While we have been obsessed with Iraq, the FBI abusing security letters and spying on Americans, the politicization of the Department of Justice and the lies to cover that up, the treasonous outing of a high level CIA operative, abusive conditions at Walter Reed Hospital and the President knowing war hero Pat Tillman died by friendly fire and yet holding him up as a war hero, assumed to die at enemy hands, to recruit support for his war against terror the Bush budget slipped by under the radar.  Matt Taibbi, a columnist for Rolling Stone wrote an enlightening piece that puts some more light on the way our President operates and who he actually serves.  The Bush budget makes many of the Bush tax cuts permanent and sets the groundwork for a repeal of the Estate Tax. 

My problem with a repeal of the estate tax is how such a windfall for the wealthy would be paid for.  It is particularly painful to consider giving the richest of the rich another tax break when this administration has given that class of people so many perks already.  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' office did some analysis to determine how Bush planned to pay for the  tax repeal and I found the results distasteful.  But first it would be good to keep in mind that the middle class in America continues to shrink. A new analysis of IRS tax data found that income inequality grew significantly in 2005, the most recent year figures were available. The top 1 percent of Americans — those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 — had the largest share of national income since 1928.  Average incomes for those in the bottom 90 percent fell from the year before by $172.

Another sign the Bush economy is not as great as advertised is that the national savings rate for 2006 was negative 1%.  That means that the nation, as a whole, spent and borrowed more money last year than they earned and as a whole were not able to set aside money for retirement or emergencies.  The Commerce Department reports that the savings rate has been negative for an entire year only four times in history: 1932, 1933, 2005, and 2006.  We all may recall a little thing called the depression having occurred in the thirties.  In 2005 and 2006 those statistics are simply depressing. 

And now, how do we pay for the richest of the rich in America to have the ability to pass their wealth on to their children?  How do we gift $442 billion to the deserving silver spooner trust fund babies of corporate America?  In the case of the Walton Children, (the Wal-Mart clan not John Boy and Mary Ellen) they would reap 32.7 billion of that money over the next ten years.  To help pay for this Bush has earmarked 28 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the same time frame.  The children of the Mars Candy Corporation will be the recipients of 11.7 billion in tax cuts while Bush wants to cut $3.4 billion from the Veterans Administration.  The Cox Cable TV kids will receive $9.7 billion while education will be cut $1.5 billion.  Nordstrom Department Store heirs will only get $826.5 million in tax cuts while Community Service Block Grants will be eliminated saving $630 million in federal expenditures.  Those fortunate enough to have been born to Ernest and Julio Gallo will get $468.4 million in tax cuts while LIHEAP, a program to provide heating oil to the poor will be cut $420 million.

The author went on to point out that national hero’s like former Exxon/Mobil CEO Lee Raymond, who last year retired with a $400 million retirement package while the cost to fill your tank nearly doubled over the last two years, will receive about $164 million in tax breaks.  There is a program called the Commodity Supplemental Food program which provides a bag of groceries per month to 480,000 impoverished seniors and mothers with newborn children and our compassionate conservative President has cancelled the program netting a savings of $108 million. 

There was no mention of a reduction of a cut in subsidies or tax loop holes for Corporations leading Taibbi to point out that Bush is not really cutting spending, he is just cutting spending on people who actually need the money.  I think it is about time for some Bush conservatives to explain how this makes sense: spending will “be 1.6 percent of GDP higher in the 2008 budget than in was in 2000, while revenues will be 2.6 percent of GDP lower).  This is something different from traditional conservatism and something different from big-government liberalism; this is a new kind of politics that transforms the state into a huge, ever-expanding instrument for converting private savings into corporate profit.”  Witness the savings rates of the last two years and Exxon/Mobil setting the record for corporate income by any business in the history of the world in the last two years.  The current exemption for estate taxes is $2 million ($4 million per couple) in 2006, $3.5 million ($7 million per couple) in 2009 and $5 and $10 million after 2009.  If your estate is valued at any amount less than that you should be mad as hell about this. 

 

I found this on the internet the other day, “Will Bowen might be on to something.  The pastor at Christ Church Unity in Kansas City sees a connection between the fact that we all agree there is too much complaining in the world and that we also agree the world is not how we would like it to be. So he issued a challenge to his parishioners: go 21 consecutive days (researchers believe it takes 21 days to start a new habit) without complaining, criticizing, or gossiping.
            As a reminder of the challenge, parishioners were given a purple “A Complaint Free World.Org” rubber bracelet. If, in those 21 days, a person complains, criticizes or gossips, they must move the bracelet to the other arm and start the 21 days again.
            In seven months, the church has mailed 1.3 million free bracelets to 80 countries. Aside from one church, which returned the bracelets because they weren’t the quality they expected (I think they missed the point), Bowen and his parishioners said that while the challenge wasn’t easy, they found themselves to be happier and better people after the 21 days.
Would less complaining in our world make a difference? Could you make it 21 days?
You can get a free bracelet at www.acomplaintfreeworld.org.

