If a woman takes off her bra in the airport without a privacy screen, would she then be banned from the flight for inappropriate dress that could upset her fellow passengers?

And on a hygiene note, I wouldn't be keen on putting the bra back on after placing it in some grubby bin on the conveyor belt.

Yeah, the bell can be annoying. The bell can also be a happy, holiday season sound.

Madden's comment is just one of those non-scripted (at least I hope non-scripted) remarks that reveals some little truth about a candidate and/or plays into the worst soundbites about the candidate. So, the worst soundbites for "No longer will the guy with the Salvation Army bell outside the door be the most annoying person" would include:

1. Romney, as a Mormon, isn't really a Christian. Don't vote for him, Evangelicals!

2. Only godless liberals hate Christmas. See, Romney's not really a Republican, just a guy who will say anything to get elected.

3. Romney is an effete, Massachusetts, big corporation stiff out of touch with the needs of ordinary Americans.

Has Romney himself said anything about this?

Dearest Mel,

As you well know, I strong-armed you into this job to tap into the Hispanic vote. I also worked for immigration reform. Got burned. Burned bad. Caliente! Turns out, lots of Republicans don't like Hispanicism.

It looks like I'm the kiss of death for my hispanic amigos. In other words, I'm like the kiss of death in those goodfella movies. First Al, now you. It's bad. Muy malo. It's a good thing you're gettin' out now before I destroy you completely. So I unnerstan.

Say hola to Elian for me.

Gracias!

Georgito

isn't just smacking down the enemy and they pop-up somewhere else. In Whac-a-Mole, the enemy gets smarter and faster just as you think you're getting the hang of the game. So you're doubly screwed.

In Iraq, we're doubly screwed. We smack down Al-Qaida and they spring up somewhere else. They learn new techniques, new ways to attack. Only Al-Qaida isn't the only bad guy in Iraq. Not by far. We've also got Shiite militias. So we're triply screwed.

Heck, I wish we were just playing Whac-a-Mole in Iraq. We'd be a lot better off.

Makes you wonder how he could be so apparently clueless, not realizing that average Americans would think about HIS marriages, not marriages where he officiated, when answering this question!

Exactly. And his answer did little to address the question being asked: his position on gay marriage and a constitutional amendement banning it. I guess it was his way of deflecting altogther. Afterall, it's not like Giuliani could make a credible case for the "sanctity of marriage."

Also, did you catch Giuliani's dig at New York City sexual excess and heathenism?

I did 210 weddings when I was mayor of New York City. So I have experience doing this. They were all men and women.

(LAUGHTER)

I hope.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

GIULIANI: You got to give me a little slack here. It was New York City.

Giuliani is a New Yorker. With all the baggage that comes with it as a Republican campaigning in the South. How does he get away with being Mr. 9/11 True Conservative and the cross-dressing, thrice-married, pro-choice, Big Apple adulterer?

Go ahead, Giuliani. Keep playing to Republican extremists. Keep bashing the Clintons. The Republican base will never trust you, and, come election time, you'll alienate Democrats and Moderates. People who liked the Clinton years, feel the 2000 Election was stolen in Florida and that we wouldn't be in the mess we are now (namely Iraq) had Al Gore been president.

Rudy, we won't forget. And neither will the G.O.P. base.

He'd consider supporting it if judicial activists starting allowing gay marriage left and right:

GIULIANI: I do not believe under the state that we presently exist, with the Defense of Marriage Act and basically one state that has by judicial fiat created same-sex marriage -- and they're wrong, by the way; I think the governor is absolutely right -- I don't think we need a constitutional amendment at this point.

-

What I said to Mr. Perkins -- which I also said five years ago and have consistently said -- is if a lot of states start to do that, three, four, five, six states, where we have that kind of judicial activism, and the kind of situation the governor is talking about actually occurs, if we're dealing with a real problem, then we should have a constitutional amendment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/us/politics/21debate-transcript.html?pagewanted=5&ei=5070&en=e8a0537cdf007fde&ex=1193716800

The new Blackwater logo does have a certain "college football team" look about it. Well done. Come see the softer side of Blackwater (apologies to the good people at "Sears").

Reports of this were out about a month ago but escaped my attention: Blackwater has been accused of illegally smuggling arms into Iraq that have wound up in the hands of the PKK--the Kurdistan rebels that have so infuriated Turkey that they may, too, invade Iraq. Kurdistan being the relative bright spot in the whole of Iraq. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17149369/

Isn't it great the Bush Neo-cons have decided to farm out our national security in the teeming hot spot that is the Middle East to no-bid, unaccountable mercenaries?

I love that.

All this time, we should have been fearful of the Peace Industrial Complex.