I love Dennis Kucinich. Makes public service look good.

I like McCain's surge plan better than GWB's, although I am losing hope that a surge could really accomplish much for Iraq. For Iran, on the other hand . . .

I love it when candidates are attacked for shilling to the primary voters. It is a fun part of the American political game and I don't begrudge McCain for playing the game to win. If he wanted to be principled, then he could be the right's version of Dennis Kucinich. And never get out of Iowa.

Jon Stewart's line about the Straight Talk Express still rings true, though. "Has John McCain's Straight Talk Express been rerouted through Bullshit Town?"

What people miss is that both democrats and republicans have sold out the United States, NAFTA, GATT, WTO, World Bank anyone? Kerry, Bush, there is no difference in where we are today and where we would be. Kerry probably set this up to make the election closer so that it will be plausible for another stolen election so that business as usual can continue. Until they stand behind removing the creation of money from the Federal Reserve, a private corporation that prints our money and then rents it back to us, no politician is a patriot. I only know of 2 who advocate returning to Congress the interest-free, constitutional right to print money, Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. This should be the litmus test of every politician and every would-be public servant: the elimination of the Federal Reserve (which is as 'government' as Federal Express). For those of you who have eyes to see and ears to hear please see: Aaron Russo's, America - Freedom to Fascism. They want $5 to view the movie online, but there is a 14 minute trailer that you can find at: http://www.freedomtofascism.com/

I really shouldn't throw overbroad rhetorical bombs out there. I do think that the "use it or lose it" and "google bomb" initiatives are valuable in that they invite the media to cover things that would not otherwise be covered.

"Net roots" may yield results in 10-15 years, but there were no real accomplishments in 2004 and it doesn't look like progressives will make a leap forward in 2006. If Dems prevail in a few days, I think that you will see wins from Dems who act like Republicans but do not act like religious nutjob Republicans (i.e. James Webb in VA; Ben Cardin in MD; Lieberman in CT; Tester in MT).

The problem is that affluent white men and women aged 18-29 (the core of the net roots movement) are predominantly urban and have little connection or feel for rural areas. Merely Dean-dropping the kids into Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and the West will always be a recipe for disaster.

The ideological progressive purity demanded by the Kos and his ilk will only ever yield that intensely great and beautiful man, Dennis Kucinich. It will not produce a person who can ever hope to be elected on a nationwide basis.