            I loved this idea and then ran smack right into the reality that the adoption of such a noble endeavor was not very compatible with my writing style on these pages.  I didn’t want to admit that and then started considering the possibility of presenting my views in a more positive light.  That isn’t going to be easy.  Is it even possible?  I’m going to give it a try.  I will ask that you readers use the comment section to tell me if you think I need to move my bracelet from one side to the other. 

            I had a little run in with reader Aaron yesterday in the comment section and I regret that I may have alienated him from visiting the site.  That is one of the problems with text based communication.  Text does not allow the signals of inflection and body language necessary for effective communication.  He posted a comment that I apparently misunderstood and I replied and basically told him to go away.  I shouldn’t have done that.  I was wrong and apologize.  It seems to be one of the greatest challenges that I have on this space; to share my opinions on matters that are important to me without using a hostile or confrontational voice. 

            It would almost be comical were it not so convicting that the bi-partisanship and open exchange of ideas I value so much seem to be presented from an; “if only you could see things my way” perspective.  It just seems so obvious to me that those who disagree with me have not thought things through or they would agree with me 100 percent all of the time!  I think I’m going to have to work on that.  I’m reading a book right now called, “Disarming the Culture War” by Bruce Wilson.  The book is focused on the idea that four principle values are responsible for our divided nation.  Abortion, gun control, separation of church and state, and gay marriage are issues that leave little room for compromise.  You are either for or against those issues.

            Republicans had, in the past, done a good job of packaging those issues under the umbrella of “Moral Values” and used that platform to attract just enough independent voters to reelect the President.  When you consider how few of us have an actual personal decision to make on those issues it leaves a lot of room to discuss the nearly infinite number of other issues confronting us that do have room for discussion and compromise. 

Somewhere out there is a plan for equitable taxation with respect to an appropriate level of government spending and investment.  There is a way to provide affordable and available healthcare for all of us that does not diminish the care provided to those who work hard to secure that protection for themselves.  To imagine that hunger and extreme poverty would exist in a land so rich in opportunity does not match with our perceptions of the greater ideals this nation is built upon.  We can work together to make this country a place that is free of societal barriers when one sets out to achieve the American dream.  We could surely all understand the benefit of sacrifice that may be required to instill more self reliance in those who have been marginalized by the status quo. 

Hopefully less complaining and more diligent reflection on the possibilities of positive solutions could help me find peace in the confidence that tomorrow will be a brighter day.  In the mean time I’m going to do my best to not chase away any more of the precious few readers that this page enjoys.      

 

            Yesterday the president said the imposition of a "specific and random date of withdrawal would be disastrous" for U.S. troops in Iraq and he predicted that lawmakers would take the blame if the money ran short.  The clock is ticking for our troops in the field," he said. "If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on the front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible."  Mr. President, we have seen the disaster, the Congress has written your emergency funding bill, if you veto it, if you delay funding for our troops we will most definitely know who to hold responsible. 

            President Bush, also on Wednesday, cited two Iraqi bloggers as evidence that his troop surge is working in Iraq.  http://iraqthemodel.com When the news coming from the military, his advisors and professional journalists failed to paint the picture the president so desperately craves he has resorted to quoting three week old blog entries by bloggers who, it was later discovered, had met with the President in the Oval Office on December 9, 2004.  Once again, loyalty trumps competence in the President’s search for the truth.  Rajiv Chandrasekaran, former Baghdad bureau chief of The Washington Post disputed the outdated blog entries claiming that he is in frequent contact with Iraqi’s.  The former bureau chief reported there has been steady insurgent mortar fire impacting inside the “Green Zone” all week and that at least two Americans have died there in recent days.  Furthermore, US Embassy staff located inside the “Green Zone” have recently been instructed to wear protective armor and helmets any time they venture outdoors. 

            Bush quoted his bloggers to build up support for his upcoming fight with Congress over the emergency troop funding bill that calls for troop redeployment.  The cited entry said, "Displaced families are returning home, marketplaces are seeing more activity, stores that were long shuttered are now reopening. We feel safer about moving in the city now. Our people want to see this effort succeed."  The President wants us to believe that all of that good news is coming out of Iraq in support of his war effort as the Congress has finally stood up to him and told him, “No more blank checks!”  That blog entry that the president used in Support of his war was posted on March 2nd in the infancy of the President’s new surge plan. 

