* National politics is just plain goofy. From the AP…

Barack Obama wants to make something clear: He loves America.

After a series of incidents that prompted questions about his patriotism, the Democratic presidential candidate is peppering speeches with explicit statements on his love of country.

I can’t understand why we have to debate every four years whether major party candidates for president are patriotic or not. It just seems plain silly that anyone even considers the possibillity that a frontrunner candidate is somehow a dangerous anti-American because he doesn’t wear a flag pin, or was imprisoned by the Commies and may now be some sort of Manchurian Candidate, or joined the National Guard. What a crock.

I also can’t figure how people can take one or two phrases uttered by a candidate, or a candidate’s spouse, or a candidate’s ally, or a candidate’s pastor or a candidate’s friend and make a firm decision that the candidate in question hates his/her country. Bizarre.

* More national stuff…

* Schakowsky makes play for Obama’s seat

* Bernard Schoenburg: Sauerberg gets personal in criticism of Sen. Durbin