The Russians are here, the Russians are here!!

Can you believe that in a three or four mile stretch in the Spokane Valley there are now three Russian market/delicatessens and a Ukrainian restaurant? Obviously we should have built a wall all along the Eastern Seabord to keep these people out. This seems to be a little known problem, unlike the Mexican invasion from the south. Of course there is also a problem from the north - all that Canadian pot that seems to be so popular these days. Then there are all the problems with Asians being smuggled in from the west and north. I think the obvious solution is a wall. We should build a wall all along the Canadian/US border, down the Eastern Seabord, across our Southern border and then back up along the West Coast all the way to Canada. That ought to do the trick. But, you say, they might still tunnel under the wall? I've thought of that. We should make sure to dig down at least twenty or thirty feet all around and install steel nets to make sure they cannot simply tunnel under our wall. That ought to do it. I'm sure we could get Congress to approve such a barrier and our President to approve it. Then all we'd have to do is get China and Japan to loan us enough money to bring it all about. It probably wouldn't cost more than several thousands of billions, we could employ some cheap South American and Asian labor to do it (Americans couldn't be expected to do such cheap labor), and when completed we could just execute them all so they wouldn't be able to reveal exactly where it was and so on. Simple, no? And about as realistic as the recent bill to build a 700 mile wall along our Mexican border with no provision for funding it and no intention of ever doing such a thing after the coming elections. American politics has now become the eighth wonder of the world, maybe the ninth or tenth, I've lost count.

A week to go and many miles before we sleep. With the polls and all indications of a Democrat victory in the House and perhaps the Senate will the Republicans actually try to steal another election? Take Ohio, for example. Blackwell has been trailing the polls by double digits for weeks. Is he really going to try to claim victory after whatever dirty tricks he has prepared? Will anyone believe he could have won? If he claims to have won will anyone accept this outcome? This same scenario may be reenacted in other states as well. Are we going to stand for it again? What could we do if Republicans actually claim victory in spite of the overwhelming indications they cannot possibly win?

Don't miss the Cheney appearance in Coeur d'Alene on thursday. I understand they are still trying to give tickets away (probably only to certified nutcases). It is a great opportunity. How often might you have your picture taken next to the most evil person on earth, the minister of torture and death? I assure you, your grandchildren will be thrilled. I bet for another thousand or two you can probably get his signature on your copy of Mein Kampf. Sorry to be so negative. My optimism has been buried under a landslide of filthy lies and secrecy for so long it just rebels.

Grant yes, Sali no!

I received in the mail today a 12 page campaign propaganda piece extolling the (presumed) virtues of Bill Sali. Why this was sent to me I have no idea. But I do appreciate it as it verifies all the reasons I have for not wanting Sali as a member of Congress. This paper (or whatever you want to call it} is obviously meant to target an ultra-conservative audience. And all of the negative things he says about Larry Grant are precisely the things that make me wish to vote for him. Sali wants to make permanent Bush's absurd tax cuts for the filthy rich, Grant does not. Hooray for Grant! Sali boasts he would never vote to increase taxes (presumably he doesn't care how far in debt the state or country might go). Sali opposes breaching the dams. The dams will almost certainly have to be breached unless we are willing to give up the salmon. Sali opposes the inheritance tax (which, of course, he calls the death tax). I am totally opposed to repealing the inheritance tax. Sali believes securing our borders is a matter of national security and says Grant wants to grant amnesty for illegal aliens (granting amnesty to some illegals has nothing to do with national security and of course Grant is not opposed to national security). Sali says people coming to this country will have more success speaking English (does anyone doubt this? But why do we need a law making English the "official language" when it already is?). Sali believes we need more conservatives in Congress. I believe we need far fewer. Anyway, this blurb goes on and on promoting nothing but ultra-right wing beliefs, none of which I approve. It only proves what I have been saying all along - Bill Sali is an extreme right-winger who will simply rubber stamp anything Bush/Cheney desire. And he joins the Republicans in claiming that if Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House the sky will fall in, the earth will tremble and fall apart, there will no longer be a chicken in every pot, homosexuals will rule our land (as Republican gays do now), the terrorists will launch their tremendous armada of ships and planes and attack us poor helpless souls here at home, we will all have stinky feet and stop loving Jesus, and McDonald's will force us to eat tofu burgers. Just remember, a vote for Sali is a vote for Cheney (and if that is not frightening beyond belief I don't know what would be).

Mercifully, it will be over soon

Trying to switch from my antique computer to this new one was far more difficult than I imagined. Rather like going from the 15th century to the 21st overnight. Now that I have this one I wonder how on earth I managed to put up with that incredibly slow primitive machine that I had for so many years. It's not that the new computer makes me any smarter or creative or whatever, but it certainly is much more efficient and pleasurable to use.

It appears that even people outside of Idaho are beginning to understand that Idaho is struggling to go "blue." While Democratic candidates like Brady and Grant are said to have very slight leads at the moment they are not significant enough to prove anything but extremely tight races. Strange, as Sali is such a terrible candidate as to almost be laughable (indeed, should he win, Idaho will become the laughingstock of the world). Brady will make an infinitely better governor than Otter (who is basically no more than a ne'r do well good ol'boy} but it is apparently too close to call. I have great hopes for most of our Democratic candidates but only time will tell.

I confess to being so sick of all the lies and negative ads, and utter BS, and so disgusted with where Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice and the others have brought us, that I just want it now to be over. American politics has now reached a point where it no longer has anything to do with the common good, or even anything to do with common people. It might as well be taking place somewhere out in the cosmos. It has now only to do with what corporations and the wealthy decide they want to do. They decided some time ago that most of us are fit only to be serfs or peasants toiling for low wages in their best interests. Can you believe that the minimum wage is $5.15 per hour while the CEO's are pulling down somewhere in the vicinity of 100 million per year (yes, I said 100 million!). Anyone who just accepts this as the way things ought to be deserves to be a peasant. American culture has now reached the point where it can only be honestly described as a "culture of the absurd."

Relax?

Let's see, an unnecessary, immoral, illegal, insane "war" that didn't have to happen, hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis killed and maimed, almost 3000 of our finest troops killed and thousands wounded and crippled, and Rumsfeld tells us to "relax?" Under intense criticism from virtually all sides, including many of our senior generals, with more and more calls for him to resign, Rumsfeld tells us to just relax and "back off." Things are "complicated" and "difficult," and apparently no one but him understands the situation. Some, he says, are just up to "mischief," trying to use this for political purposes. Can't you just hear him say, "goodness gracious me, of course we are winning." It will just take time (it has now already been longer than it took us to win the Second World War). I'm afraid that "Rummy" just doesn't get it. He is widely regarded as incompetent, has made an incredible mess of Iraq, things are not getting any better, and he refuses to resign just as Bush refuses to fire him. So let's just continue with the unnecessary killing and maiming and civil war, and torture, and lies, and incompetence and stupidity until Bush can pass the disaster on to the next President. That's what I call a strategy.

