You're delusional, Tim H. 

Lincoln didn't "provoke" an attack, as you ridiculously claim. That is, unless you count his election as provocation. Yes, how dare he have the temerity to get elected president. Lincoln hadn't even taken office when Fort Sumter was attacked. The southern states also started seceding before Lincoln was inaugurated. Then confederacy raised on army, attacked more federal outposts, and was attempting to surround Washington, D.C. 

You've got your head screwed on backwards.

"In the War Between the States, the Confederate states wanted to be left alone. Period. Lincoln and the union fanatics couldn't let us leave in peace, and he had to start a war."

Seriously, backwards.

THE SOUTH STARTED THE WAR.

Thanks for making sense of this, Adam. This ruling is truly maddening, and seems to amount to: "it is, but it isn't, well, it sort of is. Look, you can't do x but you can do x+y-z. What's that? What does x+y-z equal? Well, x+y-z equals x. No, for the last time, you can't do x. Unless you do x+y-z." 

In other words, it's total bureaucratic BS.

Ok...

Slavery was wrong (is ; it still exists). What else is wrong? Pull anything out of the hand bag. Say, murder. If the hypothetical 57th state of these U.S. allowed, condoned, encouraged murder, would it be tyrannical to remove the state legislature? What about their right to self-determination??!

I just don't understand that claim that the commander in chief lacks the authority to take military action against threats to the republic.

I don't trust Santorum, after his obnoxious attacks on Romney last year. He cared more about being able to say "see, you should have picked me" after the election, then he did about electing a Republican.

I don't care whether he had a GED or not. That's not a predictor of his intelligence or his capability. In fact, I think it's pretty insulting to home schoolers who get GEDs instead of high school diplomas, to dismiss him, or impugn him based on his degree. So the GED is not why I dislike Snowden. I dislike him because he's an egomaniac.

I know of a new, clear, way to achieve both those goals.

Actually, the Maryland legislature had already voted...by overwhelming majority...not to secede. But Confederate sympathizers were still violently agitating for secession.

The occupation of Maryland was a military necessity to prevent Maryland descending into complete chaos.

Here's how you deal with dictators: Drop a nuclear bomb on them.

I'm totally serious. What's the point of having overwhelming force if you never use it?

You guys are not looking at Maryland in context. The southern states, including Virginia, had already seceded. If Maryland had seceded, then D.C. would have been cut off from the states that remained in the Union. This would have been untenable. The Constitution is not a suicide pact. The president is the commander in chief, and as such has the power to act militarily to protect the Union.

Say hi to Sarah, if you see her!!

They're trying to figure when the egg roll is happening.

So, wait, which day is the anniversary? (It's already the 24th on the East Coast, but Mr. Robinson is posting from the West Coast, where it's still the 23rd.) My birthday is/was today/yesterday (the 23rd!)...

Hahahaha!

I jumped in with a few comments in that thread at the Trek BBS.

Thanks, Nick. It's easy to forget sometimes that there's nothing new in the world.