Weeping,

Thanks for the attaboy on the Jeh Johnson letter. When I read it I was so enraged because asshole Lanny Davis wrote a pathetic op ed in the WSJ and this was posted in some obscure CNN blog. Not exactly a retraction. Damage was done. Just like Joan's hacktacular column today. How many folks will bother to read all these letters? Not many. Joan is using her web site to shill for her preferred candidate. She's the editor, not the owner. Might be a problem if she isn't careful.

Manos, thanks for the clarification. I should have said "most" of the people here are smart. That crazy Texas racist and a few others are clearly dumber than a bag of hammers.

I just wanted to amplify your prior post.

It is all about getting the people involved. Of course, if the people did get involved, a few would stand to lose out big. So expect opposition. And not just from the stereotypical military industrial complex, but also from media types, pundits, consultants, think tank dudes, anybody whose profiting from the status quo might be challenged. The red state blue state 'divide' is great for business on either side. So is appearing on TV being an expert about a certain political segment. So trying to make Obama or Hillary into the Paladin is a mistake. We need to start firing the politicians instead. The big bait and switch is that the populace is supposed to be running things.

And I do think we've gotten overspecialized. The real world doesn't have those neat little boundaries between domestic and foreign policy, liberal and conservative.

The Founders were hip to the interconnectedness of things. They knew our country needed the consent of the governed, the rule of law, economic freedom and education. And they didn't buy into any idea of American exceptionalism or any final battle between political parties. They just focused on making the place better then when they found it.

CNN broadcast the NAACP Convention from Detroit Sunday night. There was so much interest that they interrupted their normal programming and gave the evening over to the NAACP and simply repeated Wright's speech. Wright is a highly educated man, and his speech is highly textualized. As I read the comments, I found those which were negative did feel comfortable with Wright's style of preaching which is not uncommon in a number of black churches. There was nothing racist in the speech. Quite the contrary, in his opening remarks and in his conclusion, Reverand Wright said he believed in differences which had been identified by scholarship, e.g. linguistics, but those differences should not keep us from coming together. He also noted that intolerance has a historical dimension as the descendants of Irish and later immigrants might remember. He said, "I believe change (away from racism and intolerance) is coming." It was an uplifting speech. It was very different from the sermons I hear in the synagogue I attend. Yet, I felt this was a message that I could embrace as a citizen. In attendance were superdelegates including Senator Levin and Gov. Grandholm. Wright was the keynote speaker. The individual who introduced him made note of his 30 years of ministry and his large congregation, upwards of 8,000. I think if you see these two speeches together, you might have a different feel for the Reverand. I found his remarks ecumnenical and hopeful. As to how they will affect Senator O? I would hope change is really coming.

Here here Joan, thanks for keeping a strong critical mind and writing with it while this democratic nomination sorts itself out.

OK I get it now. I watched the interview again and found out Wright was inspired by Dr Martin Marty, prominent Lutheran theologian from Chicago and academic foundation of modern liberation theology widely promoted through mainstream America but Wright like Bishop Tutu is suffering what South Africa found ... the problem with telling us about Jesus is we started taking it seriously.

Joan Walsh you are one sick person but I am disappointed in Salon generally. Here is my first post to Salon months back ... seems prophetic now:

Too Swift

[Read the article: Colorblind]

[Read more letters about this article: Here]

I didn't expect the Swiftboating of Obama to begin on Salon. I am disappointed that such shallow analysis would be headlined here.

Richard Nostbakken

Permalink Sunday, January 21, 2007 07:59 PM

Joan, I am really sick of your hard-on for Hillary turning you into an illogical imbecile. As a result, you either need to stop commenting on Hillary, or Obama, or take a vacation until things are decided between them. You are not the only Democrat who needs to do this. Bill Clinton and James Carville could join you. Wouldn't that be fun?

And I am not a an Obamaite either. I just hate the lying, deceiving, false premise filled, Rovian campaign that Hillary has run. It is not Democratic (in the party sense).

And when you write this junk about Wright based on the same false premise, illogical attacks, they make you look small. And I don't like it. And it's been going on a long time by Hillary supporters (and don't even try to argue this point Hillary People. Obama isn't as bad. You're wrong).

I say this to all white women: There will be another white woman soon who will be a better person to stand behind than Hillary. Someone who when you make arguments of support, they won't have to be filled with false premises. So, think of the nation and the party on this one and let it go for now.

the real conversation on race is in Opus, but I don't think many of you will be joining in over there because few people like to discuss the truth.

Joan is lying

What Joan said:

But Wright casts his critique in such an extreme way that the possibility of redemption, the evidence that America can and has and will change for the better, is never considered.

What Wright said:

God damn America as long as she keeps trying to act like she is God and she is supreme.

As long as. That's a conditional.

Joan stop this. It's pathetic. - Margalis

I basically agree with what Senator Obama has said about Wright. His [Wright's] comments shown in the media are deeply offensive and cannot be condoned but at the same time the media, including Joan Walsh (as shown by Margalis above), have deliberately taken those comments out of context and twisted them.

I guess Wright is an easy target - certainly easier than Obama himself.