If you haven't heard, Cheney is going to touch down in Coeur d' Alene to rally the Republicans. He is not going to be here to represent any particular candidate or raise funds for anyone in particular (could it be that no one wants to be seen with him?). Dick Cheney (aka Dick the Slimy) is arguabley one of the most loathed people on earth at the moment. Why he thinks his appearance is going to help is a mystery to me. But, as usual, this is to be an invitation only crowd (why do you think he does this?). But gosh, Dick Cheney right here in Coeur d' Alene! I bet if I were rich enough, and stupid enough, and wanted to cough up enough money, I could get my picture taken with him.

Ah, politics! In Virginia, where George "macaca" Allen, a resident racist Senator is not doing too well against his Democratic opponent, Webb, he has now taken passages out of Webb's previous realistic novels to argue that Webb is a sexist and all-around bad guy. What makes this even more absurd is that Democrats are now arguing that Republicans like Lynne Cheney, Newt Gingrich, and others have also written sexy novels. In other words they are arguing about who wrote the dirtiest books. I guess they exhausted their argument about how many times Bush and Lieberman said "stay the course." This is so much fun I hate to see it end on Novemnber 7th (yikes! it probably won't end then no matter what).

Pat Buchanan said the racist Tennessee ad put out by Republicans (and now withdrawn) is not racist because Harold Ford Jr. really does like Playboy bunnies (and, Pat adds, most of them are white). I don't care if Ford likes Playboy bunnies or not, nor do I care if they are mostly white, the ad was a thinly veiled racist message to the good ol' boys and girls in Tennessee that the "niggers" really do lust after white women. You would think by now this ridiculous stereotype might have run its course but I guess not for Republicans like Buchanan. Some people are just having trouble trying to enter the 20th century (that is not a misprint).

This computer, which I brought over on the Mayflower, is finally going to meet its maker tomorrow. I am not sad about it. But I will miss all the spam I receive every day, sometimes more than a hundred items. Just think, I am about to be 77 years old, and I will no longer be offered Black singles, college scholarships, free computers, a larger penis, discount drugs, payroll loans, over 50 singles, the car of my dreams, investment advice, cut-rate videos, girls gone wild, cheap vacations, lottery winnings, kitchen utensils, and all those other goodies that 77 year-olds obviously crave. Not only am I getting a new computer, I'm also, finally, going to get high-speed access (things move slowly here in rural Idaho). Hooray! Life is good (or it would be were it not for Republicans, mosquitoes, and stink bugs).

Yes he did, no he didn't, yes...

The other day Bush said "we've never been stay the course," a lie so outrageous as to leave one speechless. Of course Bush has no intention of not staying the course, he just wants us to believe he is being more "flexible" in doing so. Actually, what he says, as usual, makes absolutely no sense at all. One day they announce our troops will withdraw within 18 months. The next day Bush says there is no timetable, and so it goes, just one nonsensical statement after another. What is even more absurd at the moment is the argument between Tony Snow and others. Snow says Bush only said stay the course eight times. Others say at least 30 times. Someone else says Lieberman used the phrase five times. Can you believe this? These idiots are re-living their childhoods, arguing about how many times Bush said it, and so on. I guess this is where you end up when the whole mess is so bad no one can make any sense at all of it. Apparently the 18 months claim was just made up for PR purposes as Bush subsequently denied it and Maliki did likewise.

One thing is certain, and I have repeated it I don't know how many times (no one listens to me, of course). THE BUSH/CHENEY ADMINISTRATION HAS NO INTENTION OF EVER PULLING OUR TROOPS COMPLETELY OUT OF IRAQ. Have you ever heard anyone in this administration ever claim we will withdraw completely? Even this latest 18 month baloney ended by saying at least some troops would be left. Of course they will, who is going to occupy the permanent bases and the fortified embassy we have spent millions building? Bush says we will never leave until we have achieved "victory." He says victory means the Iraqis will have a government that can maintain itself. What he really means is that Iraq will have a puppet government completely subservient to U.S. desires which will be supervised by the presence of American troops (until, perhaps, the oil is exhausted at some remote future date). This was the goal in the beginning and this is the goal that continues to drive this absurd "war." All this talk of bringing the troops home, of Iraq becoming a sovereign nation, of our "standing down" when the Iraqis "stand up," is no more than baying at the moon. We will continue to occupy Iraq just as we continue to occupy virtually all the rest of the world. For the empire-crazed neocons the Iraq quagmire is just a temporary setback. They'll eventually go after Iran and every other country that has something they want. They will, absolutely, unless we can stop them now. The imminent elections are where we must begin. Vote Democratic. Vote in such massive numbers there will be no way they can cheat their way into office again. Vote as if your life depends upon it - it might.

Braindead

George W. Bush, our pretend President, on George the Greek's sunday talk show, in response to a comment from the Greek, actually said, "George, we've never been stay the course." Someone remarked that Bush must believe we're all brain dead. I guess.

Bush's statement not only drips with contempt for the truth but also demonstrates utter contempt for the American public.

This is such an outrageous lie I don't believe it even requires any further comment.

Alice in Wonderland

Yesterday afternoon and evening we were pleased to have a visit from our Democratic candidate for Congress, Larry Grant. He and members of our local Democratic group, among other things, spent a few hours knocking on doors and campaigning. My friend Alice knocked on one door and found a man who said he was completely pleased with Bush and believed in everything he was doing. Alice, completely taken aback, said, "you're just kidding me, right?" She literally did not believe him. He was not kidding. What might one make of this? Does this man live in a world completely devoid of news so just has no idea of what is happening? Did he just say this to shock a democratic canvasser? Could he possibly really have meant it? Is he just some kind of Republican sadist who enjoys seeing innocent women and children slaughtered? Perhaps he is merely insane and has no idea what he is saying? In any case, friend Alice is still in shock, incapable of believing there could actually exist such a Bush supporter. I'm with Alice. However, it appears there is still some one third of Americans who do support Bush/Cheney. They obviously do inhabit an Alice in Wonderland world, where might makes right, black is white, up is down, immoral is moral, mush is brains, and unchecked evil is the order of the day. Nowadays it's just kill, kill, kill, torture, torture, lie, lie, lie, and keep on doing it. It's called "staying the course."