            Now that the President’s surge has had three weeks or so to show us how his new plan is working the blog is not so optimistic.  Consider this more recent March 24th entry. “The loss of state-supplied electricity has made private generators a necessity. Every 50-100 homes are supplied with power from a generator, situated “around the corner” or “down the road” from where you live. The noise generated by these machines has contaminated our very lives. (Not to mention the smoke and fumes that are killing us).  They supply us with a little power for six hours only, the rest of the day we have to switch on our own tiny house generators, which are just as noisy and smelly. (Those of us that can afford them) 
The noise from explosions and fighting and cocky nobodies shooting live ammunition into the air to satisfy their sick inner hunger for power is just the cream topping on the cake.  How to sleep properly? How to work properly? How to study?? How to rest, think and achieve?  This war is cultivating a very resilient strain here in Iraq. Should we be thankful?”

            There is so much wrong with the way this President continues to mislead us about the war in Iraq.  He found a snippet he thought he could use to support his unpopular poll numbers and recklessly used them without taking time to consider the consequences.  This fits a pattern of unprepared, ill-conceived and incompetent management of a very large part of his administration.  Using outdated opinions from friends of the administration to paint a misleading picture of what is happening in Iraq is no different than referencing yellow cake plutonium for a case for war in Iraq even after National Security administrators told him the information was invalid.  What kind of arrogance must this President have to think that we are stupid enough to believe a word he says anymore?  The Presidency has been stained and I for one am longing for the days of integrity and honesty of the Clinton administration.

 

            I’m on VACATION!  The kids are on spring break this week so I opted to use some of my vacation days Wednesday through Friday to spend a little quality time with them.  When I shared the news of my plan the teenagers rolled their eyes and the youngest wants to take off on the Harley.  There’s rain in the forecast and the passenger peg extensions are on order so the Harley trip isn’t likely.  I’m sure we will find something to do to keep them occupied.  I wonder how they feel about yard work?

            Many times when I am writing these posts I need to step back for a bit and gather my thoughts or the phone will ring or something will catch my eye on the TV so I will save my work and minimize my page and open up a net game called Marbles.  It is one of those free and mindless internet games that has become somewhat of an addiction for me.  I’m not sure what it is about the game that that has such a hold on me.  It is relatively void of challenge or strategy and more or less a game of chance.  Like the imbiber who prefers not to drink alone I am providing you the link so that you too may share my fascination with a totally mindless and unproductive past time that I enjoy so much.  Go ahead, try it.  All your friends will be doing it.  You should know before you get addicted that I was once rated the 15^th best player in the world although my claim was fleeting and my name was bumped off the board after only a few short days of glory.

            The senate, shockingly, moved forward with their funding bill with language in support of a troop withdrawal yesterday.  God Bless Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who said he would "not support sustaining a flawed and failing policy. It's now time for the Congress to step forward and establish responsible boundaries and conditions for our continued military involvement in Iraq."  And on ABC’s “This Week” program Hagel said, "I am opposed to the president's further escalation of American military involvement. We are undermining our interests in the Middle East, we are undermining our military, we're undermining the confidence of people around the world in what we're doing,"  Now that is a Senator Nebraska should take pride in.  Can you feel it?  The tide is turning!

 

President Bush dismissed the passage of the House war spending bill as "political theater" and said he would veto the bill if it reached his desk. "The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war.  The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not." said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA.  The House bill provides for funding of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007 but require troop redeployment before September 2008 or earlier if the Iraqi government fails to meet specific milestones.  The Senate is currently debating a separate war spending bill which also calls for a troop withdrawal.  The Senate bill is a little more aggressive with regards to bringing our troops home.  March 31^st 2008 is the non-binding goal of the Senate version of the bill.  Both bills are actually doomed as it would require a 2/3 majority to override the Bush veto threat.

Both sides of the debate might secretly harbor a hidden desire to see the other side prevail.  For the Democrats, the eminent veto puts all of the responsibility for the loss of life, expense of the war and the ultimate results on Bush’s shoulders.  The Republicans could benefit by sharing the blame for this unpopular war by allowing the Democrats a stake in the way the war is prosecuted.  It won’t surprise you to learn I strongly support the Democratic plan to put benchmarks in place for the withdrawal of our troops.  Supporters of “stay the course” are quick to point out that deadlines give the enemy a date when we are leaving and claim that the proponents of violence will just hang back until we withdraw.  I would hope so.  The deadline is nothing to do with a timeline for terrorists.  The timeline is for the new Iraqi government to get the infrastructure and training in place to stand on their own when we do withdraw.  If the terrorists were to reduce their attacks this would benefit the young government as they readied to stand on their own. 

