student_on_the_rebound: what's your beef? Why do you assume that one cannot get about the business of life AND have these types of feelings? It sounds like you are very out-of-touch with some important parts of your emotional life, which is not entirely healthy.

Not to rain on anybody's parade but has anybody considered that this is a taxpayer-funded religious event?

McCain stays relevant only because he chose to focus his Senatorial career on quixotic missions and found enough of a base to follow him toward those windmills (or phantoms) (padded by Cindy's family dough) to keep him afloat. How distinguished will he really be when he retires from the Senate (as if he were entitled to keep the job every six years anyway) if he lays claim to having chased such elusive spirits?

I am sorry for your loss Garrison. Your brother sounded like a wonderful man.

Peace to you and your family.

Brian

I don't understand all these sheep bleating for "bipartisanship." Democrats have a majority now like Republicans had a majority in the past. Democrats are entitled to set the course and if people don't like what they see, they vote them out in two or four years and put Republicans in. That's way voting works. All this mushy-gushy happy talk about inclusiveness is like getting handed nutrient-depleted white bread when you desperately need and demand nutrient-loaded wheat bread. If that makes me an elitist, I'll wear that "E" badge proudly!

Why is Obama's team afraid to push for the best for things? They are settling for "acceptable to enough on the other side." Sadly, too many Democrats are saying that's okay.

Tinafeyisahag: your mention of Ayers in a conversation about Obama is a good reason for someone to codify a new Godwin's Law. Maybe "Reductio ad Ayersum?"

Just an "amen" to the last part of JamieO's posting. I grew up in South Alabama (left at 25 for Boulder, Colorado). LS were a bit of a lifeline for me because I never considered them rednecks. People forget that you did NOT have hair like theirs in the South in the late 60's or 70's without suffering ridicule and harassment. I'm sure it was the cause of lots of the brawls they got into. And the Confederate Battle Flag backdrop? That was a gimmick that their management pressured them into using for publicity. Personally, I don't consider them to be a Southern Rock band per se. They were just rockers who happened to be from the South. Their idols were The Yardbirds, The Stones, The Beatles, CSNY, Hendrix, etc. In fact, their goal was to become the American version of The Rolling Stones.

If anybody bothers to scratch just a tad beneath the unfair lacquer that has been slathered onto their image in US culture, they will find many a surprise. Hell: just read the lyrics of their songs. Here is one of my favorites. It doesn't sound very redneck to me.

THINGS GOIN' ON

"Have you ever lived down in the ghetto?

Have you ever felt the cold wind blow?

If you don't know what I mean,

Won't you stand up and scream?

'Cause there's things goin' on that you don't know.

Too many lives they've spent across the ocean.

Too much money been spent upon the moon.

Well, until they make it right

I hope they never sleep at night

They better make some changes

And do it soon.

They're goin ruin the air we breathe

Lord have mercy.

They're gonna ruin us all, by and by.

I'm telling you all beware

I don't think they really care

I think they just sit up there

And just get high."

This is one of the most juvenile "stories" I've ever seen. OF COURSE Bush will be the former president at 1:25 pm. It's put in the press release to distinguish Bush from Obama, to avoid confusion.

As as fan and member of Salon since 1997 and as an active Obama volunteer, I have to say that this kind of writing is (or should be) an embarrassment to Salon.

Anybody who says that a burglar wouldn't pose as an Orthodox Jew or any other obviously religious person to get past security is incredibly naive. If a criminal is desperate and crafty enough, they'll pose as ANYTHING that will make possible guardians let down their guard so they can get their way.

Someone should make an animated show along these lines.

Seriously.

Think4Myself: would you have been comfortable with Sarah Palin as a President-in-Waiting? That's the reason many people gave for voting for Obama.

As for experience, nobody in this year's campaign has experience being president because... they haven't been president. (Quoting Bill Clinton "Nobody is ever prepared to be president.") As far as I know, there's no "Commander-In-Chief Simulation Program" available (except, perhaps, some cool video games being given as gifts this holiday season).

McCain can't keep the names of his terrorists straight, says the fundamentals of the economy are sound as it's headed over the cliff (admitting on more than one occasion that he doesn't know much about economics), refuses to pull the 'palling around with terrorists and having dangerous preachers as friends' smear tv ads and robocalls that ran in red states like Virginia while claiming he didn't support such nastiness, etc. Is that integrity you can count on?

How experienced was Lincoln when he was elected? George W. Bush had FAR greater experience as a executive (by being governor of Texas) than McCain but we see how depending on that political bromide worked out, don't we?

I think it's refreshing to see what Obama is doing, not because we necessarily agree with the politics of his appointees and nominees but because there is a desire for intelligent solutions instead of advancing hard-line causes like Cheney wanted to do through Bush. Obama is tapping smart, experienced people for their expertise rather than people with a warped sense of loyalty.