In a little more than two weeks this election will be over. Thank god! I'm not sure I can survive much more of this miasma of propaganda and bullshit. Now it has become no more than miserable attack ads (which they keep claiming, work). It's as if there is nothing positive about any candidate anywhere, or about their platform (if such a thing is even mentioned). Candidate x's mother wear army shoes. Candidate y is gay. Candidate so-and-so once voted to drown kittens, still another doesn't believe that a few cells are a person, this one is soft on terrorists, another believes that someone, somewhere, somehow, someway, might actually engage in something enjoyable, and so it goes. A pox on all of them I say. Let's get this ridiculous business over with and have done with it (not that it will end there, we'll still have to deal with the cheating and whatever). It's nice to remember that we once had a system that more or less worked, that although the politicians were a bit devious, they were not out and out merely dishonest greedy thieves and criminals. I can still remember when our politicians, whether Democrats or Republicans, still had the needs of the citizens and the nation in mind, rather than just desperately clinging to power for its own sake. Paradise lost? I guess.

On jokes - essay

When I first started writing this blog it was not my intention for it to be political. If you go back in the archives of morialekafa you will see that there were essays, short stories, even an occasional poem, but no exclusive focus on politics. I guess I was led into political comments because of the outrages of the Bush/Cheney administration which, of course continue and are impossible to ignore. Things are now so bad there seems not much more to say about them.

Tiger Woods Touring in Ireland
On a golf tour in Ireland, Tiger Woods drives his BMW into a filling station in a remote part of the Irish countryside. The attendant obviously knows nothing about golf, greeting the golf star in a typical Irish manner, completely unaware of his identity. "Top of the mornin' to you, sor," says the attendant. Tiger nods a quick 'Hello' and bends forward to pick up the nozzle. As he does so, two tees fall out of his shirt pocket onto the ground. "What are those?" asks the attendant.
"They're called tees," replies Tiger.

"Well, what on the good earth are they for?" asks the attendant.

"They're for resting my balls on when I'm driving," says Tiger.

"Jaysus, sweet Mary and Joseph," the attendant exclaims, "BMW tinks of everything."

I do not consider this to be a very good joke although it is mildly amusing. What I wonder about is where did it come from? I know it was forwarded to me from my wife's computer. She did not make it up. I know it was forwarded to her from friends in England. But I'm sure they didn't make it up. But someone, somewhere did. It does not strike me as a professional job. It's seems to me pretty amateurish. It is similar to thousands of such jokes that we hear repeated daily. Now, if you write a book, short story, song, poem, or such, and it is given a copywrite, you can be paid for it for a very long time. Whoever write Twas the Night Before Christmas, for example, must have made a fortune. Similarly, Rudoph the Red Nosed Reindeer, did, indeed, make a fortune for Gene Autrey. People who make up these kinds of jokes apparently get nothing, ever, no matter how often their material is used. Of course if you write for some comedy show, or make your living as a writer of such material, you do get compensated. But this is a different matter. Think of all the "dirty" jokes that are repeated year after year, the limericks that everyone knows and repeats, and so on. The authors get nothing. Of course some of these jokes and limericks are so vile or obscene the authors probably would not want to take credit for them. Think of a well-known limerick that has Nantucket as its base (I'm sure most of you will recognize this). If the unknown author of this had been paid for every time it has been recited he would obviously be a millionare several times over. What a shame that such creativity cannot be rewarded. Somehow it doesn't seem fair.

Another example:

A man is upset because when he farts the farts say "honda." While this is not a monumental problem it bothers him. He goes to a doctor and explains to him that his farts go honda. The doctor interviews him, looks him over, and says, "I don't know what the problem is."

So he goes to several other doctors and gets the same result. No one seems to know what causes this strange phenomena. Finally, in desperation, he goes to a Chinese doctor. The Chinese doctor asks him to drop his pants and inspects him carefully. Then he says, "abcess."

Abcess? the man asks. Yes, "abcess makes de fart go honda."

Now I remember where I first heard this joke. But I know the person who recited it did not make it up. But someone did, somewhere, for some reason known only to the author.

I am not interested in analysing these particular jokes, or even any jokes, at the moment. I am only interested in where in the world do they come from? Do people just sit around trying to dream them up? Is there some secret society of jokesters that take delight in seeing who can make up the best or the most or the worst jokes? In short, is there something about this that I just don't understand. Do these jokes appear in dreams? Do you have to be "high" on something or other? Do they just come to people during eureka moments? And if you make up such a joke, and tell only one or two other people, how do they spread so rapidly and quickly become part of our collective knowledge?

Obviously part of the problem is that this is primarily an oral tradition. It would be impossible to keep track to how many people recited the same joke and so on. But sometimes some of these jokes actually do appear in print. Does anyone claim authorship? Do they get royalties? I doubt it. How about grafiti? If I write a classic bit of grafiti on a bathroom wall, even if I sign my name to it, would I get any recognition? Of course not. Such genius is just not rewarded. But think of the satisfaction you might get from realizing that your limerick or other contribution to this strange outlaw version of literature has been repeated several millions of times. Perhaps frustration might be a better word than satisfaction. Anyway, whoever it is who makes this stuff up, and wherever you are, and whatever your circumstances, and how unappreciated you feel, rest assured that morialekafa appreciates your efforts.

Stay the Course!

Our commanding general in Iraq has now admitted that we cannot control Bagdad and our strategy there is not working. I guess if we cannot even control Bagdad, even with the additional troops we brought in there, things must be pretty bad in Iraq. But not according to Cheney who has recently said that all in all things are going well. Bush believes we are winning. You know what I say to these dismal bastards: STAY THE COURSE!

I find it impossible to believe that even in the entire history of the human race monumental mistakes of this magnitude could have happened. Bush/Cheney and the neocons have carried idiocy to unprecedented levels. Their Iraq "adventure" is a disaster of such collosal dimensions as to leave one virtually speechless. And these miserable evil, lying, incompetent, conscienceless, dishonest, despicable, totally immoral, disgusting war criminals believe they might still win the coming elections? What is worse, they might. Think about it. Never, even in my most demented, nightmarish dreams, did I ever imagine our wonderful country destroyed by its own ignorance and stupidity. Forget the damn soaps, sports, and porn long enough TO COME TO THE AID OF YOUR COUNTRY! The only realistic step at the moment is to VOTE DEMOCRATIC! This is not an ideal solution but it is a first step. Mr. and Mrs. America, we are in real danger. Do not fail us now.

Time is running out

David: Your song, "It's lonely in the saddle now that my horse has died," is certainly a contender. As for your other comment, I think it may have to come to that soon here in the U.S. even though until recently such a thing would have been absolutely unthinkable. Of course what is going on at the moment would also have been unthinkable. I continue to hope but we'll soon know.

