Here we go again.  After eight horrific years of lies and deceit and war and death, the American public once again has fallen into the abyss of self delusion.  Tragically, just as we near the brink of reversal, we are about to abdicate any claim whatsoever to respect or honor anywhere.  

America consistently proclaims itself a nation of laws where justice is blind to privilege or class. And yet, as the world watches in disbelief, this country has become inextricably mired in non-stop debates that defy reason.  It is absolutely insane to discuss the possibility that a crime has some Machiavellian validity simply because it ‘works.’ And it is equally incredulous to engage in discussions about the propriety of prosecuting those who have openly admitted their heinous actions.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture.

Here the facts.  Check them out.  They’re clear; they’re relatively simple to follow. Do the math.

Former Sec'y of State Condoleezza Rice made it to ABC's The View this morning, so naturally, Barbara Walters showed up as well.  Wow, another big name interview for the wannabe political forum, - right after some quasi-relentless sparring with Ron. Blagojevich just a few days before.  It was the perfect time for Babs to bring 'er on, and finally ask the tough questions about war and torture and eight years of Bush hell.  Yeah, right.

On Friday, as he rallied his bigoted, small-minded followers in a suburb of Minneapolis, John McCain made a most bizarre attempt to reverse the fear mongering and bigoted tone of his faltering campaign

The incident involved a brief exchange between a pathetic McCain supporter and her increasingly desperate candidate. What happened was this: during a rally at Lakeville South High School, McCain handed his microphone to a woman who expressed her concerns about Barack Obama "I don't trust Obama,” she said. “I have read about him. He's an Arab."

Just then, for just one unrealistic nanosecond, I naively hoped that John McCain would take the high road and reject such a bigoted attack from someone in his painfully ignorant audience.  Instead, my heart sank in disbelief as I heard the response to this ethnic slur from a man who would be our national leader.

“No, ma’am” offered John {our hero) McCain, “He’s a decent, family man, [a] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."  

Implicit, of course, in that response was another message: Don’t worry, ma’am, Barack Obama is NOT an Arab.  Unlike Arabs, he’s a decent, family man.

Maybe it’s genetic, but Sarah Palin sure is good with a gun.  It seems that daddy loved bringing down those nasty Alaskan brown bears in a town where little Sarah first learned to alarm the local moose community.  But trust me, I’m not knocking moose stew; it might be a really good meal.

Palin grew up in Alaska, where people hunt and fish.  So be it.  This is not going to be a dissertation on animal rights or a moral critique on her spare time activities.  Moose and salmon and wild birds are fair game for hunters in her neck of the woods, and Sarah hunts and fishes with the best of them.  Good for her.

But in her new role as the GOP veep candidate Sarah Palin has crossed a line, even for a hunter.  This time she has set her sights on a new and unfamiliar target. This time she is not aiming at a herd or a bevy or a flock.  This time she is going after a large group of intelligent, thinking Americans known as women voters.  .

And this time, as she hunts in uncharted territory, Sarah Palin has made a strategic error.  For some distorted reason, Palin thinks she is hunting lemmings.