Dear Mr. Shields:
I have enjoyed and benefited from your commentary on the Lehrer News Hour for years, and I have recently begun reading your online essays. Because of your passionate, modest, and always insightful commentary, I think you are one of our national treasures!
I have recently established a simple blog entitled "www.journalhome.com/theinformeddemocrat," on which I provide information about online resources as well as book reviews for Democrats. My goal is to try to bridge the gap between the highly educated "reading" class and Americans who could probably be better informed if guided toward the right material. Currently on my blog are reviews of Al Gore's "The Assault on Reason" and Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America," and I am currently reading John Dean's "Broken Government," which I hope to review in a couple of days. I also have about two dozen other recent books in-house that I plan to review.
I hold a graduate degree in political economy (though most of my career was in technical and business writing), and I have a fairly broad exposure not only to the political and economic literature but also to the humanities. I think I have a somewhat ironic though not off-putting writing style--my goal is not to shock but to engage readers. I am currently working with the local county Democratic Party organization and have asked them if they will link to my blog on their Web site, which I think will happen. However, I do not know if my reviews deserve broader exposure. Would you consider looking at my work to see if you think I should seek to reach out? (You can scroll past the upfront information.) It should only take about 10 minutes of your time.
Whatever your response, I will continue to be an ardent fan and reader of your opinions.
With utmost respect,
Ray E. Hardesty
hardesty2@earthlink.net

You know Mark, I expect that garbage from Lehrer and Brooks. I thought we elected leaders for what they could do to lead the country and make the lives of ordinary citizens better. Look what we got because a slim majority of American thought they would rather go have a beer with Bush than Kerry. Hillary Clinton want to move this country forward. But hey, the free market will solve everything; Just ask Nataline (Natalee, seems the MSM can't get anything correct) Sarkisyan.

Dear Mark, I would like to relay an observation that I think is very important and one that I have not seen or heard by anyone so far. The short observation is that "THE SOUTH" is " GREECE. I have broached the idea that since the end of the Civil War till right now, the Northern and in recent years "The Blue" states have subsidized the South and many Western States (Alaska, need I say more). Higher wages, and taxes, etc, going to the Federal Government, and then going to the States that have low wages and low taxes. It is like having your wife's brother in law living in your basement and complaining about the cooking. I live in Missouri and have made the same case with people live outstate. St. Louis and Kansas City are the economic engines that drive the state, but we are hamstrung by outstate legislators. Souther Senators and Representatives scolding me about fiscal policy is hard to take. Your skill at pointing out that the electrification (TVA, super highway system (Ike), and now the information super highway (Gore , he really does deserve some credit) has been on the Blue State dime. Give the North the deal that the South has had for 155 years. Thank you Denny Clancy