Name Calling Frenzy After President’s Speech to Congress In the middle of the worst financial crisis in memory, President Obama gave a powerful and masterful speech to Congress and the American people last week. The speech received rave reviews from American citizens. Yet since the speech Republican leaders and media figures have been ranting and issuing calls for revolution and calling the President every name in the book. The rhetoric verges on hysteria. Name Calling From Both Republicans and Democrats–Why? What is going on here?

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As war breaks out in the Middle East, I watch helplessly as Israel reacts, first to the Palestinian kidnapping of one of their soldiers with over the top (or so it seems to me) punitive responses to the civilians in Gaza. And now in the twinkling of an eye, the conflict has widened into Lebanon with rocket attacks launched by Hezbollah into Israel and now of course, we are witnessing the expected retaliation. I sit on my hands and scream with frustration because none of this has to happen. All of this could be otherwise. Yet this cycle of violence is so predictable and it keeps on happening. What is going on here?

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