"The media pretense of being a fly on the wall has often been preposterous. In the real world of politics -- where power brokers and manipulators proceed with the cynical axiom that perception is reality -- the fly on the wall is the wall. The political press corps is not observing reality as much as redefining it while obstructing outlooks and constraining public perceptions."

"A bold idea comes to mind. Let's make a trade. Arab journalists can be brought to the United States to cover the White House, Congress and political campaigns. Here they can expand their freedom and perfect their craft. At the same time, we'll send the U.S. "pack" journalists to the Arab world, where they can learn to fight for the freedom they now enjoy but do not exercise."

"What is interesting here is that, while the continued negativity of this campaign will weaken the eventual Democratic nominee, the Republicans' presumptive nominee, John McCain, has had the field to himself. McCain had emerged from the Republican contest wounded by the internal divisions in that party. He has made a determined effort to win the support of party leaders, and in this he has been successful. His problems remain, however, on the fringes of the party, where libertarian and religious conservative elements are threatening either to boycott or to run independent candidates for the presidency in November."

"Support of a candidate does not -- or at least should not -- mean silence about disagreement. There shouldn’t be any abatement of advocacy for progressive positions, whether opposition to nuclear power plants, insistence on complete withdrawal of the U.S. military and mercenaries from Iraq, or activism for a universal single-payer healthcare system."

"The bottom line here is that this absurdity, born of the media's obsession and the Clinton campaign's desperation, is accomplishing little but delaying the inevitable while causing as much damage as possible."

"Make no mistake about it, real damage has been done by this administration's foreign policy, and two immediate impacts are clear. First is the profound recognition that the last eight years have taken a toll across the Middle East. Many Arabs are gripped by a sense that they have lost control of their futures. They were forced to watch the unraveling of Iraq, the destructive neglect of Palestine and Lebanon, and the emboldening of extremists and Iran. This Administration's adventurous and ill-conceived policies have unleashed dynamics that threaten to spill over into new conflicts."

New organizations like European Jews for a Just Peace and the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians are giving voice to rising Jewish opposition to zionist terrorism, and are symptomatic of The Lobby’s declining credibility and inability to make a coherent defence for Israel as a necessary haven for all Jews.

"...on this anniversary, my thanks to Abu Dhabi TV for their continued support, and to my U.S. carriers and my faithful viewers. From the hundreds of guests I've hosted and thousands who've called in, I have learned so much. It continues to be an honor and a privilege to be a part of this continuing conversation."