Totally agree that the Republicans dumb down when they run for office. And this is what bothers me so much: it shouts their disrespect and disregard for the American people. I do not believe that the American people are universally stupid (I also believe that as individuals we are each smart or stupid in different ways) but the Republicans sure do. Whenever Republicans dumb down their message, when ever they call the Democrats "elitist" for talking to the American people as if we were capable, intelligent people - they demonstrate their disdain for the American people. Republicans are the true elitists. Republicans disrespect the American people when they believe Americans can't understand anything longer than a 30 second sound bite or banal slogan. Democrats are the ones who truly respect the American people because they do not dismiss them as "stupid" and, instead, talk to them as adults.

I forgot to add the rest of the my USAID friend's statement. She said that it would take 15-20 years to rebuild Afghanistan, if nothing happened.

Mr. Smerconish's analysis of the failures of the Bush foreign policy crowd is spot on. Abandoning Afghanistan and invading Iraq was a strategic blunder of major proportions. In today's Washington Post (p. A1) Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is quoted: "I am not convinced that we're winning it in Afghanistan...I am convinced we can."

The Bush administration abandoned Afghanistan and invaded Iraq because they had already planned to invade Iraq. The just made stuff up, especially the allegation that Sadam was involved in 9/11, to justify what they had planned to do long before 9/11. A bald faced lie. The Taliban in Afghanistan provided the safe harbor for Al Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan, the murderers were trained in Afghanistan, and the attack was launched from Afghanistan. Yet, we attacked Iraq???

Now, the Taliban is resurgent. Al Qaeda has re-grouped along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. It seems the Bush administration may finally be waking up and smelling the coffee, perhaps finally coming back to join the rest of us in the real world. When Obama spoke out against invading Iraq in 2002, he said that he did not oppose all wars, just dumb ones. And he has consistently taken the position that we abandoned Afghanistan and must get back to finishing our work there. Talk about "cut and run" - the Republicans were the ones who did this when we abandoned Afghanistan. To all of you who live in a fantasy world and do not understand our abysmal failure in the war on terrorism - wake up!!

A woman I know works for USAID - she spent a lot of time in Afghanistan after we invaded in Dec 2001. I asked her then how long she thought it would take to rebuild and secure Afghanistan. She said, 15-20 years, think about that 15-20 years!!

Mr. Smerconish is by far and away not the only Republican who understands our tragic failure in the war on terrorism. In fact, I know many Republicans who voted against Bush in 2004 (most of whom had never voted for a Democrat) because they understood that the Bush administration blew it in the war on terrorism, the understand that the Bush foreign policy is FUBAR!

Pray tell, how does history regress?

The cesspool is the one that you and your fellow travelers created. And yes we Democrats want Obama as our candidate because he can pull us out of your cesspool.

"If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig." Let me explain what this bit of slang means: futile attempts to disguise the true nature of something through superficial, cosmetic changes.

Republicans and John McCain seem to love this phrase:

Rumsfeld's public affairs person and McCain's press secretary, Victoria Clarke, published a book in 2006: "Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game."

2004 Cheney used this phrase to disparage John Kerry's policy, apparently it is his favorite line according to Lynne Cheney it is a common Wyoming saying.

When he campaigned in Iowa, McCain used the phrase to describe Clinton's health care plan.

If you put lipstick on John McCain, he's still John McCain.

"It's the state polls, stupid."

Presidential elections are determined state-by-state. Not by the overall national popular vote. Obama could win a state by 10% or by 1%. Guess what? He get all the electoral votes from that state. (Unless it is Maine, yes?) Right now, based on available state polls Obama has more electoral votes and even taking McCain's bounce (but, remember, what comes up must come down) into account he still has more electoral votes.

Can someone please tell me what is the point of journalists? The do not report news, they do not inform readers of viewers? What are they good for? (Well, newspapers are good for lining your parakeet's cage.) I have yet to read an article about poll results that also educates the reader on how polls are conducted and the extent to which they can be trusted. Is it because journalists can't do that because they don't understand how polls work? Yes, clearly.

Supertindent of schools Jack Dale had to back down - he had given permission to the McCain people to hold a rally at a

FCPS high school, contrary to FCPS rules. Democrats and Obama Republicans have said "no" to the cynical use of our excellent public school system to promote partisan politics. No.

Northern Virginia is not John McCain's territory and we will not allow them to violate the school system's rules and hold a partisan political event at a FCPS high school. In Virginia, home of so many of our Founders, we are holding the line against those who would destroy our country. Virginia will be in the blue column this November. Virginia voters will remember what our Founders intended this country to be. Yes, Santa Claus, there is a Virginia.