I am in awe of their ability to give in to their "state of panic driven fear" while maintaining enough rationality to write to defend being bed wetters as a penultimate defining American trait.

They are nothing but pathetic cowards.

Whose state of fear driven panic and/or cynical political opportunism lets them believe the notion that the justice system would allow these guys into a courtroom with enough personal freedom to stage another attack makes sense, rather than being laughable and pathetic for its lack of sense.

Judges still have vast powers in the court in which they preside.

The possibility that any judge would be so idiotic and lame as to give these guys a platform in the name of their defense belies a complete paranoia and utter lack of faith in this country's legal system.

This is a good clue as to the "Anti-American, extremist libertarian" mindset behind their beliefs.

Only a "domestic terrorist" could hold his/her own nation in such low disregard that they'd believe their nation was so stupid and incompetent in applying justice.

Only a "American hater" could despise the things that define us a nation to dismiss them as "too dangerous to be allowed."

The fact that they describe themselves as the opposite is irrelevant.

Their claims to "fear for this nation, fear for NYC" ring as true as Cheney's claims of being a warrior defending America's freedom as he acts as "Bed wetting chicken hawk Chief."

For so many truly brave and patriotic Americans who have fought and died defending his and the chicken hawks extreme cowardice it's too late and as a nation we should mourn that our own gullibility in regards to these filthy cowards allowed so many innocent to die.

The one fortunate thing about these pieces of human filth is their pride is such that they easily identify themselves as they speak up and try to defend being cowards as the epitome of heroism, which they do any time they encounter something doubting their claim that their cowardly behavior makes them "real 'Mericans." Please.

It's only that too many liberals are unfamiliar with "Military conduct" that conservatives get away with this sort of stupidity.

And I have a good feeling Senator Boxer is also aware.

To refer to a SUPERIOR RANKING FEMALE officer as "Ma'am" withOUT acknowledging her rank would be considered extremely disrespectful, and WOULD get a verbal repremand for doing so.

That sort of "decorum" carries over with Military to higher offices of the Government like the Senate.

It is "Senator this or that"

He certainly did NOT refer to the Male Senators as "Sir" he used the title "Senator."

In doing what he did, he KNEW he was making a dig at Senator Boxer and "disrespecting her" in a unique military way.

What he didn't expect perhaps was that she'd know that. If she didn't she certainly felt it, and thus her request.

Ma'am is NOT always respectful.

People of high status want their "rank, office" recognized before anything else.

It's NOT pretense, but a way of making sure in professional encounters the parties involved know who they are dealing with.

It clearly draws the lines so that communication is easier.

To NOT call her Senator would be TO NOT acknowledge her uniform/rank - as military personal are supposed to and need to do in order to maintain order in the overall sense.

Someone needs to explain this more on Boxer's behalf.

This is only petty to people who have NO grasp of the importance of respect in the military.

Ah it shows Carly is out of touch with California and she's gonna lose

This might go over well in the backwater state of Texas (where I am) but not in California where I spent most of my adult life.

The only voters she'll get a nod from are the hardcore Repugnicans that now pass for a Republican party in CA, permanently in the minority, and unable to elect anyone to a statewide office as one of them. (Arnold was elected on his own in a special election not as a "Republican" per se, but a person who is a Republican.)

Which ties directly into the fatal aspects of following a strategy this little bit of nonsense.

This might play well with the idiotlogues on the far right in CA, but come the general election it should be no problem for Boxer to turn this sort of "no need to respect me I'm just a woman" against Fiona.

Glen is right on the "bigness of the event" but wrong on what it will be.

There is no doubt in my mind the REPUGNICAN party will commit suicide if the extremist right wingnuts carry through with their threats to challenge the party establishment.

And so I have my fingers crossed that Beck is right, but for the wrong reason :)

It's the "secret weapon" we've been working on to bring the ascendent China back down on its knees.

Yes, we are going to flood Chinese cities with opium, lots of opium, purchased with the vast amount of reserve US currency they have.

Well we plan on doing that if we can just figure out how to stop our own intelligence guys from using the stuff and trying to sell it to our own troops to make a quick buck.

Afghanistan = Military/Industrial complex gone berserk.

There is no reason to stay. We canNOT change the fate of Women there effectively so why stay.

Just give Afghan women who want to come back with us that opportunity, and leave the country behind.

Those speaking in favor of the war are all too often people whose job is tied to the war, whether they be military or civilian.