From an outside point of view, it looks like the Democrat party is self destroying...

I addressed this the other day but I don't think it gets the attention it should -- this mess is not Hillary Clinton's fault.  Its not Barrack Obama's fault.  Its the fault of the DNC and Howard Dean.  Thats why Dean attacking McCain on the Obama/Wright commercials was so laughable.  Dean said McCain can't lead because he can't control his party!  Dean's party can't get a candidate squared away and he has the temerity to attack McCain? 

There is no reason the Democrats should lose this election.  George Bush's eight years of negligence should make it easy for a democrat to waltz into the White House.  But there is a real chance the Democrats will lose again.  If they do, they need to take a long hard look at how their party (and its leadership) is organized. 

I tell ya, one recent thing I love about Obama are his comments on the temporary suspension of the national gas tax.  Both Clinton and McCain support suspending the gas tax for roughly three months.  This summer.  When most people take vacations and travel by car.  They think it will help ease the consumer's wallet.  Obama has called them on it.  He doesn't support the suspension in the tax, saying that it will only save the average consumer roughly $30 and is a short term fix in an election year to draw people's attention away from the real problem. That's the kind of frank honesty I respect in a candidate for president.

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And economists agree with Obama: 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080430/pl_nm/usa_politics_gasta x_economists_dc

If $10 a month (suspension of the gas tax = $30 savings for the average American over three months) buys just one vote for either Clinton or McCain, then it's a sad day to be an American. It's a non-solution.  It's so far from being a solution that it's absurd it's even being floated as a way to ease the average American's burden.  Please.  It's just a way for Clinton and McCain to make it look like they're doing something when, in reality, they are doing next to nothing.  In fact, in the article linked above by Kevin, some economists believe that the bulk of that "savings" will go into the already bloated pockets of big oil which, by the way, just posted record earnings.  SHOCKER!!!

Seriously.  If Clinton and McCain continue pushing this idea, my opinion of them will go down in equal measure.

QUOTE: So sometime more than 50 years ago the U.S. government was able to develop a disease that the world medical community couldn't even detect for at least 22 years and instead of directly infecting the people they wanted to kill decided to give the disease to chimps living near the people they wanted to kill. Yeah. Makes perfect sense.

But, Christopher....you're missing the logic of it all..because there is none.

White people invented conspiracy theories to drive the black man crazy.

We are addicted to oil.  We need to break the addiction.  We need to get more green for our children.  Thats why I believe we need some government regulation on the auto industry.  I think, based on the cost of oil and the impact of emmissions on the environment, the Federal government has to take a stand.  I think we should mandate that all new non-commercial automobiles sold in the United States after a set date in 2013 get 50 miles per gallon in cities.  That gives Detroit, Tokyo etc five years to get some "green" technology ready and to the masses.  Detroit should take it as a challenge to be relevant again -- to be an automotive leader.  Make green cars that are sexy -- cause the Prius is not too sexy.   

"You have your opinion, I have mine."

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The difference is, when I have an opinion regarding something about which I could not possibly have any direct knowledge, I am careful to state it as an opinion. You appear to have no problem indicating your diagnosis of someone else's emotional state as incontrovertible fact, even throwing in the word "obviously" to show how any rational individual must share your conclusions.

Your statement that Clinton's emotional reactions are obviously fake is absolutely no different than some troll saying that John Byrne obviously doesn't care about his work anymore. It's a presumption of knowledge you simply do not have.

I've always enjoyed this Vonnegut article on addiction and oil.

http://www.countercurrents.org/us-kurtvonnegurt130504.htm 

It's a presumption of knowledge you simply do not have.

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Here's one calling into question as to whether it was real or not:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14& amp;entry_id=23261

And another:  http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/01/07/abc-fa lls-hillary-s-crying-game-new-hampshire-will-others

So I'm far from being the only one who saw it for what it was....

I've always enjoyed this Vonnegut article on addiction and oil.

I miss that crazy bastard.  I didn't always think he was right, but he always made me think.