"testicular fortitude" - I thought steroid use was illegal.

Joan, why no mention of Clinton's laughing when she was told she was so tough she made Rocky Balboa look like a "pansy"? Isn't that sort of casual homophobia comment-worthy? And what about when Clinton let go with her "Rich people, God bless us!" remarks. Didn't that make you cringe just a little bit?

Looks like Guam's gone to Obama.

I certainly believe that women can have fortitude - guts even "balls" - ; hell I believe that women tend to have more fortitude than men. With that said, I think Clinton has nothing close to fortitude - narcissistic and untrustworthy - but this meme that Clinton is "tough" is the biggest crock of shit. And all these folks who buy into it are being duped royally; they are projecting their own "toughness" onto someone not deserving of this honor. As Bill Maher has said Obama is the "Jackie Robinson" of politics. No question it was tougher for Robinson - as it has been for Obama - to play through all the bigotry. Clinton playing the mix of Scarlett O'Hara and most any John Wayne character - both deeply representative of American exceptionalism and mythology - comes nowhere near what it truly means to be tough.

I want to thank you for your letter. I opposed the gas tax holiday because it is bad economics, but your letter caused me to ask the question: For whom? You really get what poor and working class voters may be facing.

I have a fuel efficient compact car. I work at home. My gasoline expenditures are minimal. However, you reminded me of the many working class families whom I know who must find way to conserve their gas expeditures in the face of fewer choices. People also forget sometimes that someone who owns an old gas guzzling pickup may do so for work related reasons and may not be able to afford to replace it. The person who immediately comes to my mind is a woman who is a receptionist who uses her truck to haul home old furniture which she then refinishes and resells to supplement her income. She travels to flea markets and antique sales to get her purchases.

You are right about Obama. No, doubt about it. He has lied about Wright. He did so because he had little other choice if he wanted to remain politically viable. His supporters don't like to acknowledge this, saying instead that Wright shouldn't matter. Even if he shouldn't, in reality, he does.

However, I will vote which ever Democrat is nominated. To me, a vote for Paul is a wasted vote. Paul is not prochoice and neither is McCain. The SCOTUS appointments are too important to vote for any third party candidate.

John King, CNN, said what I've said for a long time: why DIDN'T Obama allow Rev. Wright to bless his candidacy? I said, early on: he KNEW Wright'd be trouble when that candidacy was announced because he'd Wright's diatribes & KNEW that would cost him votes. Not just from whites: if he threw Wright under the bus that early, it would cost him the monolithic African-American votes he's received.

You're right! Thanks for articulating that!

I'm really quite an ignorant English speaking American. What race exactly do Mexicans belong to? I know literally translated "La Raza" means "The Race" but what exclusive race would that be? And why would one nationality (let alone one race) be entitled to preferential treatment in the USA when LEGAL immigrants from Africa, Asia, and Europe have to wait patiently in the immigration line and go through the proper American immigration procedures before entering our country? I can't illegally emigrate to a sanctuary city in England where they allegedly speak my language and drain their municipal coffers or to any other country including Mexico for that matter without being criminalized. British and Mexican authorities won't accept my excuse that I'm fleeing my homeland because I'm poor and can't pay my heating oil, fuel, health and other insurances and food bills anymore, and that I might not like how the US economy is tanking under the Bush administration, so why can you?

It appears that illegal Mexican immigrants find the USA even under the Bush administration a better place to live than Mexico under Fox or Calderon, Mexico is generally such a much more beautiful and fuel rich country than the USA, isn't Mexican governance, corruption and racism and not their American counterparts really the problem causing tens of millions of Mexicans to flee their Hispanic homeland for English speaking America? Or, like Pat Buchanan thinks, is their something more than meets the eye to illegal immigration than just the Mexican poverty excuse? You're not fans of Absolut Vodka are you? How'd the Swedes like their country mapped to be some part of a greater Russia?

that's why they are for Hillary - and she for them.

my bad - or rather mi falta.

"But sexism rankles most when it's used to discriminate or belittle; when it's wrapped in a compliment, it's harder to be harsh about it. I thought Clinton handled it well: by thanking him for the compliment, agreeing that she does have fortitude, and noting that "women can have fortitude, too."

Joan, to take it one step further: this is a good teachable moment.

Yes, It is "harder to be harsh about it" when it's meant as a compliment w/ good humor (as opposed to other remarks discussed recently that were violent and angy). But also no reason to let it go entirely, if the effort or intent is to educate and raise consciousness about what sexism is and how it permeates language and culture.

"Women can have fortitude too" is a good start. Next is a lot of thought about how certain positive personal characteristics such as courage, fortitude, strenth, determination, ambition, and I could go on, have been masculinized in our language, our shared little metaphors as "balls" or "testicles", etc. And then, how does that language affect our thinking about women in positions of power or authority.

There is no need to be "harsh about it", unless you feel you are somehow a moral arbitor, meeting out punishment wherever it is deserved.