Welcome Glenn.

Glenn, I heard you interviewed on the radio earlier this week. Sounds like a great book.

Glenn! Long time fan here!

Welcome Glenn! (He’s sitting in the next room, so it’s a little weird.)

Aloha, Glenn!

So?

You write great stuff. I read your Salon.com every day without fail. I love how the wignuts are reduced to lame ad hominem name-calling at you, ‘cuz they got no substantive answers to your arguments.

Sorry for the snark, Glenn, thought I had the chance of being first.

Jane, I received a ‘Video is no longer available’ message…

Jane,
“Video no longer available?”

Hi Glenn.
Just bought the book this afternoon at the local independent book store and ordered Cliff’s Real McCain. Gotta get primed.

Glenn, thank you for being here, and Jane, hello!

(Rubbing palms together in anticipation)

Glenn, welcome to the Lake.

Hi everyone, from the Jane Hamsher compound - thanks for the nice welcome.

Should be up in a second, sometimes YouTube takes a bit.

“While John McCain refers to the press as “my base,”

Just spell out the sound of the infuriated scream I just emitted…my dogs ran out of the room…

Arrogant SOB.

Waaaaahhhh…I hate them all…waaaahhh.

Glenn, a great round of applause here.

I would love to participate but am not feeling too good so I’ll lurk. Feel like I’m really missing out. Still, you make my day!

Glenn, you’re doing yeoman’s work. May your book have many readers. Thanks for coming today.

First question for Glenn,

I’ve just gotten through the first chapter. Do you know anything about the Duke’s kids? Have they said anything much about their dad? Have they seen your book and said anything about it?

Mr. Rev. was quite surprised about the real John Wayne—isn’t everyone? I think this is an important image to puncture through and through. Thanks for getting us started.

LS - The press refers to themselves as “McCain’s base,” too. Newsweek’s article on that little Sedona ranch party he has was headlined “McCain hosts his base.”

When I did a Bloggingheads with Ana Marie Cox, and she was defending the press treatment of McCain, she claimed that was just all a “joke.” If that’s so, it’s not very funny, though I’ll leave it to everyone else to decide if they think it’s a joke.

Dave Neiwert - Thanks. As you know, I’ve been an admirer of your work for some time.

Minor fix in post:

charicature

Glenn, were you surprised at the reaction to the debate performances of Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos?

Is there any way to get addresses of McSame’s 8 houses and start showing arial pics of it all over the toobz?

The elite wealthy brand needs to be applied repeatedly methinks.

Hi Glenn:

Here’s a wonderful video of Fox news in action and a catholic priest who was not impressed (found on Atrios comments).

http://www.geekarmy.com/politi.....Owned.html

RevDeb - I’m not sure about Wayne’s relationship with his kids, to be honest — though I do know that John McCain’s kids boycotted his wedding (his second one) and had a very strained relationship with him after McCain dumped their (disabled and disfigured) mother to marry his much younger, much prettier, and much richer mistress.

The reason I chose John Wayne to start the book was because, on almost every level, he’s such a perfect template for our today’s right-wing leaders function.

“In his book, Glenn argues that until we start examining the lives of Republicans with the same scrutiny that the press accords to Democrats — until we start talking about how John McCain walked out on his first wife after she was handicapped in a car accident for a rich woman much younger than him who financed his political career, how he referred to her with the “c” word, or his threats of violence against other members of Congress — the playing field will not be level.”

And he’s a cheater…he cheated on his first wife…he’s fundamentally disloyal to those he “loves” and fundamentally “dishonest”. That is very much what did Giuliani in. Although, Ghouliani is now on the short list or VP…how convenient. Two peas in a pod.

Spit.

Argh…makes me so mad!!

My place is littered with half-read books from fdl’s salon, but I read all of Mr. Greenwald’s stuff. So, what is the basis of this book?

Peterr — I wasn’t surprised necessarily by the reaction to the ABC debate — it was so extreme and transparent — but I was surprised, pleasantly so, about how quickly and loudly the backlash asserted itself.

I can assure you that other journalists saw that and took note of the fact that if they engage in similar trashly conduct, there will be a price to pay. That is extremely important to establish that.

bom dia, glenn

Welcome! Having heard wonderful reviews of your book, I just ordered and with a little hope, it should be here in a week.

Well THAT’s something at least.

