Thank you, Ray, for the Housekeeping. I haven't visited this site since my last posting of Oct 7 because it appeared that Phil and his vile insults were here to stay. (Major turn-off for me. I'm a big girl and have seen lots of ad hominems - but graphic sexual insults was too much.) I have always liked this site for the perspective it offers and the exchange in the postings.

Ray While I do comprehend your "live and let live" attitude about Phil, (and I don't presume to speak for anyone but myself), he is using you and your forum as his own personal dumping ground. It isn't every troll you need concern yourself with. It is one troll named Phil. Having said my piece on Phil... Merkel seems like a hard-hitting woman. I think she can run circles around Obama. She will find (like Sarkozy) that Obama is an empty suit (if she can tolerate his arrogance.) Germans have what they claim to have wanted in a US president - someone who doesn't put his own country first. But Obama doesn't put ANY of our European allies first, either. So when heavy lifting is required in the future, Europe is on it's own.

Troby posts this snarky comment: "It seems to be much safer to be a Jew (or a Gentile with an Israeli flag) in Germany than e.g. an Ob/Gyn in the US ..." What a crock....Typical ignorant stereotyping by a European. Jeremiah Duggan (jewish) beaten to death in Germany March 2003. Dr. Tiller murdered in the US June 2009 My point? Since the 1950's, FOUR doctors have been murdered in the US by nutcases opposing abortion. How many jews have been murdered in Germany since WWII?