The Democratic plan has provision for elite forces to remain in the Middle East, just over the horizon, where they could swoop back in with hells fury if sectarian violence escalated after our departure.  We should give it a chance that some of what is fueling the violence in that land is our occupying force.  I do not see an incentive for the people of Iraq to become self sufficient with their security needs as long as they have a non-ending commitment from the United States.  With no time table are we suggesting that we are financially and physically able to continue defending the Iraqi government indefinitely?  The Congressional Research Service reports Congress so far has provided more than $500 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including about $350 billion for Iraq alone.  Is our Government who miscalculated almost every aspect of the war going in credible when the claim that our departure would guarantee escalated violence in Iraq?  I think we would know in a hurry if we were willing to attempt troop redeployment. 

You see, that’s the thing.  We don’t know what will happen if we try imposing deadlines on the Iraqi government.  We don’t know what will happen if we redeploy our troops.  We do know that “staying the course” is not working and we do know that our country lacks the resources and heart to continue this war without some sign of progress.  The advocates of the military industrial complex continually ram it down our throats that our withdrawal from Iraq is tantamount to losing and that Iraq will be much worse off if we “cut and run.”  While nobody has ever suggested a policy of “cut and run” that I have heard of; there is no shortage of evidence that this war was poorly planned, poorly executed and has no real chance of victory as historically defined by American standards.  I think it is past time that the Neo-Cons admit they may have blown it and let somebody else shoulder some responsibility for a while.

            With a high temperature of 77 degrees and no rain yesterday you know I got in a scooter ride!  Bikes were everywhere and even the more grizzly looking riders had big grins on their faces.  My seven year old has had a growth spurt since last summer so we tried him on the back of the bike to see if he could finally reach the passenger foot pegs.  The rule for venturing out onto the highway, according to “She Who Must Be Obeyed,” is that feet must rest firmly upon the pegs.  It’s a good rule but Carter seems to think it unfair.  In the past I threw him in front of me where I could keep him tucked protectively between my arms and he seemed to always want to go faster.  “Go faster Dad, go faster!”  I was always willing to oblige his need for speed by revving my motor and sometimes going so far as to shift into second gear.  I guess when you are six years old 35 miles per hour on a Harley feels like land speed record type stuff.

            This year Carter wanted to ride on the back.  He knew that the rides up front were kid stuff and is confident that his manliness and maturity, as evidenced by his first grade status, had earned him the right to ride on back.  With saddlebags sufficiently covering the back wheel and all moving parts I decided to cut the boy some slack.  The only real concern I had was the vibration of the Harley possibly causing his prosthetic leg to come off.  His prosthetic legs cost about the same as a three year old Buick so I didn’t think SWMBO would be much for forgiving me should that event occur.  I took him for a ride around the neighborhood streets and he giggled the entire 1.8 mile ride.  I’m heading for the Harley shop on my lunch hour tomorrow to see if they stock passenger peg extensions.  The kid is ready to ride.  I suppose some things are instinctual for kids with Harley Dads.  We did get on the highway for a block when we crossed to the other side of our neighborhood.  As we waited to pull out three Harleys went rumbling by at highway speed and I caught him in my mirror; flashing a toothy thumbs up to the riders.  He received an assortment of waves and peace signs for his efforts and felt pretty manly about all of that.
            I dropped the kid off at home and then decided to ride into town to wash off the winter dust and made it home 90 minutes and 70 miles later with the bike looking all clean and shiny.  I was wishing Carter could have joined me.  His brother Clayton wasn’t much bigger when we were heading into town on a similar spring day.  I was kind of rolling from centerline to shoulder as we basked in the sunlight and enjoyed the ride when I felt Clayton tap me from behind.  He stuck his head around my shoulder and exclaimed in a wondrous child like voice, “Dad, it’s just like flying!”  That was a moment that will live with me forever.  I knew then that, for at least that moment, my eldest son and I were in complete agreement about the experience we were sharing.  Fatherhood doesn’t get much better than that. 

 

Vice President Dick Cheney, on Saturday. accused the Democrat-led House of not supporting troops in Iraq and of sending a message to terrorists that America will retreat in the face of danger. "They're not supporting the troops. They're undermining them," he said in reference to Fridays House vote which included a cutoff deadline on the Iraq war.  The $124 billion House bill would pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year but would require that combat troops come home from Iraq before September 2008 — or earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain requirements.

