I am disappointed she settles for falling back on style rather than substance. She seems incurious, like George W. Bush, like she has not spent much if any time really thinking and being challenged to refine ideas and positions on national and international issues. I don’t want another snake oil salesman like George W. Bush. It concerns me that Republican-Americans are willing to settle for so little. On the other hand, Rasmussen today has Obama up 10 points in NH.

No, none of us do. We can only read the signs, and all signs point to it. GOP strategists and banks are gleeful about it. I am confident this is who McCain wants in that role. And my point is, let’s look at who McCain is likely to surround himself with. His advisors and go-to men and women are the architects and boosters of the GOP’s failed economic and diplomatic policies of the Bush years. But if you’ve heard anything different and solid about Treasury, let us know. I keep tabs on who each candidate will surround himself with as President, because we’ve seen how much trouble those unelected Cabinet officials got us into the past eight years.

Barb, since there’s long been consensus around some early access to abortion in the US and very little support at all for outright ban, I feel to take an extreme view is not helpful. A federal ban is unlikely and flies against states’ rights. Far better to use our passion around this issue making sure women have the social and economic equality that makes every child a wanted child. We have way bigger fish to fry in this election than abortion, so let’s not get fooled again by politicians who use it to inflame and distract us, when they know they’ll never enact the ban that, in their pandering, they claim they’ll enact.

I was at my family’s home in Philadelphia for my grandmother’s funeral. On tv, I saw breaking news flash that Diana had been in a crash and her injuries were “grave.” I stayed up all nite watching the news, and after a few hours sleep, awoke with those hot tears of realization that she was gone. She was my contemporary; I adored and admired and identified with her, as a struggling young woman, as a mother, as a person coming into her own. Her brother’s eulogy said it all. I miss her and suppose I always will.

There is a great stigma to Alzheimer’s in the US and I applauded Sandra Day O’Connor for speaking and writing about her husband’s dementia so candidly, and I applaud Carol Thatcher too. Thank you to both of them.

It makes no sense to base a precious vote for President on the abortion issue. Presidents can not make law and they can not appoint Sup Ct justices without congressional approval. Should the court review the shaky penumbra rights holding of Roe, the result will be not to illegalize abortion, but to throw the issue to the states, where a patchwork of laws will take hold. Pew and others find year after year that 76% of Americans approve of some abortion. That’s a consensus. And that’s why the anti-woman zealots have to harass people at clinics and refuse to fill their morning after pill prescriptions. They see the writing on the wall: 1 in 4 American women by age 45 has had an abortion and if you want to see a complete generation of male politicians run out of office, just try a blanket prohibition. Let’s focus on more important things, like the fact that McCain will appoint Phil Gramm Treasury Secy, the same Phil Gramm whose lax views toward banking regulation led directly to Enron and the current banking crisis.

I did not know who Rick Warren was so I went to his website, where he says good deeds can not bring a person salvation; only the born-again exercise can do that. After reading that, and Cynthia’s piece, I am put in mind of what Susan B. Anthony said: “I distrust those who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.”

Thanks, that’s my PTA picture, WL, lol I think you’re right about the backhanded compliment, that fits. I am lucky to have a daughter. Daily, though, the memories come up of how I was treated at her age, as she reaches the milestones my parents handled so badly with me. I often flash back to something and think, I would no more say or do that to my daughter than … I don’t know what. But I’ve learned about being an affirming parent for her, having had no model for that, because I am determined not to perpetuate this nonsense :D I marvel at her confidence, so, so far, so good!

You know, at the time, Phyllis, I took it positively but a little voice inside was telling me he shouldn’t be setting me up to compare myself to her. (My mom values looks and nice cars and homes and possessions alot and I grew up being proud of those things rather than proud of my family just for being my family.) When you say I let it affect my sense of self, I wonder how I could have prevented that as an adolescent. I am learning that some things are put into us by our parents, sometimes subtly, and sometimes we just don’t recognize them as an impediment until later.

Oh this is a painful topic for me. I always wanted to ask an opinion on this, so here goes: Ever since I hit puberty, my father had something he would say to me, frequently, and he said it until I was well into my 20s (I am 46 now): “If you look half as good at 30 as your mother does at 40 (then he eventually upped it to 50), you’ll be lucky.” What the hell does that actually mean? It never set well with me. I grew up hating my looks and doubting pretty much everything about myself :D

She was a hero. What a loss for the US. Her family I hope is consoled by knowing she made every moment count. I love how Stephanie lauded affirmative action for her full scholarship to Case Western Reserve University; she is an emblem of all that is right with that program. The guts it must have taken her, the first African American woman on Ways and Means, to oppose the Bush tax cuts and privatizing social security! Stephanie, you will be missed, and inspired by you, I will continue to try to make every moment count.

I was a big Edwards supporter who was mystified why he ran such a lackluster campaign when he was so good on paper. Now i know why: he was committing adultery (on his terminally ill wife and mother of his small children, not that that makes it any worse than it is.) The hubris, the sense of entitlement, the narcissism, the egocentricity, the idiocy … I hope Barack is vetting all VP candidates back to their kindergarten days using all private investigation means available :D

I often feel powerless to do anything after reading something like this, but not this time. RAWA puts donations from us American women to good use in funding its good work to help the most vulnerable Afghan women and children: For US$: Please make check or money order payable to IHC/Afghan Women’s Mission. Your tax-deductible contribution will be sent to RAWA. Mail check or money order to: The Afghan Women’s Mission 2460 N. Lake Ave. PMB 207 Altadena, CA 91001 USA

We’ve moved every 5 yrs, to suburbs, with our kids. In NY we were on a 40’ wide lot with front porch and sidewalk, so it was easy to be neighbors. In Tampa, 60’ wide lots, front porches, sidewalks, much neighborliness. In our new city we traded the front porches and narrow lots for an acre lot we thought wd be great for the kids. Turns out this one-acre zoning places your home so far from the homes on either side that you just don’t see each other much. The difference in the feel of the neighborhood is palpable. I am overcoming my dissatisfaction with the bigger lot with those wise words from the Talmud: “We do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.” So I’ve decided I have to try harder to make neighbors of these neighbors :D After all, we have a lot in common: kids of all ages, desire for a safe community, our property values, the fact that we all have to eat—and our womanhood :D

I had no idea. This is a great piece: beautifully written, informative, memorable—and concise. I don’t have a lot of time to read so I value these qualities. I will share with my time-pressed daughter, as well ;D