I disagree about an attack on Iran in October. They are so unpopular now, they wouldn't dare. Public support for Iraq and even Afghanistan is so low right now, the last thing another war would do is rally people. If anything, it would make upset people completely furious. We can't afford another war. We put our economy in the sewer just trying to finance our current boondoggle.

Quite honestly, I think Bush will most likely ride out the rest of his presidency. He's a lame duck and it's too late for him to do anything substantial or positive at this point.

that there isn't an inch of daylight between McCain and George W. Bush. A campaign run by lobbyists, and now turned over to Karl Rove himself.

It's barely July and it seems that McCain's campaign is already out of steam and floundering badly. If it wasn't a requirement for the GOP to have a candidate, I think this election would already be over.

I'm not going to waste a single tear on a bigot who made life harder in this country for people of color and for gays and lesbians.

He did everything in his power to set back the clock for progress and equality for millions of Americans.

Fuck him.

I've often wondered how America might be different if all of those uptight buckle-shoes would have stayed in Europe. But, I digress.

The main problem with sexuality in America, is that we refuse time and again to recognize that sexuality and sexual expression are NORMAL and NATURAL aspects of life.

Rather, we treat sexuality in extremes- people who have sex (regardless of how much or with how many partners) are "easy", "slutty", or any other negative words. People who "abstain" are "virtuous" "good" or "moral".

The reality, however, is that most people are neither extreme. People who have sex are not "evil" or "wrong" or "sinful". Given proper education and choices, most people explore their sexuality with responsibility.

But therein lies the problem. As with so many social issues in this country, we've allowed religious fundamentalists with extremist and radical views to dominate the discourse. Why? It's because we as a country are so weak and afraid to throw the bullshit flag on religious dogma (which has no basis in scientific fact) because we are afraid to offend.

Thus- teen pregnancy, teen STD rates, abortions, etc.

If only we had an educational system that was honest across the board and gave FACTS based in science. Educate people about the reality of sex, biology, activity and protection. Instead we get nothing more than scare tactics and government dollars being spent so kids can spit cheese into water in a sexist and heterosexist activity that has no educational value whatsoever.

Yet again, we become the laughing stock of the western world.

and people in this country need to stop freaking out over learning another language.

His point (which is completely valid) is that we are now competing in a global marketplace. Knowing more than one language makes you more marketable.

I have a friend in Belgium, which is made up of three distinct regions- one area speaks Dutch, one French, and one small area to the East speaks German. If people with three different language backgrounds can work together to govern a nation for hundreds of years, I think we can handle it too.

Boy, now that W's poll numbers are down, a lot of the GOP rank and file seem to be jumping ship away from him.

Where was this attitude when they had that "mandate" in 2004?

Where was this attitude when Bush started the war in Iraq on a pack of lies?

Where was this attitude when our civil liberties were being shredded by Bush and Cheney- without a peep from the GOP?

It was completely absent. The GOP wanted nothing more than to cling to Bush when he was powerful, and cast dispersions and accuse dissenters of lacking sufficient patriotism.

Well, they can't have it both ways. They cast their lot with this fool and they own the fallout. The best thing for all of America would be Bush and McCain on the same stage- meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

They want to distance themselves from Bush? Talk about the biggest flip flop of all time.

This comment shows how deeply out of touch people like Gramm, McCain, and for that matter the majority of the GOP are in regard to the difficulties Americans are facing during this recession.

How tone deaf can these people be? This reminds me of George H.W. Bush's assertion during the 1992 campaign that "there is no recession".

Ditto for McCain and Gramm, who with their wealth (and McCain's many homes and hundreds of millions in the bank) feel none of the squeeze most Americans are feeling with skyrocketing prices, falling wages and a slumping market.

Whining, Mr. Gramm? Why don't you tell someone who just lost their home how "good they've got it", and they're just "whining"?