It really pisses me off when that Halliburton-Son of a Bitch Cheney, the procurer of five draft deferments, the coward who smugly grunted out of that crooked grin of his in 1989 when he told George C. Wilson of the Washington Post, "I had other priorities in the '60s than military service." questions the integrity of any who dare disagree with his failed policies.  The man who, when it was his turn to serve did everything he could to avoid service, attacks Americans who are willing to try anything to change the course of his war losing strategies has no credibility in my eye.  Cheney is the epitome of a chicken hawk who will stand up with a puffed out chest full of bravado when somebody else’s blood or somebody else’s kid’s blood is on the line.  Dick Cheney’s idea of patriotism in the 60’s was, after learning on October. 26th 1965 that the Selective Service had revoked the deferment classification of married men without children was to impregnate his wife the moment he realized he may have to serve.  Elizabeth Cheney was conceived two days after Cheney would have been eligible for draft as a married man without a child.  Lucky for Cheney his sperm was more willing to do its duty than he was. 

 

My fingers are a little stiff and sore this morning because yesterday I spent half of the morning dragging desks and credenzas up and down a flight of stairs for a guy who conveniently disappeared when there was heavy lifting to be done.  Ya gotta love a guy like that.  I’m figuring he owes me very many beers to get back in my good graces.  Very many.

Al Gore made a visit to his old stomping grounds on Capital Hill this past Wednesday.  The former Vice President said, "There is a sense of hope in this country that this United States Congress will rise to the occasion and present meaningful solutions to this crisis," Gore said. "Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination."  

Gore stated the issue of global warming should not be partisan or political as climate change is a “planetary emergency -- a crisis that threatens the survival of our civilization and the habitability of the Earth." Other key points to his testimony included, "Global warming is real and human activity is the main cause.  Climate change offers both a danger and an opportunity and there is no longer any serious debate over the basic points that make up the consensus on global warming."  I’m prone to buy into the “Al Gore hysteria”  if for no other reason that even if the highly validated claims he makes end up to be wrong there are great benefits to the responsible stewardship of our planet that his plan entails.  Gore’s ambitious plan would help our national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, would clean our air to the benefit of increasing numbers of Americans who suffer asthma and bronchitis. 

The plan includes:

1.       Freezing carbon emissions now

2.       Instituting a carbon tax

3.       Passing on revenues to lower income groups

4.       Signing a strong global treaty (not named Kyoto) with de facto compliance date being moved from 2012 to 2010.

5.       A moratorium on construction of coal powered plants not fitted with carbon capture and sequestration features.

6.       Electranet-smart grid

7.       "CNMA" or Connie Maes for home buyers

8.       Replacing incandescent light bulbs

And yet, for all of Gore’s pleading that we take better care of our planet there is perhaps no individual more vilified by the supporters of the status quo.  The opposition to Gore is explosive in its rhetoric and mean-spiritedness as evidenced in smug and condescending references to Gore’s having gone “Hollywood”, attacks on the appearance that he has been eating well as of late and the old tried and untrue reminders that the dim wittted among us believe Gore said he invented the internet.  For the record, what Gore said was that when he was in Congress, he took the lead on the congressional action that led to the creation of the internet.  If you can’t see the difference in the two claims…well it doesn’t matter because if you can’t see the difference you most likely aren’t able to read this post. 

So we must ask ourselves, why the intense opposition to Gore’s claims that we need to act and act now to reverse the threat of continued climate change?  I would suggest to you that some are angry because Gore is winning!  Gore is winning his argument both scientifically and politically and old money is at stake if lethargic corporations are unwilling to meet the challenges of retooling and expanding into new more environmentally friendly industries.  Nothing can make people more angry than to threaten their inherited money.  Consider the strongest opposition is originating from Republican legislators in Texas and Okalahoma, oil states.  If you are going to question the motivation behind claims for or against responsible change consider who has financial gain at stake and who has more altruistic motives. 

The most vocally opposed to Gore’s plan frequently resort to playground name calling, the likes of which include,  “unscientific, alarmist, inane, crackpot secular socialist prophet Al Gore, "Pass the turkey leg Gore, and babbling buffoon.”  Gee, I guess they are right.  If all of that is true we should ignore everything he and tens of thousands of scientists have to say about climate change.  I love the fact that, here in 2007, there are still plenty of “flat-earthers” alive and well and holding positions of power and leadership. 

