We can't take the presidency, but we can take our village.

-- Mayor Jason West, in the news for performing same sex marriages, on Greens winning control of New Paltz, NY

News: I am continuously sickened by the attacks on Richard Clarke. The other side cannot just dispute the critical message of someone whose expertise in the field was used by four presidents. They have to attack his integrity. My personal feelings are well known to my readers, but the most noteworthy thing to me is that this excessive negativity has to turn off less passionately anti-Bush people than I, right?

I have read remarks from those in the middle and yes some supportive of the President in various ways in general who speak about Clarke with respect. Others are troubled by the tone. The problem is that the tone is not atypical ... more and more, we see that it is endemic to an administration many voters honestly believed would be a "uniter not a divider." It has not been ... as Richard Cohen recently said, it might be its greatest failing. One, especially with everything else, that compels us to vote it out of office. [Brad Delong has a lot of good stuff on this issue as well as economic campaign issues like the problematic Medicare law and outsourcing; see, here and here.]

As to the whole gay marriage thing, one thing I was thinking about is that I'm somewhat uneasy that out of state couples are flocking to California to get married (now that the court put out an injunction, presumably people might be going to Oregon or wherever the latest burst of activity might be). It is legitimate in my view for local officials and members of the clergy to challenge the law. All the same, the strongest argument to me is that they are doing so to protect the rights of the citizens of their communities. And, thousands of disputed out of state marriages seems to be a lot more messy. Ultimately, it is a matter of equality for all, but it does honestly make me somewhat uneasy that it was done in this way. The more low key and restrained actions in New Paltz, for instance, might be the best way. But, yes, the national attention San Francisco is getting has its benefits too.

I discuss the interesting issue of states putting out license plates promoting only one side of the abortion debate here, in particular focusing on the reaffirmance of the opinion striking down such a practice in South Carolina.