But some Democrats attribute that GOP success partly to the administration's reluctance to fight, arguing that Obama's emphasis on easing partisan rancor over judgeships has backfired and only emboldened Senate Republicans.

When will Obama listen to the Republicans and realize appeasement never works?

If you read the NYTimes piece about the Texas A&M protests, it's even more inexplicable. It notes that TAMU is known for its annual Big Event, a day dedicated to public service. But they're going to protest an event dedicated to promoting community service.

It's also interesting to see the placards the Young Conservatives are working on in the photo with the article. One reads "My Health = My Choice." Apart from my delight in learning they've embraced the kind of pro-choice stance many women have taken for decades now, I'm confused---how is the public option taking their choice away from them?

Hmmm a story about those Texans again. Paging eric cami?????

The final insult by the Obama White House will be to allow the Republicans to set the tempo on federal judge appointments.

Yeah, this is just what we need, fewer Democratic appointed judges and more Republican appointed judges; this kind of shit comes back to seriously bite you in the ass.

I'm beyond Obama's great feel good speeches and at a point where I'm completely disappointed in his performance. He's better than McCain/Palin, but at this point I don't know by how much.

Duncan Hunter...a chip off the old turd.

When a neighbor breaks things and pinches your wife's butt every time you invite him to one of your parties, you don't look inside yourself and wonder how you can be nicer or more bipartisan to him. YOU JUST STOP INVITING HIM.

We liberals are constantly wringing our hands and chastising ourselves, paranoid that we might go too far or overstep the bounds of respectful discourse... meanwhile, the Republicans rant like lunatics, never apologize when they're wrong (which is most of the time) and constantly make political hay from nothing.

I'm not suggesting we adopt the methods of the Right. We couldn't if we wanted to, because we're not authoritarian hypertribalists. But I'm sick and tired of our side bending over backwards to avoid the stereotypes painted by the right, when the Right painted those stereotypes *precisely* to make us second-guess ourselves.

Obama's playing into that (as many have pointed out) by focusing on money instead of people in the healthcare debate.

Republicans are sociopathic when it comes to turning every political topic into a black-and-white, our-side-is-right fight. We might be better served by allowing ourselves to get a little looser and freer and to be a little less afraid of being "mean" to those poor widdle Republicans.

Republicans are assholes. They have lost the respect they would have otherwise deserved. They deserve only scorn and ostracism at this point.

"It would be irresponsible to take any action other than what Gen. McChrystal has recommended."

Since when did we give up civilian control of the military? Didn't we learn under JFK that the military experts can lead you badly astray? And don't we admire Lincoln for having the wisdom to knock his generals around until he found one whose style of generalship was in line with Lincoln's strategic goals?

This worshipful deference to the military is one more indication that what Republicans want is actually a national security state, not a true democratic republic.