Oilfieldguy - The book is devoted to examining the petty, vapid personality-based mythologies and attacks that the Right use to win elections, and the vital role the establishment press plays in propagating those themes. It examines what progressives and Democrats have to do to stop these themes from being used unilterally.

Do your think there will be another “debate” between HRC and The Sheik?

Endless warmongering and more Neofascism is not acceptable.

Glenn
Your book is here and I can’t wait to read it. Will you be coming to California for book signings? Thanks for being a FDL today.

Just starting your book. The takedown of John Wayne is terrific. Thanks for all that you do.

I don’t comment often, but I feel compelled by gratitude to thank you, Digby, Marcy Wheeler, John Amato, all fab folks at FDL, and others I read every day.

You are the Jeffersons, Madisons, Paines, and Adams of our times.

Simply,

Thanks.

I won’t be making it to California on this trip, but it’s very possible I’ll be out there for some book events in May.

I think once the primary is over, there is going to be another push with the book, once everyone is focused on the real enemy — John McCain, the Right and their media enablers.

Thank you. As an aside, I read your first “blook” on my way to the first KOS convention. Many people interrupted my reading at airports with queries about it. Great stuff. Hopefully I made a few sales for you.

Glenn:
Don’t you think that a large part of the problem is that the supposed opposition party largely buys into these themes: HRCs “troubling” comments about Jeremiah Wright and Ayers, the denounciations of Dean for saying that Saddam’s departure didn’t actually do anything to improve our security, and so on? To me, the Democrats reinforcement of dimwit gotcha culture is required for their effect.

Welcome, Glenn — great book, and so painfully timely this week, I have to say…

Glenn,

I’m enjoying the book very much. In chapter 2, you talk about the influence of Drudge on the media and on the way those who now work in the media don’t believe in anything:

The idea that Feingold –or Dodd or any other political figure of significance–actually believes in what they are saying and doing is beyond the comprehension of the Beltway journalists. For they are empty and self-absorbed, abiding in the world Drudge rules, and thus are consumed with pettiness; they believe in nothing, and thus assume that everyone else is as barren and vapid as they are.

Emphasis added.

As we saw the wonderful, overwhelming response to the pettiness of the debate last week, I’m wondering if the press will be a little less able to get away with the pettiness this time. I think that the level of suffering in this country due to Bush’s policies destroying the economy and destroying families connected in any way to the military, I’m wondering if the public is calling the press on their behavior simply because this time it really matters and they are forced to pay attention better than they have in the past. That is, with economic survival at stake, will people finally pay enough attention to see that those who believe in nothing are not doing an appropriate job of reporting on the political choices we face?

That leaves us with the challenge of totally discrediting Drudge. I think the public may be ready to listen if we can put forward a forceful case. Your book makes a great start on that. How do we follow up?

Hi Glenn - I ordered the book but haven’t received it yet. What I’m really interested in, is aside from the narrative of what it’s like with the media today, do you postulate any ideas for cures to current situation?

Like satire etc. to puncture the Very Serious Nature of The Villagers?

glenn -

congratulations on the new book!

i heard your interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! this week, and wanted to ask you two questions about that:

1) when i explain to someone (who doesn’t read your column) how corrupt and dishonest our corporate media is, one the questions i almost always get asked is what replacement do i recommend as a source for daily national news. i’ve been saying that (in addition to thinking for oneself) i recommend Democracy Now! - but i wonder if you, in your analysis of news sources have any better suggestions?

2) i wonder why more bloggers don’t seem to get their news from sources like Democracy Now! and why aren’t alternatives promoted alongside the critical analysis of the Serious Corporate Media. i’m not trying to be critical… it’s just something i’ve wondered for awhile and though you might have some insight on.

thanks for all you are doing… it is with great pleasure that i see your work making a real difference in our national discourse.

Glenn,
Trying to figure out a way to get you here, beautiful Chester County PA where both candidates did their thing today trying to woo a somewhat weighted R. populace. Great bookstore here and they do readings and signings.

The trouble is, though, that this script works. It seems to work nearly every time they trot it out. The reason must have something to do with the way most voters think, or perhaps more accurately, refuse to think.

How do you fix that, or do you think I’m misstating the problem?

Glenn, do you think journalists view politics as kind of a spectator sport? As if the consequences were not real?

Hello Glenn, glad to see you here. I’m wondering do you think there will ever be a time when a big time democrat actually engages in the same type of rhetoric that the Newt Gingriches of the world regularly use? In your book you name many conservative leaders that are more than willing to demonize democrats and liberals but what I don’t find are many liberal or democratic leaders willing to even think about doing the same.

