This diary is for folks that want to discuss policy and politics, NOT for gung ho cheerleaders !!!  

If this kind of topic will upset you,
Step away from the diary!
Repeat -
Step away from the diary!

Okay, are they gone?  Now - -

Earlier today, I rushed to the defense of Russ Feingold.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/8/21/1758 59/643#30

People need to get a grip.

Russ Feingold is a great senator in the best of the midwest labor populist progressive tradition.  

Feingold is reliably progressive on foreign policy.  Feingold is reliably progressive on domestic policy.  He was the ONLY Senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act, i.e., to vote in support of the first and fourth amendments.

If we weren't a nation of lingering religious prejudice and sexual hypocracy (OMG!  He's divorced 2 x!), Feingold would be an acknowledged future presidential prospect and on any Democrat's vice presidential short list.

One of the most over the top pro Obama sites from February forward was Americablog.  At times, the front page authors' critiques of Hillary would devolve to the juvenilia of name calling and school yard taunts (i,.e., "tell this horrible woman to go away!")

Now, look at today's joint front page post - -

http://www.americablog.com/2008/08/lack- of-any-consistent-lines-of-attack.html#d isqus_thread

High (or low) lights:

. . . you're not voting for someone who thinks any abortion in any circumstance is ever permissible.

The candidate can hem.  The candidate can haw.  The candidate can fudge.  The candidate can obfuscate.  The candidate can pick a "pro life" running mate and two dozen "pro life" speakers.

The candidate can go up, down, by and through the whole 'I'm personally opposed but it must be legal, safe, and rare' mantra.

But, real pro lifers are still not going to vote for you even if you say it's only permissible in cases of rape or incest or within the first 3 minutes of conception.

Are you concerned that the latest polls show McCain evidently raising the roof on his "ceiling"?  You're a concern troll!

Do the polls showing Obama's continuing weakness in certain core constituent groups worry you?  Don't worry, be happy!

When polls indicate that Obama's standing is overly reliant upon being the overwhelming favorite of youth, women and African Americans, do you realize that any fall among women could be fatal?  That this indicates the direction of one of the coming attacks from McCain (i.e., "I'd consider a pro choice VP!"), so we better be ready?  And that featuring Casey at the convention, and paying homage to Nunn, could put more nails in the "older white women" coffin?  Then you're a god damn dead ender!

Okay, you're a first term senator running for president.

You're being (unfairly) attacked as a celebutant with inadequate experience for troubled times.

You're going to appear at an evangelical forum where you obviously must expect questions regarding abortion, life and choice.

You have tens of millions of dollars cash on hand for staff to help you prepare for these things.

Little Miss Can't-Stick-to-an-Agenda just did it again.  

Fresh off her vanity (ghost written) book tour ('cause she had nothing better to take care of, right?), Miss Nancy caved on offshore drilling.

"Democrats' stance against offshore drilling has shifted more, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaling on Saturday her willingness to consider opening up more coastal areas to oil and gas exploration."

If John Edwards gives a damn about our cause, he will come absolutely positively 100% clean today.

Letting the story come out in dribs and drabs via half truths and misleading statements only keeps the story alive.

We don't need daily or weekly updates and exposes exploring when it really started and ended and who were the lawyers and who paid the lawyers and where did the money come from and how much money was paid.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics /AP/story/643902.html