Nader lost the 2000 election?

Boy, I can't wait until people start blaming HRC in droves for bleeding Democrat's funding and then asking Obama to cover the bill. We have literally shot our wad on the primaries and we still have 5 months to go before elections. Point being that fingerpointing is all your game until it comes to Hilary. Then suddenly you claim the high ground. You are a hypocrite.

Everytime you metal-headed journalists make this claim it weakens your legitimacy. You know what lost Gore the election? Gore. If you don't believe me then the proof sits right before you. Gore and Kerry and Hilary ran pretty much the same by-the-playbook, ho hum campaign. They lost. Obama has changed up his strategy and excited a grassroots uprising. He won.

As for these latest developments, I agree with you that his decisions have been poor. The Death Penalty for rapists? Supporting the FISA abortion? You are right. This is pathetic and I think Obama needs to hear from his supporters that this is unacceptable.

Great. The losers who gave all that bad advice to Hillary will now be giving bad advice to Obama. As far as I can tell it's already started: capitulate on FISA! Let everyone know what a "tough on crime" death penalty nut you are!

This has been a pyrrhic victory. Obama won the primaries so that he could start acting like every other uninspiring Democratic presidential candidate in the last 30 years. Who knows? Maybe his political sensibilities are being drowned out by the din of D.C.'s echo chamber.

You know what's also been around for a really long time? Atheism, or at least skepticism of a divine creator. That I know of, it's been around AT LEAST since our forefathers.

Atheists have long been reserved, not wanting to step on the toes of believers. The reason why Dawkins and his posse have become so outspoken is exactly because being shy and reserved has earned atheists nothing. We've been flexible. We've heard the opposition. I grew up in the deep South and listened to creationist theories for over half my life. Never once has a person of religion stopped to ask me what I thought about the afterlife. The only thing I've heard is why my beliefs are wrong, followed by veiled threats about a fiery hell.

All of this is fine, but now religious crusaders want to make it impossible for nonbelievers to have access to abortions, stem cell research, marry whom they please, and learn about evolution. It's pretty frustrating to spend your whole life advocating for acceptance, only to have segments of the population throw your acceptance in your face and try to legislate their morality.

I'm not saying that atheists are never dogmatic. But I think this new public embracing of atheism comes from the realization that standing by quietly in the corner with our hands in our pockets isn't going to do us much good as long as fundamentalist conservative keep playing whackamole with our basic freedoms. Atheists want their rights protected and to do that we have to become more outspoken.

My advice to you is get a divorce.

I'm in agreement with Greenwald here. I am an avid Obama supporter and I am saddened to hear of his drift toward the center in a gamble to attract conservatives. He's following the playbook of his predecessors: Gore, Kerry and Clinton. When are Democrats going to learn that Americans aren't going to vote for a pseudo-conservative? Why should they when they can always get the real deal? That much sought-after demographic that Obama is going after, they will never be satisfied, no matter how much he panders.

The grand irony is that it took George W. Bush to prove that sometimes Americans just want a president who says what he means. He stood up for what he believed, even if what he believed was completely bonkers. I sincerely believe that Americans respected that, and I believe that they would respect the same from Obama.

I'm not just busting HRC's chops, I sincerely worry that the Clinton contingency is whispering bad strategy into the ear of Obama. I really believe that! Up until now his political decisions have been uncanny, both wise, cautious and yet admirable.

I do not think that Obama's courage--at least in regards to FISA--is going to come from anywhere other than the people themselves. What we need is a large and insistent backlash against the machinations of Congress. People need to speak out and let them know that they demand justice. Greenwald is right; Fascism is not something that should be tolerated, but I think it's going to require a grassroots movement to sway our representatives.

It will generate further innovation and a wider audience, but first you have to have those companies that are willing to try new things.

And I know, I know: Better technology has been out there for years. The auto corporations have deliberately turned their back on that technology (a la Who Killed the Electric Car?). But Americans themselves have been only too willing to drive SUV's and luxury cars with lousy gas mileage, all in the name of fashion. So if you want to finger point, you can look in the mirror.

As one of the people who participated in the Smart car test, I really did enjoy the ride. If money were not an issue, I would love to drive a small, fuel-efficient car designed exclusively for city travel.