Lightning is About to Strike K Street

Of all the groups in all the word to cry foul during this election campaign, you would think the American League of Lobbyists would be the last. Billions of dollars go through K Street to produce votes in favor Big Business, Christian-supremacy groups, government contractors and more, making a lot of white men very rich and a lot of politicians very corrupt. Now, the ALL wants the presidential candidates to take back all their lobbyist-bashing of late. I’d throw up if my computer weren’t in front of me (i suppose i could move, but i’m comfortable).

ALL President Brian Pallasch released a letter to the presidential candidates today claiming the political rhetoric used during in the campaigns unfairly characterizes the benefit lobbyists provide. You can read the text of the letter here.

Um… Hello, McFly!!!

It is ever clearer these days that corruption and corporate interests are determining the quality of government Americans receive. The ethics and competence of our government, especially federal, reflects that of corporate America - not the other way around. Because our representatives - including presidents and judges - turn their hand toward their own self-interests, lobbying efforts succeed in places they have no business existing. No longer should we assign seats in Congress by geographical location, but by lobbying interest. The Cuban lobby, the Israeli lobby, the tobacco lobby, the gun lobby, the telecommunications lobby, the Saudis, the Chinese, the mercenaries, the oil&gas groups, etc., etc. That’s basically who these politicians serve - not you or I. If you’d like to see who the most recent big spenders were visit opensecrets.org and poke around there a bit.

I’ve felt for a while that until we demand our corporate entities behave virtuously, our government will languish in a corrupt cesspool of inefficacy and million-dollar golf trips and high-dollar hookers. Really, why should CEOs of companies such as Ford, CountryWide, and Merrill Lynch receive payouts in the tens of millions of dollars and stock for even more when the lowest paid employee at those companies cannot afford health benefits for their kids? Our self-interested culture of more-for-me is leading to the rest of us getting screwed. Yous who vote Republicans aren’t voting for free-markets like you assume, you’re giving assholes like these guys a leg up to take the rest of us for a ride. I’m not saying wealth should distributed evenly among the masses, but let’s put a little common sense back into these shareholder and board member meetings. It’s out of control.

Lobbying efforts have developed into a bad deal all around, from top to bottom. They do not represent the interests of the citizen - the way they claim. K Street should be cut off at the knees to remind the politicians who they answer to - us. And if your corporation is dicking you around, lets remember we don’t have to be doormats to those ethically-challenged asshats. Go start an organic farm or something. Those seem to be doing well…

Clinton vs. Obama I: Reading Biographies

The Texas Primary is March 4 and, as many of the 24-hour news channels are purporting, Superduper Tuesday might not serve as the king-maker and put a period to the primary campaign cycle has it has previously. It’s been so long since a vice-president has not run in a presidential race, we’re in new territory as far as being so far into the primaries without having a true candidate in either the Republican or Democrat Parties. Ergo (love that word), Texas and Ohio might play a much more important role in candidate nominations than we are used to.

As a government major, I have held my ability and responsibility to vote in the highest regard (shut up! i know that’s cheesy), but with an election such as this and a disastrous presidency such as Bush has had, voters are raising their political voices as never before. While all our votes are powerful expressions of our desires for the direction of the country, our vote for president this year is bringing peeps out in record droves - even during the primaries! Bush’s abhorrent policies are motiving all voters in 2008 the way the gay-ban amendments motivated evil evangelical voters in 2004. Bet Karl Rove couldn’t have predicted that one. Maybe when he’s in hell, he’ll see the error of his ways. Forced to have sex with Ann Coulter. That’d be anyone’s version of hell….

Well, my plan was to vote for New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in the primary, despite the rapid growth of that double chin - jeez, Bill (eat some salad, for crissakes!). I’ve been following his policies and international diplomacy for years and have always respected his opinion and foresight and motivations, blah, blah, blah (Seinfeld). As we all know, the bastard dropped out. He says he’ll endorse someone by the end of the week, and that it won’t be about past ties (referring to Clinton, undoubtedly). I think he’ll choose whomever he thinks will win so he can get a prime seat at that cabinet round table. My GUESS is that it’s Clinton - she won Nevada and is in the lead heading into Superduper Tuesday, but he’s apparently been getting a lot of constituent calls to back Obama. Well, he can always run for the senate if he doesn’t get the invite for the cabinet. Either way, his career is long from over and he’s just recently experiencing good national traction. So, good for him. Looking forward to his future.