“He With The Best Story Wins“

That’s trial lawyering 101, is it not?

Philosopher Simon Blackburn (“Being Good”) notes that we can’t just have abstract principles of right/wrong, we gotta have our “Stories,” and the stories end up begin the whole deal. Taleb makes essentially the same point in his latest book “The Black Swan.”

Alan Watts also noted decades ago the “the religion of Jesus devolves into a erligion about Jesus.”

etc etc etc.

Hello Glenn,
I just received your book Thursday. I should have it read by next week. Then I’ll start passing it out to others so it get a wider audience.

Why is the press so slanted? Does the right have such a headstart on the pushback machine? Do they really think the “truth” always has two sides?

Rootless — You’re absolutely right that, for a long time, it’s been a problem that many Democrats have bought into and re-inforced the personality attacks used to destroy Democrats and progressives.

I think that was one of the prime genesis of blogs — anger over the fact that even Democrats have internalized these self-hating themes and are often in the forefront of invoking them.

The premise that these attacks are a gooper past time is an interesting one. There are, of course, counter examples.

The swiftboat attack on Kerry was a resurrection of a campaign first run against him by a dem in a primary…

Clusterfuck attacked McBush with much the same shit-

There’s a possibility that this is just what politicians DO when they can get away with it.

Why is the press so slanted?
__________

Megacorporation Infotainment entities, increasingly, I would say.

Got your book yesterday and am at Chapter 1.

Thinking about the theme “Drudge Rules their World.” I was wondering whether anyone has actually empirically studied how Drudge and the Politico get their “scoops.” David Brock mentions it in Blinded by the Right but does not offer actual interviews or other factual evidence on how this stuff actually finds it way into the mainstream.

Jim - Those are great points. I absolutely agree that as the level of public angst and anger with our political class increases, the tolerance level for our establishment media will decrease. Much of the instantaneous backlash this week towards ABC was explained by that, I believe — in a time of serious insecurity, people aren’t going to sit around happily listening to media babbling about bowling scores and lapel pins.

The last thing that Republicans want is an election decided on the issues, for obvious reasons. I think we ought to continue using all of our weapons in the blogosphere — citizen anger and intensity and numbers and tools of shame — to highlight how toxic media behavior is in order to modify behavior. At the very worst, it will discredit our media institutions and lessen their ability to propagate these destructive themes.

Oilfieldguy - The book is devoted to examining the petty, vapid personality-based mythologies and attacks that the Right use to win elections, and the vital role the establishment press plays in propagating those themes. It examines what progressives and Democrats have to do to stop these themes from being used unilterally.

Step one would probably be for Democrats and progressives to QUIT repeating GOP talking points themselves.

As Jane put it last September (with emphasis added):

So here’s the rule. You never repeat right wing talking points to attack your own, ever. You never enter that echo chamber as a participant. Ever. You never give them a hammer to beat the left with. Just. Don’t. Do. It.

Once the Democratic candidates — and their advisers and surrogates! — can figure out how this part works, then perhaps they’ll be ready for step two.

Glenn

Do you really think that the american voters are capable of having an election on the issues?

If they are- I’ve missed it through every election cycle of my not short life.

Selise - Thanks. I often recommend Democracy Now, various blogs and the like. But the reality is that the newtwork news programs, newspapers like the NYT and WP, and cable news shows still have a much broader reach and greater influence, and it thus makes sense that bloggers engaged in media criticism focus on those.

Hi Glenn,

I’m a big fan of your work and a daily reader of your blog on Salon.com. I completely agree that the narrative in the MSM between Republicans and Democrats is something that needs to be changed. However it seems like it would take a herculean effort to do so as the trope of Republican=strong, Democrat=weak is evident throughout the media. Last night on Real Time with Bill Maher Chris Matthews was on and Bill let him go on about the problems Obama will have because of things like ordering Juice instead of Coffee at a diner. Maher did not counter anything Matthews said, it wasn’t until later in the show that Marcos Molitsas called out Matthews hipocrisy of being able to speak for the “common folk” when he himself is an elitist.

Welcome Glenn. I read your column every day without fail. I wish you were coming to Louisville, KY for a book signing.

I just read the article by Vandy and Harris that Jane mentioned in a previous post and it brought to mind a question for you.

