But for the tapes existence being revealed to the senate panel, Tricky probably would have survived and most of the WH "horrors" would have gone unnoted probably until after he died.  

I recall Sam Dash, Watergate comm'ee lead counsel, saying that they feared their investigation was about to close up shop after a few months with nothing done against Nixon when they caught a break with a tip about the WH taping system.

And, yes, I recall Sen Sam Ervin (I think it was Ervin and not Erwin, or Erving -- I think Dr J was Julius Erving but Senator Sam was Ervin ;)  

Pretty hilarious.

"Lovelorn" describes someone who doesn't question, who accepts without any examination or analysis or thought - and that just isn't me, sorry.

I think it's kind of interesting that you characterize Hillary's positions as being the same as Obama's, because what I saw during the primaries was a lightweight who glommed onto Hillary's positions to the point where, in debates, he might as well have responded, "what she said," or "me, too."  

He was mirroring her, not the other way around.

As for illusions, perhaps the biggest one is the one you have created for yourself, as you try so hard to convince yourself - and others - that Democrats are a generic brand, interchangeable in ideology and position.  Those who see with their eyes and minds open can understand that they are really not.  But, hey, if I had voted for Obama - or anyone for president - maybe I would be trying to convince myself it didn't matter, too.

What seems to stick in your craw is that people who supported Hillary didn't flip the switch and go all-in for Obama after the convention.  I can't speak for anyone but myself, but the concerns I had about Obama didn't just evaporate when he got the nomination - and there wasn't much in the couple months until the general election that came close to convincing me that I was wrong to have those concerns.

And the last two years?  Well, they aren't about Hillary - I don't pine for her, sorry.  I am enough of a realist to know that she isn't going to come to the rescue, and it doesn't matter what I - or anyone else - think she would have done differently, because that's a waste of time.

So, you can keep trying to make me into some sort of fanatic, keep trying to cast all my criticism of Obama as lovesick longing for Hillary, but it's just not there.

What keeps coming through, in a really sad and bitter way, is your longing for the days when TL didn't have as many commenters who could see through your BS; you can't let go of that, can't let go of Hillary or the primaries - still haven't been able to come up with ways to discuss what is happening now without going "there."

I'm not sure what you want, short of yet another full-blown, emotionally cathartic, puma-snit; which would apparently be the only thing that wouldn't qualify as an "apologia". I've already stated that I believe that the main problems in our current political system are systemic - held together by a complex of unwarranted and unexamined assumptions - and that it prevents the coming to the fore of the kind of genuine "leaders" the country needs.

It sounds to me like you and the rest of the gang think that things can somehow "change" in some lasting, meaningful way if we just change players while leaving the basic pay-to-play, revolving door system in place. And I'm the one who doesn't really want change..)  

I don't have to say glass stegall because clinton's WTO had already made that acts repeal a moot point. Hell, who needs manufacturing anyway when we can export banking services.