I think there’s probably a better way to say what he was trying to say. Sometimes I’m surprised at the role religion still plays in politics. George W used his very prominently as well.

This reminds me of the occupy movement. I don’t think the outlook is very promising but I appreciate efforts like this to communicate about our unfortunate situation.

It’s good to see that Herbert is more realistic than the House and Senate. It’s remarkable that these lines of thought are still so prevalent in the US. This sounds like something from the 1950s.

From Santorum’s responses, I think he’s trying to respond strongly to a question raised at a public appearance, but I’m not sure he has a detailed plan. What exactly does he mean by his phrase ”They like the guy who is trying to overcome the machine”?

Six days compared to more than seven times that is ridiculous. I wish them well in their lawsuit and hopefully this sort of thing will be ended. Jason Gant should be held accountable in this case.

I think we can easily imagine the points to be made both for and against this policy. I can see the practical reasoning for wanting to reduce spending but I think the issue becomes much more complex when we consider how prepared the US would be in the event of a very direct confrontation, and how valid have the reasons been for some recent actions.

I’m afraid that my knowledge of Israel’s political affiliations isn’t very deep at this point. Could someone please elaborate on how the above post leads to the conclusion that Israel will support Obama? Perhaps the discussion centers around Iran?

That’s a very upbeat, positive post! I appreciate the news items I see hear that often inform me beyond the sometimes brief ”news bite” CNN coverage, and I also value the chance to read and offer responses from different points of view.

I think in simple terms it would be an excellent idea for the US to be self sufficient with the oil that it can produce, with a decrease in use of it in favor of other energy sources over the years.

But in practical terms, how would the oil deals that are in place for now and the immediate future fit into that scenario? And if there was a brilliant strategy to grandfather out the old deals, what are the chances the required bills would be passed?

I didn’t see the debate in question, but I can imagine that there could be some unspoken cooperation to make points against a faltering candidate. And I think to make this suggestion after the fact is much less effective than an impressive response to all comers during the debate.

I expect there’s some truth to the statement regarding the age or stage of life of the marines in question, but images like those pose a serious threat to international relations. I’m not sure how you successfully justify easing up on the criticism of those photos.

I think it’s everyone’s right to express their faith, and I think the concept of common courtesy should be considered as well.

For an example referred to in the article, I still see the rhetoric of ”being afraid to say Merry Christmas.” Why exactly would anyone be afraid to say Merry Christmas? I can see why you may choose to say ”Season’s Greetings” or ”Happy Holidays” to a roomful of people you know to have a diverse variety of faiths, and on the other hand why would anyone be offended to be simply wished a happy season associated with a belief that they didn’t happen to follow?

I haven’t heard the details of why the Qurans were being burned other than that it was a mistake. I think the isolated incident of Obama’s apology is an attempt at more positive relations. Of course the deaths of the two men mentioned are tragic, as are all of the deaths that resulted from the Afghan war.

My impression is that this is a political site, with some participants being very upfront about their religious beliefs and promoting them, maybe a little aggressively…?

I’m waiting for somebody to say something on behalf of the Giants now…

I think a lot of voters are taking detailed election campaign promises with a grain of salt, so I wonder how much stock people will put into Romney’s plan with no details?

My first impression is that’s a lot of money from a relatively modest number of people, but I don’t know if that’s out of line for fund raising in recent years or not, regardless of the party. It’s ”interesting” about the spin or technique of representing fund raising events as news conferences.

Whitney Houston’s passing was certainly tragic. I don’t recall if she performed at fund raisers for politicians or not? I guess in some of the recent years she wasn’t at the top of her game and her becoming publically involved at that time would have been unlikely.

I think this was a good acknowledgement of a specifically American genre of music. I’d also like to see more support for studying music in the school systems.

I can see where social media sites could have a huge effect on the next election. Personally I started seeing them in a different light about a year ago when I saw how they were being used in the protests overseas. They’re not only about people casually texting each other as some people used to think.

I’d expect the prediction of victory, but I’m a little surprised to hear Biden calling for a majority. That is an interesting point reminding voters about Romney being in favor of allowing General Motors to go bankrupt.