So, did you hear that they did a poll they did to determine which presidential candidate people would like to hang out with at a barbecue? Obama won 52 to 45 percent over McCain, which may not mean very much in the long run, but the day before July 4th it made news.

The thought of barbecues and July 4th parties got me thinking about which TV characters with whom I'd like to spend Independence Day. I wouldn't want them here at my place, though, I want to go to their places. I have high expectations, too, and a vivid imagination.

Here's the six TV characters who could expect me to join them to watch the rockets red glare -- if only they were real live folks and not just my fictional faves.

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When you sit down to watch an episode of Scrubs do you compare the zany antics of Turk and J.D. to those of Hawkeye and Trapper John? Do you equate the tough love of Carla to that of Major Margaret Houlihan? Does Bob Kelso remind you of Frank Burns?

I ask because over the last few weeks we've seen a few comments on our Scrubs reviews stating that the show can be considered the new M*A*S*H, that other medical comedy from a generation ago (for those of us who remember first-run episodes of that show you can now feel old.). It does have its similarities: both are shows that mix comedy with serious topics; both have their wacky characters; and both are workplace comedies (even though M*A*S*H's workplace location was the Korean War). But, is Scrubs really the new M*A*S*H? Kind of, but not quite.