The fact that the Potomac primary is strongly trending for Obama should tell you something. A lot of these folks know the Clintons personally, or at least saw the inner workings of the Clinton administration. The civil servants, many of them, have worked for four different presidents. These folks are no dummies, nor are they people easily taken in by a charlatan with a smoke-and-mirrors routine. They're about as politically cynical as you can get.

There are probably some people in the Potomac area who stayed on after the Clintons left. But to characterize the Potomac primary as former Clinton insiders who have seen the light because they "saw the inner workings of the Clinton administration," is speculation, at best.

What some Obama supporters seem unwilling to admit is that African-Americans (60-70% of the population in D.C.) are voting for one of their own. That's why he will win D.C. This isn't to say that there aren't a few African-Americans who won't vote for Clinton or that whites won't vote for Obama.

Virginia and Maryland don't have the same number of African-Americans as D.C., although some of the Maryland and Virginia areas -- Prince William County, Prince Georges County, Anne Arundel, Frederick, MD -- are predominantly African-American. They, too, for the most part, will vote for Obama, with exceptions as noted above.

I have lived in this area and know the politics of how people vote. That hasn't changed much from election to election and this election isn't likely to change it much, either.

Point is, the Potomac Primary has little if anything to do with the Clintons. In fact, among a lot of people I know there, both Hillary and Bill Clinton are widely respected and very well liked -- among African-Americans and whites.

Well, I'm going to be real contrarian and speak outside the box. Why is John McCain considered a "war hero'? Because he is an American? Because he was a prisoner of war?

Why was he a prisoner of war? Let's see. As I read his bio he flew twenty three, let's repeat that, twenty three BOMBING missions against the Vietnamese who we illegally and crininally made war on. How many innocent civilians ,maybe children and wommen, did John McCain kill (sic murder) as a willing agent of this criminal action on the part of his govenement? If I were Vietnamese I would not have treated him particularly well, although torture is abhorrent action on anyone's part.

Let's see. If someone bombed American cities and killed innocents, how would WE handle them? Oh, we already know the answer to that and that's due to ONE attack, not years and years of an enemy raining death and destruction on you. And WHY did we do this? Oh, because those awful Vietnamese, after throwing out the Colonial French, had the unbridled gall to seek self determination. But in our **zealous, quasi-religious, ideological** CRUSADE (sic jihad)against "communism" we mistook in our madness third world wars for self determimnation as some advance of "monolithic communism". Gee, looks like we taught Osama Bin Laden everything he needed to know. Now I know why Tuesday September 11 is such a familiar date. Because it was on Tuesday September 11, 1973 that the US aided and abetted the overthrow of the **democratically elected** (which we don't give a shit about unless it serves our interests) Allende regime in Chile and brought that great leader of Democracy, Pinochet to power.

Sorry to digress. But John McCain was a WAR CRIMINAL, NOT a "war hero". He was not drafted. He was part of an elite group of soldiers and pilots.(As was said of the fire bombing of Tokoyo, "if we don't win, we will be tried for crimes against humanity".) Now he wants to continue wrecking havoc on other nations.

When will Americans stop believing their own bull shit? Oh, the sacred cow of the military and our "heroes".

Look the soldiers individually have great intentions. But they are dupes.

We did put the Nazi (and Japanese) leaders on trial for "following orders", didn't we? We claimed it was not an excuse, didn't we? Do the 9/11 hijackers get a pass because they "followed orders". Hell, from their point of view, THEY are the heroes.

Bur when you're the biggest guy on the block, you can frame history any way you want. If you want to be compassionate and give McCain a break because he about as stupid as everyone else who enthusiastically drove off that cliff, (and the present one-little seems to have really fundamentally changed in the man's intelligence or character), go ahead.

But he was never, never a hero.

Wake up people.

It'd be a tough argument for anyone to make to try and say anyone 'deserves' the presidency more than John McCain, in terms of service and sacrifice to country. If Obama doesn't have enough experience compared to Hillary, then Hillary doesn't have enough experience compared to McCain. If Hillary 'deserves' the presidency while Obama should 'wait in line', then tell Hillary the 'line' starts right behind John McCain.

you wouldn't be the first. :(

You were never a hero, either, so shut the fuck up.

People who say Obama should wait his turn are deficient in imagination. Let us march! Now.

Go ahead. Make my evening.

Get up. Face North. March.

Now.

Don't stop to think where, why, and what for. "Yes! You can!"

Well I'm glad you think -- and apparently know -- who you are! That's a good starting point for any of us. And you're quite right, a rose is a rose is a rose...

Why I'm taking this time to address you again is because twice (at least) we've had what seems to be a complete communications breakdown, and I'm puzzled at how that's happened. I have never (except for the last time, something for which I'm about to apologize) set out to offend you or speak for you, explain you or anything else like that. I've enjoyed your posts here, at least til the ones started coming at me where it seemed you had utterly misapprehended what I'd been talking about. I have to admit I didn't particularly enjoy those, but I can't help but believe, as I've already said, that in both instances you totally misunderstood my meaning. That may reflect something about my writing ability or your reading of my writings, or god knows what. The point is that I have not meant to antagonize you in any way. That's for sure. Except for that last time. I was angry, confused, annoyed, and pretty burned out on all the crazed vitriol and intolerance bouncing back and forth here. That's no excuse for my "slatern" quote, and I first and foremost apologize for that. It was completely out of line. I appreciate that you didn't make more of it than you did. You certainly could have, and been justified.

I did find some irony in your tone in that last post where you accused me of talking down to you as you started lobbing in references to the 7 July bombings, the Madrid bombing, the Nuremburg trials, etc. While I still don't understand how that related to the discussion, it didn't warrant my outburst. To be honest I felt not only perplexed by the content, but also hurt by the apparent anger.

So far as the post about the events surrounding the betrayal by Colin Powell, I was not trying to explain your words or thoughts on the matter. What I was doing was trying to lay out a linear recounting of what had happened, and I had thought you were the one who had first brought it up -- but I was wrong about that. I did mention your name, however, and so I guess I took it in vain. Again, I apologize. I was trying to explain to illustrate to some of the people here why I felt the whole invasion of Iraq had plenty of guilt to be shared, but that only one of those concerned was currently running for President of the United States. Had I not included your name in that post I can't see how you could have misunderstood to the extent you did. If you did, that is. I'm not really sure.

We were both tired, I suspect. I know I was. And yes, you did upset me, but I obviously upset you as well, although I wasn't trying to.

And I very much like your first name and your husband's surname, and also very much appreciate that you took your husband's name because you didn't feel you needed to make that tired point.

And I think I'd agree with your parents that you are, indeed, a bold girl, but there's definitely a place in the world for a bold girl. We could use more of them.

It's morning there now, where you are. I hope you slept well. This time zone business is ridiculous. I wish there were a way to eliminate them along with our Electoral College and the "square states." Well, at least the Electoral College.

Again, my apologies for any discomfort I've caused you, deliberately or by way of miscommunication. I hope you'll have a good day.