Living near the appropriately honored Beervana (Portland, OR) - ground zero of microbrewing - I have to laugh at the jingoistic outrage that some of the right wing trolls are expressing about "elitist" beers. Go ahead... be "proud" of your ignorance. Heaven knows, that appears to be the only thing left to you after eight years under the rule of the king of ignorance - your George W. Bush.

If it's "elitism" to happily and proudly drink local beer, made by locals in breweries owned by locals, then so be it - hopefully there's an electoral spanking coming your way. But it's hardly elitism that is driving the explosion in regional micro brewing. Even in the wilds of Montana... in bars that are right out of mid 70s and haven't changed a bit in the last thirty years, there are wonderfully tasty local brews on tap and the redneck cowboys are drinking it. These are real cowboys, as unlike our horse fearing fake "president".

And labor issues? Unions? Full Sail in Hood River employee OWNED and thriving.

If anything is "elitist" in today's beer market it's the peepeewasser swilling, faux "patriots" of the right, clinging to their Budweisers... all pretense, no substance.

cabdriver offers: "Republicans, by contrast, seem to have enough tactical sense to conceal any disdain for any part of the voting public until after they've won their electoral campaigns."

Two words: Phil Gramm

In what I've read of the FISA disaster there was one small kernel of information that gives me a little hope. As I understand it, the law requires that in order to get the back dated immunity the Telecoms have to produce the letters and name the names that ordered it. I don't have any faith that the Ds will actually take action on this information, but maybe someone will be able to. After all, the REAL culprits are the administration figures (presumably including Darth Cheney and his Monkey) who instigated the illegal wiretapping.

One can only hope...

but not much.

So they can continue to offer Fascism Lite?

After the FISA vote, I've given up even the sliver of hope that I held out for any real change in this country's governance. Sure... the Democrats are "better" than the repugnantkans... I guess... sort of like downing is better than starving to death... or so we're told.

The nearly terminally insane hubris shown by supporters of the current occupant in attempting to paint Obama as some sort of empty suit charlatan is vastly amusing. After all, no matter what you think of Barack, his oratory, or his rhetoric at least he won't be posing in front of a "mission accomplished" banner after playing dress up with a pilot's outfit.

The examples shown are further proof of my long held opinion that something about the sort of brain that is attracted to modern day neoconery renders its owner incapable of using Adobe products successfully. Anyone with even a bit of experience using Photoshop could have done this much more creatively . Of course.... creativity and conservatism are mutually exclusive so this shouldn't come as any surprise.

Hopefully, this election will put enough Democrats in the Senate to allow stripping Leibermann of any chairmanship, committee assignments and power. Let this nasty little power hungry egotist deflect to his true party. Good bye and good luck to you...

"Loserman", indeed. Let him caucus with those who delighted in calling him that.

I don't think Hillary would be happy with VP, and would thus be a distraction to the Obama administration. Plus she brings all the negatives and not much positive electorally, as has been thoroughly discussed. She'll be more valuable in the Senate as her influence and seniority grow.

I've been looking into Chuck Hagel lately as a suggestion. His name was floated somewhere I read or heard. From what I've learned so far, he's sort of funny guy, almost a throwback to another age, when there were somewhat rational Republicans (in a distant universe, long ago and far away). And while he is "conservative" on a lot of issues, as VP he wouldn't necessarily have much sway in that department. He's more libertarian than a lot of doctrinaire, theocrat GOP members, and as a vehement Iraq war opponent AND a Viet Nam vet he brings some serious foriegn policy and armed forces heft to the table.

Being a nominal Republican and from the midwest he would really mix up the ticket. AND... he's looking for work come January.

Just a thought.

Instead of attempting to be cute, perhaps it would be constructive to explain what the basis for the charge of "betrayal" would be, if not gender based. As is abundantly clear, Obama isn't exactly a right to lifer.

As an male Obama supporter who would have gladly supported her had she won the nomination, I would like to see Hillary gracefully concede, but there's no hurry. I believe she will eventually do so and do it well. She's learned from this campaign and has the right to be in until the end. Her argument - given at the end of this piece - is also compelling. She's come far further than any woman before her and I think she's moved the argument beyond "CAN any woman be elected president" to "WHICH woman WILL be elected president". That's a LONG journey from where we were not so long ago. To keep good faith with that progress and the people who have supported her to this point she DOES need to go the distance - not for HER sake but for the next woman.

He should be in the docket at Nuremberg being tried for war crimes along with all his little friends.

Your flag pin won't get you into heaven any more,

It's already overcrowded from your dirty little war.

Jesus don't like killin',

no matter what the killin's for.

So your flag pin won't get you into heaven any more.

Same as it ever was.....