You ask why Americans aren't enraged by torture to do something about it? I'll answer, because it's not happening to them. It's happening to others, to the "terrorists". Those people who the gov't says have done something to deserve it. Since most Americans don't know any of the people being tortured, it doesn't affect them. Also that it's happening in far away places like Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan. So it's out of sight, out of mind. Also for some Americans they think it's keeping us safe. I have an Aunt that is a wonderful person but said something I couldn't believe. She said the gov't should torture those "terrorists" all they want, just keep us safe. I don't care what happens to them. So not only is she afraid and thinks the ends justify the means. But she's not seeing actual human beings being tortured. She's seeing a label. They have stopped being people and just become the label of "terrorist". When someone stops being a person and becomes an object, it's much easier to do unspeakable things to them and to justify it as well.

I mistakenly asked for some milk for my cereal. Started a whole chain of events. cdr42

Boy does that bring back an unpleasant memory. I too served time in a minimum security jail for a "youthful indiscretion". I too asked for some milk for my cereal because what was provided had been used up. Only to be pulled out of the unit and banged against the wall by a fucking asshole guard. Screamed at and threatened with being sent to solitary confinement, because I had the temerity to ask for some milk. In jails there are generally two types of guards. One are decent people that view prisoners with compassion and treat them with respect. The others are pricks that get off on the power of being in control of other people. Considering I served time in what was considered a "good jail", I can't imagine what might of happened if I had been in a bad one.

Marine Gen. Paul Van Riper had walked out of an Iran scenario war game where he was commander of the opposing forces when he outfoxed the U.S. Navy & Marine attacking forces, sunk over a dozen major American ships and killed over 10,000 U.S. sailors and marines. The headquarters response was to re-start the war game with new rules forbidding Van Riper to employ any of his successful tactics -- using small speedboats and small aircraft packed with explosives in a mass kamikazi attack on the fleet; defeating U.S. eavesdropping by dispatching his orders by messengers; etc.

So if we attack Iran, and they pull off what this Marine Gen was able to do, what's the Pentagon going to do? Will they tell the Iranians, that's not fair you can't do that? Will they say, let's have a do over? How freaking pathetic is this shit!!! I can't believe the level of lunacy and denial that has infected our military by the Bush administration. That career military men would change the rules in a war game, just because they didn't like the outcome. In real life, you don't get to change the rules. The purpose of war games is to try to anticipate your opponents actions and learn from that. You don't learn anything, if you change the rules and say you can't do that. The Iranians aren't going to follow orders from the Pentagon, on what they can and can't do to defend their country.

I respect the Court’s decision and as Governor, I will uphold its ruling. Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling Gov. Arnold

Well I have to hand it to Gov Arnold for behaving like an adult. If this had been Bush, he'd just say I don't care what the courts say, I'm boss. We will continue to discriminate aganist gays and not allow them to marry, courts be damned. Maybe Since Arnold had to study the constitution and our system of gov't to become a citizen, he actually has more respect for it. Unlike our golf-sacrificing decider. I just wish there were more repugs like Arnold then there were Bush.

I'd like to know where right-wingers get this idea they have a monopoly on being patriotic true Americans. Kathleen Parker is just one of many that write this garbage. These people defended Karl Rove and Libby, two guys that outed an undercover CIA agent which was an act of treason. Yet they have the audacity to question Obama or any other democrats patriotism? The time of trying to reason with these people is over. They can't be reasoned with because aren't reasonable. These people like Parker are paid propagandists. It's there job to spread this bull crap around in order to get their candidates elected. So it's time we take a page out of Keith Olbermann's playbook, and do what he told Bush to do in his last special comment. It's time we tell them to SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!!

"Yesterday on The McLaughlin Group, Monica Crowley said that Obama's harsh response to Bush's speech in Israel showed that Obama was thin-skinned, and therefore "a girly man." Gender bending has always been a central line of Republican attack, but their desperation will make it much more explicit this year. Buckle your seatbelt.-

Well the right-wingers show they've figured out how to have their cake and eat it too. So when Obama is attacked, he's a "thin-skinned girly man" if he responds. If Obama is attacked and doesn't respond, well he's "girly man" that won't fight back. How can he defend the country, if he won't defend himself? It's damned if you do, damned if you don't.