It's amazing to me that, here and elsewhere, when Apologists for Israel scream "Anti-semite!" but still get nowhere, how little else they have to say.

So far, we've been told that the cause of the Palestinian suffering is:

1. The Palestinians

2. The U.N.

3. Jordan

4. No one--there is no suffering

Yet the tanks, guns, bullets, aircraft, and power all belong to Israel. And much of the land in dispute was taken by Israel (by force) and not returned, despite a resolution from the very UN that granted the original land. I guess it's fine to take land when the UN grants it, while orders to surrender land are to be devoutly ignored, but only by Israel.

But blaming Israel for these things is an "oversimplification?!" Wow. The term "sophistry" has already been used here, but I'll second it.

You Apologists are in as much denial as Goeth's daughter.

I'm at a loss to explain these veiled and non-veiled attacks on Salon itself. I've read it regularly for seven years, and never did it strike me that the publication or any of its writers were against Jews. I notice that those complaining didn't provide a single example. I'd sure like to see one that was legitimate.

There's a lot truth in what's been written here by "steele" and "something stinks." I myself might have said it more diplomatically, but I don't see how anyone who's read the history of Palestine going back to the early 1900's could argue with what they say. You'd have to be in as much denial as Goeth's daughter is about him.

It's amazing that the banks and credit houses were essentially handed $700 billion with barely a peep, yet the the car makers are having to jump through hoops just to get $25 billion. If anything, the car makers deserve it more than the banks, because they contribute jobs and a product valuable to many more average citizens than the big banks do.

No doubt the sour comments here are from those who buy foreign cars, and who contributed to the decline of US auto makers over the past 20 years. You folks seem not to mind overpaying for your vehicles, and then continuing to overpay for parts and service over the following years, but I do mind. If the US car makers close, you'll be overpaying by even more. Nice job, folks.

BTW--you might read a little book called "The Millionaire Next Door," to see just why it's smarter to buy American.

I voted for Barack, and hope he wins, but I think we should hold the euphoria for a couple of months, to see just how Progressive he's going to be. In 2006, my district elected a "Democrat" as our US Rep, unseating a six-year Repub incumbent. Our Dem has voted with the Repubs on nearly every issue, and now is even endorsed by the NRA! And he appears to have suffered no backlash for it.

In fact, the Democratic Congress, since 2006, has been a huge disappointment. Might as well all been Repubs, except for the few with principles.

So I'll be glad if Barack wins, but not ecstatic for quite a while longer.

I learned long ago that it is pointless to try to argue a person into rationality. Whether they be mentally ill, anti-social, politically extreme, or just plain old religious, there's no way to force them to make sense. The majority of humans seem to be hard-wired toward tribalism, toward unshakeable beliefs which bind them together and impart, at the least, a sense of community.

Even here on Salon, many of the comments, even from Andrew O'Hehir, fly in the face of rationality. For one, I very much doubt Bill Maher would have any trouble dissecting the flawed logic of any theologian, but apparently Mr. O'Hehir needs to believe that he would. And all the comments here saying "Oh, Maher's not talking about me or my religion. My beliefs make sense." Uh, maybe to you, but not to most (or any) other people.

And that's the gist of what Maher is saying. Those of you who are attacking him are really just screaming: "Stop making sense!"

I read a post elsewhere that this kid isn't even the father of the baby. There apparently are reasons to believe he was "picked" to be called the father, but the real father is another guy she dated. Some claim to know who he is and are trying to get him to come forward.

Glenn Greenwald has it right. The Congressional Dems who have voted against the collective will of their constituents, as well as voted against the rule of law, need to know we will at least try to hold them accountable. Otherwise, the next four years will be the same as the last.

I live in a district where the current US Rep, a Dem, won a highly visible fight to unseat a long-term Repub. Yet he voted to expand FISA, decriminalize the telcoms, and put his name on the "Bomb Iran" Bill. His defense of these actions? "Oh, we have a mainly Conservative district here and I need to walk the fence." This makes no sense, of course, because if our District were that Conservative, he'd have never beaten the incumbent. So what's the real explanation? He was either bought off by those who stand to prosper from these things, or he was ordered to vote for them by the Dem Party itself. Either way, this "Dog" is of no use to me, and I'll do what I can to get rid of him.