Sir; you know that you can tell one hellova big lie with a lttle twist of the truth, and there has not been much little twisting of the truth among republican shysters in recent decades. They tell the big lie and they tell it often, and even if the democrats haven't lost their idealism and their hope; I think most of them are losing their sense of humor, and their patience. If enough of the people can be manipulated by their fears there will never be enough motivated by their commitment to justice. People surrender justice to have security, but it a bad bargain. From my perspective we are not of the land of the brave, able to dare and do great things. We are the same people who filled this place: The huddled masses. We counted on this place. We counted on the promises government made to us. We counted on the government to serve America, and not give away the store. We've been burned by our leaders, by the system, and by the economy; and it is going to take some getting used to. Until then, you should expect that people are going to get a little sensitive when the lies start to unfold. Some people never get tired of being lied to. Reality is something they want protection from. Some people will welcome a lie into their homes and into their hearts and offer it pie and coffee. And many of us in this country are getting GD sick of being maniplated by shot in the dark intelligence, obreption, propaganda, and think tanks, spinners, prevaricators, and damned liars. But I wouldn't worry. We are all still very polite. Best.... Sweeney

Pat, you are exactly right. Such a pleasure to read your fearless articles. (If only you had been elected when you ran!)

I cannot believe this man wants to be POTUS. He is a professional victim . Everytime someone says something or writes something he crys foul. He does this on purpose to bring attention to himself and to invoke sympathy like boo-hoo they're picking on me and wife again. If he is going to get to the highest office in the land what is he going to do when he really is critized? Is this what his presidency is going to be like? Everyone walking on eggs with no one expressing free speech. Also, it's a fact tha the black community can use the N-word without any problem;hence Jesse Jackson. As Whoopie Goldberg said its our word it belongs to us alone and we can use it anyway WE want to. She also said her mother couldn't vote. Well a lot of women couldn't vote. The problem with Goldbergs thoughts are they have not moved on and still expect everyone to pay or be punished for the past treatment of the black community. Look what happened to Imus when he used the term (in bad judgement) NHhos. BUT nothing was said when Spike Lee used that phrase in a movie.

Re: Marian; Sir, What Mr. Obama needs to do is go through two terms harassed from one end to the other by special prosecuters, libel, slander, and insinuation. No one considers when they lay that crap on a public servant that they are attacking a servant of all the people no matter how small the majority that elects them. What comes after character assasination? How much more uncivil can it get? If your guy gets elected, you want him given respect, and a chance; do you not? For example, I was on a job once where the whole raising gang wanted the moon the Governor, Governor Engler, for whom I had little love or respect. But these boys and young men who wanted to show their hairy butts to the governor would have insulted all who voted for him, and all the people of Michigan. And I took abuse for it, and I would do it again, but reason prevailed. We have let ourselves get so deeply divided that we see the other side as the enemy. I do think party is the enemy, this one and that one. But the people are not the enemy, and I will not insult them by insulting their man or woman. The goal for each of us is what it has always been: a more perfect union. The parties have led us into disunion. They have encouraged this partisan hatred. They are not the cause of our division, but they, and the parasitic press pour salt and dirt into our open wounds and blame each other for the fester. It will always be divide and conquer for some. Forget that. Let's be friends. I think we can learn how to find agreement. And I think we have reached the point where we must.

This has been a long campaign made longer by excessive, public displays of wound licking on all sides. Remember all the hand wringing over Wesley Clarke's statements--which in context weren't at all insulting.
I'm an Obama supporter, and for the record, I wasn't offended by the New Yorker cartoon, and even if I was . . . well, if you're doing political satire and nobody's offended, then you're really not doing it right.