re: nasty forum
Remember, this is probably one of the most extreme leftist sites on the web. I wouldn't put most Democrats and/or liberals into this category, and certainly nobody I know of on this board. However, it's worth remembering that A.N.S.W.E.R., Moveon.org (to a lesser extent), and other highly-influential leftist groups do fall into this category.
I would give a lot to know what the messages deleted by the moderator were. From the reactions, it seems that some of them may have had the effrontery to try and defend Reagan. Remember, sites like this have little interest in opposing opinions.