No, I have not read it yet but it is a book I have on my list. I've skimmed it a bit and yeah I certainly think if you read that and enjoyed it, just run right out and pick up this book. I think the thing with Adams vs Jefferson is it's focus is much more narrow and it's a lot of fun to read and compare to what we are going through now. To be sort of a smart ass here I'd say it's "the right book, at the right place, at the right time."

 Don't you love how these modern day panty waists think what is going on presently is mean spirited and/or underhanded,LOL?

Well, what's the old saying "there's nothing new under the sun"...sure the big difference between then and now is Bush just would never have been taken seriously enough to have a shot at becoming president. I know a lot of people will hang me here for saying this but I think Kerry is as close to a "founding father type" as we're ever gonna get in a modern presidency. What is really a big deal for me in this election is that there's been nobody as good as this guy that's got this close to the presidency in my lifetime (I'll qualify that by saying I was born in1967). It's not all about anybody but Bush for me...I really see Kerry as a good choice. Sure, he's been very vanilla and has taken his time about exposing these "plans" he's always refering to but I honestly think that goes with the territory in a modern "information age" election. You can't say a lot of things and you can't be as up front and honest as you'd like during this process because your opponent will hang you with it. It's just one of those shitty realities...and these guys are so confined about what they can say by an army of consultants and lawyers it's ridiculous. John Kerry is still John Kerry but there are two John Kerrys now and two Dubyas...there's the real guy and then there's the image that this army of consultants and the media creates. When I hear most people talk about Kerry they are refering to the image that has been created of him...and sadly there is no way around that. Bush has the same problem and let's face it they try to keep him very reigned in...when he's allowed to freelance it can get a little nutty. I think it's harder for Bush because I think he finds it hard not to just be himself and I don't think he knows or understands the issues very well ( he has other people delegated to know them for him)...that "Wanna buy some wood?" comment was classic Bush...and it was really funny and it was Bush off the script and just being himself. I thought that was his best moment of the night in an otherwise bizarre and lousy performance. What the hell do I know though...the "experts" on tv all seemed to think that was a great debate last night...leaving me feeling like I live in some fantasyland.  

Didn't like your anaylsis but would have to agree it is fair-ly accurate.

Well I don't like it either...I'd much prefer to be diagnosed clinically insane than be correct...but as David and Smorley confirmed, I'm not alone in this.

Think Dan may have a point too that should Kerry be elected he may be viewed as weak initially and something drastic could happen right off. Hope not, I have gardens to tend.

I think you mean Pat...I don't know, I guess that's a possibility...Pat explained why he thinks that and I can't tell him he's wrong...who really knows what's going through the terrorist's heads...I'm working on the assumption that the United States is a target as long as we continue down the same path we've been on with Israel. We've never really tried a change of direction with them and we come off as a supporter of all that they do. That's why there is an Osama bin Laden. They don't hate us for "our values" or "despise our freedom"...they think we are giving them the shaft and always looking the other way for Israel is the confirmation of that. This is one of the more ridiculous aspects of all this babble about the "war on terror"...you can't discuss it without making Israel part of the conversation but our politicains won't do that for a number of reasons...it makes the whole thing a joke.

Nonetheless, whether it's Iran, Russia or someone else; someone will attack Israel at some point, it is only a question of when.

Israel is attacked all the time. What happened in Taba was an attack on Israel. The Israeli government has chosen a live by the sword die by the sword policy and Israeli citizens continue to die because of it. This goes back a long way and the Israelis have been stuck with poor leadership for a long time. Menachem Begin and his crew set that country off in the wrong direction and Sharon is from the same school of thought. We will not make any progress until we have a president who will stand up and make a decision to even the playing field. That means we need to expect the same sort of cooperation from Israel that we expect from Iran and North Korea. Getting it from Israel should be easier though because they are supposed to be our pals. So we need to stop with all this "freedom and values" bullshit because that has nothing to do with our situation in the Middle East.

The leadership of this nation just can't seem to help itself, bunker busters huh? The oddest part is that Bush says he's a christian. I'd think he would want to steer clear of the middle east rather than exasperate an already tenuous region. Y'know prophecy and all that nonsense(LOL;)!

The bunker buster deal is off the wall and just shows that "peace" is not at all on the agenda. My thinking is that our current administration could give a shit how many people die in this mess...only dead American soldiers are bad press for them...dead Iraqis or Iranians or Israelis are just part of "freedom being on the march"...what a crock! Let's face it if they were looking to create peace there and wanted to create a better world for Iraqis, Iranians, and Israelis, it would start with a shift in policy toward Israel...to show that we are serious about trying to fix the situation. Anyone who thinks that Iraq and Israel are suddenly gonna get all friendly with eachother now that Saddam is gone is out of their friggin' mind. Iraqis are gonna take the same postion as the rest of the Arab/Muslim world...we treat Israel far different and look the other way for them...that's not changing and Iraqis will continue to fall in line with all the other nations that think we've got them bent over while we sell Israel bunker busters.

Oh sure, Allawi is more than happy to stand up there with Bush right now and be all lovey dovey...there are billions of American dollars headed Iraq's way so he'll kiss our red, white, and blue ass all day long at the moment. You think he doesn't feel we've always screwed the rest of the Middle East while we were busy patting Israel on the head and selling them weapons they have never hesitated to use? Hey, he'll be standing there giving the American infidel George Bush the finger as soon as he thinks the checks have cleared and there's no more to milk us for. If Iraq joins the international community they will, like everybody else, bitch about the raw deal we give everybody in the Middle East except Israel...let's not kid ourselves. Of course a certain percentage of Americans will then call them ungrateful pigs because "we saved their ass from Saddam"...umm there's a little more history there than that.

Oh well...I'm on a ramble and should really call it quits...