Let’s consider just a few of the obstacles Gore’s plans face:  In the House, Energy and Commerce Chairman John D. Dingell, D-Mich., is likely to resist anything that might hurt his state’s automakers. And Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., who represents a coal-producing district, is likely to condition any caps on coal-burning power plant emissions on the availability of technology to capture and store carbon dioxide. Gore proposed an immediate ban on constructing any new coal-burning power plants that cannot be fitted to capture and store carbon emissions.  So truly this is not a partisan issue; unless you consider partisan to be those with vested interests and then the rest of us.

 

 

There is a grassroots movement to draft Al Core become a candidate for president in 2008.  Last Wednesday, Gore appeared before both houses of congress and called on our elected representatives to find "the moral courage to rise above politics and redeem the promise of American democracy." The Vice President then offered a series of bold initiatives designed to reduce America's CO2 output 90% by 2050.  I’m going to have think about this for a little while.  In the event my current favorite Obama looks unable to overtake Clinton as the Democratic front runner I might become interested in supporting a Gore candidacy.
            The grassroots campaign claims, “Millions of Democratic activists are exasperated that their party didn't live up to it's role as the loyal opposition-- watching in dismay as the Bush administration met little resistance from the legislature on issue after issue.  What the Democrats need is a candidate who has always stood unequivocally against the invasion of Iraq, and who has never hesitated to speak out against the Bush administration's power grabs, from the Patriot Act through the NSA wiretapping scandal. We need a nationally recognized figure with strong national security and foreign policy credentials, with the moral authority to capture the imagination of "values voters" on the left, right, and center.”  They may have a point there.

 

               DOH!  My bad, sorry kiddo's.   I forgot to hit publish after I wrote this up last night.  Hope your day is swell!  Sheesh, I woulda thought at least one of you would have tried to check with my next of kin to see if I was alright!

 

                 WOW!  Did you hear the faint but determined sound of Democracy squaring its shoulders and rising from the staggering punch of Washington partisanship yesterday?  Leading Democrats and Republicans announced that they have introduced the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA).  FENA is legislation that would finally offer spending limits and full public financing to Congressional elections.  This legislation would ultimately enable our Congress to end the politics of big money and return the focus of legislating with the people who live in their districts in mind.  This legislation would allow scores of brilliant and qualified candidates, who lacked the financial resources to launch a campaign, the opportunity to make their voices heard. 

            How would this work?  Candidates would prove viability by collecting a significant number of small contributions to be eligible for public financing.  The publicly financed candidate would agree to strict spending limits and refuse private fundraising in exchange for public financing of their election.  The recent headlines of the nation’s papers should serve as additional motivation for you to support this legislation.  If the voters back home are able to once again take control of elections we would have greater control over the political system. 

            Imagine if we exponentially increased the pool of qualified candidates, eliminating the first requirement that our candidates be of a social class that knows little of what it might mean to finagle a family budget.  Imagine if our elected officials did not enter office with the realization that the donations of corporate lobbyists may in fact be the only reason they are in office.  Imagine if our elected officials did not have to engage in year-long, or longer, campaigns on the fundraising trail to ensure their competitiveness for the next election.  We put them in office to legislate and yet a big part of their job, as it exists now, is glad-handing and back-slapping with the financial elite.  MoveOn.org is attempting to gather 200,000 signatures to let Congress know that this issue is important to us.  Would you do a Red Hog a favor and sign their petition?  Please, it is really easy, just click this link: Congress must pass public financing to make our elections fair.

            Chances are you are sitting down right now but in the event you are not, please do so before reading further.  Normally it would not have occured to me to qualify that you were sitting down for the upcoming traumatic news but I was recently issued a Blackberry by my employer.  I guess keeping in contact with me 24/7 via cell phone wasn't convenient enough.  Now they want to be able to email me as well.  Anyway, I appreciate the gesture and discovered I can check on the Red Hog Diary on the darn contraption.  Note one thing.  Imagine the chubby paws of the Red Hog navigating that little keyboard.  Okay, still sitting?  Here it is...Ferris Bueller turned 45 yesterday.  How did that happen?  I thought Ferris was pretty cool back in the day but have found that as I get older I appreciate him more and more.  That whole idea of playing hooky on a beautiful spring day is very appealing, very appealing.  That Harley in the garage is calling my name and we finally got a driving rain yesterday that washed a lot of the sand to the edges of the road.  Yep, I think I am coming down with something. 

