When we look at political compromise (a dirty word in today’s politics), the democratic primary was a wonderful case in point. So, instead of honorably conceding defeat earlier and getting on with helping a Democrat win the presidency, Senator Clinton pretended that she could still be victorious to the bitter end, and in the process, amplified racism through innuendo as well as providing Republicans talking points to be used in the Presidential race such as he is not ready to be President, he is too inexperienced, when that midnight call comes through, who do you want on the other end of the line? Or, Senator McCain and I have the experience… It did not stop there. This was a time for hardball politics. The fall campaign season will go even further will hatred and lies. They are the best of friends today especially after Senator Obama agreed to pay 10 million of her campaign debt. Where is the greater good?

(Cross-posted with author’s permission from WallWritings Friday, May 9, 2008)

Guest Column by Andrew Weaver

Milo's Note: Andrew is one of the originators of the protest to locate the Bush library at Southern Methodist University and has been a primary source for several of my diaries on the subject. Andrew is a United Methodist minister and research psychologist living in New York City. He is a graduate of The Perkins School of Theology, SMU. Thanks for your good work, Andrew!

By Jason Miller

Dedicated to Bobbie L.

4/3/08

In the sermon just minutes before his death, Archbishop Oscar Romero (a man who truly practiced the teachings of Christ) reminded his congregation of the parable of the wheat. “Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ, will live like the grains of wheat that dies. It only apparently dies. If it were not to die, it would remain a solitary grain. The harvest comes because of the grain that dies We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us. I am bound, as a pastor, by divine command to give my life for those whom I love, and that is all Salvadoreans, even those who are going to kill me.”

By Jason Miller

Thomas Paine's Corner

http://www.bestcyrano.org/THOMASPAINE/?p=534

[30] In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

"Culture Crashing" - (C) Brad Michael Moore 1996-2007

(Partially excerpted from a recent blog at AbsolutArts.com)

In a civil society laws are supposed to prevent people from hurting others. Society sets the guidelines by stating the obvious. Don’t kill each other. Don’t steal from each other. Then things get murky.

This morning, Doug Thompson at Capitol Hill Blue published a long overdue article on what's happening at CHB, and throughout the Internet on other sites as well:

When politics gets personal, everyone loses
September 3, 2007 - 4:06am.

We need to replace hate with reason

By DOUG THOMPSON

Barry Bonds is a symbol of our times. Barry approached this hallowed position, the Home Run Title, and becoming a symbol of our times, because Barry has always been an exceptional athlete.

After the repeated attacks on bloggers that we've seen on FoxNews shown to us by BraveNewFilms and what they've spent the week leading up to YearlyKos talking about on O'Reily (which I've been subject to by some nutbar who changes the station at my gym).

Is America losing its claim to being a compassionate nation?  I think the answer is fairly obvious.  Maccabee spells it out in his excellent diary, Read, Then Weep.

I am not posting this now because I think it is great. I'm posting this now, because I wrote it about one year ago - when we still had habeas corpus.

(Condemn- to state that something or somebody is in some way wrong or unacceptable)

What would our forefathers say about the state of the nation today?