Poor John McCain. He's wanted to be president for so, so long. His best shot was in 2000. Now? He's sold his soul to the religious right and GOP tax-cutters-for-the-rich. He's so confused and worn out these days that he's willing to trash your civil liberties on the flimsy pretext that the government needs to do this to protect us.

Clue, John: when you violate the Bill of Rights repeatedly and extensively, you're destroying the way of life you mean to protect. It's reminiscent of the US Army's declaration that it had to burn a Vietnamese village in order to save it from the Viet Cong.

So John is wandering across our political landscape one last, pathetic time. This guy has no chance in Hell of winning. Even if did, he's not likely to survive two terms in office. But he's so desperate to win that he's willing to attack Michelle Obama. Guess what, folks: Michelle will suddenly turn into Hillary Clinton. Cold! Arrogant! Pushy! Manipulative! Sleazy! The GOP has patents on its demonization kit. This is all very predictable AND IRRELEVANT.

It doesn't matter whether the First Lady is a cold, crazy bitch like Nancy Reagan or a sweet, clueless, doormat like Laura Bush. FIRST LADIES DON'T RUN OUR COUNTRY. They mostly fade into the background like so much wallpaper, Eleanor Roosevelt excepted.

As for Cindy McCain: show us your tax records, lady. No excuses.

I'm sorry, there are some unanswered questions to this story that make me suspicious. Questions like:

1. Had Novak experienced other cognitive or perceptual deficits prior to this accident?

2. How in hell did Novak get away with only paying a $50 fine after hitting a pedestrian and leaving the scene of the collision?

3. Why didn't the doctor commenting on Novak's condition provide more details? Where is this tumor in Novak's brain? How big is it? What kind of tumor? How long has it been there?

4. Has Novak ever uttered a word of concern for the pedestrian, an 86 year-old man hospitalized with a dislocated shoulder?

I do not associate the words "integrity" or "honesty" with Robert Novak. The man sold out as a journalist to get access to Washington players, esp. Republican ones. He ultimately became a mouthpiece for Rove and Cheney and was far more concerned with his position of power than with honesty or impartiality. After 7+ years of lies, deception and law-breaking at the highest levels of our federal government, I can easily imagine a bit player in this farce inventing an illness to duck out of facing the consequences for his actions.

Lisa...Rielle...honey:

Enough with the coke and f*cking around and acting classes and gurus. Please try to contribute something to this world before you kick off. And no, having a politician's baby, or the politician's aide's baby, doesn't count.

Why do people like this exist? I think we can safely lump Monica Lewinsky into this category--although it seems she's moved on from wallowing in self-imposed victimhood celebrity. Where do they come from? Don't they feel guilty about all the problems and damage they inflict from their selfish, destructive behavior? Why do we give them time on TV or space in newspaper print?

I really, really wish that this country gets over its repressed fascination with sex and especially celebrity sex. Sex is a natural impulse and with precautions taken it's safe, healthy, normal and a private matter. But we go nuts when a politician's caught with dropped trou. Does playing this "gotcha" game make for better policy, elect better leaders or improve the effectiveness of our governments? Guess not.

Maybe we should all stop worrying about who's sleeping with who and Girls Gone Wild and focus on keeping our country from roaring over the goddamned cliff...

"Perp number three looks like Cletus from the Simpsons sprung to life."

Now Juliebird, what an awful thing to say about Cletus.

I'm ashamed to say that I'm even in the same country with these losers.