Local politics:

Clement Leroy “Butch” Otter, Republican candidate for Governor, made his fortune working for Simplot (his then father-in-law). He was Lieutenant Governor of Idaho from 1987 to 2001. He did nothing for the citizens of Idaho. He did manage a DUI and two fines for violating Idaho water laws. He also won a tight jeans contest. He is said to be a “drinker” and “womanizer.” From 2001 until now he has served in Congress. He claims to have been “bored,” and accomplished nothing. He finally married a girlfriend (as living in sin might be inappropriate as governor). This history of political inactivity does not entitle him to the governorship. Vote Jerry Brady, an accomplished Idaho publisher, well-qualified, and honest, who will actually do something for our citizens and state.

Bill Sali. With 16 controversial years in the Idaho legislature is running against Demoocrat Larry Grant for Congress. He is virulently anti-abortion, even in cases of incest or rape, and uniquely, as far as I know, believes that abortions cause breast cancer. He is determined to pass an anti-gay marriage amendment, equally determined to make English the official language, anti-immigrant, mindlessly pro-Israel, and a true champion of extreme Republican values. He is described by his own Republican colleagues as belligerent, uncooperative, and idiotic. There is not doubt he will be just another rubber stamp for Bush/Cheney. Larry Grant is a retired VP of Micron, a lawyer, intelligent, thoughtful, independent and fair. He will make a Congressman we can be proud of, and unlike Sali, does not get his money from extremists outside of state. Vote Larry Grant with pride!

The pattern of failure continues

You will recall that everything George W. Bush has attempted has failed. His oil company ventures, his baseball years, his military service, and so on. In every case his Daddy's friends appeared and bailed him out of his troubles. Now it is happening once again. James Baker, Daddy's friend, is heading up a commission trying to figure out how in the world to extricate him from the incredible mess he has made in the Middle East. It won't be easy this time as the mess may be too grave to be solved very satisfactorily. Let's face it, George W. is a loser. Indeed, he appears to be a loser's loser. The epitome of loserdom. As my mother (and thousands of others) observed, "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear).

But not to worry. Republicans, especially Rove and George W., believe they are going to win in the coming elections and thus continue to maintain themselves in power. Given the existing conditions, the fact that they even believe they could win is puzzling, unless, of course, they know, or believe, the fix is in once again. What is even more puzzling is that many of our pundits seem to think they have a chance of winning. They cite the fact that the Republicans control the voting machines (which they do), and have managed already to purge the voting rolls of voters who would probably vote Democratic. There seems to be an aura of acceptance involved here as if it is inevitable. With the vast majority of Americans opposed to the "war" in Iraq, believing that Bush/Cheney lied us into the war, wanting our troops to come home soon, fed up with Republican scandals, and so on it seems unlikely they will win. And with Bush's ratings somewhere in the 30's, Cheney's far below that, the Congress ratings somewhere around 20 percent, how can Republicans possibly believe they could win (unless, of course, it really is fixed). Are the American people supposed to just accept this? What are we to do if Republicans actually do claim to have won? If we have a fair election there is no possible way they can win. But if they fail, they know they are doomed. They will not give up power no matter what they have to do - probably even including attacking Iran (an act of insanity that may well doom us all). Democrats need to come out and vote in such massive numbers there is no way the Republicans can claim to have won. There is no doubt this is the most important vote you will probably ever be called upon to cast. So let's get with it.

Larry Craig denies the homosexual allegations being made against him. What else can he do? But as these rumors have swirled around him for years, and his accuser claims to have the evidence, his denial may harm him terribly. The sad thing, if the allegations are proven, is not that he may have engaged in some homosexual behavior, it is the hypocrisy involved in pretending to be anti-gay all these years, along with many others in the Republican party. As Laura Bush and Condi Rice recently took part in a swearing-in ceremony in which the man being sworn in was gay and his gay partner was holding the bible, I assume they are not as anti-gay as Republicans would like us to believe. The Evangelicals must have loved this as there is a clear picture of it on the web. "Good on ya," Laura and Condi, as they say in Australia.

There was some kind of contest the other day for picking the worst song ever. They picked a song I had never heard, or even heard of, but I'd still put my money on "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life."

Chins up, chests out, hut, hut.

Earthquakes and such

QuestRepublic: Thank you for your comments. You cannot know how much I want to believe you. But six years of the Bush/Cheney administration have made me wary. You say there is no mainstream pulic support. There was none for Iraq. You say military command and control will prevent a war with Iran. Where was command and control when we went to "war" with Iraq? There were military opposed to Iraq. Rumsfeld just overrode them and got rid of them. You say there is nothing to benefit us from a "war" with Iran. Don't forget that huge amount of Iranian oil. Similarly, however mad it may seem, don't forget the neocon's obsession with regime change. I want desperately to believe you are right and I surely hope you are. But dealing with the insane is always problematical. Has there ever been a military coup in the United States? Is there ever likely to be be one?

Bubblehead: Your recent snide comments are leading me to believe you may be, indeed, some kind of bubblehead. But I am glad you were concerned about me. They did try to rendition me to Cheney's fantasyland deep in the bowels and under the rocks of Washington D.C. However, with the help of my trusty little cat, Ceci, who can smell rats from a mile away, we managed to outsmart them. And also with the benefit of the last few gallons of their super expensive gasoline in my armored Hummer we managed to cross the border from fantasyland and get away, at least temporarily. I feel the concentration camp may still be beckoning.

Of course I believe Bush/Cheney have an earthquake machine. Everyone knows that earthquakes are cased by scandals. You, know, when one or more scandals start to slide over or under one or more other scandals it causes an earthquake. As Bush/Cheney/Rove have mastered the art of both producing and managing scandals it follows that they can do so at their will. I look for more earthquakes soon, especially in the Northeast and California. It certainly is a useful tool for getting attention diverted away from multiple scandals and war crimes.

I have no doubt that the White House contains probably many gays. This is a matter of no concern to me whatsoever. But as you Republicans spent 70 million dollars fretting about Clinton's penis, it seems reasonable to me to be curious as to why a known male homosexual prostitute was given access to the White House on multiple occasions when he had no obvious business being there and must have been being protected by some particularly powerful sponsor. This is especially interesting given the Republican party's anti-gay agenda. Speaking of which, I guess you know that Senator Larry Craig of Idaho has finally been "outed" after many, many years of hypocrisy. As many have known for years that he was gay, or at least believed he was, I don't think anything much is served by his current outing, unless the gays are bent on finally exposing the full extent of Republican hypocrisy on this issue.

I don't know much about baseball players flying airplanes. Doubt that Bush had anything to do with it. But I remain curious about the death of Paul Wellstone, as well as about 9/11.

