“I disagree with most of your views but I do think you hit it on the money here. Whether we end up blue or red in November it will be good for both sides to air their laundry and have a good fight over the essence of what we want this country and its policies to be. We Democrats really feel a need to do this and it would be good to force the Repubs to do the same (state their real, and in my opinion somewhat logical, reasons for going into Iraq, etc… not the pap they normally trot out).
On another point regarding Dean’s character, the “angry Dean” notion is certainly making the rounds but I’m afraid it’s quite off the mark. I’ve known Dean for 20 years, he was my doctor and my father’s doctor when my father had terminal cancer, and anger certainly isn’t his driving force. Sure, he’s tough and abrupt sometimes but I can assure that he is a perfectly decent likeable fellow, perhaps just a little on the energetic side! But there is also something deeper, much deeper that was on display when he was a doctor. If he can bring to the presidency his capacity that I saw to look at facts (my father’s medical condition, for example) and draw difficult conclusions (my father’s terminal condition) and then communicate his findings in the same supportive and, dare I say, inspiring way he did as a doctor then he will bring something quite extraordinary to the country.
He’s not going to play hide-the-ball and he just might inspire us. He’s certainly inspired me before in difficult times.” – more feedback on the Letters Page.
THE REAL DEAN BASE? Singles in cities. Here’s a manifesto for them.
ASSAD’S DUPLICITY: He gives an interview to the New York Times in English, then re-publishes it for Arab audiences, omitting a huge chunk of text. Money quote: “The part that was omitted included questions and answers regarding [Syria’s] domestic situation, Iraq, Hizbullah, normalization with the Hebrew state, and U.S.-Syrian security cooperation.” MEMRI is on the case.
The Dish 