document.write("<script language=\"javascript1.2\" type=\"text/javascript\">function emo_pop() {window.open('http://www.haloscan.com/commenthelp.php','Help','width=200,height=320,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');}</script><table width=\"97%\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" class=\"MainTable\">  <tr>    <td>    <div align=\"center\">    </div>    </td>  </tr><tr><td class=\"MessageCell\">    <a name=\"225311\"></a>        <p><img src=\"http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=9e9fd30414baa6bf89ddd3c0f5c6a0c2&amp;default=http%3A%2F%2Fec1.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FG%2F01%2Fx-locale%2Fcommon%2Ftransparent-pixel.gif&amp;rating=PG&amp;size=32\" alt=\"Gravatar\" title=\"Gravatar\" style=\"padding: 1px; margin: 2px; float: right;\" class=\"gravatar\" />Loved this post, Betty! Who but you would see the state of pet training as a metaphor for our national character?<br><br>Can Betty Cracker cook, or can't she?<br /><span class=\"byline\">           Brad Mays | 04.09.09 - 3:22 pm | <a href=\"#225311\" title=\"Link to this comment\">#</a></span></p><hr /></td></tr><tr><td class=\"MessageCell\">    <a name=\"225530\"></a>        <p><img src=\"http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=875712e3c7995cf9d80cac621ac0b14d&amp;default=http%3A%2F%2Fec1.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FG%2F01%2Fx-locale%2Fcommon%2Ftransparent-pixel.gif&amp;rating=PG&amp;size=32\" alt=\"Gravatar\" title=\"Gravatar\" style=\"padding: 1px; margin: 2px; float: right;\" class=\"gravatar\" />I'd say the german tourist would have been in his rights to kick the crap out of her thirty five pound ill trained mutt. Dog owners are certifiably crazy--I have a young child who is afraid of dogs jumping on her, and an elderly mother who could be knocked down by an overexuberant dog off its leash--and *every single time* you mention it, in advance, to prevent people letting their dogs jump all over either of these people the owner assures you that his \"dog is really friendly!\" Yes, I get that, but they are still twice the weight of my child or my mother and their friendliness is itself the problem. OK? <br><br>Betty you have really hit the nail on the head with this comparison between dog owners and american jingoists. Its simply impossible for them to grasp that your relationship to their dog, or their country's actions, is not the same as theirs.  Or, as a commenter named JayC posted today over at STeve Benen's column \"american exceptionalism means our shit doesn't stink.\" <br><br>aimai<br /><span class=\"byline\">           aimai | <a href=\"http://tehipitetom.blogspot.com/\" title=\"http://tehipitetom.blogspot.com/\">Homepage</a> | 04.12.09 - 11:07 am | <a href=\"#225530\" title=\"Link to this comment\">#</a></span></p><hr /></td></tr><tr><td class=\"MessageCell\">    <a name=\"226127\"></a>        <p><img src=\"http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=d242630d4eaa3fadff89a7b61e6d1753&amp;default=http%3A%2F%2Fec1.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FG%2F01%2Fx-locale%2Fcommon%2Ftransparent-pixel.gif&amp;rating=PG&amp;size=32\" alt=\"Gravatar\" title=\"Gravatar\" style=\"padding: 1px; margin: 2px; float: right;\" class=\"gravatar\" />Nicolle Wallace is only invited to be on TV shows because she's cute. Not Samantha Power cute, but still.<br><br>As for why she gets space on the Daily Beast, well, it probably says more about the Daily Beast than Nicolle.<br><br>What's obvious is that Sarah Palin's tutor isn't terribly bright, as evidenced by her student's performance last fall.<br /><span class=\"byline\">           HobSpaceJunkie | 04.19.09 - 12:56 am | <a href=\"#226127\" title=\"Link to this comment\">#</a></span></p><hr /></td></tr><tr>    <td class=\"InputCell\">                  <br /><div style=\"margin: 0 auto; width: 125px;\"><a href=\"http://secretbuilders.com/ref?id=JSKIT\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"http://www.haloscan.com/images/secretbuilders.jpg\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\" border=\"0\"/></a></div><br /><div id=\"newcomment\"></div><form method=\"post\" name=\"addComment\" action=\"http://www.haloscan.com/comments/bettycracker/7529019046220202787/\" target=\"_self\">        <p>    Name: <br />          <input name=\"name\" type=\"text\" size=\"38\" value=\"\" /><br />          Email:<br />          <input name=\"email\" type=\"text\" size=\"38\" value=\"\" /><br />          URL: <br />          <input name=\"url\" type=\"text\" size=\"38\" value=\"\" /><br />          Comment:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"javascript:emo_pop()\" title=\"Smiley and tag help\" target=\"_self\">?</a>&nbsp;<br />          <textarea name=\"addMessage\" rows=\"12\" cols=\"38\"></textarea><br /><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"subscribe\" value=\"1\" /><label for=\"subscribe\">Notify me of followup comments via email</label>        </p>        <p class=\"PSubmit\"><input name=\"submit\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Publish\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\" class=\"SubmitButton\" />&nbsp;<input name=\"previewMessage\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Preview\" class=\"SubmitButton\" />        </p>      <input type='hidden' name='user' value='bettycracker' /><input type='hidden' name='comment' value='7529019046220202787' /></form>    </td></tr>  <tr>    <td><p align=\"center\">        Commenting by <a href=\"http://www.haloscan.com/\" target=\"_blank\">HaloScan</a></p>      </td>  </tr></table><img src=\"http://c5.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=561713&amp;java=0&amp;security=01eeff58\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\" /></body>");