Anyway, on to Iraq. I didn't mean to imply that when we attacked Iran (heaven forbid) that the Iranian army would desert their own country, march into Iraq, and annihilate our troops. I think a more likely scenario would be the huge Shiite population in Iraq, sympathetic to Iran, might well mount a massive popular resistance to our occupation in which case our troops would be little more than sitting ducks, or even fish in a barrel. But I bow to your superior military experience. No doubt we can "shock and awe" Iran into submission just as we have the Iraqis, and it will no doubt also be a "cakewalk" just like Iraq. The Iranians will come out by the thousands to shower us with flowers and candy. I guess your tours in submarines allowed you to acquire a lot of experience in chasing thousands of irate insurgents around the desert.

Oh, lest I forget, I agree that Jefferson was really well qualified to be President, especially after he served his terms in both the House and Senate, and the eight years as vice-president in a, comparatively speaking, successful administration. Might even have been more successful if Republicans could have kept their penis envy more under control. That's life, I guess. Cheers and best wishes.

Scared to death

Yes, I admit it. I am scared to death. I'm not scared to death of a terrorist attack. Nor am I scared to death of earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, floods, poisonous snakes or spiders, or even starvation (although with the price of food nowadays, and a fixed incomes perhaps I ought to be). No, what I am scared to death of is that Bush/Cheney and their legions of absolutely insane neocons are actually going to attack Iran. And it looks more and more like they are. If you think Iraq was the greatest foreign policy mistake in American history just wait until they try Iran. The fallout from such an attack is virtually impossible to even imagine. The entire Middle East will be involved, our troops in Iraq will no doubt be annhiliated, the entire world which already thinks we are the greatest threat to peace will censor us even more, even Britain will probably condemn us. Our military is already stretched almost into impotence (will anyone stand for a draft?), our national debt is surreal and, if China and Japan call in their chips we will be done for. The price of oil will become a luxury for only the very wealthy, our economy, such as it is, will collapse (unless, of course, you are an insider to the corporations), and civil unrest will reach revolutionary heights.

As we already lack the necessary troops to "win" in Iraq (as if that were ever a realistic possibility), what would we do in Iran (which has an enormmous and well-trained standing army - and we know from experience just bombing will not suffice)? As the majority of Americans are already opposed to the Iraq "war," would they stand for still another unnecessary "war?" And what would be the purpose of such an engagement? There could be no purpose whatsoever except to try to maintain the Bush/Cheney administration which is now absolutely desperate to cling to power. This is why they may actually do it - attack Iran, because what would they have to lose? If they lose the coming election they are probably doomed. I truly believe this may be one of the most frightening moments in history. It appears it may be the U.S. and Israel against the world. The world will win. Please, someone, hopefully our own military, do not allow this insanity to happen.

Ah, idiocy

I won't be blogging again until sunday the 15th. I'm sure you will all easily survive.

Several years ago, in a book I was editing (Other Fields, Other Grasshoppers), I quoted General William C. Westmoreland (Hearts and Minds):

"Well...the Oriental...doesn't put the same high price on life as does the Westerner. Life is plentiful, life is cheap in the Orient...and uh...as the, uh, philosophy of the orient, uh...expresses it, uh...uh...life is, uh, is not important."

I commented at the time: "The lamentable ignorance revealed in this statement leaves the audience stunned. How could these words have been spoken by a mature, intelligent, and otherwise well-educated man at this late date in the twentieth century?"

I still think Westmoreland's statement was pretty ignorant, to say nothing of racist. But he was clearly outdone just now by Bush who made a statement so stunningly idiotic as to go to the top of the list of the most idiotic statements of all time. I don't have the exact quote but the gist was: "I admire the Iraqis, who desire democracy so much they are willing to tolerate this level of violence." They are "willing" to tolerate the violence. Like, maybe they have a choice, and they decided they'd rather have violence and civil war than anything else? They desire democracy to the point of putting up with a hundred deaths a day (or more) with no end in sight? How come they overwhelmingly want the U.S. out of their country as soon as possible? They are so pleased with their march to democracy that many wish Sadam Hussein was still in charge? A majority think it is perfectly fine that they should be attacking American troops? Bush, to put it mildly, has become so unhinged he needs professional help, and soon.

We just received our first recorded message from the Republicans: "Larry Grant is wrong on economics." Like, Bill Sali has even heard of economics? I know, he understands there is an economic element to the fact (he insists) that abortions lead to breast cancer. So I guess he reasons is is cheaper to prevent abortions than to treat breast cancer. A penny saved is a penny earned. He prides himself on being a Bush Republican. I guess he hasn't read many polls lately, he probably gets his information directly from Dick the Slimy (who has been remarkably silent lately). I guess with Cheney's poll numbers even lower than low his endorsement of Sali will be a big help, along with all the nutcase money from out of state that Sali receives. Bill Sali, a candidate that even his own party has characterized as a belligerent idiot, and even threatened to throw him out of a window at one point, is certainly someone we ought to have in Congress (actually, he'd probably fit right in with our current Congress - too bad many of them won't be around much longer).

Tomorrow is friday the 13th. Watch out for the October surprise.

Bring it on!

The election, that is:

Abu Graib Torture, Renditions, Secret Prisons, 9/11 lies, Enron, Hurricane Katrina, Outing Plame, No Weapons of Mass Destruction, Bin Laden still free, Patriot Act, No bid contracts for Halliburton and other War Profiteers, All children left behind, Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, No raise in minimum wage, Greatest deficit in American History, Medicare cuts, More largesse for the Pharmaceuticals and Oil Giants, No more Habeas Corpus, Outsourcing American Jobs, Election scandals, Violations of Kyoto and other agreements, Violations of Geneva Conventions, Yellow Journalism, Illegal wiretapping, DeLay scandal, Abramoff scandal, Money Laundering, A male homosexual prostitute in the White House, Frist under investigation, Hastert under investigation, Reed under investigation, Cunningham in jail, Two failed "wars," The Lebanon fiasco, Aiding Israeli genocide, Iraq Civil War, War crimes, International condemnation and disgrace, Six years of uninterrupted lies, secrecy, arrogance, incompetence, sleaze and failure. North Korea and now Foley...

Had enough? Had more than enough? Even more than that? Vote Democratic:

Larry Grant for Congress - www.grantforcongress.com
Jerry Brady for Governor -www.bradyforidaho.org
Larry LaRocco for Lt. Governor - www.laroccoforidaho.com
Bob Wallace for Attorney General -www.winwithwallace.org
Jackie Groves Twilegar for Controller - www.twilegarforcontroller.com
Dr. Jana Jones for Superintendent of Public Instruction - www.jana4education.com
Steve Elgar for Idaho House Seat A - www.steve-elgar.com
Bob Wynhausen for Idaho House Seat B - www.wynhausen.com
Jim Ramsey for Idaho Senate - www.ramseyforidahosenate.com

Whatever else you do, be sure to vote!

