Skinner, thank you for this fantastic forum! (And of course thanks to Earl & Elad, too)

[Bucky]

It's not an anniversary; there's not a fundraiser coming up; I gain nothing from kissing your ass. But pucker away I must. You see, you--Skinner and Elad and Earl--have created a "safe-bitching" zone for dark times and put up with a lot of headaches for yall's efforts. I know you share office space with the Grovelbot and that can't be much fun either, that squeaky little bastard.

The GD forums may seem a little too bitchy and a little too oversensative sometimes. But democracy is like that. Its soul is passionate argument. I don't have an agenda today. I'm not particularly angry at anyone right now (except for the usual assclowns defacing the West Wing). But even in a pretty good mental and emotional state, as a person passionately in love with my country, there's just this wide gloomy sadness that lurks over me every time I listen to the news. I need hope and silliness and just the perspective that comes from hearing other people's ideas when they're outraged or hopeful or silly, too.

So, this is just a thread to say thanks for making a space where I can get some good information, read a few good arguments, learn a few surprising facts, and even get my ass verbally kicked when I'm not thinking clearly enough myself. For all the fears we have of it being "just an internet discussion board," DU gives a lot of hope, solace, and insights to thousands of Democrats around the country every day. That makes a huge difference in the world. The three of yall make a huge difference in how clearly I see my job as a voter.

You're doing good, even if the noise here doesn't show it some days. Even the anguish of an insult-laden campaign season is a sign of the health and necessity of this cyberjoint. Ya done good. Keep up the good work.