His abdication left me with a dilemma I did not want to face. Clinton vs. Obama, Obama vs. Clinton. I didn’t know what to do, I mean Oprah has no influence on my political decision-making, unfortunately. As a Republican in my youth, I voted for Dole over Clinton in 1996 - so I have no history supporting them (and, yes, they would co-president) and as far as Obama goes, his lack of experience could be a detriment and I just don’t know that much about him.

So, I did what any self-respecting political junkie would do. I bought Carl Bernstein’s biography of Hillary Clinton, A Woman in Charge and David Mendell’s biography of Barack Obama, Obama (aptly titled) and will read both before I decide for whom to cast my vote. Booyah, way to delay the inevitable. Well, I’m almost finished with Clinton’s and will blog about that berry, berry (in the words of Apu) soon.

HE’S BAAAAaaaack!

Who is back? Who you say?

NADER!!!!

According to The Boston Globe, Ralph launched an exploratory committee website Jan. 30 in his efforts to decide whether to enter the presidential campaign. He launched a lawsuit against the Democratic National Party back in October, naming, among other evildoers, Terry McAuliffe, who is now chairman of the Hillary Clinton for President committee.

I’m always in support of more candidates getting in the presidential race and have considered sending persuasive letters to Bloomberg for his inclusion. The debate and dialog are so much richer and in-depth when thinkers of various ilks throw their lot into the race. Especially Independents.

The devolution of the two-party system has reduced the efficacy of our government on all levels as candidates sell their loyalties and congressional/judicial/gubernatorial votes to the highest bidder. The two-party system is what allowed Gingrich and Delay to create the most corrupt and despicable Congress of all the ages.

The Republican and Democrat parties have outlived their usefulness, if they ever had any. I say come one Independent, come all!

Fun Election Fact of the Day

Puerto Rico has 63 Democrat delegates to assign on its June 7 primary, the last of the season.

I want to see some of those Democrat bastards campaigning (oh wait, there’s only two left) in the archipelago, drinking mojitos and playing maracas! Arriba!

Where Would Jesus Build A Library?

Apparently, some Methodists aren’t quite as giddy as little girls over Bushie’s plans to build his presidential library at SMU. hehe. That’s funny.

As a resident of Fort Worth, though far away enough from Dallas not to be burned by the evil rays of bad karma the president undoubtedly emits, I am constantly in consternation of how frequently to toilet-paper Bush’s new digs. Placing a flaming bag of dog poo on his doorstep is, of course, another option I’m weighing all the possibilities and if any of you who live in the vicinity would like to participate in the effort, please let me know.

And I know you Methodists can be very spirited, so - just fyi - if you’re real good and pissed about such a disgraceful institution as Bush’s library (isn’t that an oxymoron. i mean, really, has the man read a book beyond the “Clifford” series?) being established on your turf, you just let Meredith know. No vigilante justice is too juvenile in my book! I’m loaded with tactics I perfected in my not-so-long-ago youth.

Rick Perry - Sayonara, Jackass!

My favorite moment watching the Florida primary unfold was a short media clip showing TX Gov. Rick Perry give Guiliani and introduction on the day he was so lose his biggest political bet. Perry endorsed Giuliani back in October when Giuliani was still the inevitable Republican nominee. The early endorsement was an unabashed attempt by arguably Texas’ worst governor to throw his name into the hat of Vice President candidates.

Oh what a difference a day and disastrous political strategy makes!

As politically cartoonish and empty as Romney, Perry has committed enough blunders that would seemingly eliminate him from such national political echelons.

