http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times breaks down Obama’s performance on Thursday. “‘Last night I was a little nervous,’ Obama said at a rally in Charleston on Friday, where he filled the gym at Burke High School. Constrained by a 60-second limit foren-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Build: 60608.1)http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#174939Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:22:41 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:174939jerry/corpus christi texasGood thing they planted 3000 trees, because the liberal New York school board voted to ban metal bats from their baseball games, so they will need a heck of a lot more timber to make wood bats. It's kind of hard for Edwards to know about a global war on terror when he is on that other side of the two america's, watching the world from his gated house out in the middle of god knows where, getting his $400 haircuts and supposedly taking care of his sick wife. If Dodd had Obama's clean glow, Edwards face and hair and looked like Hillary Clinton, I'm sure he would have gotten a lot more questions. But Chris, seriously, you are from a state that threw Libermann under the bus, why should we care about you? http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#174946Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:27:07 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:174946Susan, NebraskaI thought all in all, the democrats had a very strong, united and intellectual debate. I was unable to watch it Thursday night, but took it in this weekend, and I am able to say I am I AM PROUD TO BE A DEMOCRAT. I think there are 4 or 5 potentials here unlike for the republicans. WAY TO GO DEMS!!!!!http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175147Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:29:51 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175147Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VAEdwards should stick to his guns. He needs a niche to pass the other two, and this could be it. He could present himself as the candidate who isn't giving in to mass hysteria. Yes, there are terrorists who would love to kill Americans. Yes, that fact mandates certain actions, and responses whenever a terrorist act is executed. But terrorism is crime. A war on terror is like a war on rape - when viewed as such it becomes as rhetorically ridiculous as the wars on drugs, illiteracy, poverty, trans-fat, etc. Edwards ought to counter any criticism very directly, forcing others to define what they mean by a war on terror, and asking why congress, when led by the same president as our rhetorically challenged president, never declared war on terrorists. He should stress that point - we are a constitutional republic, and our Constitution requires Congress to declare war. Where's the declaration? Obviously there isn't one, because how would it be worded? Who would be the enemy, other than anything as non-descript as generic "criminals." I think the public is ready for a candidate to make these points and examine the logic behind what, for five and a half years, no one else has had the courage to question.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175238Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:18:03 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175238Ed Prince, Renton, WAI wish the other candidates especially Hillary received the same scrutiny for each question that Sen. Obama receives. It's unfair and shows how much some folks in the media want to hand the nomination to Hillary on a silver platterhttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175245Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:21:10 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175245mikeeg,abdn,wawar on terror, war on drugs, war on crime, war on crime, war on U.S. Constitution. I think we need a new concept that will work.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175307Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:57:26 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175307Susan, MiamiHey Jerry , your having another hissy fit. We're all sick of your whining.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175309Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:57:53 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175309CynicalGeekPaul, We haven't officially declared war since WWII. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175403Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:02:39 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175403Dorothy"The Wiz"--A moviehttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175465Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:47:41 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175465MK,MOlibberman should be thrown under a bushttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175578Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:58:54 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175578rickSusan, I hope Jerry keeps on posting, even though I suspect he is a paid poster (the Republics employ quite a few of them). When people read the ridiculous posts he writes, it reminds them of what kind of individuals they get in government when they vote Republican. The Democratic Party couldn't ask for a better example of a neocon crazy to scare sane people away from the Republics.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175583Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:03:37 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175583Dorothy"Throw Momma From a Train"--A moviehttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175585Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:04:07 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175585DorothyPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles"--Another moviehttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175635Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:49:35 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175635Jerry Skurnik, New York, NYJerry - the ban on wooden bats in NY was sponsored by the REPUBLICAN leader of the NY City Council. But that's OK - in 5 years, you will be blaming the Dems for getting us involved in Iraq!http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175655Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:02:11 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175655Still Crazy After All These Years"Planes And Boats and Trains"-Dionne Warwickhttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#175878Tue, 01 May 2007 01:18:31 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:175878jerry/corpus christi texasIn reading some the things on here, I am amazed at what some people really want to do with this country. PAID???? Boy I wish, but, no people, the RNC does not pay me, in fact I should be the GOP Nominee for president because I have a bigger pair then the one's who want to be the GOP main guy. I would be like warren Beatty in that movie where he told the truth(Put the chicken wings and malt beverag down). I would debate snow white and the seven dwarfs anywhere, anytime. Once we are out of Iraq, I'd have to listen to you libs whine and cry about"why can't I get my share without working for it?" Why am I still living in a trailer two years after Katrina? Why is the unemployment rate only 4.7, it should be higher? Why isn't gas $5.00 a gallon? Those are the kind of statements I would expect to hear from liberals if I was running for president? Judging from the liberal media, that is what they are wondering as well.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#176144Tue, 01 May 2007 04:57:32 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:176144Jane, Southern MississippiBut jerry, if you're planning to run for the republican nomination, you'd have to debate the American Gigolo and the nine men in waiting. Will you pledge, on this blog, to debate them? Can we say you are in, then? Is it official?http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#176266Tue, 01 May 2007 12:37:12 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:176266Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VACynicalGeek - I realize that... and legally we haven't been at "war" since World War II. That's why our military expeditions since have been called "conflicts" or "police actions." Somewhere along the line, we lost that discipline and in a development that I'm sure has Orwell laughing from the grave, we started using the term "war" much more liberally. Thus the "war on illiteracy," etc. The problem is that some folks don't seem to realize its all rhetorical nonsense and want to use the exclusively use the Armed Forces to combat crime, plants, fat kids and those who can't read.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#176867Tue, 01 May 2007 16:57:53 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:176867Dorothy"Leavin' on a Jet Plane..."--Peter, Paul & Maryhttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/04/30/174838.aspx#176869Tue, 01 May 2007 16:58:30 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:176869Dorothy"Fly Away"--John Denver with Olivia Newton-John