Thank you, Mr. Colbert, and thank you, Salon,

Among innumerable citizens who would like to speak up as you do but are silenced by the consumption-bred mass-media machine, which confuses self-interest with silence, I salute you as true patriots for your dutiful reportage.

Dear Mr. Keillor,

It doesn't sound to me like the kind folks you met on your trip to Austin were those who helped create our current administration.

The Dixie Chicks aren't alone in their shame.

Unfortunately, many progressives in the South find themselves growing cold in their quotidian manners because they don't want to be mistaken for the "honey"-toting automatons who talk like Donna Reed in public and Pat Buchanan in the bedroom.

There was a time when sweet words and good humor were indicative of Democrats in the South. But in the same way that Democrats all over have surrendered the concept of moral high ground to the so-called Religious Right, some relinquish politeness to coal-burning machistas.

I can tell you without question that in my years of living among movers and shakers in Texas, liberal and straight-talking Ann Richards was one of the most sincerely hospitable people I've had the pleasure of meeting. We must keep her memory alive so no one will forget "what a real Texas accent sounds like." More than that, of course, we must make certain no one like Bush defeats the likes of her again.

Please help us, if you can, sir. We've an election coming up soon.

Chris Bell can't boast Richards' lapidary wit, but he's a worthy foe for Rick Perry and his minions.

Thank you and best wishes.

Worse still, Obama wants to abolish some of the coolest dudes (and gals) in our country: astronauts. Not every single one of them is perfect, but they have played an invaluable role in our world. When I've traveled abroad, they have come across as our most successful ambassadors by far.

The print media, esp. the press in Houston, has really tried to bury the fact that Obama's plans include stripping funding for space exploration. If Obama's plans were to come to fruition, China would eventually have sole control of the moon and anything else that leads to. They are on track for their own moon landings, while our space agency is whittled down at every opportunity. Bush made big speeches about going from the moon to mars but didn't fund it (like countless other projects he took credit for).

Obama doesn't even recognize that manned spaceflight is a national security issue or that it has the potential to aid the fight against global warming. Space exploration influences a vast range of technological development and inspires schoolchildren more than another "decider" ever could.

P.S. Compliments to the photo compositor.

The press in Houston has insufficiently reported that Obama wants to strip NASA's already inadequate funding, and as a result, I think a lot of macho guys are going to vote for Obama and then feel hoodwinked later on.

McCain would keep us in Iraq so long that astronauts would end up being drafted as ground troops (like in the joke made on Saturday Night Live).

On the 28th, Sen. Clinton will be the only presidential candidate to speak at a renewable energy summit in Houston, Texas. It's labeled "America's Energy Future: Houston's Presidential Summit," but Obama and McCain declined, even though McCain will be in Houston at the same time, as I understand it.

(If you look the summit up on the Web, it looks like it's for industry insiders only, but I'm a regular citizen who easily went and picked up a free ticket at one of many radio stations that distributed them.)

I only hope the press will report what Clinton says there. I think she has had many "hail mary" moments that were simply cut from reports. A definition of "hail mary" I found is "an offensive play where the quarterback throws the ball up in the air without really targeting any particular receiver, hoping someone on his team catches it." The press should be on the same team as the electorate, that's the team Clinton is on. The press needs to catch the ball this time.

Clinton is committed to create jobs in industries that will help the country and the planet.

Many people use the word "hoodwinked" without intending racial undertones. I did just yesterday. I meant "tricked" or "misled," which is what dictionaries say it means. The word dates back to the 16th century, before hoods took on the connotations they have for us now. I think Obama would use it the same way I do.

If someone can explain to me how "hoodwinked" may have come to mean something offensive (more than "tricked"), I would like to listen to what they have to say.