A smidgen of the blunders Mr. Veto himself has committed: issuing a governor’s mandate requiring girls to receive the HPV vaccination while former members of his staff worked for the vaccination’s producer, Merck, and the company had donated money to Perry AND trying [and failing] to fast track the permitting process for the building of coal plants before the application of stricter environmental restrictions, receiving donations from “interests associated with the projects“.

Well, now Perry’s horse is out of the race and, hopefully, any avenues for his political advancement die their rightful death. Of course he’ll be looking for that next opportunity to enhance his power portfolio and the next donation dollar for which he will undoubtedly perform “services.”

Personally, I wish Romney and Perry would simply be banished to Old Spice or Just For Men commercials where they belong.

Mr. Clinton, you sir, are getting ugly.

The debate rages as to the quality of Bill’s contribution to Hillary’s campaign. To quote inexactly a commentator on CNN, he is relinquishing his role as statesman and taking up the part of political operative. Quite right, I would say if I were British. Quite right.

It is likely Bill feels he owes Hillary whatever he can offer her campaign, not just as her husband, but as her political partner who has stood by him through intensely difficult times. Had she chosen to divorce him in the late 1980’s after he had fallen in love with another woman, as any sane wife would do, he never would have reached the political apex of president of the United States of America. We all know the ins and outs of the Lewinsky deal and I’d rather not touch that one. The topic is already overexposed, as far as I’m concerned and almost put me off cigars completely.

And Bill probably just likes the battle. Hillary is in her element when she’s in a dogfight and has her sites set on a target. That isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, but Bill most likely shares that appetite for attack. It’s become his retirement pastime or something. In any case, I’m soooooooo over it. Turn the page, you dig?

If NOTHING else (and there is alotta else), Bill is reminding me of what I didn’t like about his presidency. The condescending manner with which he addresses the press (because a politician is a civil servant and sooooo much better than a ratings-seeking journalist. give me an effing break), the inability to keep it about the issues, not the campaign, and eliminate vitriol from strategy. There will be negativity galore when it’s time to face the Republican nominee directly. For now, he needs to keep under the collar.

Of course, keep anything IN or UNDER anything else wasn’t his strong suit. I just picture having to deal with his antics again and his psychological need to seek the intimate attentions of other women. We’re used to presidents cuckolding, but how will we deal with a president being cuckolded? Sure, it shouldn’t be an issue. But it will be. It always is.

Do we want to watch Bill for at least another four years playing bad cop for his wife’s policies? We’ve reviewed his presidency through rose-colored glasses, as many have Reagan’s, but those years were hard to get through much of the time and the manner he has recently portrayed during his charity work has simply been a white-washed version of himself. I don’t know if I want the real-deal back again. Make no mistake, we’re not just voting for Hillary. We’re voting for Bill all over again. My recently-discovered favorite term is “Billary”, but it will soon get as annoying as “Brangelina.”

So, shut it Bill, for the love of all that is good and political. With each of your ridiculous comments, I move one step closer to checking the box next to Obama.

Best 60 Minutes Interview Ever!!

Last night, 60 Minutes televised and interview with FBI Agent George Piro, who was charged with interrogating Saddam Hussein while he was in U.S. custody. The results are amazing. In fact, Piro’s boss said the interrogation was probably one of the top FBI accomplishments in the agency’s 100 years.

Here’s the link to the interview and it is long, but it’s definitely worth a read.

Worst (or best?) Headline of the Day

The business of creating daily headlines is a hard one. The actual headline. You have to be creative and thoughtful day after day. Nevertheless, judgment sometimes fails and editors let a doozy slip past. Today’s nominee is:

“Rice Scientists aglow over drug for radiation poisoning”

Thank you, Houston Chronicle, and keep ‘em coming!

WOOOHOOOO!! Last SOTU by Bush! It’s time to bring out The Game.

I’ll admit it. I have never played the State of the Union drinking game. I’ve known about it, talked about it and considered it. The mere fact that Bush was our president and raking this country across the proverbial worldwide coals was little cause to celebrate during previous SOTUs. Therefore, I started drinking way before the SOTU got started and continued throughout the address, unabated by the restrictions inherent in a drinking game.