How do we convince the Clinton & Obama die hards to stop letting their support of their respective candidates to get in the way of holding the media accountable for writing tabloid trash? People like Vandy & Harris are so good at playing both of these groups of people by pitting them against each other in order to deflect attention from what the media is doing to both candidates.

Maybe we should simply outsource the entire election thingy to Simon Cowell.

or any other political figure of significance–actually believes in what they are saying and doing is beyond the comprehension of the Beltway journalists. For they are empty and self-absorbed, abiding in the world Drudge rules, and thus are consumed with pettiness; they believe in nothing, and thus assume that everyone else is as barren and vapid as they are.
———————-
sadly true….all jaded and corrupted,likespoiled whipped cream…just NASTY FLUFF

I was going to mention Democracy Now also

Nice job Glenn

Agreed. When you reduce the data to a certain set of similar anecdotes, you can misdiagnose the problem.

To put it another way, why are Republicans so overwhelmingly supportive of things like the MCA, PATRIOTs 1 and 2, FISA for Telecomms, etc., that so clearly trash the Constitution? [Glenn did a great article on that subject, BTW]. Shouldn’t some of them, the avowed libertarians at least, be opposed to these things? Seems like this process is working against honest Republicans, too.

I remember a few portions of a few of the debates when the candidates grilled each other on the “issues”. That was the part about the difference between the universality of Hillary’s health care plan vs Obama’s.

THAT put everyone listening to sleep I expect- and there are apparently no other big differences on the issues that either candidate wants to talk about.

Is it possible that “campaign on the issues” is a kind of logical fiction that has never existed in the real world.

How to fix this is what my book is about. As Jane wrote above, we need to stop allowing these themese to be used as unilateral weapons. If personality themes are going to predominate, then right-wing leaders need to be attacked with them just as vociferiously as they attack. That’s what my book does. Liberals and Democrats are often squeamish about doing that, thinking they can and should “rise above it.”

That doesn’t work. It’s a recipe for certain defeat. The idea of using these tactics ourselves is not to copy them, but to neutralize those tactics so they can no longer be used to decide elections.

If McCain is allowed to be depicted as this upstanding, honor-bound Man of Principle and that’s not challeneged — especially while the Democratic candidate is demolished on the personality level — it won’t matter much what his views are on the issues.

Egregious - Yes, I think journalists view the political process as a game and that’s why I say they are empty and passion-less. It’s why they’re so cynical and indifferent to the consequences of that which they enable.

But do we dare even refer to them as ‘news’ media anymore when they have closed up shop on news gathering and investigative reporting and instead deliver what we could see on ‘Entertainment Tonight’ or ‘TMZ’?

In America, the truth ALWAYS has two sides, that is an abiding ‘MYTH’.

Right now, people who consider themselves thoughtful, figure that the ‘real’ truth is somewhere in the ‘middle’.

People still assure me that there are equal numbers of scientists on both sides of the ‘global warming’ ‘controversy’.

It is the ‘narratives’ which play off the myth and convince too many people of their personal ‘fairness’ when assessing the claims of the ‘extremists’, which, according to those self-same ‘narratives’ is us.

In my mind, the Pukes have been incredibly effective with associating Dems with higher taxes and conservatives with limited government. It is a big, fat lie. The corporations are so behind the media/information highway..and they will never let the people know the truth. The thing that will really change these perceptions by the people is when they personally begin to experience the hardships that the Puke’s false doctrine has reaped on us. It seems to be happening, but it needs to happen more. The next step in our society will be rebellion due to the economic situation of the “consumers”. Sorry. Rant.

Any television appearances lined up?

I didn’t see your post because I posting my own comment (60) but we obviously agree. I hope Glenn addresses this issue.

But the reality is that the newtwork news programs, newspapers like the NYT and WP, and cable news shows still have a much broader reach and greater influence, and it thus makes sense that bloggers engaged in media criticism focus on those.

oh, absolutely.

i just think if they had some more pressure from the better alternative sources, it would help add to the pressure for them to clean up their act a bit.

Begets one the lethal MEGO moniker “wonkish.”

Or, if we were to be practical- just OPENLY SELL the presidency to the highest bidder- and do away with taxes altogether. These fuckers will pay a LOT if they HAVE to.

I don’t view Americans as being stupid and shallow. They realize this country has gone wildly off course. Polls prove that. They realized on their own that the Iraq War was a huge mistake long before the press began reporting that. They removed the Republicans from power in 2006. They turned against this President and made him one of the most unpopular in American history.

