stack this sort of vacuous smoke-blowing up against McCain's membership in the Keating Five.

If Obama becomes prez, hopefully when he lets the Bush tax cuts expire, the economy is strong again, because otherwise that will impose a HUGE burden on already struggling companies.

Obama has repeatedly said that he would let those tax cuts expire. Plus, phasing out the occupation of Iraq would be a huge cost-cutting measure. (Not just financial costs, either.)

The McCain supporters are really out in force.

It's the 4th of July, folks. Aren't you supposed to be off somewhere pretending to be patriotic?

If the "American people" were really so against the war, wouldn't they just ignore all this tripe and vote Obama overwhelmingly?

This is exactly why the McCain campaign is -- with MediaCorp's help -- desperately trying to pretend that Obama is changing his stance on Iraq.

No, you and a few other people worry about it

Fact is, Iraq is off the front page. Most Americans don't think too much about it either way. You're the 'media maven', count the decline in the number of articles now vs. 2 years ago. People are worrying about their own welfare not what the pundits are telling them to be outraged and/or terrified of. I think this more than anything is what sticks in the craw of the pundits, bloggers and other self appointed jerks; that they've lost significant power to make us sit up on our hind legs and bark on cue.

Thatta boy! You tell 'em! Here's your McScooby Snack ...

It's weird that so many people are -- supposedly -- disturbed by a candidate who can get citizens enthusiastic and engaged in the political process.

Of course, I'm certain that the fact that it's a Democrat talking about unity and the future who is getting this response instead of a Republican talking about "those people" and the past has absolutely nothing to do with it. I'm so sure these folks would honestly be just as dismissive and/or suspicious of a Republican drawing huge crowds, especially if the Republican campaign went to huge lengths to keep any whiff of dissent miles away.

After all, no matter what you think of Barack, his oratory, or his rhetoric at least he won't be posing in front of a "mission accomplished" banner after playing dress up with a pilot's outfit.

I'm guessing McCain won't be doing that, either. No doubt his campaign would be terrified of him crashing yet another plane, this time on-camera.

Down, boy!

"They will work if you coerce the entire system and if you pretend the American people are Japanese and Europeans," Mr. Gingrich says. "Our culture favors driving long distances in powerful vehicles and the car as a social expression."

It sounds like Mr. Gingrich might want to have a private talk with Mr. Dole.

Unfortunately, it's generally pretty safe for McCain to throw stones in his glass house -- all the "reporters" at his house for his latest cookout thinks it's a game, and catch the stones before they break anything.

It's that we think we're stuck doing it. And that's exactly what incentives are supposed to help us with -- getting unstuck.

Federal and state governments spent (and spend) quite a lot of tax money building and maintaining the infrastructure that encouraged so many of us to live in ways that make car ownership seem like a good idea, if not a necessity. Now that we have to (*) transition away from that cultural cul-de-sac, it's perfectly reasonable to use taxes and the tax code itself and other government-led approaches to help ease the transition.

* Yes, we have to. Change is coming. Our choice at this point is between trying to guide change into creating a society that we want to and can live in long-term, or whether we'll close our eyes and cover our ears until change slams us into the mud.

I think it should be a law that all US flags sold should include in the package a copy of the United States Flag Code (link via my name).

I'm tired of people displaying their ignorance when they're trying to display their patriotism.