Regarding Mr. Bernard Fine's comment on anonymous comments: I agree in spirit but feel to equate such anonymousness with the contributions to the political problems that the spineless inactions of democrats make poorly articulates a valid concern. -Perhaps by oversimplification. Perhaps by almost necessary oversimplification. Indeed, I'd say it warrants an article all of it's own. I saw no email address for Mr. Fine and cannot contact myself directly. I have entered my own in the slot offered and will restate it here: johnhartfarwell@gmail.com Thanks to spam there is reason why many would not wish their email address publicized. With that said, I agree it is important now people speak up, disclose their views frankly and have their frank identities standing behind them. For evil to triumph, all that is required of good people is to do nothing. Is that how that old saying goes? It's quite true however it's put. Mr. Fine continues to correctly target this site in particular in this regard of anonymous commenting. I agree with Mr. Fine in spirit but hasten to add that perhaps the practical question has simply never been raised here before... I don't know what other sites are similar to this one. Often registration is required via email. On others, simply proving you're a human is all that is required. Others use Live ID or wordpress ID or Blogger ID or such. And so on. This one is indeed somewhat unusual, to me at least. While I wouldn't call other commenters spineless and simply would commend Mr. Fine on identifying himself, as I make a habit of doing as well, it might ill serve his valid concern by going over the top simplistically by castigating commenters as spineless, especially to the degree of equating such with the failures of the democrat politicians. With all this said, I thank Mr. Fine for raising all this and urge all to strongly consider the significance, import, and strength of identifying yourself when standing up and speaking out for what's right, for us all, for America and the world. Zuma (John Farwell of OKC, OK) http://zuma.vip.warped.com

The only choice left for true defenders of The Constitution , for the patriots of this nation , for real progressives lies not with the democratic party but , instead , is The Green Party . Go to runcynthiarun.org and listen to the Dali Lama's take on it . The democrats , Obama included , are a farce . Wake up Amerika !

Yep! Anyone who thinks that Obama is going to change things and is not a lackey for the corporate globalists needs to look at his support for the FISA bill giving telecoms amnesty for violating our Constitutional rights and his advocacy of continuing in Iraq and expanding the war in Afghanistan. Bush-lite. The Mainstream Media has guided the selection of candidates in this election cycle as never before, continually marginalizing and denigrating candidates with who advocate liberty and sanity and promoting those who would sacrifice our wealth, our liberty, and our lives on the altar of Empire. These people are arrogantly secure in their immunity from independent challenge, given the resources at stake and at their disposal.

As Gore Vidal says, "If it is so easily overthrown, I guess it wasn't much of a republic to begin with."

Here is the roll call vote for the bill H.R. 2642: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00162 NAYs ---6 Allard (R-CO) Coburn (R-OK) Craig (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Kyl (R-AZ) Voinovich (R-OH) Not Voting - 2 Kennedy (D-MA) McCain (R-AZ)

Arrggh! Nothing more than pirates, the lot of them! I say make them all walk the plank! Starting with Bush an Cheney!

We can always vote out of office those 92 legislators that funded an illegal, immoral and unnecessary war. I wish we would. That vote was unconscionable. Whenever you hear "the surge is working", your response should be: "the war is illegal!"

Sellout Democrats are not democratic, apparently, because they don't support or defend democracy. Sellout Republicans are not Republican because they won't support or defend the Republic. Topsy-turvy, what they support is a lawless State, a dictatorial politburo, a warmongering kleptocracy, destroying itself by undoing its just laws to substantiate unimaginable torture, murder and graft. Government agencies whether the Bush Administration, Democrats, or Republicans, express themselves more as a disease than a government.

...And who, pray tell, were the heroes of that moment ? Please tell the world !!

Senator Obama is really getting the shaft by fellow Democrats in Congress (as well as the Republicans) when they choose to help pass the $162 billion funding for the war? Why aren't they helping Obama by assigning these funds to domestic concerns instead of approving more killing, torturing, losing more allies?weren't our Congressmen paying any attention to our 2006 vote to increase democrats in Congress to stop the war? Haven't they taken note of all the war protesting? aren't they aware that our country is bankrupt and we now owe China and Japan and Mexico (how many more countries) into the trillions of dollars? Aren't they outraged at the killing, torturing? Don't they realize they are stealing our tax dollars? and give us no say in how our taxes are being used? This IS all about oil, it is clear. Are my fellow Democrats also profiting from the war? Where are Pelosi and Reid coming from? We need answers. We need to help Obama win this election and make badly needed changes; what kind of a legacy we are leaving him? I am so outraged that our elected officials are not representing us as they swear they will.

What exactly are the democrats afraid of? It makes so sense for them to take this cowardly stance. They could at least learn how to stall for time but not going with the status quo.

What I'm surprised about is that any one else is surprised the vote went the way it did. We are not leaving Iraq, least wise until all the oil is gone. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-594683847743189197 Wake up. You do not own your goverment and your politican is no more than a way to let you think you have a voice.

The most destructive administration in the history of the United States of America is being aided in its continuation of failed policies by the most frightened, inept, insecure and incapable Democratic house and senate . Pelosi has shown nothing but gross ineptitude as the house majority leader and reid is getting stumpded by the republicans every time he opens his mouth. This despite being the majority party in both houses of congress. They did not have the guts and probably lacked the ability to prevent the investigation and impeachment of Clinton, as stupid as he was, and gthey do not have the guts, backbone, smarts and resolve to stop this administration from continuing to screw the American people. Now they claim a victory by giving Bush whatever he wants knowing full well that this terrible president will simply refuse to acknowledge any part of this bill he does not want. The Democrats will not do anything about that because they have shown that they are not capable of doing such...and these are the people whom we want to replace Bush and his horde? If there is a god he or she must be laughing at us right now and shaking his or head in amazement.

"Congress did attach two conditions on the funds, related to the war in Iraq. It prohibited the construction of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq and required Baghdad to match, dollar-for-dollar, U.S. reconstruction aid." Anyone want to guess what Bush's inevitable signing statement is going to say about those parts of the bill?

Why did we vote for Democratic control of both House and Senate? Where can I send my complaints to Pelosi and Reid? When will they and fellow Democrats get a backbone?

Well Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi sure are doing what they can to elect a Democratic President, or not. It's not as if Obama has other monumental challenges to winning the White House without also having to frame how to end the occupation of Iraq. And all because Reid and Pelosi would not use their own authority to do ANYTHING about ending it themselves. Sorry, suggesting strongly that we should redeploy the troops doesn't count. But nevertheless it's "victory" for the dems on dimestic issues. Free education for the troops, and unemployment benefits as well. Talk about a stupid strategy where the second worst playing reason to spend money (unemployment benefits) is used to defend abdication of responsibility on the worst reason to spend money (war and war profiteering). But one thing I know: it can always get worse.