Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mind

I totally agree. I'm registered Libertarian, but I generally vote Republican. However, where the GOP is going is beyond most of what I can support. I think there's a large contingent of people who think the war was the right thing to do, even knowing that WMD weren't there -- but that we should have gotten out 6-10 months ago. But too many Americans subscribe to the "We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way" to make that popular enough.

For six years now, the Blue party has allowed itself to be set up like a bowling pin. Knocked down, it gets to wearin’ thin: in response to the constant claim that they all voted in favor of the Iraq War, not a single one of these pussies has shown the raw courage to step forward and say “That’s because President Bush lied to us. After 9-11, we put our faith in our leader and he betrayed us.”

That's because they can't. They get the same intelligence briefings that the President gets. And while I don't agree with everything that this pompous windbag says, he does bring up enough points to answer your question, and he's from your side of the aisle:

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0713-08.htm

I'm still trying to figure out how Bill Clinton got elected. Must have been the Vernon Jordan connection to the Bildeberg Group. ;-)

Recently, some of my progressive friends have been gleefully pointing to Bush's poll numbers and comparing them to Nixon's just before he resigned. They either forget or don't realize that the Democrats were barely able to muster enough votes to defeat Ford in 1976, despite the legacy of Nixon's disgrace and the general perception that Ford was a bumbling fool.

I think Bush's poll numbers are important to those Republicans who are running for election in 2006. During a war -- or the post-9/11 panic -- they could attach themselves to Bush and bask in his reflected glory. But with 40% approvals, that's an iffy proposition at best, particularly for those who are running for Senate and not in a well-defined congressional district.

The poll numbers are also important to the "It's My Party, Too" Republicans who are trying to redefine the GOP as a comparatively moderate and more inclusionist party. In other words, not a tool of the religious right / oil services cartel.

The elephant is a great symbol for the Republican Party (or at least some of its members) because it will trample on anything that gets in its way. That's why the Republicans have been winning. They're not afraid to play it as dirty as it needs to be. Just look at the Swift Boat veterans "documentary" used to smear someone who was willing to go to war (instead of just play it like a video game with other people's loved ones), and you'll know that's true. I'm not going to diss the Democrats anymore. They are trying live up to their name, and that means less unity. Thank heaven.

Bush's numbers keep dropping, and so do the overall ratings for the Republican congress. In the wake of Katrina, gas is expected to shoot up to $4 a gallon, and get ready for a slew of news stories about how the budget to shore up the sinking levees in New Orleans was slashed last year by the same Republican administration, since they had to find money somewhere to pay for the war in Iraq, after they gave a hefty tax cut to their wealthy friends.

And I still predict the Republicans will maintain majorities in both houses after all the "votes" are "counted" next year.

On the bright side, with people driving less the air will be cleaner, and we'll slow down global warming. And isn't that what's really important?

Although there seems to be little evidence that Americans drive less as gas prices go up -- or even drive cars that use less gas -- higher oil prices do make the development and use of alternative energy sources for purposes other than driving everywhere more financially viable and attractive. Unfortunately, one of those "alternatives" is high sulfur coal.

There's also nuclear. And I drive less than I used to because of gas prices. I'm doing a lot more of paying bills on line and combining trips for things I want. I'm also thinking about getting my bike fixed and riding more. Considering how fat everybody claims Americans are, now is a good time to promote stuff like that.

Uh-oh. That's twice now that we've agreed on something.

Quick, what's the temperature in hell? 8^)