I’ve listened to people defend Clinton’s comparison to Jesse Jackson and others bash Clinton’s comparison, and my point, which seems to escape you, is that it was a ham-fisted, stupid thing to say. My original comment has NOTHING to do with what Jesse Jackson was or was not able to accomplish as much as an observation about Clinton saying something stupid when a more appropriate response would be to congratulate Obama and point out that South Carolina was only one of many primaries/caucuses in the process.

Clearly, Obama initially tried to promote himself as a candidate for president who happened to be black instead of a black candidate for president, which is WHY Obama was intially seen as a racially transformational candidate. And yes, Bill Clinton’s remark actually hurt Hillary and helped Obama, which is WHY I said that it was a stupid thing for Clinton to say!

I suppose that I can understand how Jackson supporters might be insulted by the reaction of the Obama campaign to Clinton’s comparison, but again, this was not my point. My ONLY point was that it was a damn stupid thing for Bill Clinton to say–especially since congratulating Obama on his victory and pointing out that it was only one of many primaries/caucuses in the process would have been a BETTER response where Clinton would not have risked offending ANYONE. Again, the lesson that Clinton seems to have forgotten is that it does not pay to be snarky.

They have absolutely nothing to do with each other except the fact that your candidate allowed herself to be duped by Bush and Cheney. Talk about wrong for America, the repercussions of that vote will be with us for years to come. I don’t want a president who is going to pull the trigger without thinking just because America is scared.

I have said that I disagree with Obama’s vote on the Energy Bill, his vote on the Patriot Act, and his use of the Harry and Louise ads. He is not my perfect candidate, but in MY opinion he’s the best we’ve got.

But at the time, the people who were involved in it, believed that Jesse did have a chance and that’s why we joined his coalition. It’s demeaning and just as offensive to hear that because white people believe Obama is a legitimate candidate any comparison to Jackson marginalizes him as a black candidate. It’s all the more ludicrous because of the way Obama has presented himself to the black communnity as one of our very own, when in fact he’s not.

So let me get this straight: he’s AA to blacks, but to whites he’s what?

Sorry, but without Jackson’s very vigourous run Obama would be braving new territory.

Again, I ask you to pay attention to the part where I am saying that this is demeaning to what Jackson did indeed accomplish at the time. And again, Bill’s statement actually increased his momentum. Wright derailed it.

Second, and perhaps, more importantly, the ends would have justified the means if Saddam could have been deposed with a minimum of bloodshed, with stability restored in reasonably short order, and with a minimum of destruction of the infrastructure of the country. Regardless of how you may feel about Iraq now, there is little doubt that public opinion would be completely different if we had been able to rebuild the infrastructure within a matter of months, prop up a reasonably stable government with a minimum of internal violence, and then withdraw troops with only a small contingency left to guard the embassy. All these cries about “war crimes” would have fallen on deaf ears if the EXECUTION of the war had occurred with the degree of efficiency and competence that I have just outlined.

Frankly, it amazes me to see ANYONE unhappy that Saddam Hussein was deposed. The guy was pure evil, and if you do not know that, then you obviously have a VERY limited source of information on Iraq.

As I earlier pointed out, I opposed the regime-change resolution back in 1998 since I feared that a power vacuum would ensue that would destabilize the region. At the time, I had a colleague who was an Iraqi-American. When I commented to her that I objected to this call for regime change, she proceeded to let me know just how BAD Saddam Hussein was! Believe me when I say that I got an earful! Do you honestly believe that we should have continued to stick our heads in the sand while Saddam was torturing and slaughtering his own people? Perhaps–certainly an argument can be made for that sort of isolationism (and actually, Bush misled voters into believing that he was an isolationist type of guy in 2000). But an equally valid argument can be made that a competently executed invasion, occupation, and stabilization of Iraq might have been feasible with competence from the top. It certainly would have been desirable to the vast majority of voters.

At the time that Bill Clinton made his comparison to Jesse Jackson, I felt like Clinton was taking a jab at the fact that Obama was a black candidate for president. Up until that point, Obama had run as a candidate for president who happened to be black–at least, he started out his campaign that way. Frankly, I think that Bill Clinton would have been better off congratulating Obama on his victory and then saying that this was only one primary out of many. Clinton could have pointed out that South Carolina was the ONLY state that John Edwards won in 2004, but then, he would have taken a chance on offending Edwards. Bill Clinton needs to re-learn that it doesn’t pay to be snarky.

Say WHAT?! So, committing the greatest war crime of all - an act of pure, unjustified aggression is OK as long as you do it “right”?

Listen and try to understand that there absolutely no “right” way to do something that is fundamentally wrong. The bottom line that must be kept at the forefront at all times is that the United States had no reason and no right to attack or occupy Iraq, has no right or reason to be there now, and needs to get out soon, quickly, and completely. The overwhelming majority of Iraqis understand that this is the only hope for Iraq.

And I am not singling you out here, but I am really tired of hearing people talk about what kind of “solution” was needed in 2002 to the “Iraq problem”. What we had then - just as what we have now regarding Iran - was a crisis manufactured out of whole cloth in order to justify what the administration had decided long ago to do. There was no solution needed because there was no problem. Saddam was contained, on his way out, and the Iraqi people and the country of Iraq was a million times better off with that despot than they are now or will be at any time in the foreseeable future. Ask any Iraqi you like - except, of course for the 15-20% who are benefiting by their collaboration. The rest will tell you very clearly.

1) We may disagree on just how important foreign policy is, but it has nothing to do with semantics, so please learn what “semantic” means and use it correctly.

2) For the third time (or so), I have not said Iraq is “the only factor”. I have said that foreign policy and military policy, too, are CRITICAL factors, and any American who closes his eyes to that is playing a very risky game with his own life and the state of the entire world.

Today, by the way, is the first anniversary of the beginning of the 15 year Lebanese civil war, and there are lots of events going on this week. Today in the “downtown” area there was a very nice march commemorating the day, and tonight I attended an interesting event as well. The majority of the population do not, of course, want a repeat of that 15 years of hell, but as usual the “leaders” do not really care about that.

And if there is a democracy in the Middle East, it is Lebanon where they have been holding vibrant elections for decades - something very few Americans have any idea about.

So, whether it is America or Lebanon, well, so much for democracy! The will of the people in important matters still does not count for much.

Good. I hope they do. Then maybe Americans will realize what attacking other countries is really costing them and do something about it.

you´ve got some nerve

cults cling to the bitter end. so around may when Hillary asks you to drink the coolaid and join her with mcSame will you…I know just kidding even she´s not that crazy.

but when she brings her basketball back to the court to play with Dean and the others will you all follow?

honest question…