MaggieD, we already agree that Secretary Clinton is eminently qualified to be our next president and I will proudly include her in my straight Democratic ballot.

There are two thoughts I'd like to ask you to consider. First, in my post, I didn't suggest that Senator Obama was the most qualified candidate when he ran for his first term. I distinguished that by referring to his reelection by which time he had four years of Republican obstructionism behind him. I give him great credit for all of his attempts to work across the aisle during his first term but, you know, Republicans are jackasses. In his reelection and throughout his second term, he showed us what real spine and dedication to accomplishments can bring in a hostile environment.

My second point is hard to write because I'm about to acknowledge some accomplished Republicans along with Democrats. But facts are facts, so here goes.

When I was born, Dwight Eisenhower was president so the first presidential election in my lifetime was 1960 when JFK was elected. Consider the resumes of the candidates in my lifetime.

John F. Kennedy: Served in the US Navy, Congressman, Senator and Pulitzer Prize winning author
Richard M. Nixon: Served in the US Navy, Congressman, Senator and Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson: Congressman, Senator (including Senate Majority Whip, Minority Leader and Majority Leader) and Vice President
Barry Goldwater: Served in both the US Army and the US Air Force in World War II and Korea, as a Senator chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee
Hubert Humphrey: Mayor of Minneapolis, Senator (including Senate Majority Whip) and Vice President
George McGovern: Historian, Author, Served in the US Air Force, Congressman and Senator
Gerald Ford: Served in the US Navy, Congressman, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, House Minority Leader and Vice President
Jimmy Carter: Served in the US Navy, Georgia State Senator and Governor of Georgia
Ronald Reagan: Served in the US Army Air Forces, President of the Screen Actors' Guild (a union!) and Governor of California
Walter Mondale: Served in the US Army, Attorney General of Minnesota, Senator and Vice President
George H.W. Bush: Served in the US Navy, Congressman, successful businessman, Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairperson of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Vice President
Michael Dukakis: Served in the US Army, Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Governor of Massachusetts
William J. Clinton: Rhodes Scholar, Attorney General of Arkansas, Governor of Arkansas
Albert Gore: Served in the US Army, Congressman, Senator and Vice President
George W. Bush: Served (allegedly) in the Texas Air National Guard, businessman in oil and baseball and Governor of Texas.
John Kerry: Served in the US Navy, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and Senator
Barack Obama: Community organizer, Author, Illinois State Senator and Senator
John McCain: Served in the US Navy, Congressman and Senator
Mitt Romney: Successful businessman, CEO of the Salt Lake City Olympics, Governor of Massachusetts

I think that any objective view of these men's resumes would have to observe that they are extremely accomplished.

Once again, I concur that Secretary Clinton is accomplished and has an impressive resume. I'll support her with some money and my vote. Meanwhile, let's keep some perspective with our hyperbole!