After having cut back on our alcohol consumption, as increasing age requires, Brendan and I deserve to celebrate this evening. It is a momentous occasion, justifying- no demanding - our joyful participation replete with established gulps of a previously-determined alcohol upon Bush’s uttering certain terms or phrases during his speech.

For those of you who wish to participate, visit this link for the rules.

It’s time to look to future, people. Let’s put these horrific years of backwards policy behind us as only we know how. Partying every chance we get in merriment and revelry with the knowledge that George W. Bush will be FORMER president in less than a year. Hallelooya!

Stimulus Package - In Case You Were Wondering

This is from the Treasury Department website:

Link to the PDF Fact Sheet on the new stimulus package

I still haven’t figured out if we’ll have to pay these rebates back next year, as we did with Bush’s first set of rebates (which he kept calling refunds) in 2001. I’ve heard that we won’t, but until I see it in writing, I won’t believe it.

Obama Takes S.C.

We knew it was going to happen. Certainly it isn’t the political devastation for HillHill all the commentators are claiming, including my beloved Carl Bernstein, who termed the loss, (paraphrasing) “The worst night of her political life.” Helloooooo, it was South Carolina and while everyone agrees she was going to lose, they’re simply saying no one expected such a huge spanking. Were people really thinking African-American women were going to side with Hillary over Obama? Hell no, as Amy-the-young-Republican commentator who is on CNN, MSNBC and Bill Maher said recently, black women identify themselves first as African-American and women second. They were going with Obama no matter what, despite Clinton’s fairly stellar history in the area of Civil Rights. It seemed obvious to me. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe people who have to say whether it was an ass-wuppin or not are too close to the action to see the forest for the trees.

AND, I don’t think it will make a huge difference going forward. Hillary is polling ahead of Obama in all the states voting on superduper Tuesday except his home state of Illinois. Perhaps the governor and both senators of Massachusetts giving Obama their endorsement will help, as will Caroline Kennedy’s NYTimes editorial. But California and New York will almost certainly go Hillary’s direction.

Either way, it’s great Obama won S.C. - the longer we can keep the race for The Whitehouse alive without crowning a king or queen is better for the country. It keeps us talking about policies, characters, experience and hopes. The discussion stays alive and, in many ways, the discussion is the most important thing. Maybe this is one of those the journey is the destination-type things. We’re idealistic now, but the next president will inherit a mess and will, no doubt, disappoint in one way or another. We need to appreciate our ability to be idealistic while we can.

Plus, I haven’t chosen between Hillary or Barack yet.

Huckabee Plays to the Bass

Can anyone tell me how Huckabee playing bass guitar with really wretched (and I mean terrible) cover bands will help the man in his futile quest to become leader of the free world? This morning, he was playing “Brown-eyed Girl” and now I’ll never be able to listen to that song again without thinking about how a Dumbo with a degree in religion can become a viable U.S. presidential candidate because he’s read the bible more than your average schmo and has the most theocratic policies of all the tom, dick and hillaries in the race.

Really. Who gives a shit that the man can play bass? And if you think that the most important policy on which to base your vote for president is that he would force poor people across the land to have babies they can’t afford, while reducing access to sex education and condoms, better health care, and poverty-reducing programs such as literacy campaigns, you deserve to be robbed by that would-have-been-aborted-fetus after it grows up to a life of drugs and crime. Or you deserve to pay for its health care after it become an obese, poor adult forced to have babies of it’s own.

The realities (actual realities, not philosophical realities) of the impending results of policies of this man should, in the considerations of voters, far outweigh his attempt to gain a few “cool” points by playing bass. Of course, the man deserves to try to improve his coolness or whatever after having been born to a name like Huckabee. God must have been really mad at him for whatever he did in his past life to give him a name like Huckabee and a wife who looks a lot like Shrek. Seriously, that woman should never wear green.