            I am in need of a little recreation I don’t mind telling you.  At the day job we recently underwent a system upgrade that left a lot to be desired.  I am looking forward to the day when we can undergo a major systems change that is just one step forward instead of a promised two steps forward with the inevitable one step back.  And then that move from my glorious 9^th floor private office, over looking the Cedar River, to the basement of one of our local branches is looming in my immediate future.  We moved three workstations over today to get an eyeball on how things are going to fit.  I have to tell ya, even if you told me I would get to work in the same room with Jodie Foster, Julia Roberts, and Carlos Santana I couldn’t get excited about my subterranean future in cubicle hell.  Sometimes life is like a shit sandwich and this seems to be just another bite. 

            I hope that last paragraph doesn’t fall into the category of things I will wish I hadn’t written about if my boss would ever stumble across this post.  I suppose I would worry more about that if I risked losing a glorious 9^th floor private office overlooking the Cedar River than I would after I am relegated to the underworld however.  So I’ve got that going for me.

            My Maine friend Mike sent me a funny yesterday that I feel compelled to share with you.

“A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost. She lowers her altitude and spots a man fishing from a boat below. She shouts to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."  The man consults his portable GPS and replies, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.  She rolls her eyes and says, "You must be a Democrat!"  "I am," replies the man. "How did you know?"  "Well," answers the balloonist, "everything you tell me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you're not much help to me."  The man smiles and responds, "You must be a Republican."  
"I am," replies the balloonist. "How did you know?"  "Well," says the man, "You don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault.”

          Okay, just a little humor for you today.  I have actually seen that story with the Party's reversed.  Fair and balanced, that's the Red Hog Diary!  If you have a minute, check out Clayton's latest standup video.  See the red box link on the right scroll bar.  Have a great Thursday!  Friday's comin'!

 

President Bush warned Democrats Tuesday to accept his offer to have top aides testify about the firings of federal prosecutors only privately and not under oath, without recording or transcript or risk a constitutional showdown from which he would not back down.  Remarkable.  I can appreciate a desire to keep the hearings from being aired on C-Span but if there is nothing to hide then a full special committee Congressional hearing, recorded under oath, should be a bare minimum to enable the people to regain some confidence in our Justice Department.  Before we can begin partisan healing in this country many in this country need to know more about how this administration operates.   I am reminded of Howard Baker’s famous question during the Watergate years, “What did the President know and when did he know it?”  I have not been very careful on these pages in the past regarding the difference of the President lying and not knowing what those he has appointed and is charged to oversee are doing.  Either scenario reflects poorly on this administration.  To suggest that the president has done nothing wrong does not match the measures they have taken to avoid any open dialogue about the criticism they have drawn. 

            This is a Democracy and the people have a right to know the truth behind our suspicion that lies and deception were used to lead this country into war in Iraq.  We need an explanation for repeated violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) regarding un-warranted wiretapping inside the United States.  We deserve to know how it fits with our commitment to civil rights to mistreat US detainees in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the War Crimes Act of 1996.  Did the President personally authorize CIA abuse of detainees even after the Supreme Court ruled that Geneva Conventions apply to the treatment of detainees?  Did that practice of un-warranted wire taps continue after a federal judge ruled that the president could not legally ignore FISA?  Were US Attorneys fired to stop investigations of friends of the Administration or were US Attorney’s fired because they were not ambitious enough in prosecuting Democrats?

            These are the questions I had when, last weekend, I suggested that impeachment hearings were in order.  I am willing to wait for the results of such hearings before advocating for or against prosecution.  But our country’s founders provided the tool of impeachment to ensure no President could subvert the Constitution and until we have answers to some of these questions it is fair to assume that is exactly what President Bush has done.  Don’t you think that when 63% of Americans feel they can not trust the Bush Administration to honestly and accurately report intelligence about possible threats from other countries, when 53% believe Bush to not be honest and trustworthy and when 61% say he does not inspire confidence that, in a Democratically controlled country, we have a right to expect oversight and investigations into perceived high crimes and misdemeanors?  Let’s simplify this a bit.  If you received “relatively similar” reports from school about one of your children would you not drop everything, hurry to the school and demand to get to the bottom of the problems?

            While we are looking into things it is way past time to inquire if Vice President Cheney discussed divvying up oil contracts in Iraq in his meetings with oil companies in the early days of the Bush Administration.  Those meetings occurred before 9/11 and more than one source has suggested this occurred.  Was there impropriety in Halliburton’s multi-BILLION-dollar no-bid contracts awarded for Iraq?  Cheney’s ties to the company suggest that is a possibility.  If the Democratic Congress does not stand up to this President it would send a terrible message that would make him think he could continue the practices so many of us find unacceptable.  It would be wise to consider the message that would give to the next President as well.  This is a Democracy and we ought to start acting like it.  To ignore the charges against this President would simply be…undemocratic.

