Thanks for the thought-provoking (if somewhat lengthy) post.  Ms. K.  didn't mention it, but there's a picnic area in the middle of the pentagon.  I had lunch there 30 years ago with my Dad, my Mom and my Sister.  Dad used to say (this was his level I suspect) that you could get from any point in the building to any other point in 5 minutes.  I've printed your post(s) and will talk to him about it within the next two weeks or so. Dad's a diehard Reuplican, I mean, Republican, whose 'feith' has been tampered with by 'w'. But back when Reagan was Prez, we both wondered why there was a 2 term limit...I was 16 or so...anyway, the questions -

1) do you think we need a national referendum on a foreign policy document?  I know this sounds a little absurd - whether it's a giant spaceborne rock hurtling down to change the atmosphere or some mideasterner with the 'wrong stuff' shouldn't we have some policy in place that addresses the issue with existing resources? The Constitution doesn't seem to adequately address acts that result in a national emergency...rather than amend it for Bill of Rights issues, why not come up with a seperate document that incorporates both, but can span administrations and hold them accountable?

2) "Neoconservatives are fairly easy to study, mainly because they are few in number, and they show up at all the same parties." - the same could be said for many Baerwald fans - am I an Archliberal? 

I don't think so...I've read Billmon's definition of Neocons, please forgive the preschool and timeworn application of RubbermeetsGlue.

Hope they were good questions.....