John McCreery: Alan Wolfe has an interesting take on why McBush Republicans have to lie. This comment is not just directed at you John, but it strikes me that before true bipartisanship can occur, trite, childish nicknaming to show spite needs to be dispensed with. Sure, Bush is a rube and deserves all scorn, ridicule etc. And Obama appears slicker than he is. And McCain was caught smiling fakely on purpose for a camera op, but didn't quite hold it long enough. And his choice for a VP is truly Machiavellian; they are politicians. But the acrimony is fueled when the supporters of either side act just as silly as those they condemn on the other sides. It reminds me of how truly childish behaviour can come out in a strike situation. Chanting, calling each other names, singing dumb songs -- these are kindergarten strategies. But Robert Fulghum was wrong. Some things learnt AFTER the age of 5 are much more important. Anyway... just like someone said that 'diplomacy has never worked in the past, so why should it work in the future', I would say, using the 'neener neener neener' strategy is just as self-defeating. The kindest compliment I ever got from a former Phil-Litter was that he was impressed that I didn't attack him personally during a heated back and forth we were having. So... attack the permises, attack the actions, attack the personality, even attack their integrity and intelligence, but the name-calling is just childish and makes otherwise intelligent and locial people look like asses. p ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html