The Republican Party has been the party of ideas. Horrible, horrible ideas. Gingrich's "Contract With America" may has well have been a "Contract On America." You may not like some of the ideas (I don't) but it's definitely a big idea to build more prisons and cut back on social programs that could keep people out of prison to begin with.

Fiscal responsibility was a good Republican idea that was enacted best by Democratic president Bill Clinton.

Another big Republican idea: "strengthening the family" by banning gay marriage.

And what, pray tell, have been the Democratic big ideas? Okay, healthcare reform. Name two more. Democrats have been playing defense and legislating like Republicans-lite. Obama's right. Democrats need to start being the party of big ideas. Big, good ideas. The question is: will Obama find consensus issues around which to build big ideas or will he merely continue the Democratic trend of caving on big issues into pseudo-consensus?

If Fred Thompson falls out of the presidential race and no one gives a crap, does he make a sound?

I want answers, but it's still too little, too late.

Washington. Where else can you go in for a job interview as "The People's Lawyer" and, when asked about your knowledge of existing law say, "I'll tell you after you hire me?"

Politicians, particularly presidential candidates, talk all the time. Traveling constantly and getting insufficient sleep (unless they're George W. Bush). As such, candidates are borderline delusional! How are they supposed to remember what they said two days ago, let alone two years ago?

Now, now, some of you might be thinking, "well, shouldn't whatever they say under any circumstances automatically coincide with their true beliefs?" Perhaps, but it's awfully hard to keep your lies, obfuscations and talking points straight when you're sleepy.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why the election season is so grueling. Makes it easier to tell when the candidates are lying.

While the media has seen fit to openly savage Hillary Clinton (Chris Matthews, anyone?), they've given Obama a pass. Just to level the playing field a little, Team Clinton had to play hard.

But they've gone too far. The Clinton Campaign has gone after Obama with a vengeance. They're using tactics best reserved for defending themselves against crazy right-wingers, people who deserve whatever they get.

Obama doesn't deserve this. And it makes the Clintons look divisive, petty and backward-looking. The Clintons are even turning off people who support them and making Obama stronger and tested for a general election.

Team Clinton, stop this now. Save the dirty tricks for players who fight dirty.

It's not about insider status.

Caroline Kennedy is saying Barack Obama could be like her father and inspire people "the way people tell me that my father inspired them." It's about romance and inspiration and fire and hope. The Bush name doesn't even come close.

Plenty of candidates have tried to anoint themselves the next John F. Kennedy (eg. Dan Quayle), but Obama has been anointed by the Kennedys as the next JFK.

And that's huge.

"9/11 was a tragedy that plunged our nation into war. And war, however necessary, is never a 'good.' But our nation has come together through that tragedy and the era of divisive politics is over.

We've reformed our intelligence-gathering to put more knowledgeable agents on the ground, giving us better intel. We've stopped pushing qualified Arabic translators out of the military simply because of their sexual orientation. Our military, already the best and brightest, is better and brighter than ever before.

Afghanistan is developing into a modern democracy and ally in the Middle East, instead of turning into a narco-state to rival Colombia. And we've captured the man responsible for 9/11, Osama bin Laden.

Iraq is also becoming a solid democracy that will transform the entire Middle East. And the Iraqi people are less fragmented than they ever were under Saddam Hussein and even have more access to electricity and water than they did under Saddam's rule. And despite the dangers of war, Iraq has not descended into balkanization and ethnic cleansing with an outward flood of refugees. Iraq is paying for itself in oil revenues, bringing oil down to $40 a barrel. And we were greated as liberators."

Really, Dana, you couldn't even say this? That it's all lies never stopped you before.

9/11 might not have been our fault (although our Middle East policy played a role in it--which of course, does not justify an attack on civilians), but everything that's happened since is our fault. Our, rather, George W. Bush's fault. Rot in hell, you bastard.

Delegate count to date: McCain-97, Romney-74, Huckabee-29, Paul-6

That's not the same market share. In fact, Huckabee, your market share is closer to Ron Paul's than it is to Mitt Romney's.

Romney's won Michigan, Wyoming and Nevada. Where have you been since Iowa?

Romney blows like the wind but at least he can do basic math.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#val=R

"When it comes to keeping our nation safe and solving the problems we face at home, John McCain is the one with the experience, the determination, and the character to lead America forward to a safer, better future (emphasis mine)."

And what, pray tell, are the problems we face at home to which John McCain has the solutions? Lieberman doesn't even bother mentioning any. Lieberman does, however, toss in a little saber-rattling against Iran for good measure.

Lieberman submits this op-ed to the conservative and inferior New York Post. What, the New York Times wouldn't have you? I've gotta say, though, that Lieberman's endorsement is like the kiss of death for McCain. The Right Wing doesn't trust McCain, and Lieberman's seal of approval isn't likely to help matters any.

Lieberman's strategy all along? I wish.

Only if you believe that Rove, unlike Stephanopoulos or Klein or Gergen, is the archetype of all that is wrong with politics. Otherwise, yes, it's just, "well, political insiders gotta eat."