Anyone who honestly supports either Clinton or Obama and says they may vote for McCain because of the primary process is either (i) retarded, (ii) insane or (iii) republican (all of the above).

Here, you have two primary candidates with practically identical policy positions, and people are going to run to vote for McCain because of negative insinuations?!

Give me a fucking break.

The real problem is that these threads are rife with republican trolls.

The primary is the hard part for Democrats (and anyone else who recognizes the insanity of the last eight years). The general election will be a no-brainer. All you have to do is show that McCain's policies ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM BUSH'S. There is ample evidence for that.

Well, I guess I have to retract my prior post, although it seems like checking McCain's passport was done for cover (see Rove, Karl).

Regardless, everyone should be demanding an independent prosecutor, as was done in '92 when Bill Clinton's passport file was breached.

What, noone's interested in John McCain's passport file? Oh, right. They just have to go ask him, since he's one of the "good" guys.

This is what we need from our president today. There are many underlying reasons for why this country is in the mess it's in today, but he addresses the root causes.

Of course, he has many detailed policies detailing specific remedies to all the major issues facing this country. And many politicians, bureaucrats and soldiers who support him will provide him with thousands of years of experience and expertise in managing the daily affairs of state.

But the leader of our country has to know which direction to point the ship of state. In my opinion, his direction is where I want to go.

This is what we need from our president today. There are many underlying reasons for why this country is in the mess it's in today, but he addresses the root causes.

Of course, he has many detailed policies detailing specific remedies to all the major issues facing this country. And many politicians, buerocrats and soldiers who support him can provide him with thousands of years of their experience and expertise.

But the leader of our country has to know which direction to point the ship of state. In my opinion, his direction is where I want to go.

We can't expect citizens to follow the law (as in the FISA telecom controversy) and then expect them to give Spitzer a pass. Yes, it's a bad law and should be changed. But Spitzer knew what he was doing was illegal and intentionally took actions to hide his illegality. After staking his reputation as an enforcer of the law, we cannot abide this hypocrisy while decrying republicans who have also taken this route.

Given his public persona, he should have known that the GOP would seize on any malfeasance, no matter how remote, to damage his reputation. I still can't believe he exposed himself to this risk and feel for his family, who must be feeling a lot of emotional pain right now.

Unless he's completely innocent, he needs to resign immediately.

Is walking into a room with your enemy and negotiating directly, mano a mano. Haven't seen much of that lately.

In such a room, you actually have to KNOW YOUR SHIT if you don't want to look like a fool. Bill Clinton did it, Hillary can do it, and I know Obama can do it no problem.

GWB? John "Mr. Nitro" McCain? I think not, unless you want another war.

He's running using a different paradigm. These people are strictly old school.

I'de love to see Condi Rice or any bush adminstration official on the republican ticket.

If the Democrats can't turn that to their advantage, then maybe a third party is in order.

Bring it on!!

Anyone looking for or expecting an ironclad withdrawal plan set in stone from a presidential candidate is completely unhinged.

I appreciate the honesty and sincerety of Powers' response and on that basis, I'm more encouraged that he would do the right thing should he become President.

What I'm looking for is someone who will view the situation unburdened by all the BS preconceptions that are hampering this country right now. There's no way we can even begin to solve this problem by "staying the course" in one fashion or another.

It never ends. "We won't lift a finger, but wait until a regional conflict explodes and then Congress can decide what to do." As if it has a choice by that point.

When will someone in Congress take a rhetorical club and beat one of these Bush lackeys senseless? I'm not holding my breath.

God, what a bunch of defeatist crap is being posted today. Saintzak and EMStoveken, I really expect better from you.

Does anyone (aside from repub trolls) really think that people who took the the time to vote in a Democratic primary will seriously vote for John McCain? Both Hillary and Obama's core campaign platforms and diametrically opposed to McCain's on many social and economic fronts.

On most issues, John McCain is no different than GWB, one of the most unpopular presidents in this country's history. Either Hillary or Obama will not fail to bring this out in the general election debates.

Have some faith, people. Sheesh.