Sorry, I don't see the equivalency between an obsolete, obscure, and almost unintelligible clause in the constitution concerning the president's birth, and "freedom of speech" and other constitutional protections that are the heart of the document. The constitution, and the laws at all levels, are full of left over, obsolete, and therefore unenforced provisions. We've all seen those books/articles how its "illegal to wear a blue hat on Sunday" (or some such thing) somewhere, not to mentions crimes such as adultery, etc. left in the codes most places. I wouldn't argue with you if you say that maybe they should be changed if they're obsolete rather than ignored. But for good, pragmatic reasons (like a public uproar) they're officially ignored by the prosecuters and courts. The same will happen here, and properly so.

Instead, the whole mess is just getting bigger and bigger in the mainstream media. Obama's acting just like the usual politician, refusing to be candid and direct so as to quell the rumors. It gives the appearance that he has something to hide, and that's damaging. Doesn't he understand the media won't be giving him the same soft glove treatment now that he got during the election? They've got a job to do, ratings to drive higher, scandals to create.

Everybody knows Illinois/Chicago politics is very corrupt and dirty, and that Obama not only survived but somehow thrived in that enviornment. But that's OK for most voters; few expect or want the leader of the West and our commander in chief to be a boy scout or some type of niave simpleton. It's much better if he's hard-assed and gives as good as he gets. Look at the slimy characters he going to have to deal with, here and overseas.

But there's one caveat - He better be honest with us. And he's falling down on that one right now, in my opinion. He should trust the American people (who trusted him by electing him) and tell us the whole deal. If there's some slime, admit it, take some lumps (and let some of his people take the licks if justified) and get on with the real issues the country faces.

I can't believe how rediculous this article is. The reason the Big Three auto companies want a buyout right now is because they can't get the credit to maintain their operations privately. And that's because the financial system has collapsed, and they can't make a good enough business case to those few potential sources left standing. They can't fund internally, since no one is buying their product right now. And no one is buying because consumers are scared to spend in this economy, and can't get the credit to buy the cars either.

Last I looked, that was all the result of some really bad behavior by people up North in a place called Wall Steet - Not Peachtree or Bourbon Street.

Certainly the Northern manufacturers in the "rust belt" have a problem being cost competitive. That's why for the last thirty years they've been moving South or elsewhere where cost are cheaper, or just shutting down. But don't blame the South - If the manufacturers don't go there, in a global economy they'll just leave the US completely.

Trying to change that by government edict, such as federal minimum wages or taxes and import duties (as so many here want to do) is just trying to push water uphill. The jobs will just end up in China, Mexico, etc. The Soviet Union tried such a planned economy, trying to ignore market forces, and it just didn't work to well.

Gaza is just the latest battleground in the Iranian attempt to expand their influence in the Middle East and eventually dominate the region. Iran will continue to fight to the death of the last Palestinian, and Israel is now sadly more than willing to accomodate them.

If the Palestinians were smart, they'd take themselves out of harms way. Put in place a government that actually acts for their own benefit. Recognize Israel's right to exist (you lost the past wars, just accept it like the Egyptians and Jordanians did), and offer real peace in return for international recognition of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. If they do that, the US and the international community will put such pressure on Israel that they would have to accept the arrangement as well. The Palestinians would get immense levels of outside aid; and could expect peace and a level of prosperity beyond their dreams in one generation.

The reason it doesn't happen is that Iran and the Islamic fundamentalists don't want it to happen. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict works greatly to their benefit. The bloodier the better. They'll do anything to stop a real peace settlement, including slaughtering rival Palestinians. So how about looking beyond Israel, and seeing who's really benefiting from the present bloody status quo, and placing the some real blame where it's due.

Obama doesn't seem to understand his mandate. He won not so much as a Democrat versus a Republican, but as a bipartisan Washington outsider who pledged to change the corrupt and very partisan Washington poltics-as-usual. "Change" didn't mean just exchanging a bunch of crooked partisan Republican insiders for a new bunch of just as crooked partisan Democratic insiders. But after Daschle, etc., this is all we seem to be getting to many, many voters.

Obama had better understand that fact, and get back in front of the building tidal wave of disgusted, scared and now angry voters who thought he would be their leader. Go direct to the people, make clear he's disgusted with all of Congress and the whole Washington culture. Instead it looks like he's decided to do the opposite, abandoning bipartisanship and just attacking the Republicans. Bad mistake! I can't believe people here really think that is the way he should go.