Autumn, patriotism, and the Great Mystery

How appropriate,
when the Great Mystery calls,
to leave in autumn.

This is my favorite time of year. I'm sure this is true for many people. As this is a period of time somehow associated with sadness and decay and death, it is not clear to me why it should be so favored. I love it. The trees are shedding their colored leaves, even the larch are turning into their glorious orange and starting to drop their needles, the geese honk endlessly on their way south, bears are beginning to think of denning, the air is crisp and cold and wonderfully refreshing, the harvest is over, the barns are full of fragrant hay, freezers and cellars are full of all the good things of life, the firewood is cut and stacked and ready to protect us from the worst of the cold, the elk are moving down from the high mountains into the protected valleys, horse chestnuts are falling from the trees to the delight of children planning their outrageous costumes, turkey and dressing and even Christmas are not far away. Life is good.

At least it would be if not for those who insist on making it miserable for others. I don't think it is too wonderful for Iraqis or Palestinians or Lebanese or those in Afghanistan who are benefitting from American efforts to "better their lives" by bringing democracy to them at the point of a gun (while at the same time trying to steal their resources). They don't seem to appreciate our efforts on their behalf. Ungrateful, that's what they are. But once we illegally attack Iran we will no doubt prevail in our attempt to control all of the Middle East (except for the thousands or years we will face popular resistance and ultimate defeat, just as we face in Iraq at the moment). Sorry, American empire is a lost cause, but is that any reason not to go on having our best troops killed and maimed for "staying the course?" War criminals. Fascist bastards. That is what we have become. Hope you are happy with it.

As far as patriotism goes, where do you see any evidence whatsoever that anyone of our Congresspersons or Senators is interested in our nation? It has now become all politics. Everything is geared toward either retaining or gaining power. No one cares about the Pages, for example, they only care how they can use the situation to their advantage. Bush/Cheney don't care about our nation, they only care about staying in power. If they had any interest in our national well-being they would have resigned a long time ago, along with our totally incompetent Secretaries of Defense and State. Indeed, any interest in the well-being of our country has long since disappeared into the miasma of political corruption that now characterizes our so-called democracy. Personally, I believe all incumbents, bar none, should be voted out of office. If there are some who have tried to stem the tide of greed and fascism they have been unsuccessful and should be replaced by new troops with more energy. Our system of government has become totally corrupted by lobbyists and corporate money. It has to be returned to the people. NOW!

I confess I do not understand the problem of evil. I don't know why it exists. I do know it currently exists in the guise of the Republican party, especially as represented by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice and others. I suggest you all pray to God, Big JuJu, Yawa, the Angel Moroni, the Great Spirit, or, like me, the Great Mystery, and hope for the best in the coming elections.

Columbus Day

Columbus Day, a celebration:

Surely one of the greatest ironies of all time has to be the fact that those who were in the process of labeling others as savages were themselves at the same time guilty of acts of savagery often beyond even the imagination of those being savaged. No doubt a clue as to what was to follow can be found in the famous voyages of Christopher Columbus. On his very first encounter with the Arawak Indians in the Bahamas he captured some of them by force. As they wore small earrings of gold he wanted them to show him the source of that much desired treasure. Then, on another encounter, when the Indians refused to do what he wished, two of them were run through with swords and left to bleed to death. Then on Haiti, where Columbus believed there would be gold fields, he ordered everyone older than fourteen to collect so much gold every three months. If they brought it in they were given a copper token. As there were no gold fields as such, merely bits of gold dust, the Indians could not comply. No matter, when they did not have a copper Columbus had their hands cut off and let them bleed to death. If they tried to run away they were hunted down with dogs and killed. Failing to find the gold he wanted Columbus loaded his ships with slaves to be sold in Spain.

Columbus gave such a glowing account of the islands he had discovered that on his second voyage he was in charge of seventeen ships and twelve hundred men. Their mission was to acquire gold and slaves. Columbus had left 39 men on Hispaniola (the island that is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) to find and store gold. Upon his return he learned they had been killed by the natives, murdered because they had roamed the island taking slaves for labor and sex. Columbus sent many expeditions around the islands searching for gold. When they did not find it they filled the ships with slaves, picking the best 500 from the 1500 they had rounded up and penned. Two hundred died on the voyage to Spain. The Arawaks tried to resist but they were no match for the muskets and swords and horses of the Spanish. When the Spanish took prisoners they either burned them alive or hanged them. The Indians began mass suicides using poison made from the cassava plant. They killed their infants to save them from the Invaders. Within two years half of the original population of Haiti, 250,000 individuals, were dead. By 1515 there were perhaps 50,000 Indians left, in 1550 there were only five hundred. By 1650 there were none.
See Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States, 1980

Let's hear it for Columbus, rah, rah, rah.

Pipe dreams, wishful thinking, or?

Many people, both Republicans and Democrats, as well as newspersons, and even people on the street keep talking as if the coming elections are actually going to be competitive with Republicans having the possibility of winning (I guess winning here means maintaining their control of the House and Senate or both). Given the current circumstances can these be anything other than pipe dreams (you know, the kind of dreams that used to emanate from opium dens)?.

Consider the facts. Bush's current poll ratings stand somewhere around 33%. Cheney's are lower than a snake's belly. The current view of Congress is that they are even worse. We have a national debt so large it may never be paid off. Our middle class is disappearing. Iraq and Afghanistan are both total disasters with nothing but defeat for us even possible anymore. Republican scandals are so numerous you can hardly even count them. DeLay, Cunningham, Reed, Abramhoff, Frist, Hastert, Neyes, Burns, Libby, and on and on, all under investigations of one kind or another. And now the Foley problem. Consider also that we have managed to alienate virtually everyone on the planet with our arrogance, stupidity, and war crimes. A majority of Americans now realize that Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice, et al, lied us into an unnecessary and immoral "war" and now have no idea how to get out of it, our intelligence agencies agree that the "war" in Iraq is actually creating more terrorists than ever (Bush claims they are naive), and in general things are worse than they have probably ever been, Bush is considered by most historians to be the worst president ever, and what in the hell else could be or go wrong? In spite of this some Republicans and many others seem to think they have a chance to stay in power? If this is not a pipe dream perhaps it is merely wishful thinking? I find it absolutely unbelievable that anyone under the current circumstances could believe the Republican party might succeed in their attempt to stay in power.

There is one other possibility for this continued belief in miracles. Perhaps Republicans know that the "fix" is in once again. There is no doubt in my mind that Bush knew such a fix was in for the 2004 elections. He said very matter-of-factly more than once, and with great confidence, "we are not going to lose." He knew. So does anyone know now that Republicans will prevail just as they have in the past - through dirty tricks, a complicit Supreme Court or whatever?

