Camille: Another provocative column that is sure to evoke stormclouds of condemnation from our resident Paglia bashers. I look forward to reading their venomous denunciations of your political views, your writing style, your academic credentials, your "quisling feminism," and just about everything else about you.

I do take issue with one statement of yours, however:

But hasn't Rush's massive appeal always been based on his adherence to core principles rather than to narrow partisanship?

Good Lord, lady, what planet are you living on? You actually use "core pronciples" and "Rush Limbaugh" in the same sentence? Rush has no core principles, other than making tons of money and reflexively attacking everything and everyone connected with the Democratic Party.

Rush is a shill, Camille, and the fact that you listen to him (how can anyone with half a brain actually listen to Rush Limbaugh?) says a lot about you.....none of it good.

Let's cut the crap about "experience" and "qualifications to be president." The fact is, nobody but an incumbent president has the necessary "experience." Whatever you did before being elected president doesn't count for much. There really isn't very much that can prepare you for the pressure and the responsibility of the presidency.

We elect people to the presidency because we think they have the potential to do a good job and lead the country.

Barack Obama has about the same "experience" that Jack Kennedy did when he ran for president. Hillary's experience as a senator isn't bad, but she should stop trying to claim she's got 35 years of experience. Most of that time was spent doing fluff assignments as first lady (of Arkansas and the U.S.). The only time she attempted anything substantive as first lady (her abortive health care plan), she screwed it up big time.

I think Obama is correct when he says it's not experience that matters; it's judgment. Go back and look at the judgment Obama and Clinton exhibited when it came time to authorize George Bush's Iraq misadventure.

Speaking of Shrill...

Is ANYONE more shrill than this cunt, Camille Paglia?

--Bertie Wooster

Well, Hillary's pretty shrill these days. Her basic stump speech is more of a harangue than a speech. She reminds me a lot of my mom, telling me to eat my vegetables, because they're good for me.

Vote for me, you simple-minded clucks, because it's GOOD for you.

Hillary Clinton and the pack of ravening dogs that makes up her campaign team just keep slogging along.

At this point their strategy is clear: Keep on keepin' on, wear everybody down, including the Obama team and the voters, until everyone just says, "Okay, give her the goddamn nomination. I'm sick of this. Just make it be over."

And Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove will smile a grim, evil smile........

Every year on the eve of the NCAA tournament I read all the write-ups in USA Today, study the RPI rankings, Sheridan's odds, and watch ESPN, all in search of clues about who to pick.

And then I fill out 3 entries in my office pool, and all three entries seem plausible, if not brilliant.

And every year I finish out of the money.

This year, I'm basing the picks in entry #1 on each team's proximity to a major opera company. For entry #2, the picks will be based on the team's proximity to a significant mineral deposit. And for entry #3, picks will be based on how good looking the cheerleaders are.

And then I'll do what I always do....favor teams from the Big 10 and the Midwest.

I've got Tennessee, Wisconsin, Pitt and UCLA in the Final Four.

Wisconsin will get there because they are virtuous, milk-drinking kids from the solid bedrock of the Midwest.

Pitt will get there because they showed in the Big East title game against Georgetown that they can play at a very high level against a quality opponent for an entire game.

UCLA will lose to Pitt because some of the key UCLA guys will come down with injuries.

And Tennessee will win it all because......well, because I've got a feeling.

That's the word from Columbus, Ohio where I'm always a frickin' genius on the day before the tournament starts.

Garrison: I recommend Hinduism to you. It has none of the troubling, vexing questions that Christians wrestle with, e.g., "If God is a loving God who cares about us, why does he permit such terrible evils to exist in the world?"

With Hinduism, you can choose from a palette of gods, or you can go with the One-God thing. Hindus are sanguine with both models.

You also get the added feature of meditation with Hinduism....calms the mind...centers you....puts you in touch with your real self.

Try it. (I feel like the TV pitchman, advocating a particular brand of sinus relief.)

King: Thank you, but I never eat asparagus.

It makes my urine smell.

The comment about asparagus in my letter was actually from a famous anecdote involving Babe Ruth.

It seems the Babe was invited to a fancy New York society dinner party, the kind where everyone wears white tie and tails. (This was back in the '20s.)

Anyway, the hostess, a well-known society dame, says to the Bambino, "Oh, Mr. Ruth, you must try the steamed asparagus."

To which the Sultan of Swat replies, "I never eat asparagus. It makes my urine smell."

An embarrassed silence ensued, followed by nervous titters of laughter.