I think it’s a big mistake to assume that our fellow citizens are stupid and frivolous. Of course, some are. All of us are sometimes. But there is plenty of data to prove that people will respond when you treat them like adults and engage them the right way.

Glenn - longtime reader/lurker at your blog, so aware of your main arguments regarding the media and in agreement.

Question: Do you think this cycle has the potential to break the hold the MSM has had on political discourse. Given that Obama has raised more money than anyone, primarily through small grassroots donations, there’s clearly a shift from the top-down, party-mediated power transfers of the past. Do you think we are witnessing the same shift vis-a-vis the media… i.e. that this is their swansong in terms of their stranglehold over the tenor of public discourse?

In regard to John Wayne, what I was going to mention before someone mentioned Drudge, was that one of the funniest moments of my youth was watching John Wayne on German television in The Longest Day, chomping a cigar and saying “Achtung!” :)

Contrast Saving Private Ryan’s opening sequence with The Longest Day. I hadn’t thought of it until you brought up Ron Kovic in regard to John Wayne and Iwo Jima in your book. I guess Private Ryan was just a commie picture…..

I think what you said about Markos proves the point, though. Usually, these themes — that Chris Matthews can somehow speak for the regular person — are never challenged. Markos did (I didn’t see the show - going by what you said). When themes are challenged, they can be undermined. When they’re not challenged, they will thrive.

nice theory but in $$$ terms they probably think DN! and others irrelevant. BUT the enormous pile-on that crushed ABC was a thing of beauty and all the “legit” papers started covering it.

We need to continue the piling on and get even better at it.

Hence the seemingly “teflon” durability of Obama. Too many people see througt the vapid ad hominem attacks and focus on red herring trivialities.

So far as I can tell, the average American is well to the left of the average Democratic elected official, and well farther to the left of the average “liberal” journalist.

Holy Moley, Glenn - if you write as fast as you talk, it probably took you about a week to pen the book!
Just got the book Thursday, read only about half the first chapter, I think I’m going to really enjoy it. Keep up the good work.

If McCain is allowed to be depicted as this upstanding, honor-bound Man of Principle and that’s not challeneged — especially while the Democratic candidate is demolished on the personality level — it won’t matter much what his views are on the issues.

You mean something like this (my comment earlier in the day to your post at Salon):

By advocating blind, unfocused rage toward those who are not just like McCain’s lily-white, flag-waving, Budweiser-buying, never-thinking, MIC-benefiting, lobbyist-fellating fan club, McCain is demonstrating just how our country will spiral down toward a 100 year occupation of Iraq while bomb, bomb, bombing Iran.

Besides that, he’s a wife-dumping, bimbo-humping gold-bricking little weasel with a lousy temper. But, because he knows how to cook ribs on the grill (actually, they should be smoked slowly with indirect heat, so his ribs undoubtedly suck, too) the press is doing everything they can to see that we vote for him.

I realize that is more along the lines of copying their techniques (which you advise against) rather than neutralizing them, but gosh it felt good to say that.

This is the big bingo! And we must premise our behavior and words upon this truth.

I think it’s a big mistake to assume that our fellow citizens are stupid and frivolous. Of course, some are. All of us are sometimes. But there is plenty of data to prove that people will respond when you treat them like adults and engage them the right way.

no data, but i do have some personal experience from canvassing for the Lamont campaign. thought i would hate it, but i really liked it - most people do care about what’s happening and are not stupid… even when we disagree, it’s a great experience to realize that no one i met was as stupid or frivolous as the infotainment idiots on the tv.

Well–OK

It COULD happen.

I’m just sayin it never has—that I can remember..

Which presidential election in the past could we point to as an example of american voters diggin into “the issues”?

Question: Do you think this cycle has the potential to break the hold the MSM has had on political discourse. Given that Obama has raised more money than anyone, primarily through small grassroots donations, there’s clearly a shift from the top-down, party-mediated power transfers of the past. Do you think we are witnessing the same shift vis-a-vis the media… i.e. that this is their swansong in terms of their stranglehold over the tenor of public discourse?

I think the influence of the establishment media is clearly waning, and they know it. That’s why most are banding together to defend their colleagues in ABC debate. But that’s a big, big powerful monster, and like most monsters, you don’t kill it with one fell swoop. It takes time, hard work, slogging along. I think their influence will continue to erode and we need to do everything possible to push that process along.

