All the good ones are dropping out! I'm gonna miss Ghouliani's crazy-eye thing; where he considers gnawing the flesh from the interviewer's stewed bones. And the Mittster's "doubling" the size of Guantanimo base. You can't write this stuff. Magic underwear will remain a mystery I guess.

What's the Huck thinking? Personally, I don't care. I watched the ascendancy of the religious right with horror, wondering if I would live long enough to see the pendulum swing back the other way. It now has, faster than I could have ever dared hope. I think the increasing irrelevance of the loud and hateful evangelical nut-cases is just what they deserve. They triangulated themselves into a coalition of murderers and thieves, and the less-stupid-than-you-might-think American public watched them the whole way. Now they're stuck with zero-chance Huck.

let the the "Christians" repudiate torture, poverty, homophobia and perpetual war, and they might again be relevant.

The Hill appropriating the term "solutions" is much like Reagan's association with the fall of communism. Gets repeated alot, never gets examined. Just what, exactly, ARE these novel solutions Hillary offers?

I really loved the Clinton's. I don't know what happeneded. She's disingenuous, triangulating, and willing to compromise her principals for victory at any price. WHY did she miss the vote on surveillance? She's doing her best to lose me, and I think I'm not alone.

Hillary didn't make the FISA vote because campaigning is grueling? Not when you've got a lear jet to whisk you from Washington to El Paso in two hours. Hillary skipped the vote because to vote (for once) on principal would have given the Republicans ammo to use aginst her in the general election. There is simply no other reason. Her vaunted "experience" told her "better sit this one out".

I think those spouting the trite line that the inexperienced Obama will be wrecked by the Big League slime machine of the GOP are in for a surprise. I think Obama is quite polished, and that his attackers are going to be the same old crude bores that Americans are tired of. 911 paranoia is waning, Americans are tired of the war and scared about the economy. Americans remember trusting the jingoists and where their mis-placed trust has got them. I don't think it's going to be such an easy ride for the Swift-boaters this go-around, they might just sound shrill and regressive.

That's the point. I remember and liked Hillary the fighter, but it's been a long time. Lately it's been all cutting deals with the devils on the other side of the aisle. FISA, AUMF, disgraceful.

Where was HRC in the whole debate leading up to the vote? As if it was only the final vote that mattered (HRC excused due to heavy campaign schedule, passage was a foregone conclusion). No shit passage is a fait accompli when the opposition doesn't show up. Where oh where is the leadership?

Annnddd they're off! Hillary is on CNN right now flipping out about an Obama mailer. What's noteworthy is the level of anger. I guess the civility lauded in the last debate is over. Obama due to respond within the hour.

I thought a couple of the moderator's questions were out of line. One example, going from memory here:

The candidates were asked if we withdrew from Iraq, and the situation disintegrated, would the President send troops back in? I didn't think the President alone had the power to make that decision. Isn't there a bit of a constitutional debate about Presidential powers these days? The other was the hypothetical invaison of Kosovo by Russia. Anything to catch a candidate off guard, for a soundbyte to smear them with later. C'mon guys!

I've begun to swing towards Obama, but I've gotta say the press (Russert particularly in last night's debate) is clearly out to play gotcha with HRC. I thought Hillary's complaint about always going first was meant along the lines that it's easy to go second and expound on the previous answer, and exploit any misstatements contained in the first response.

I think Hillary's downfall was caused by her handlers. Most of the statements (get Barak another pillow) and positions (AUMF vote) which she is being flamed for now, just don't ring true for the Hillary Clinton I remember and do still, respect. I guess if you live by the political handler rule, you die by it too. Good luck Hillary! Please do remain part of the political disourse here in America.

Oh, and to all the young voters. Would it be allright if this 49yo dared to hope a little bit too? After all, I've invested plenty of years of frustration and disappointment. Some of the comments about baby-boomers here are a turn off.

To those who keep saying that Obama is going to get eaten alive by the republican slime machine. This guy is quick on his feet. I am going to love watching those odious GOP cheap-shot bastards get beaten at their own game.

(Not that many read Salon.) Why don't the religious of various stripes police their own? How does such an obviously crazy man achieve a bully pulpit? Why not a peep?

Not if say, literacy, life-expectancy, healthcare, standard of living etc. matter to you.

It's a great country. Why does the suggestion that it could be better inspire such vitriol?

"Flagging" as in waning. What cracks me up is all the faded-to-white ribbon stickers still stuck to the back of cars. Seemed like a good idea at the time, I guess. And what happened to the ubiquitous "W" bumper-stickers? Hey dumbkoffs, where'd y'all go?

'til Glenn can find the macho pic

http://www.pubhousedialogues.com/media/blogs/mediabitz/Bush-FlightSuit-Doll02.jpg

is that somehow Spitzer is stinging the data-mining practices of the Justice Dept. I know it's crazy, but I can dream can't I?

What, no rubber chicken? Mayonnaise (3 0z. max.) and motorcycle-goggles packaged with the heirloom dildo would also keep them guessing.

One more vote for Philly, Glenn. Thanks for all your tireless work.