I do so love watching blustering nabobs foaming at the mouth with "self-righteous" indignation ( I think I just coined a term for the conservative extremists Joan spoke about). I think Joan did a fine job. I logged on to Salon.com tonight after seeing her an old Bill Mahar show (and I think I even agreed with PJ O'Roarke on a few things). I was poking around the old videos and came across this one with Scarborough/Bozell spouting and sputtering; Joan said things that I would say if I were more articulate and had media access. She's smart, classy, assertive (because its taboo to call a professional woman agressive)and right on the mark with her statements; she's an inspiration too. I'll try to emulate the next time a right-wing aquantance starts spewing idiocy at me. I hope Joe Scarborough called her up later to appologize for not paying attention to what she said before he went off half-cocked at what he thought she might have maybe meant to say (huh?). I was disappointed in Joe; he usually pays better attention than that. Anyway, I was just going to browse through today but that piece inspired me to sign up for a premium membership in Salon.com. I'll look for more of Joan Walsh.

So nice to see that my despair over voices of reason being silenced by the Chest Beaters was ill-founded. Joan did herself proud and raised Salon's profile in the news media market when it seems that the voices of those in the MSM want to drown out, once again, any sort of sanity and common sense. Now I personally don't think much of the former Cardinal Ratzinger, now new Pope. I think he's exactly NOT what the Catholic Church needs in these times. He was not exactly the voice of moderation and balance as advisor to Pope John Paul II, and now as Pope Benedict XVI, he's actually far more conservative than his predecessor. Having said that, I think Joan was spot on when she said that conservative extremists and Muslim extremists have something in common which is the need to stifle debate and dominate the media with their own point of view. They call it "mainstream" when it's in fact, just theirs and they won't shut up about it. As proof, Scarborough and Bozell went postal, making her point for her. This is the great sin of this generation of news "reporting". First to allow itself to be driven only by profit, and second, to be co-opted by those who would essentially abandon the truth for sensationalism because it sells ad space, wins ratings points, or wins elections. There may be historical precedents, but I've not seen any in my lifetime. Joan also gets high marks for keeping cool under fire. Way to go, Joan! Keep up the good work.

Don't forget our favorite "female" (disputable) terrorist, Ann Coulter-geist. She has called for attacks and assassinations on American Presidents.

Joan, you kept your cool, you stayed calm, even as those two idiots got worked up into a "frat-boy" frenzy. Scarborough really showed his true colors as a right wing nut job, disguised as a compassionate conservative.

There are PLENTY of right wing extremists in this country who oare as bad (if not worse) than radical terrorists;

Jerry Falwell - He often says that if Gay and Lesbian, tax paying, voting Americans ever receive recognition as a valid minority, he will "burn Liberty University to the ground"

Pat Robertson - 1) "the United States government needs to kill Venezuelan President Chavez and take their oil..." 2) Women who believe in feminism are muderers who want to "kill their husbands and children" 3) "Feminists and Gay Americans are the ones who caused the events of 9/11..."

Fred Phelps - "Thank God for dead U.S. soldiers"

The lunatics who murder women and doctors at abortion clinics, The Christian Coalition, Concerned Women for America, etc. the list goes on and on and on...

We have our own terrorists here, homegrown in the USA. We need to deal with these fringe, radical, "I murder you in the name of my God" extremists here, on our own soil, as well as the rest of the world.

Keep up the good work, Joan ! America needs more people like you.

I think Joan gave one of the coolest performances I've seen on a show like that (admittedly, I avoid them as much as possible). It's silly to second-guess how she might have done better: just maintaining her focus against that barrage of calculated indignation deserves a standing ovation, much less actually scoring real substantive points. "C'mon you guys" was perfectly fine - that and her taken-aback tone probably made the difference in Scarborough's reaction at the end. It's not just her own audience that she's trying to make an impression on; she did a great job of communicating with both camps.

Mozell may be right that moral clarity is good. I wish he had not gotten the last word and could have put state-sponsored toture under that perspective.

Good points, Joan, but they were weakened by your habit of ending every statement as though it were a question rather than a statement. It makes you sound weak and unsure of yourself. State your point forthrightly and you'll do better.

Again, good points, and well handled overall, but it would be a good idea to work on your delivery.

Couldn't agree more with our "Fearless Leader" drawing the parallels between Muslim and Christian extremists - exactly.

Though I understand her being outnumbered 2-1 in the pile-on that ensued, I wish she could have been a little less familiar- "C'mon, you guys." It's one thing to keep the debate on a personable level, but to this viewer that colloquialism served to weaken her position.

I realize in a debate one gets distracted. You could have mentioned the words(indeed prayers) of the Reverend Pat Robertson in regard to Chavez or certain justices. Jack Sullivan

Eric Rudolph and the other homicidal "pro-lifers" are the Christian equivalents of Muslim extremists. Both groups murder in the name of their god.