Which is worse, do it badly, or not at all? Our local number one teevee station virtually ignores all political topics, opting to put a reporter in front of a burned out home or upside down car with useless information ending with “back to you.”

Avoiding hate-mail one presumes.

I think many of the media are true believers in a vacant upper-middle class washington ideology. They are cynical in a shallow way - but they still accept what they are told by the authority figures that they accept. To me, they really believe that McCain or Guiliani or whatever is actually a serious person.

This cat? Have you kept up with his Salon.com column? Like, ‘dude, when do you sleep?’

Prolific. And relentlessly substantive.

I realize that Randy Rhodes might be radioactive in regard to her recent pecadillos, but one of her themes on her show was that the “mainstream” pundit shows did not let her on, especially in the days before Olbermann and Air America, because she said things that were outside the norm and didn’t fit the story.

Why do you think that, even though Olbermann has proven to be relatively successful, that the other (cable) networks are not speaking “truth to power”?

“Our local number one teevee station virtually ignores all political topics, opting to put a reporter in front of a burned out home or upside down car… “
______________

TV affiliate station Rule Number One:

“If it bleeds, it leads.”

I realize that is more along the lines of copying their techniques (which you advise against) rather than neutralizing them, but gosh it felt good to say that.

That’s pretty much exactly what I mean, actually. When I say we shouldn’t copy their methods, I mean their worst excesses — the falsehood-based personality smears, the outright lies, the slimy half-truths. But it is critical to engage them on the level they fight, and if they want to make the campaign about personalities and petty trivialities, they’ll succeed unless they are subjected to the same attacks.

Look at who owns the networks.

Which presidential election in the past could we point to as an example of american voters diggin into “the issues”?

2006.

Glenn,
Look into your crystal ball and predict the next 6 months in presidential politics.

Harbinger? Or apples-to-oranges? 2006 wasn’t a Prez election.

Glenn,
Jim White above mentioned McSame’s temper. Do you think this is something that the bloggers and people like Mike Stark would do better to focus on or not? It would seem to me that getting him to blow up on camera over something stupid could make for a Macaca moment. That seems to me to be his achiles heel. Though it has also been mentioned somewhere that it is possible they have him on some kind of mood altering substance that calms him.

But what do I know?

Why do you think that, even though Olberman has proven to be relatively successful, that the other (cable) networks are not speaking “truth to power”?

That’s a really good question. Whenever I argue with establishment journalists, they invariably claim that the coverage is how it is because media companies are profit-driven and that’s what people want.

I don’t accept the premise or the conclusion, but let’s accept both for a moment. Olbermann is clearly the most successful show on MSNBC right now. All the political energy is on the Left. There is clearly a huge market gap for counter-programming to Fox. Why, then, when they finally put the Tucker Carlson Show out its misery, didn’t they give a show to Rachel Maddow or some other progressive to carry on the Olbermann success?

Clearly, there are factors in their decisions besides purely market-driven ones.

Thanks. Agree that there is huge inertia in the system as is, and therefore it’s not about to topple overnight.

But still, feels like something is up this time around – that the future won’t be like the past from this point forward. Don’t think Obama’s the cause so much as the beneficiary (and possibly the catylyst). Wouldn’t it be amazing if the MSM and repugs try all the same old shit, worse than ever… and it doesn’t work!

Keeping my fingers crossed that perhaps America is ready to move out of its political adolescence once and for all.

The reason I chose John Wayne to start the book was because, on almost every level, he’s such a perfect template for our today’s right-wing leaders function.

I’ve not yet read your book, but don’t forget to mention that John, who never served a day in the military, was awarded Congressional Gold Medal:

Because of his courage, his dignity, his integrity, and because of his talents as an actor, his strength as a leader, his warmth as a human being throughout his illustrious career, he is entitled to a unique spot in our hearts and minds.

What unique courage? What unique dignity? What talent as an actor? What strength as a leader? What in god’s name qualifies this man for “a unique spot in our hearts and minds,” to say nothing of a Congressional Gold Medal?

These right-wing macho men are all show and no go.

Turning it ’round on them, politely (ahem!) but firmly. Sounds like fun, actually. Just as long as we don’t enjoy it too much, or we’ll feel guilty.

I an tired of excessive po - lite!

Demand that his medical records be released.

RevDeb, we can also point out that we don’t need that kind of temper in the west wing, the situation room, or in international affairs.