I have problem with a point that Harris makes, that the Swift Boat claims are not worth the time an effort to de-bunk: Every person I know who voted for Bush--every single one--bought the Swift Boat story hook-line-and-sinker and still believes it to this day. Look at the results of the election a year ago. Look at polling numbers a year ago, and look at them now. Kerry always scored lower than Bush as far as credibility and honesty goes, and still does to this day. As bad as Bush's numbers are now, he would STILL beat Kerry a year later. And more than anything else, I think we have the Swift Boat effort to thank for that.

I hope I'm not reading too much into Fitzgerald's commments, but he seemed to really stress the obstruction charge. And to me, his implication was that the "obstruction" was successful enough to keep the prosecution team from finding out the full story. There was just something in the way Fitzgerald kept stressing "obstruction," especialy with the baseball umpire analogy. Fitzgerald kept bringing up the definition of obstruction, as if to say, "Libby kept us from findnig certain things we needed to find," as opposed to saying, "Libby 'tried' to keep us from finding thing."

Basically, this issue should be a deal breaker, though maybe not immediately. It's basically a matter of what's more important: your values or this girl? If you determine that she's not capable of changing her views, then dump her by all means. It will be a lot easier now. But if there's a chance, then try to work it out. Keep in mind though, that if you really think there's a chance for a future with this girl, you will have to deal with her family. And hoping they, too, will change their minds is foolish. I have to deal with racist in-laws, and family members of differing degrees, and it is maddening and heartbreaking.

From reading the other letters, it looks like there are some people who take racism less seriously than others. As though dumping someone for "having different views" is somehow shallow and narrow-minded. But having racist views is rather different than your favorite shirt-color or favorite football team. People with racist views have some rather interesting ways of rationalizing their ignorance, so don't expect them to be able to discern whether someone is tolerating, or condoning their views.

ps--I remember on our second date, the woman who would become my wife asked me if I was a republican, implying that it was a deal breaker if I was.

I was taken aback, only because I had purple hair at the time. I mean, please--A man in his upper thirties with purple hair is not very likely to harbor conservative views. I still tease her about it to this day.

So what's the point?!

Liberals get upset when "the right" brings this stuff up because of how they have misused this (dis)information in the past. Anyone remember Hitler?

I'm rarely one to brag, but today is my wedding anniversary, so I'm feeling pretty proud of myself today. Proud of my wife, actually. Proud of US.

Before I was married I spent a great deal of time trying to understand relationships and love. I've always felt I understood love, but never in a way that I could coherently explain to anyone else. And that's fine with me. I'm happy to leave it at that.

One thing I do know, though. If you're alone, it's probably about you. Or to paraphrase the Beatles, when it comes to love, you get what you give. So maybe Ms. Dowd needs to lighten up--on men, women, and most of all, herself. And just give more love.

I offer this not as evidence, but just someting to ponder: election fraud has gone on forever. Why would the Bush administration NOT have tried to steal the election? Is the assertion that they stole the 2004 election really that more fantastic than them using fake intelligence and lies to rally public support for the Iraq invasion?

These people are thoroughly Machiavellian. The Bush administration lied about social security, lied about their regressive tax policy, lied about Iraq, etc. How many times were Bush and Cheney caught lying during the campaign? "I've never met John Edwards," "I never said I didn't care about Osama bin Laden."

They have lied about so many thngs so repeatedly, yet they ran a clean campaign and a clean election? Where's the proof that the election WASN'T rigged? Manjoo doesn't address that question.

Nope, I offer no evidence, just some questions to think about.

In the review, Farhad Manjoo mentions the "big news" about John Kerry believing the election was stolen, according to Mark Crispin Miller. If this was such a big story, why is this the first time it's been mentioned in Salon.com? I was eagerly anticipating something in War Room, maybe, but I found nothing. I guess Farhad Manjoo knows how to make baseless "claims," too.

The Democrats can't call for a comprehensive investigation. The Republicans control Congress, and only THEY can investigate. Just hold your breath waiting for Sensenbrenner, or DeLay, or Blunt to pull the curtain back exposing the truth. Yeah, right!