Yes-- my point was that the medical arm was in no way spared. Classic situation where the fish rots from the head.

And no one says a word. After all, all that matters is Ayers and Sarah and freaking Joe the Plumber.

Of course, this is all aided and abetted by the current Administration -- keeping these kiddos under wraps, even when they come home in "wraps".

Whoa, now I'm all pissed off again. And you are right-- this needs a top-to-bottom overhaul. I wonder if a serious debt forgiveness program could drive some docs into the system? Couldn't hurt.

I think your situation is rather common. I'm a little older than you are (and have always voted), but I've been traveling quite a bit on business of late and we usually follow grueling all-day meetings with a communal dinner. In the past, politics virtually never came up.

Now, at dinner stories like yours keep popping up amid admissions that some folks have contributed to their first political campaigns and even canvassed for Obama. I think that there's a deep connection to his candidacy, folks who have been demoralized by the past 8 years really do feel that by contributing and supporting Obama we are making it clear that we disagree with the direction that the Republicans have chosen and that we have had enough.

Milestones such as this staggering degree of fundraising really brings it home -- especially the impression that huge numbers of relatively small donations did the trick. Obama's campaign is truly our campaign -- gives a whole new meaning to the concept of an inclusive "ownership" society.

Finally some light at the end of a dark, dingy tunnel.

But I was stunned by his eloquence regarding the willful demonizing of an entire faith by the Republicans. Note how he went out of his way, with a real air of dismay, to note that he had heard such nonsense from senior party members.

I guess that the purveyors of such slime are beyond hope and redemption. It must be nice to be so secure in your righteousness that the entire concept of "there but for the grace of g_d go I" is thrown out the window. Humility in all things when coupled to compassion and tolerance is far closer to the American ideal than this hate, bile and divisiveness that passes for a large part of the Republican party at present. And we are all the poorer because of it, the ultimate guilt-by-association that they revel in. Lincoln is spinning in his grave.

Powell was right, it has long needed to be said -- loud and clear and without equivocation. It's flatly un-American.

in other words McCain is as much to credit for Obama's surge in support as much as Obama is.

Sure-- but in many ways, McCain's approach is no different than many of the things that Bush and Friends have pulled, he's just crystallized it. Hell, I'm from NYC and was a Hillary supporter-- now, there was no way on g_d's green earth I would have voted for McCain, but I may have sat out. But his choice of Palin was so repulsive to me (I'm female, BTW) that I started to re-appraise Obama, and over the past 2 months I have gained new respect for him. Now I am an ardent supporter.

So, in a way, McCain's campaign pushed me as well -- and as long as the end result is that these guys are shoved out of Washington, it's all good. Enjoy your vote!

bungo pony

That was exactly my thought as well--- 7 minutes of virtually uninterrupted spew. Not to mention the fact that this isn't exactly the first time she has come up with this sort of nonsense, it is perfectly in-line with all of her oft-stated core beliefs.

This maroon will hopefully get what she deserves -- to be voted out of office.