There have been many times in the past when the arguments of politicians became vehement, out of control and quite abrasive. The republic still stands today and will continue forever if this uncivil behavior is the only obstacle to our continued existence.

There are good reasons for the above statements. Heated debates by politicians have been common for many years - probably since there were more than 1 politician. For the most part these debates contain the seeds for future legislation or policy changes and actually should be continued. If the by product is better government, we should endorse such activity.

So when does heated debate cross the line and become something you don't want your kids to watch? I think that heated debate is fine until one of the participants crosses the line and takes the argument to a personal level. This can occur when personal insults about age, physical ability (or lack of) and any other remark that gets into the area of the opponents personal life.

One of the reasons the House and Senate have hold harmless policies for debate on the floor of these bodies is to encourage debate and because debate here tends to become heated and personal in a very short time. Often,a meeting ends with rancor over some point of contention, and the participants go to the floor of their body and carry on in a "hold harmless" environment so that lawsuits do not occur.

Those remarks floating about on the Internet regarding Hillary and her voting record, her stand on health insurance and most recently her fund raising, are all part of the game. However, last evening, on most major networks was a blurb about Hillary's laughter and how it seemed to be a part of her political manifestation. To me, that went over the line. How a person laughs, grins, frowns, etc, etc. is unique to that person and is not part of the debate of any relevant issues.

Former Senator Edwards, John Kerry's' vice presidential running mate, has done a remarkably good job to stay in the race, find money to stay afloat in this highly competitive Democratic Party primary. His wife is an activist and she has made some controversial remarks about Hillary and other aspects of the political life. They were made from her perspective, she is not a candidate and they were legitimate.

The republican side of the race has its own problems. President Bush is an unpopular President who just vetoed the States Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) and will probably

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