If Republicans (heaven forbid) should actually win this time around, in spite of their failed "wars," war crimes, scandals, incompetence, lying, greed, and whatever, what would we be able to think about it? Something will be more than merely "rotten in Denmark." It will be an evil stench that will mark the beginning of the end of America as we have known and loved it.

Overwhelmed

I am currently so overwhelmed by the number and breadth of Republican scandals I am virtually speechless. Everyday brings forth new reports of absolutely despicable Republican behavior. It appears to be endless. In spite of this I note that 33% of the American public still claim to support the Bush/Cheney administration (Cheney's numbers must now be in the negatives). But look on the bright side. Fifty percent of people fall below 100 on the IQ scale. I take this to mean that even 17% of those with limited intelligence now see through the Bush/Cheney bunch like the rest of us. I think this does not bode well for Republicans in the coming elections. We all wait for the October surprise.

Our current government is no more than a charade. Bush pretends to be a president, Cheney hides under his rocks and sneaks in back doors, and everyone seems to just look the other way. How long are we going to let this continue?

It is being said that one of the problems (for Republicans) is that there are some gay Republicans who are afraid of now being "outed" because of Foley (Foley has now admitted that he is gay which, I gather, is supposed to be another explanation for why he has been hitting on teenagers, along with alcoholism and having been abused as a teenager himself). What I still want to know is, who in the White House is the gay with enough power to suppress the Gannon/Guckert scandal? Remember that Gannon/Guckert, a known homosexual prostitute, was given passes into the White House several times when there was no reason for him to be there. Who arranged it? Who covered it up? Who was he seeing? Why? Many years ago there was a notorious homosexual scandal in Boise, Idaho. It threatened some very important people and was covered up when it about to reach certain heights of Boise society. There is a revealing and interesting book about it, The Boys of Boise (I forget the author's name for the moment). We may be about to see a new study, The Boys of Washington, D.C.

Useless words and phrases - essay

Can there be any more useless phrase than I'm sorry? Let's say a man comes out of a bar very drunk, gets in his car, and proceeds to hit your wife and children head-on and kills them. After being arrested and held for a time and then on trial he says "I'm sorry." What good does that do anyone? Does it make the husband feel better? First of all, you don't know whether the guy is sorry or not. You might think he is but you can't know. The only one who can know for sure is the guilty party himself. Does it do him any good to say he's sorry? Does it make him feel better about what he did? How do you know he isn't just saying he's sorry because that is what is expected in such circumstances.

What about the guy who says he's sorry, like Dennis Hastert, when he also claims he did nothing wrong? If he believes he did nothing wrong why is he saying he's sorry? How can you be sorry for something you didn't do, or at least believe you didn't do? But what if he knows he really did something wrong but says he's sorry anyway? Who would know but himself? And what good does it do anyone if he's really sorry or not? I'm sorry, but saying you're sorry is basically useless (why am I sorry about this?).

An even more useless and meaningless phrase now being used by Hastert and Bush as well is "I accept the full responsibility for..." Hastert has just said this about the way he apparently totally botched the Foley scandal. He says he accepts the full responsibility but then does nothing. Like, shouldn't he resign, pay a fine, flog himself, something? What does it mean to say you accept the full responsibility if nothing whatsoever comes of it. Bush did precisely the same thing with the Katrina disaster. Eventually he said he accepted full responsibility for it (probably a more useless, meaningless claim has ever been uttered). What did he do to atone for failing in his responsibility? Nothing, of course. Absolutely nothing. I'm sorry but saying you accept full responsibility for something and then do nothing about it just doesn't cut it (why am I sorry about this?).

Do you get points in heaven for saying you're sorry? We have a local case of a man who kidnapped two children, abused both of them, murdered one of them, and now says he's sorry. Do you think God is listening? Does he/she/it only fogive those who claim to be sorry? I'm sorry but this sorry business is too complicated for me. I accept full responsibility for my failure to understand such a simple matter.

Anyway, now that Hastert has said he's sorry and accepted full responsibility for his failure to act even though he did nothing wrong let's just let it go at that. It's all too philosophical for my tiny brain. I'm still recovering from all that digging.

Privatizing water?

I find it difficult to believe this but apparently it really happened in Bolivia. Bechtel (an American corporation) somehow acquired monopoly rights to water in one area of Bolivia. So they immediately raised the price of water 300 percent. As this meant poor people were having to pay some huge percentage of their annual wages just for water there was a rebellion (can you imagine the nerve of these people complaining about the cost of water?) and the corporation had to back off. What bothers me about this is not the rebellion, or the fact that Bechtel lost, but the fact that anyone (Bechtel included) would even have imagined something as absurd as privatizing water, let alone actually trying to do it. Hurrah for the people of Bolivia! When will other people realize there are things far too important to be privatized. Certainly water is one of them. I suppose in theory if corporations could get away with privatizing water they could eventually privatize air - we would have to pay for the priviledge of breathing (don't believe for a moment some corporation wouldn't do this if they could). There are many things that should just not be privatized. Social Security, for example. Medical and dental care. Energy (look what privatization did to California energy, for example). No basic human need should be privatized. Our current obsession with privatization is no less than social Darwinism run rampant - let the poor and the weak just perish. The current situation in the United States is completely shameful. Millions without any health care, millions more homeless (including large numbers of veterans), millions just written off so Corporate Executives can make a hundred million or more per year in the pursuit of profit. Basic features of American culture at the moment are simply immoral and disgusting.

I suggest a good example of this can be seen in the military. Our troops are paid so little many are forced to borrow through "payday loans." These loans are nothing more than a racket, trapping individuals into debt they can probably never pay off. This has become such a terrible scam that Congress recently had to take some form of action. So what did they do? They capped the interest that could be charged by these vultures at 36%! Get that? Thirty six percent! I guess the concept of usury is unknown to our Congressmen. Even the rates we all pay on our credit cards are obscene. Our current credit card and interest system is no less than the functional equivalent of slavery. The only difference is that they can't physically abuse us on a day by day basis. How many Americans are trapped into a system where if they can only pay the minimum payment on their loans they will pay and pay for forty years before they can get out of debt? America is no longer the home of the free and the land of the brave. It is the home of the marks and the land of the two to take 'em.

I can't comment further on the Foley situation. It is too much like shooting fish in a barrel. But don't worry. Be happy. Bush/Cheney are protecting us. Things are going really well. If anything doesn't seem right just blame Clinton and the Democrats.

Condi falsely accused?

I did not blog last night because our septic system revolted and had to be dug out and pumped. The joys of home ownership. As you all know, there is always something. I keep lobbying to sell out and rent a small apartment in Paris or Rome or someplace. She that must be obeyed is not sympathetic. Sigh.

