The Boosh Speech Plus An Excuse

I spent this morning going through the 38 page document that Boosh released, the alleged Iraq War Plan that everyone has been waiting to hear. I find it simply unfathomable that any high level administration official could produce drivel like this, and allow it to hit the light of day. I could literally tear this thing apart, LINE BY LINE. But, that will take some time, and I want to hear the speech itself. My guess is that he simply read this piece of garbage that I have in my hand, but I want to see for myself what the Imbecile in Chief actually said, and as important, how he said it. If this thing is a plan, I am a Walrus. (someone should write a song about that, oh, I forgot, some unknown British group already did) I will work on ripping this speech to shreds, but it will take a while. I have to do it, though, I can't turn down the chance to destroy virtually every word that comes out of this lunatics mouth. A form of therapy for me, I guess.

I am also working on the possible solutions for what we have been discussing the last few days. I had hoped to get the first stage of that completed and posted today, but I just don't think it is going to happen. Tonight, I need to sleep. (as if you couldn't tell that by reading this unintelligible babble) This blog has turned into a lot more work than I anticipated, and I'm trying not to post things that aren't really ready for publication, although I know that has happened a few times already. I do not want to produce a daily post without actual substance, just to fulfill a promise that I made to myself, the promise of the dreaded Daily Post. Things are simply too important for nonsense (kind of like this) in the current American climate. I must also balance this blog with other contractual obligations that I have, as those things are what actually feed my family. This is more of an educational hobby, if you will, but I want to produce a good product that hopefully awakens at least one person. Then maybe that person can lead another person to this site, and so on.

When I was investigating cases in the Death Penalty Defense world, I was preparing a psychiatrist for testimony. He gave me some wonderful words of wisdom, which I will never forget. I am going to try to quote it directly, but, Eric, if I don't get it exactly right, I apologize. To put it in context, I must tell you this. He was paid a very large sum of money, and paid by the hour. He said, "Why say in 100 words what you can say in 1500 words?" I think I have just followed his MO pretty well. Eric, you should be proud of me.

My apologies for nothing of substance today. See you guys tomorrow.

Cyclone

The Real Deal Exposed; Part 3

Today I am going to divert, momentarily, to something consistently floating around progressive circles. Although the goal is admireable, it simply WILL NOT HELP solve the current situation in which we find ourselves. In fact, this approach may do more harm than good. I am sure that during the course of this I will piss a few people off, but, so be it. These are serious times, the most serious times that we, as a nation, have ever faced. This solution is tossed around by good people, make no mistake about it. But these people do not understand how real and urgent that the current threat really is.

Every day I hear people argue that we need to rid ourselves of our two party system, that we need new blood and that a third party is the answer. Over the long haul, I cannot say that I disagree with that view. But, we must first assure ourselves that there IS a long haul. In order to make certain that we have a future, Booshco must be removed, regardless of the cost. For now, the Democrats are the only viable alternative. That is simply the reality of the situation, like it or not.

A third party candidate as an alternative to our current two party system may become viable in the next 15-20 years. It is a pipedream to believe that anything happening with a third party, beyond the local or state level, will become a reality at present. People who choose to vote for and push these candidates fail to understand or admit the urgency of the current crisis. While their motives should be applauded, their belief that it is the right time for such a movement is misguided. They are simply in denial, living under the belief that "we'll get them in the next election" or "wait until '08" is the proper route to take. They fail to recognize that we may not make it to the '08 elections, in fact, we may not even make it to the '06 elections. Our country could be very well be unrecognizeable by '08, unless the Boosh regime is removed. There are a lot of these "believers" out there. Enough of them to be dangerous. In essence, enough of them that unknowingly propelled us down our current path, the path to our doom. Let's look at a little history and I'll prove a point.

In the year 2000, two things were responsible for assuring that George W. Boosh would become the President of the United States. First, the United States Supreme Court, who chose to abandon their "States Rights" stance when it became possible for them to appoint a President. A despicable act by some despicable people, without a doubt.