 

Mondays aren’t particularly my favorite day and yesterday was no exception.  Tuesday’s are okay.  Nobody talks much about Tuesdays.  It may be my most productive day of the week.  On Monday the elevator banter is always about how the weekend was too short or people will, out of the blue, offer up, “I am having such a Monday” and everybody seems to know what they mean by that.  I’ve noticed that whenever you dispense with a commentary on what a lousy Monday you are having everyone is anxious to retort with something along the lines of, “If you think YOUR Monday is bad you should try mine!”  I like my job well enough and all but there is something about Monday that kind of bums me out.  I should play the lottery more often.

I think I am going to start advocating for a four day work week at my job.  Let’s just do away with Monday’s.  I typically put in 10 hour days before it is all said and done anyway so I don’t think they should have a problem with that.  But wait, if my campaign were successful would I then just loathe Tuesdays?  I’d kind of hate to do that because, as I alluded earlier, I kind of like Tuesdays.  The only thing I can really complain about on Tuesday is that I have to wait until Wednesday for my weekly taco salad from Drakes @ Paradise Café, the restaurant on the skywalk level in the building I work in.  I have never told Sally, the owner, that Wednesday is not the best day for Taco-Nacho-Quesadilla-Day.  Somehow, maybe because I am so impressionable, Taco Tuesday or rather Tuesday-Taco-Nacho-Quesadilla-Day makes a lot more sense to me.  Somehow, knowing Sally, it is for the very reason that rings right in my head that she avoids making Tuesday “the day.”  I don’t see the fiercely independent restaurateur wanting to be associated in any way with the ad campaign of a franchise marketing creation.

Wednesday is hump day, the middle of the week.  While there is nothing particularly stimulating about the middle of the week, most of us have finally recovered from the harsh Monday morning reality that we have to work for a living.  We figure if we can only make it through Wednesday everything will be okay.  We start thinking about the weekend, not really making any specific plans but the weekend is in sight so we start to gain a little spring back in our step.  The fact that Wednesday, hump day, has a nick name suggests to me that people kind of like Wednesdays.  Perhaps that is because by the middle of the week we are back into our routine and most of us get a lot of our identity from what we do for a living.  Some people in my office call me Mr. Wonderful so I would like to think that I get the majority of my identity from work.

Thursday used to be my favorite day of the week.  When I was younger I loved to go out on the town Thursday nights.  The outings served as a prelude to the weekend and the clubs were always hopping and everybody seemed to be winding up for the big plans they had in store.  Now that I am a little, make that a lot older, Thursdays don’t quite do much for me anymore.  I tend to get excited about my weekend plans less and less and worry more about how I am going to get the work done that has been piling up on my desk all week by Thursday.  But that is a personal problem.  If you still like to count Thursdays as an extension of your weekend, you go right ahead.

This brings us to everybody’s favorite workday, Friday!  There isn’t a warm blooded worker in the world that doesn’t love Fridays.  Even if you are a poor shmuck like me that has to work every other Saturday there is something special about knowing the weekend is finally within reach.  Expressions like, “Thank God It’s Friday” and “I thought Friday would never get here.” are chanted in a mantra like manner as you pass people in the hallways and walkways of the downtown district where I work.  The fact that we all get so excited makes me feel a little bad for a lowly day like Tuesday.  How about if we all try to make this one of the best Tuesdays ever?  Pretend it’s Friday or whatever you have to do.  Nobody ever talks about Tuesdays so I’m thinking you can get as wild and crazy as you want and nary a soul will ever speak of it.  Oh-oh, now the wheels are turning…  Have a great day! 

            When I look back at the Clinton Administration and the way he was endlessly badgered by the GOP, calling for investigation upon investigation which finally ended in impeachment by the House of Representatives I wonder why the Democrats are so reluctant to begin such proceedings against the current president.  There is a dramatic difference in the nature of the charges one would investigate with the current administration.  The accusations against Clinton were never as much based on fact as political attacks and mudslinging until they were finally able to stick the perjury conviction for the Monica Lewinski affair which should have been a private matter between consenting adults in the first place.  The ironic thing is that the poll numbers of Bill Clinton, shortly after his impeachment, are exactly the opposite of what George Bush holds currently.  If the Republican Congress was willing to prosecute a president with a 70% approval rating I do not understand how a Democratic Congress would fear to seek impeachment of a president with a 70% disapproval rating. 

            It has been said that the