But Wexler also says his support for Obama is based on the fact that he's such a strong supporter of Israel, and because Obama recognizes that Iran is the greatest threat to Israeli and American security.

Oh, how this lazy conflation bothers me. I understand Israel's justification in seeing Iran as a threat to its security. Even with their superior military might, any need by Israel to defend itself against an Iranian attack would necessarily weaken its defenses against its myriad other nearby antagonists. But do I, here, have anything to fear from the state of Iran? No, because there's nothing in it for them to try to attack the US. The promise of certain obliteration from the skies is no basis for political success to Ahmadinejad or any future Iranian president.

As an ally of Israel, we would of course jump to their aid in the event of an Iran-Israel war. And we would be equally joined in the effort by...umm...who, exactly? Ah, maybe that conflation wasn't merely lazy after all.....

I haven't seen the play yet, but it seems to me the rule is this: if the ball is securely in Varitek's glove at the moment the tag is made, and if the tag itself doesn't jar the ball loose, then Willits is out no matter what happens afterwards.

I skipped to the end of your overlong cut-and-paste job and read the last line. While I applaud your fervency, I find DO NOT ASK -- JUST DO IT to be somewhat lacking in the slogan department. A tad heavy-handed, don't you think? I mean, now I'm gonna have to really try not to feel like a robot on Election Day....

crush...kill...destroy

crush...kill...destroy

It's been said that every generation of young people thinks they invented sex. But really, there's just not much that's new under the sun. If it isn't sufficiently cast in some larger context, other people having sex is a bore to read about. And if it is cast in a larger context, it's the context that's interesting, not the sex. And then you're not really a sex writer anyway....

Chuck Lamar was a lieutenant of John Schuerholz in Atlanta in the early- to mid-90's, and I'll bet Caray knew him through his dad Skip. Their official tenures with the team are separated by several years.

As he signed off, Chip threw it to the studio team of Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken, Dennis Eckersley, "and Harold Baines".

I think Chip's gaffes are more irritating because of that authoritative, stentorian put-on of a voice he employs. As a Braves fan, I'm subjected to him far too often. He never (I mean NEVER) gets through a broadcast without saying the end of the steroid era will result in a game that relies more on bunting.

...enough times to be able to speak his mind. He was recruited to run for Senate fairly late in the process by some state Dems who were aghast at the prospect of putting up the unworthy and unelectable Vernon Jones. Martin seemed to me to be a reluctant candidate, which concerned me at first. But perhaps, as this anecdote would illustrate, he's more concerned with duty than personal ambitiousness, and as such might prove refreshingly resistant to capitulation. I'm looking forward to voting for him.

Just saw a headline saying the Phillies have punched their ticket to the WS. I haven't had a ticket punched in quite a while. Shouldn't that be "the Phillies, after lifting their cap to reveal no concealed weapons, scanned their ticket"? No?

The Red Sox were the last team to integrate. Pumpsie Green in 1959, 12 years after Jackie.

Last thing anybody needs to do is lecture a convert about what went before -- converts are some of our strongest allies, as their disgust with the current circumstances can't be painted as a predisposition. This guy is in the strongest possible position to bring others around -- it's human nature to resist "I told you so"'s, but he won't be doing that. Welcome to the pro-American fold, sir!

Obama has now been in the public eye for so long that attempts to paint him as untrustworthy due to his "otherness" are falling on deaf ears -- even many of those previously open to such smears. The shadow conspiracies don't resonate against someone so even-keeled.