Mom - 1961

Dad - Hawaii - 1945

And, a bit of wrapping up on the fake Kerry controversy before the weekend.

The wind-following Thomas Friedman says what all Democrats should have stood together to say…

George Bush, Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld think you’re stupid. Yes, they do…

They think they can take a mangled quip about President Bush and Iraq by John Kerry — a man who is not even running for office but who, unlike Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, never ran away from combat service — and get you to vote against all Democrats in this election.

Every time you hear Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney lash out against Mr. Kerry, I hope you will say to yourself, “They must think I’m stupid.” Because they surely do.

More commentary on Friedman on Daily Kos and the Carpetbagger.

The only problem with Friedman’s analysis is that it has really been the press that has perpetuated this story. So, it’s not that Bush, Cheney and Rove simply think the American people are stupid.

Rather, they know that the press will act far more stupidly.

As Somerby constantly reminds us, not understanding this essential fact of the Freak Show — and not doing everything you can to change it — will allow St. McCain to waltz into the White House.

Arianna Huffington and Jane Hamsher both remind Hillary Clinton that if she doesn’t recognize this, well…

Oh never mind, I think Hillary might already be out of the running anyway.

Hopefully Barack Obama won’t make the same mistakes.