How can Larry David be a "self-hating Jew" when the offense in question is a scene where someone is urinating on a picture of Jesus?

My recollection may be a bit hazy, but aren't Christians the ones who worship Jesus? The Jews don't read the New Testament, just the Old.

So, Mr. Savage, you would describe a Jew who urinates on Jesus as "self-hating", even though Jesus is a Christian (not Jewish) icon?

Pardon me while I laugh at your ludicrous, pedantic pomposity.

The President needs to use his political capital to support the public option. He's really leaving the progressives in Congress high-and-dry. The bully-pulpit has long been an excellent tool for managing the national conversation and set priorities. President Clinton did a masterful job in that regard.

Please, President Obama, get it together and toss your hat into the ring.

There is no way...NO WAY...the White House will be able to marginalize Fox. It just can't happen. No one has been able to marginalize Rush Limbaugh, have they? Fox can spend 24 hours attacking the President but the White House can't afford to spend that kind of energy when there are, dare I say, MORE IMPORTANT things for them to focus on?

Thus, knowing that nothing will become of this, we must conclude this is a cynical ploy to rally a base that has become angry at the President for screwing up Health Care reform (among other things).

Kinda like when Karl Rove rallied the troops by running all those anti-gay State referendums in 2004.

Think logically, folks, instead of knee-jerk cheering Fox getting bashed. We're being played.

Somewhere along the line we forgot we were all on the same team. The Civil War showed how extreme things can get in a house divided. Conversely, the days following 9/11 showed how close we can be.

In the 60's through the 80's we were a nation predominantly separated by race. Now we are a nation separated predominantly by ideology.

Rather than focusing on what separates us, perhaps it is time to focus on what we have in common. We want to leave a better world for our children, a stronger nation for future generations.

When levees swell to the breaking point, you see Americans banding together to pile up sandbags. When a child falls down a well, you see Americans banding together to rescue them.

We've seen the nation's figurative levees break and the country fall down a well of depression. What are we going to do? Will we act?

Are we Americans, or are we stuck in a system that paralyzes us by ideology?

I wish I had the answer.

Worse, does the President really think this, too? I don't believe he does. That's why I say it's mealy-mouthed foot dragging.

Logically, we know the Afghan government won't be any different. It's just going to be another shade of puke. So this claim about waiting until the election is over is an obvious stalling tactic.

Regardless of whether Abdullah or Karzai wins, or there is a coalition established, the stench of the Afghan government will be the same.

This is mealy-mouthed foot dragging at its worst.

Come on, folks. This is just plain amateur hour by the administration. Fox isn't going to shut up. They won't be marginalized by anything the admin's flunkies say. If anything it will just solidify and strengthen opposition. Worse than that, Fox may get MORE viewers.

Can we please spend our energy on something a bit more urgent?

All of this mock outrage about our political discourse has changed nothing and will change nothing, except make the people on each side of the argument even more and more entrenched in their anger.

Hypocrisy breeds hypocrisy. Until we can come to terms with our own prejudices and hatreds, the venom will continue to flip-flop as political control changes hands.

Yes, there is racism with the wing nuts, but it isn't the overwhelming majority like President Carter says. That's just sensationalist rhetoric to drive home the point. I think he could've phrased it better. For example: "The overwhelming majority of those who are yelling the loudest are racist."

Instead, it came across as President Carter was implying that most people who oppose President Obama are racists. That's a very politically charged statement to make. Some of the people who are opposed to the President's policies actually voted for him.

People don't like being called racists. It's a really easy way to poison the well for the mid-terms. Tread lightly.

Just like moon-bat radicals make it difficult for progressives at times, these clueless reactionary conservative Christians make it tough for the rest of us, too.

Extremism, especially extreme stupidity, is always dangerous.

I think it's understood that the tax burden will need to shift in order to pay for the plan, but highlighting it will not help him politically. If he does, every pundit in the world will be screeching "YOU SEEEEEE!!! HE WANTS TO RAISE TAXES!!! *snarf snarf*!!!"

Standing firm on coverage for all Americans and insisting on a public option will show leadership and allow the President to firmly claim the moral high ground as his own.

It'll be great when the Democrats finally have a majority in each house of Congress. Then the President will be able to get a few important things accomplished.

...oh, wait....

Let's be honest and realize that there are nut-balls on both sides of the fence. Just out of curiosity, were you upset at the people who drew pics of Bush as Hitler?

I agree that it's all outrageous but we have to be consistent lest we make ourselves out to be hypocrites.

Why can't we pull this thing together and agree on some basic principles? The Republicans fiddle while gleefully dancing a jig as our party devours itself.

I understand it's a complicated issue but will someone please step forward (Mr. President?) with a strong list of guiding principles for health reform that are unassailable? "This is what it *must* have: A, B, C, D, etc etc"

When your own majority party isn't sure of what you want then the message has definitely become lost for the rest of the country.

First of all, she looks like a blithering idiot to anybody that's not a wingnut. Second of all, the wingnuts will go ga-ga over the fact that she's championing their "cause" and fighting against health care reform...err...excuse me...*socialism*. This will win a special place in their hearts, win her the nomination in 2012, and assure that President Obama is re-elected in a 50 state (+ DC) landslide.

Keep right on talking, Sarah.

Bravo. Very insightful. I think both sides stopped being Americans first and started being "Democrats and Republicans". We no longer seem to have any shared values, so each side is intent on labeling the other as un-American.

I sure hope the President follows through on his promise to be a post-partisan, unifying figure because we sure need it.