How sad that even billionaires cannot get adequate treatment from the medical doctors. Too many are content to say "It's not cancer- live with the consequences" rather than provide treatment to alleviate symptoms. My horses get better treatment from the vet than I can find from a Doctor. NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE LIFE DRAINED OF ENERGY AND WITH THEIR AUTOIMMUNE SYSTEM ATTACKING THEIR ORGANS. Doesn't anyone care? No wonder people resort to questionable "quack" cures at least their practioners know how to pretend to care for the person.

Obama should just admit that when he first decided to run, the thought of being able to raise competitive funds without either a)massive support from PACs and special interest groups or

b0public funding seemed beyond even his imagination. He should be humbled and inspired by the enormous public response of small donors to his campaign which actually makes it possible for him to wage a truly competitive race--funded mostly by small donors, not special interest groups or the taxpayers--in the general election. It means democracy can actually work as a participatory sport rather than a spectator sport--when millions really participate rather than a select elite political class.

My previous later was accidentally posted to screen name "less than pleased"--not one of my choosing. I don't know how to change it. This is the first letter I have ever sent to salon, so I don't know why I get assigned such a ridiculous name. Please change it to: a serious democrat

No one seems to remember the historic debate over the value of primaries vs the value of caucuses. Primaries were, and are, touted, as a means to get the maximum participation from the "general public". Caucuses are touted as a means of mobilizing, and yes recruiting, party activists. Advocates of the caucus system argue, with some real merit, that a pure primary system would lead to the ultimate demise of any relevance for the political party, and, as such facilitate the total domination of the political discussion by special interest fed, high dollar, advertising. The caucus system was designed as a mechanism to facilitate grass roots participation. The critics of that system argued that the caucuses had become calcified and dominated by party insiders, insulated from participation of anyone other than old political hacks. Yet there are many today who cut their political teeth on their first precinct caucus, got hooked and went on to become active in politics as a participatory rather than spectator sport. As with most issues like this, there is some truth and value on both sides of the argument. Uniquely Texas decided to recognized the values of both systems. There is nothing really wrong with that. --don mccorkell

I see where Hillary thinks that McCain and her are qualified to "answer the phone" but not Obama. Then I heard that Bill thinks Obama should be Vice President. Gee, I thought the first qualification for who you name as your vice president was "the capability of immediately

taking over as President". DUH! So Bill thinks he is qualified and Hillary doesn't. Of course

Hillary isn't sure whether he is a Muslim or not, ete., etc, etc. Someone should ask Hillary whether Bill's pardon of Archie Shaeffer(VP of Tysons) was motivated by Tyson's extraordinary help to Hillary in converting a 1K investment into 100K! Bill and Hillary have no shame.