THE DEMOCRATIC BLAH-BLAH DEBATE

All Democratic candidates were confident.

John Edwards tried to be more assertive, trying to sound presidential.

But the choir-boy countenance is not so presidential.

Dennis Kucinich probably had the most ethical and correct observations and recommendations, but the corporate money machine of our Pentagon-based government will not tolerate such honesty.

Remember what happened to Jesus, Socrates and Martin Luther King?

Bill Richards may have gone a bit too far when he said that China might not see us at the Olympics if Chinese leadership did not put more pressure on the Darfur government. Richards retained his status as a former servant in the Clinton administration, and gave rational responses to the Immigration issue: More security through more border patrols and more technical surveillance.

Barack Obama was compelling when he pointed out that he was against the Iraq war from the get-go.

Senator Mike Gravel from Alaska was put at the left end of the group of candidates. Mr. Gravel has nothing to gain or lose, and gave blunt responses, pulling no punches, even alleging that the Democrats (not just Bush) were responsible for the Iraq invasion.

Hillary Clinton was shining and pretty. She was explicit and without an eye blink when she said that the Iraq war was Bush's war.

Chris Dodd was polite and avuncular.

Joe Biden became a bulldog, and his anger may chill the warmth that voters might have had for his candidacy.

Except for when Dennis Kucinich said that he would get rid of all nuclear weapons (yes, and get rid of the moon while you’re at it), none of the candidates were asked about an emerging new cold war with Russia, or what to do about nuclear proliferation. The nuclear War Machine seems to be a sacred cow.