Kucinich is Dunzo

Kucinich has dropped out of the race for the presidency. Will I miss him? Um, no. First of all, he’s vegan. And I don’t trust those people. The lack of iron in the blood and inherent anemia simply be too distracting for leader of the free world. And I do not believe eating meat is wrong. Veal, we can talk about. But, seriously, what other purpose would cows serve? Comedic relief? I think not.

Certainly, the make-out sessions with his wife (who is my age) on stage after the debate made me want to hurl. I mean, they were engaged by their third date. What kind of judgment is that??? And if I have to hear any male say he’d hit that in a heartbeat and saluted Kucinich’s Amazon woman coup, I’m going to hurl. Maybe if this were France, but it’s not and I can’t spend the next 4-8 years picturing how that short, gnomish man and that tall, British red-head with her hair always pulled to one side engage in the “grown-up”, as my cousin calls it. It would be like solving one of those Chinese puzzles.

Ewww.

I know, I’m being juvenile and should only judge the man on his political policies. OH WELL! He dropped out and I can be juvenile as long as I want! And not vote for a man who would lose to Hillary at arm-wrestling. Seriously, her balls ARE bigger than his. And he can shout policies I agree with, like getting out of Iraq and stop outsourcing the war, as long as he wants, but if no one will listen to him, he’s useless to me. And he’s from Ohio and I HATE the Buckeyes.

The Jan. 24 Repub Debate in Florida

Next Tuesday will be fun. Slowly watching the death knell toll for Giuliani’s presidential campaign will give me a bit of satisfaction. Who knew that McCain and Giuliani would essentially trade positions in the polls between August of last year and now? It amuses me to no end to see inevitability turned on its head - and for campaigns for president proceed without Ben Franklin determining who emerges as the victor. Romney is basically diarrheaing cash into his campaign, but I still think enough voters are smart enough to recognize his severe, late-in-life political 180’s prove he’ll proffer whatever ideals and promises necessary to win an election. Blech. If offends my political senses to no end. And not much offends me. Really, ask anyone I know.

Every pundit said Romney won the debate last night, though, but only because the other candidates weren’t dog-piling on him and he was able to shed his ankle-grabber status of previous debates. Last night was like watching the Teletubbies or a bunch of men massage each other in a steamy Japanese bath. What was that about?

This is what I heard:

• Oh yeah, right, the downturn of the economy is serious! I mean, everyone, knows that. We just haven’t talked about it before because Tim Russert only wanted to ask about troops or gays or something.
• Giuliani, you’re so cute and we’re so glad you’ll be getting out of the race soon. Then we won’t have to look at your mistress and wonder how many times you banged her before you actually got divorced.
• Hillary Clinton is the devil and we will all suffer a severe case of the terrorismitis if she’s elected.
• I can be funnier than the other guy.
• Abortion is no longer the big issue (hallelujuah and praise jeebus!).

Republicans wanted to rise above the fray (how many former Republican Congress people are in the pen right now?) and be a little better than thou democrat, but I was unimpressed and would likely forget every word uttered last night if I wasn’t blogging about it.

Listen, maybe the inoffensive, non-confrontational American friendliness that I do enjoy cringes to see Clinton and Obama scrap a bit, but I thought we actually were hearing some substantive conversation. Wolfie should have sat back and popped a beer like the rest of us and revel in the relevance of some actual DISCUSSION about some ISSUES. Yes, at first, the jabs took a little getting used to, but in the end I felt like we were closer to seeing what kind of candidates these people really are. Admittedly, I’m not sure the arguments changed anyone’s mind or rearranged any voting blocs, but us political junkies loved it and you know it!

I’ll continue to watch the debates of both parties and toward the end of the season, they’ll be easier to turn into drinking games. Hopefully, Nader will jump in and maybe Bloomberg and possibly some family values candidate and we’ll witness some Political Ultimate Fighting Champion and philosophies and ideals and characters will emerge from behind those particle-board podiums! Actual political discussion.

One can only hope.

Do I Have to Watch Tonight’s Republican Debate?

McCain: (paraphrasing) Americans wouldn’t mind if we had a troop presence in Iraq for 100 years if there were not military casualties.

