MARK THOMPSON GETS HALF-CREDIT

Thompson properly takes the GOP to task for it's "talk radio" dogmatism and deserves some credit for that. He doesn't seem to grasp the sheer size of the problem, though:

Over the last few months, there has been much finger-pointing as to which particular sect of the old GOP coalition is to blame for the policy failures of the last 8 years and the electoral failures of the last 2 years. As I suggested (inartfully, I think) in my previous stint here at Upturned Earth, I think these accusations are deeply misplaced - the problems have not been caused by religious conservatives or adherence to free market beliefs...

A LOT of Americans became fed up with the self-righteous Fundies, especially after the Schiavo pandering and stubbornly clinging to the belief in the Free Market Fairy is a sure way to lose votes and make horrendous policy mistakes.