No one seems to be writing about what I believe to be the real problem with Michigan and Florida. That is, both Clinton and Obama SIGNED PLEDGES before the primary season AGREEING to the rules of their party. They knew that if Michigan and/or Florida moved up their contests, the votes wouldn't count. Now that Clinton is behind, this pledge, this agreement that she entered into freely is null and void. It suggests to me that honesty and keeping her word are not priorities with her. However, an agreement is an agreement. Period. If the situation were reversed, and Obama wanted the delegates, don't you think she'd be questioning his honesty? His ability to keep promises? I think Senator Clinton has run a tough campaign, but now it's time for her to bow out gracefully, and honor her other promise...to work hard for the nominee in the coming election.

It's an opportunity for the GOP to prevent Joe Biden from "beating up" on a sweet little woman candidate. In other words, he'll have to treat her with kid gloves at the debate. So the republic party now has a woman and a POW they can "protect" from tough questions and campaign fights. A purely defensive move for McCain's campaign that has nothing going for it except stunts like this. I can just see McCain on the hustings touting that he has a girl on the ticket. I wonder if he'll encourage her to go topless at some campaign event, like he did his wife? Maybe he'll get mad and call her a filthy name, like he did when he got short-tempered with his wife in 1992.

I hope Hillary's supporters aren't sucked in by this faux-momentous occasion.

Everybody talks about "the Bradley Effect," whereby people say they aren't racist and have no problem voting for a black person for office, but once they get into the voting booth, they vote for the white guy. How about "the Obama Effect," whereby people who are afraid they'll lose friends, alienate family or start a fight with a spouse say they'll vote for McCain, but when they go into the voting booth they check Obama? I used to live in rural white America and I think this is a very real possibility.

Does it surprise anyone that it's only the lower-paid workers in government, the whistleblowers, who get nabbed? They have not political clout; they don't have enough money to be a factor in any pol's campaign; they can be railroaded by the DOJ and vilified by the right-wing press and few if any people in authority will come to their aid. It's pathetic. Especially since people like Mr. Tamm are the ones who keep history on a straighter course than it would be without them. Our esteemed legislators are way too concerned about re-election to go against the White House on any policies or investigations. Where are the senators and congressmen who do things because they are right for the country rather than to get another term in office? Why do they want to BE in office anyway? I'm thinking it's just so they can get that pension and the other perks that go with it. And a cushier, higher paying job when they retire! Thank God for Mr. Tamm and all the others like him. He should be given a medal, not a subpoena.

One of the reasons I think the political right is against government healthcare is because, as Bill Kristol said the other day on The Daily Show, he doesn't think average, non-military Americans deserve it. And if you're a poor person, well forget about healthcare all together. I don't think the wealthy GOP and Blue Dog Dems who are fighting Obama's reforms relish the thought of going to their physicians and sitting in the waiting room next to some welfare recipient who, because of the government option, can get the same care they do from the same provider. It's a class thing. Poor and unemployed people go to public health clinics or emergency rooms. Kristol, Limbaugh and their ilk go to Park Avenue specialists.