Dab: Imagine my surprise when I saw your comment in my mailbox! I am flattered and humbled that anyone even noticed I was “here”. Wow! Honestly, in some of the threads I just felt like I was talking to myself…even ‘though there were tons of women posting. It seemed I only got a repsonse when I either said something dumb (without basis) or pissed someone off because of what I said. So, I just threw in the towel and decided to give it a rest. It’s pretty here in South Carolina but so cold! A cold front descended on us yesterday and it’s been quite chilly. I happen to like it for a change and can hardly wait to put on my turtlenecks and corduroy jackets! I hope everyone in WoW land is fine as wine and excited about being able to finally exhale one week from today. :) BTW, thank you again ever so much. I’ve always believed that all people really want is to be encouraged, noticed, heard. Thanks Dab, thanks a ton!

Holy cow! I am pretty much your basic Papist wop. I’m not crazy about the current Holy Father but…he was chosen, so be it. And there’s much about the Roman Catholic Church that I disagree with BUT I love the Blessed Mother. Don’t know why. I would never be so arrogant as to contradict anyone’s feelings or opinions about religion. To me, religion and/or the beliefs of notions beyond us are very personal. I attended Catholic schools before Vatican II so was exposed to the reverance and majesty and mystery of believing in something otherwordly. It gets me through the day. I’m not radical or nutty about my faith. It’s blind faith for sure. But leave me and everyone else to their personal beliefs. We all deserve a place to run and hide for comfort, if that is what it takes. Shoving these beliefs into the lives of others, however, is where I draw the line. It’s not acceptable.

Although I answered previously with my non-answer I want to set the record straight. Your question is a “how” question. Given what (little) we know about Governor Palin, it would be tough to discuss any method she might use to fight for womens’ issues. According to her record she is pretty much anti-womens’ rights. I don’t think she would fight for anything except to force her ideological and religious beliefs on the rest of us. Unfortunate but probably true.

Thanks Dana Jae. It’s a sad and awful thing. Certainly Senator McCain has suffered mightily from his wounds and his memories. But to sandbag the families of MIAs and other POWs, thwart efforts to aid veterans, vote to ignore Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions ( which addresses torture) is impossible for me to get my head around. It makes absolutely no sense and, as you said “not a good feeling in the gut”. Important for people to investigate, for sure. The debate will go on, with or without him! Bravo to Ole Miss and Senator Obama.

Gulli: I’m days behind on this one. You are all over the map, sir! Hard to keep track of what you are saying. With regards to my comment that LBJ inherited JFKs “stuff” I was talking about the quiet escalation by “adviser” before he was killed AND nothing about Cuba although you tossed that in there. China and the EU. Not referring to the past but to the present vis a vis our economy. I lived through the LBJ years and Viet Nam…it was my generation that fought that war and protested against that war. By virtue of the faked attack in the Gulf of Tonkin, thereby named the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave war powers to LBJ, Congress be damned. I enjoyed your view and agree with some of it, but didn’t appreciate the comment about JFK or Clinton’s alleged sexual exploits. Who cares about that when our asses are in a sling?

Should the End Times prophesy happen everything’s kaput!

Hobo, get a load of this. Nothing to do with the economy but have nowhere to put it on this site! Pass it on. http://www.truthout.org/article/mccain-and-pow-cover-up Keep up the good work! :)

What a ridiculous question. We already know the answer. Of course it’s going to cost us. But probably the “us” in this is not the “you” in this.

Mary Page, please help me get this information to more people: http://www.truthout.org/article/mccain-and-pow-cover-up

To All of You on this thread…and since there is not one, single place to talk about the presidential candidate…read this stomach-churning and sad information about Candidate McCain. http://www.truthout.org/article/mccain-and-pow-cover-up

My Alias: okay, so we have slightly differing viewpoints on what you call the “victimization” of HRC. Did I say it too? Eek. At any rate, I think you can only be a victim if you accept that role. I don’t think she did. I think she’s handled herself with dignity. I am not as cynical as you are, although, Lord knows I have my doubts. It’s way too late in the game (or too early?) to be talking about a third party, for godsake! We’re at the eleventh hour in this particular election. Yes, there are some third party candidates but there is just no real, credible, supported third party yet! Until one really coalesces and gets membership of large, large numbers they will not be able to compete and they always seem to draw important votes from the two sickening existing parties because the votes are so close AND our nation is so divided! Phew! That could be in the William Faulkner longest sentence without punctuation contest. Anyway, you get my drift. And, ultimately, I think we share many of the same views. E Pluribus Unum

Ms Hinajosa, I watched your piece last night on PBS here in South Carolina on SCETV. What a wonderfully and beautifully open program you put together. Thank you so much. I was touched by each of the women’s stories you shared and wept along with you three in Rwanda. It made sense that Rwanda, despite its past horrors, is able to rise from those ashes and re-invent itself. I wholeheartedly believe that not all women officials focus their attention on womens’ issues by virtue of simply being a woman! Certainly there is more empathy and compassion but, the ideal would be to focus on all human issues period. I loved the President of Argentina Bachelet. Her closing statements were wonderful and the reaction she got from her citizens uplifting and heartwarming. Finally, I agree that a woman is as capable as any man of leading a nation. Indira Ghandi did it. Gold Meir did it. And, in fact, it looks like woman is about to take the reigns of Israel again), Margaret Thatcher did it. America, while we believe we are so advanced, we truly are way behind the times in advancing women. Thank you again Ms Hinajosa, I watch NOW every week right after Washington Week because I always feel sure I’m getting major, major reality checks. A beautifully, intelligently and sensitively done piece.

On the issue of Senator Biden as VP: Joe Biden is a workhorse. He’s got the experience required to help guide the ship of state. A ship’s captain is only as good as his navigator and his first mate. If we strip all of this junk down to its most basic form, it’s clear to see. Another thought: the McCain/Palin camp doesn’t even have the decency to utter Senators Obama or Biden’s names but refers to them as “my opponent/the opponent/our opponent”. I find that very rude and very unappealing. It also perpetuates this trend of “right and left, black and white, red and blue, liberal and conservative”. Are we that dumb? Don’t allow these divisive portrayals to invade your thinking. God help us I pray that every clear-thinking American sees through this Republican BS and casts their vote for a New Day, new leadership, and people who will actually work in our best interests. The Republicans have proved they are not in it for that. All these financial bailouts, the shift from Iraq to Afghanistan (does anyone really believe that Iraq is “stable”?) is just to dump the responsibility on the next President and it looks to me that that says a lot. They are worried so to get the last slap in on the face of all Americans, this mad dash to suddenly talk about deregulation/regulation, etc. I heard Governor Palin make some broad remark about ethics. Laughable. I wouldn’t waste my precious vote on that lot and am working hard to be sure that every, single young person I know is registered and ready to vote. They are the ones that will inherit the mess we “grown ups” have made and allowed to be made.

Come on Marj, a rout? Check the polls. BTW, you may be interested in Googling ‘Stanford University Race Poll’ that was just released. It says that if any one factor will sink the Dems it will be racial prejudice. Take a look deep, down inside. Although many of you keep going back to the “experience” issue as your reasoning…

Well, My Alias, you’ve just described my personal political nightmare! :)