If our First Amendment right of freedom of speech is to be protected, then people should be able to say just about whatever they want as long as it’s their opinion and isn’t blatantly defamatory, obscene, treasonous, or otherise procedurally illegal. Thus, if Ed wants to call McCain a warmonger, he’s entitled to his opinion. As is Rush Limbaugh, as is Rev. Wright - it doesn’t mean that everyone that hears it agrees or is somehow complicit in it. If all I did was publically denounce everything that is spoken by others that I disagree with, I’d never get anything else done! Instead, focus on the facts, not the spin or the hype or the pointless startegizing and plotting that occurs in political campaings - the facts show that McCain, with all of his history, service, connections and let’s say “good” intentions, still represents a continuation of Bush/Cheney policies. This will likely not lead to a positive end result, as recent history has proven. Clinton, with all of her connections, perceived “power”, and “good” intentions represents the continuation of an adversarial political environment at the very least, meaning a likely continuation of nothing getting done in Washington. So that leaves Obama, who, while still keeping some details about his plans close to the vest, represents a cleaner break than anyone else running for the office. The person who gets elected, however, should be the person who most effectively and expediently deals with US energy consumption, plain and simple, as all other issues - from international relations to the US economy to climate change to pollution to technological development all depend on finding alternative energy sources. It is a fantastic opportunity to transform this country and the world, and we need leadership to make it happen - Obama represents this country’s best hope of actually acheiving something in this direction.