According to Bob Woodward's new book, Tenet was so concerned about a possible terrorist attack on the U.S. he demanded a special emergency meeting with Condi Rice to prod her into doing something. At first she denied there was such a meeting. Then when it was proven there was such a meeting she said she couldn't remember. She also said it was inconceivable that if she had been told about an imminent attack she would not have done something. Well, relax everyone, it turns out she did do something - she told Tenet to go pester Ashcroft and Rumsfeld, who apparently did even less. Perhaps she was so intent on showing her new $600 shoes to her husband (oops, slip of the tongue, president) she just forgot about it.

As there has been nothing on the news for the last couple of days except Foley, Foley, Foley, how can I not mention it. Actually it is even funnier than all the Keystone Cops movies ever made put together. First, Tony Snow said they were just "naughty emails." Turns out they were somewhat worse than that. So Foley entered some alcoholic rehab place (implying, of course, that the demon rum made him do it). Then, not content with that, he admits to having been abused when he was a teenager (I guess if you are abused as a teenager that gives you license to abuse other teenagers?). Then Limbaugh, that fat druggy liar, suggested it was all set up by Democrats. Some other Republican suggested maybe the Pages themselves were at fault. Still others tried to compare Foley's hitting on children to Clinton's unfortunate affair with Monica (an eager adult participant). Still another Republican brought up the fact that a Democrat was convicted of sex with a teenager back in 1983 (I think it was, a sure proof that Foley's indiscretion was not really so different). Still another Republican Congressman suggested we should do away with Pages entirely (I guess the temptation is too great to resist). A senior aide to Congressman Reynolds, Fordham, has now admitted he discussed Foley's problem at least two years previously with senior people in Congress who did nothing. Hastert's claim that he knew nothing about it until recently has been disputed by at least two other Congressmen who say they discussed it with him months ago. Everyone that knew about it is passing the buck to someone else while many are calling for Hastert's resignation. Oh, it is so much fun. But not to worry, Fox News and now the AP has solved the problem for the Republicans - they have just claimed that Foley is a Democrat!! Simple, no? I suggest as a sanction all Republican Congresspersons should be made to wear clown suits for the remainder of their terms (which hopefully will not be very much longer). Will Hastert be forced out? Stay tuned. Oh, as an aside, I think there are others who aspire to Hastert's job. It is pretty obvious none of them care much about the children.

Our sensitive vice-president, Dick the Slimy, was viciously assaulted the other day. A man walking his 7 year old son passed very close to Cheney and said he thought the vice-president's Iraqi policy was reprehensible. A few minutes later he was handcuffed and arrested, charged with assaulting the vice-president. It is not clear whether or not the son was also handcuffed and arrested. The man is now bringing a lawsuit against the authorities responsible for violating his rights to free speech. Go man, Go!! Assaulting our sensitive vice-president with those nasty words. What is the world coming to? Unfortunately, I think we all know by now what it is coming to and it doesn't look too good. In case you have forgotten in all the excitement about Foley, there is a "war" going on and more of our troops are being killed every day for no reason I can see other than "staying the course."

Has anyone learned anything?

Just a few comments on the American tragedy of 2000 and the ensuing Nightmare Years. Does anyone believe that if Al Gore had become president, as he should have, we would now be in this horrible situation? Would we have gone from a huge surplus to the largest national debt in history? Would we be bogged down in an unnecessary and immoral "war" in Iraq? Would we be regarded as the most dangerous country on earth? Would we be the first nation in the world to publicly support torture as a legitimate means to acquire informtion? Would our president and vice-president be regarded with loathing all around the world? Would we as a nation be protecting known war criminals? Would we be the first democratic nation to do away with habeas corpus? Would our administration be denying the reality of global warming and pretending it doesn't exist? Would Donald Rumsfeld, the poster boy for incompetence be our Secretary of Defense? And on. Need I say more.

Al Gore was almost certainly the most highly qualified person to ever run for the Office of President of the United States. Perhaps voting for a presumed (but totally phony) good ol' boy because you'd rather have a beer with him wasn't a very good idea. Think about it.

The Page scandal. Tony Snow's comment that they were "only naughty emails" ought to get him immediately fired (fat chance in the Bush/Cheney administration). The Fox News attempt to compare the Foley case with Clinton's "affair" with an eager and consulting adult is simply beneath contempt.

The Abramhof Scandal. Remember when this first broke the White House claimed they hardly knew him. It turns out there were some 400 plus meetings with him or his operatives.

The Republican party has become an absolute cesspool of lies and corruption. That might be too generous a description.

Power corrupts

Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of Foley. It turns out that Reynolds, Hastert, Boehner and other Republican leaders were aware for a long time that Foley had a problem with young boys and did nothing about it. Why would they do that? The most obvious explanation I can think of is that they valued that Republican seat far more than they valued our children. Why else would they have acted so disgracefully? If you don't read The Smirking Chimp you should. There are three articles today that are well worth considering: "How Mark Foley Represents the Entire Republican Party" by Stephen Elliott, "The Republican Protection Racket" by Cenk Uygur, and "Deviant Conservative Males: An Analysis" by Ben Tripp. This latter article is of particular interest because it actually lists a number of Republican perverts that have already been exposed (there are quite few and the list is not complete). I suppose there must be Democratic perverts as well but are there as many? And even if there are, it would not change the facts of the Republican offenders. It would seem to me the Republican party contains and protects about as many perverts (percentage-wise) as the Catholic Church. Maybe not, but consider it for yourselves.

It seems that Tenet and his second in command were so concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack on the U.S. they called for and had a special meeting with Condi Rice. She ignored them and did nothing. All sorts of interesting things are beginning to surface about the lies of 9/ll, the Iraqi "war," and what went on in the White House at about that time. Try to imagine, if you will, just what will emerge if the Democrats gain control of the House and/or Senate, or both, and have suboena powers. You will see sleaze, greed, deceit, lies, corruption, incompetence, and dishonesty beyond your imagination. I guarantee it (to quote a well known clothier).

Apparently Bush will not get rid of Rumsfeld no matter what. And Rumsfeld has apparently said once again that he will not resign. I will repeat once again, if any of these "leaders" had even an ounce of common decency they would all resign. No other democratic country would put up with this. In Japan they would quite likely have all committed suicide by now. But not this bunch of egomaniacal, greedy, power-mad, incompetent, immoral war criminals. They insist on "staying the course" no matter what. The fact that the "course" is destroying our wonderful country matters not one whit to them. If history had sanctions of some kind instead of merely words I would certainly not want to be one of "them." Perhaps justice will somehow triumph in the end as it is supposed to. Keep your chins up and pray to the Great Mystery.