Thanks for your response. It's nice when people speak civily to each other. As far as editor's being responsible for bannings and not Glenn, I suppose you're right and I'm sure that's more often the case. But certainly not always. There is one regular poster here at Salon, who posts most often on Joan Walsh's blog. He calls himself Garry Owen and he could hardly be accused of hijacking threads or racism or sexism. But Glenn has banned him from posting on his site. Just here. Garry Owen continues to post on the rest of the blog.

You mean like five posts you made on just two pages?

Cheers.

Lighten up, old boy. I was just having a lttle fun with you. You left me an opening I couldn't resist. Happy New Year and...

Cheers back at you.

Think about it: A generation of progressives have invested a huge chunk of their lives injecting political correctness into the fabric of our society. And they've succeeded.

The irony is this: Political correctness is now so much a part of the progressive DNA that Hillary can no longer find a way to differentiate herself from a black politician without insulting that black politician. Every word, every syllable, each decibel of tone and manner -- not to mention a complete analysis of intent -- is now studied through the optics of a gigantic PC microscope.

Incredibly, the same politically correct world that Hillary helped spawn has come back to bite her squarely in the derriere.

Everyone seems to have missed the irony here.

Think about it: A generation of progressives have invested a huge chunk of their lives injecting political correctness into the fabric of our society. And they've succeeded.

The irony is this: Political correctness is now so much a part of the progressive DNA that Hillary can no longer find a way to differentiate herself from a black politician without insulting that black politician. Every word, every syllable, every decibel of tone -- not to mention a complete analysis of intent -- is now studied through the super optics of a gigantic PC microscope.

Incredibly, the same politically correct world that Hillary helped spawn has come back to bite her squarely in the derriere.

"Ronald Reagan, was the man who started and condoned disrespect towards those who did not endorse and support his agendas..."

Could you give specific examples of this Reagan behavior because I really can't think of any. I think perhaps Spiro Agnew is an apt example of what you're talking about, but not Ronald Reagan. Reagan was known for engaging in vigorous discourse with Tip O'Neil by day, then having cocktails and telling jokes with him by night.

Unfortunately, Hillary, Obama and Edwards are continuing to pander to their base with the answers they gave on withdrawing troops from Iraq. Probably because they know it'd be suicide to step up and recognize just how much the situation has improved there.

But this could be disastrous for whoever finally becomes the candidate since Iraq may be teetering on the brink of success by next November. If that's the case, Republicans will be able to say, as McCain did last week, that if opponents of the surge had had their way, "Iraq today would be a country in chaos: a failed state in the heart of the Middle East, overrun by al-Qaida and Iran."

What the Democratic candidates need to come to terms with is that the surge is working militarily and beginning to work politically. U.S. deaths are down 80 percent, civilian deaths are down 75 percent, car bombs and suicide attacks are down 60 percent. Al-Qaida terrorists are being run out of the country. Not to mention the fact that Iraqi security forces have expanded by 100,000 and are now in charge of half of Iraq's provinces.

And contrary to what any Democratic presidential candidate is willing to fess up to these days, there is political progress too — especially at the provincial level. Former Sunni insurgents are now cooperating with the United States and Sunni politicians have begun warming to the idea of rejoining the national government. Meanwhile, Shiite militants have declared a cease-fire. And although no national oil revenue law has yet been passed, oil revenues ARE currently being shared. And let's not forget that the Iraq parliament HAS passed a law allowing former Baath Party members to collect pensions and serve in the government.

Sooner, rather than later, one of the candidates had better address the reality of the situation -- or they may be doomed in November.

On Hillary's website, Reagan is listed as one of her favorite Presidents.

Also -- Earth to Edwards -- If there ARE two Americas, Johnny boy, neither one of them wants to vote for you.

Obama's key words were:

"...he (Reagan) just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing."

Think about it. It was 1980 and the country had been suffering through 4 years of Jimmy Carter. Which meant skyrocketing inflation and unemployment, double digit interest rates that kept people from buying homes and cars, plus out-of-control energy costs and the gas rationing that went with it. My God, things were so bad, the press invented "The Misery Index" (a number arrived at by adding the unemployment rate to the inflation rate).

So people were already starving for the condidence and optimisim that Ronald Reagan brought to the table. He was a change agent if ever there was one. And THAT'S what Obama was talking about. He has nothing to apologize for.

PS: Hillary lists Ronald Reagan as one of her favorite presidents on her website.