Huckabee: “[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’s what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards,”

Romney: “Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom.”

Giuliani: “…we’re going to carry a 50-state campaign…” (which is why he’s only focusing on Florida and losing to Ron Paul in the other primaries….)

Ron Paul:  “The world’s elites are busy forming a North American Union. If they are successful, as they were in forming a European Union, the good ‘ol (sic) USA will only be a memory. We can’t let that happen. The UN wants to confiscate our firearms and impose a global tax. The UN elites was to control the world’s oceans with the Law of the Sea Treaty. And they want to use our military to police the world….I am writing to you today to ask you to recommit yourselves to this battle. I need your help now, more than ever, in this fight to save the country we love…for the people we love.”

Do I? Do I HAVE to watch tonight’s Republican debate? Maybe some wine will make it bearable…

Judging Bush’s Legacy

Bush has repeatedly claimed that history will judge his administration only after he has died.

Question. Does he plan on committing suicide right after he leaves office? Maybe he’ll “accidentally” drive off a bridge.
Has someone not told him that we’ve pretty much figured out how to judge Carter’s presidency (mmm, not so great. that revolution in iran kinda killed things), Reagan’s presidency (we whitewash it now, but iran-contra remains commonly-used vernacular), Bush Sr.’s presidency (saved kuwait since they had oil, then we fell into a recession), and Clinton’s presidency (lucky-ass rise in the economy with the tech boom, gross-ass activities with a cigar).

And all those presidents are STILL alive. Except for Reagan, of course. But he’d probably still be alive if he wasn’t so old when he was elected. Duh.

Reagan was 69, just shy of his 70′th birthday when he was inaugurated. Bush was 55.

I’m guessing we’ll have Bush’s presidency wrapped up by January 30, next year. Unless Congress decides to indict him for war crimes or one of the other many, many crimes he’s committed while in office. Then maybe history will say “George W. Bush, former president and convict.” That would be sweet. Come on - how many convicts does Congress have? They should share the wealth on ethics investigations. It’s obvious Cheney’s over there, just asking for it. Sitting there and asking for it. Saying, “Come and get me you sniveling, wretched lawmakers, you!” He’ll probably lock himself up in his man-size safe with his bird-shot shotgun by his side shouting words like “impudent!” and “undermining!” and “menace!”. Do those man-size safes work with magnets? Do magnets stop pace-makers?

Anyway…

It’s going to be a hard retirement for Bush. He’s moving to Dallas. And I’ll be able to toilet-paper his house whenever I want. I’ll be keeping Charmin in business!

Iraq, Whitehouse in Negotiations for Long-term US Military Presence

We discovered a few months ago Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki signed an agreement, called U.S.-Iraq Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation, that would open negotiations towards a U.S. military presence in Iraq for an undetermined length. The democrats, especially Sen. Clinton during the debates, have recently become more vocal in their disapproval of the agreement, which would require the consent of the Iraqi Parliament, but not the U.S. Congress. They also claim that this is an effort to cement the U.S. presence in Iraq despite possible efforts by the next president to withdraw troops.

The official word is that the agreement would simply redefine the U.S. military role in Iraq and would not bind the next president’s decision capabilities, as well as replace the expiring U.N. mandate regarding coalition activities in Iraq.

Are you with me so far? Does this pass the smell test??

In a word, No.

First of all, the administration and Iraqi government want negotiations concluded around July and an agreement complete with signatures by the time U.S. elections arrive.

Secondly, and this is well, significant, the Center for Public Integrity reports the President Bush and his top officials “made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.” It is common knowledge without the CPI report that the administration issues false statements (the CIA leak case, Att. Gen. Gonzales’ involvement in the firing of many U.S. attorneys, just to name a mere fraction).

Fact: the administration if full of lies and liars. If the administration were a witness in a criminal trial, it would be indicted for perjury. If lightning struck liars, The White house would be a sea of smoking embers. There isn’t a bar of soap in all the world big enough to clean those dirty, rotten, fallacious mouths. Basically, we have a pants on fire situation here. Hell, he learned it from his father who tried to sell us a bill of goods on the level of the deficit during Sr.’s campaign in ‘92. Guess it runs in the family.

