David,

I only caught the highlights of the debate last night, thank goodness I have the deeply "serious" David Brooks of the NYT to clue me in on the highlights:

Three quick points on the Democratic debate tonight:

First, Democrats, and especially Obama supporters, are going to jump all over ABC for the choice of topics: too many gaffe questions, not enough policy questions.

I understand the complaints, but I thought the questions were excellent. The journalist’s job is to make politicians uncomfortable, to explore evasions, contradictions and vulnerabilities. Almost every question tonight did that. The candidates each looked foolish at times, but that’s their own fault.

We may not like it, but issues like Jeremiah Wright, flag lapels and the Tuzla airport will be important in the fall. Remember how George H.W. Bush toured flag factories to expose Michael Dukakis. It’s legitimate to see how the candidates will respond to these sorts of symbolic issues.

Consider that for a moment.

As we slog through the second Bush recession, and contemplate the 4000 soldiers that we've lost in a pointless war in Mesopotamia, as we look upon the millions of displaced Iraqis, the thousands upon thousands who have died at our hands, consider that Brooks feels that questions about lapel pins are not only germane but critical to the decision that we will make about how to extricate ourselves from the hash that the Bush administration has made of our country, our reputation, and our Constitution.

As we swallow hard and accept that fact that we have become an international pariah, a nation that tortures, a nation that has accepted the doctrine of 'preemptive war', a nation that imprisons without the protection of habeas corpus, consider that Brooks feels that the most important issue we can ask our candidates to answer to has to do with the ramblings of their pastor and some inaccurate comments made on the endless campaign trail. 300,000 vets with PTSD, 320,000 vets who've suffered brain injuries, and he wants to talk about lapel pins.

I suppose he's got to say something to keep up with Bill Kristol over at the Times.


By the way, I know that I am not the only one that feels that the "bitter" comment was spot on, and that Reverend Wright made some pretty good points.