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comment "Why I'm Pro-Choice. Logic."Your post is full of information and I especially like the example you used (Dan, his wife, and Victor) to try to get us to understand that abortion and murder are two separate issues. I dought that a pregnant female is thinking what degree of murder am I committing. That is usually shouted out by the anti-abortion groups. Why do people have to get so emotionally involved in something that is so personal and according to Roe v. Wade it is still legal to get an abortion in the first trimester. Then in the second and third trimester the state has adopted restrictions. And you're right we can't even agree when life begins at conception or at birth. Physicians should not be punished for performing abortions in a safe environment. As you stated that a woman is scared, sad, and distraught before an abortion so how can she be malicious? I agree with you that abortion should be kept legal so the states can regulate and put guide lines on this very sensitive and personal issue.

comment on "High ho, Controversy, away!" on the blogspot Political View:...don't ask. I found your post very interesting. I happen to be a gun lover myself and agree that "the idea of strict gun control is ludicrous". I also grew up around guns. I lived on a farm and my father used guns as a means of protection from preying animals or unwelcomed people. I know the damage guns could do. My father believed in the second amendment as I do. My children know what a gun can do. I believe educating children about guns might help in some of the "accidents". Adults and parents have the responsbility to educate these children. You are right criminials are not going to purchase a gun legally. It is faster and cheaper for them to buy a gun illegally where it is difficult to track. I found the FBI Crime Index Report interesting as it states that 1.8 of 10,000 police officers are arrested every year. If peace officer can't be trusted who can? I praise the Supreme Court for declaring individual's rights to bare arms.

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I found your post very interesting. I also agree that the US National Government should pass the Dream Act, which would allow achieving illegal immigrant high school students to continue their education and not worry about their immigation status. Many families come to the United States in search of the "American Dream". Unless the US Government passes the Dream Act immigrant parents and their children will work side by side in the same low paying jobs.If the immigrant has children who are born in the United States they will qualify for medicaid and ther government programs. This will put a strain on our economy and the cycle will continue. Right from the beginning many immigrant students face the language barrier and culture shock. They have to work twice as hard in school. Students from Mexico have to grasp the educational concepts in spanish then "translate" them into english because by third grade everything is in english. YES! Reward them with their residency for all the hard work. Hopefully, the US National Government passes the Dream Act proposal.

Sarah Palin and the Priceless Wardrobe

The Republican Nation Committee has spent about $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. According to politico.com about $49,000 was spent at Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York. Her shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis came to a grand total of about $75,000. The Republican Nation Committee refers to these expenses as "itemized coordinated expenditures". The expenditures have occurred since September. She has spent $150,000 in about a month. About $5,000 was spent to have her hair and makeup done. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." states spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. I should be outraged but I'm not. Palin is the best dressed woman to enter the political arena. I would expect the first woman vice presidential candidate to "dress to impress". It is absolutely more expensive to dress a woman. Palin has to dress respectfully. She has to remain feminine without exposing herself. She has to be professional and not intimidating. Palin is choosing basic colors, no large floral prints or bulky jewelry. The public is critical of females fashion choices. Hillary Clinton's wardrobe is nothing to be desired. What is up with her hair? Hillary needs to let Sarah make her over. I'm not bad mouthing Hillary just comparing fashion styles. Palin is shopping at the trendy and higher end stores but she is "dressing" the part of the next vice president. As with any job, your attire should reflex the position you hold. I look forward to seeing what Sarah Palin will be wearing November 4, 2008. With so many issues effecting our nation Palin's wardrobe should be last on the list.

Media Matters: Loose Ends

Jamison Foser, executive vice president of the political blog Media Matters, states that a prominent media figure finally asked McCain about his relationship or connection to Gordon Liddy. Who? Not Cnn or the New York Times. None other than David Letterman. According to the editorials some Americans get their news from late night comedians which he adds this could be a "good thing". Foser writes that Letterman broke the media's embargo on questioning McCain's relationship with Liddy and how reporters downplayed the story or did minimal coverage. Foser states this is "the clearest double standards" in resent political history. The media has worked itself into a "frenzy" in regards to the relationship between Senator Obama and William Ayers. The editorial gives us examples of how the media can be one sided. Mark Halperin of Time's wrote how Letterman "hound[ing]" McCain over his Ayers attacks yet failed to mention how Letterman tried to confront McCain about his relationship with Liddy. Foser has linked an MSNBC clip of McCain on Letterman but doesn't show the Libby exchange. I seen the Letterman show so I don't feel Letterman was hounding McCain as the media was trying to portray. Foser provided data to support his claim that the media can and is at times biased.

Legal Immigration? Anybody?

"trouble passing a simple law to smooth out a serious kink in the legal immigration pipeline." States an editorial in the opinion section of the New York Times. Of course the editorial is talking about Congress. Politicians claim to love immigrants but their actions are anti-immigration. The editorial says that Congress allows or approves "a certain number" of permanent visas or better known as green cards each year but many cards are unclaimed due to "bureaucratic delays". This prevents immigrants from jobs and separates families. According to the editorial the legal immigration process can take years or "even decades for applicants from some countries,". "Teachers, nurses, engineers, researchers and other aspiring immigrants who follow the rules, file their paperwork, pay their fees and wait- and wait- get the chilly message that they are not wanted. Some of them feel great pressure to go illegally around the immigration system, instead of through it, as their wait to rejoin their loved ones becomes intolerable." I don't know that it is fair to make this statement because these professionals aren't the only ones who are coming to our country. What about the immigrants who are working in the lawn care business or construction sites, are they not worthy? The editorial goes on to state how some members of Congress, Representative Steve King, Republican of Iowa wants to add amendments. One example is that only immigrants younger than 40 years old and with some college degree be granted green cards. "Another would have eliminated an entire category of family visas, for siblings of citizens." Overall I have to say that for the best interest of the country it is wise to allow educated immigrants into our country.

Invisible and Overlooked is at www.newsweek.com/