The administration thinks Congress is simply playing politics and the U.S. population is too retarded to understand the means behind their ends. Karl Rove and Dick Cheney have better judgment than we do. Rumsfeld had better judgment than we do. Condoleeza Rice, for all her irrelevance, has better judgment than we do. We should just sit back and drink our Coors Light and watch Nascar and trust Bushie to take care of this war for us like good little patriotic citizens.

I’d rather choke on a hot dog.

Of course Cheney, uh…I mean Bush, wants to establish an agreement with the Iraqis before the next president can come in and stomp all over his withered legacy. He has convinced himself, to the point of psychosis, no doubt, that his intentions (not decisions based on REALITY) determine the outcome. A democrat with the same access to information he has will make far worse decisions than he would (though how that could happen when they would undoubtedly have better judgment, I’ve no idea).

Hopefully, those senators on the campaign trail can see their way back to Capitol Hill for a moment to either find some existing legislation or slap some together that would require their participation in this “agreement” with Iraq.

I understand we have just under a year left before he’s out, people. But realize that it will be one nail-biting, hair-pulling year. And I can’t wait for the roller coaster ride of pardons at the end! It’s sure to make Clinton’s and Bush Sr. before him look as innocent as one of those pukey Precious Moments figurines.

It’s almost enough to make me start praying. Almost. Not quite, though.

UPDATE: While the Washington Post says there is no historical precedent for such agreements to go before Congress,  The Boston Globe has issued an article with a different view, saying “After World War II, for example - when the United States gave security commitments to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and NATO members - Presidents Truman and Eisenhower designated the agreements as treaties requiring Senate ratification. In 1985, when President Ronald Reagan guaranteed that the US military would defend the Marshall Islands and Micronesia if they were attacked, the compacts were put to a vote by both chambers of Congress.”

There is a reason a democracy commands the participation of many. To trust the steerage of our country to few, who are not only untrustworthy when it comes to the simple act of telling the truth, but proven poor decision-makers, is insanity-defined.

Intelligent Political Debate (with sarcasm)

As a political junkie who used to perform international geopolitical analysis on a daily basis, it is difficult for me to watch the 2008 campaigns in this most significant election year and simply comment to the “lucky” few around me. I have an appreciation for the political opinion websites because the Internet invaluably allows we are interested parties to exercise our voice - a gift that should never be taken for granted.

Raised mostly in Texas, my political origins were embedded in Republican ideals, as you can imagine. (I have the kind of family that refers to the Civil War as the War of States’ Rights. You can see what I’m talking about) My increasing discovery of the world around me and motivation to recognize the necessity of operating as a community and not merely an individual has refocused my paradigm. While I will never claim certainty or righteousness and will operate with an open mind, I speak my opinion as one who is informed and in constant search for more information. Proper decision-making requires education. And votes and opinions are proving more valuable all the time.

The old guard is slowly retiring their post of self-interest and fear of the unknown. This is an opportune moment for us to stand and challenge one another in an effort to strengthen our political participation and knowledge of those who seek to govern us. In our effort to hone our political consciences, we must never insult one another or think we have a monopoly on “right”. When you cease to learn and listen, your mind becomes petrified and you are no longer useful. Condescension proves nothing other than you can no longer defend your ideas legitimately.

I search for reason and ration and logic in all the decisions I make and all the opinions I form. I seek it in the opinions and views of others. Here, in the southern edge of the Bible Belt in which I live, logic can be a tricky bugger to find. But it’s getting easier. Mostly in the comments of political pieces I read. So, I know those of like mind are out there and that’s comforting. Instead of populating the comment regions of political and news websites, I decided I wanted my own comment page - for catharsis if nothing else. It’s time to stop shouting at the television, if you know what I mean.

Please feel free to leave comments or start a discussion. I live for this stuff. Just don’t be an asshole. There are enough of those in the game already.