There used to be a time in this country where people could easily ask candidates questions and didn’t have to be screened before hand. The sad part is that has been within my lifetime, and I’m not even 40 yet!

But here we are in 2007 and these candidates, who all try to out tough-guy the other, aren’t expected to be able to stand up to questions from regular Americans?

CNN expressed regret yesterday for allowing a Hillary Clinton adviser to ask a question at Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate, even as controversy swirled about two other questioners who have declared their support for Democratic candidates.

Retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr, who asked why gays should not be allowed to serve openly in the military, is a member of Clinton’s steering committee on gay and lesbian issues, something her campaign disclosed in a news release in June.

“Had we known that, we probably wouldn’t have used the question,” said David Bohrman, CNN’s Washington bureau chief, who produced the debate. He added that “you could spend hours Googling everybody. What we cared about was that he was real.” CNN deleted Kerr’s question from a rebroadcast of the debate.

Just like in 2004 when Bush would come here to campaign, people who wanted to attend had to show that they were Republicans. The candidates talk about a divided nation, and I agree it is, but they are the ones creating the division. They put party above country, and that leads us to becoming the new Soviet Union.

Of course the biggest noise on this isn’t coming from the candidates, it’s coming from the wingnut blogosphere, headed by Malkin herself. They are digging into every question asked on the CNN YouTube debate and trying to find out about their background. I wonder how long before Malkin starts stalking them? I mean she did it to a kid, why not adults?

So there you have it – we are becoming our own Soviet Union by the lead of some frightened Republicans. I bet if Reagan was alive he would become an Independent.