Someone else could have prevented the Supreme Court from ever becoming involved in this matter, and I hold him as responsible as anyone for why we are where we are today. Ralph Nader. (this is where people will get pissed off)

Nader knew exactly what the outcome could possibly lead to should he choose to remain in the race for President in 2000. He knew full well that we had at least a 50/50 chance of giving power to an unintelligent, totally incompetent, drug abusing, dry drunk moron. Anyone with any political experience or knowledge could see that if he stayed in the race, the result would be a razor thin margin of victory for one of the other two candidates. Nader certainly knew that the stakes in this election were higher than any election in the last 50 years. He knew that the next President, should he be re-elected, would most certainly have two Supreme Court positions to fill. And Nader knew that he could not win, in fact, did not have a snowballs chance in hell of winning. But, he also knew that he held the key to deciding the election, either by staying in, or getting out and throwing his support to who he viewed as the lesser of two evils, Al Gore.

Sure, Nader is right about a lot of things. Both the Democratic and Republican parties are beholden to corporate interests, a point that he consistently pounded throughout the campaign. Yes, it is time to change the unworkable political system in this country, no one can argue with that. And yes, the Democrats and the Republicans are far too much alike for anyone to be very comfortable with either party. But Nader was also wrong about some things, and for those things he cannot and should not be forgiven. Because he knew better.

Nader turned himself into the Presidential Candidate equivalent of a Televangelist. The savior from Big Business. He convinced millions of voters that he was the answer, that it was time to dump both parties and jump on his bandwagon, that it was time for people to finally make a stand. And he did this for selfish reasons, all the while claiming to be "for the people." The timing could not have been worse.

Nader built his career on exposing big business for what it really is. An admireable trait, considering he did it without corporate sponsorship. In 2000, Nader was no spring chicken, and realized that if HE was to be the one to lead the charge towards a third party candidate, it was now or never for him. For the good of the country, he should have chosen never. Instead, he chose now. And, by essentially building a "cult" of support, he put George W. Boosh in the White House. All the while claiming that he was doing the right thing. Even after all the damage that has been done by Booshco, he will not apologize or admit making a mistake even today. If you want to get into the political argument of your life, tell a Nader voter that they wasted their vote. Trust me, unless you want to approach it as a sport, like Rollerball, don't even go there with them. You would be better advised to beat your head against a brick wall. Trust me, I've been there.

Third parties are necessary and could someday be viable. But not now, and not in the immediate future. DO NOT BUY INTO THE THIRD PARTY SOLUTION. They are no more relevant or effective in today's climate than is sending an email to your elected Senator. I cannot say this enough times, or in strong enough language. OUR SOLE HOPE FOR SURVIVAL IS TO SEE TO IT THAT GEORGE W. BOOSH IS REMOVED FROM OFFICE AND THAT ALL HIS CRONIES ARE SHOWN THE DOOR WITH HIM. I do not mean two years from now, I mean soon. It will be a miracle if our economy lasts for another year, should the Boosh machine rule the day, and we "stay the course."

For Boosh to go, Cheney must fall first. Cheney is the real President of the United States, the PuppetMaster, and when he goes, the rest follow in short order. Cheney is in the crosshairs of Patrick Fitzgerald, but time is a commodity that we do not have. Fitzgerald has sent out the carrier pigeons, but must wait for their return. The CIA are waiting in the wings, ready to pounce when called upon, and that time is near. Should the CIA fail, the unthinkable then becomes the most likely, extraordinary intervention by wealthy elitists. Should that become necessary, everything changes.

We will talk about some solutions tomorrow or Thursday.

The Real Deal Exposed; Part 2

(If you did not read Part One of this, please do so before reading this. It will make more sense that way.)

Now things will get interesting. Both interesting and scary. Option #2 is where the Neocons decided we should go the first day that Boosh entered the office of the President of the United States. Get ready for:

The Worlds Greatest Military Complex, Courtesy of the Grand Old USA
Brought to you by the Authors of the Patriot Act

The alternative to Option #1 that I wrote about is no less frightening, and should give great pause to anyone that cares about our country and the freedoms that it used to afford. People with children between the ages of 8 and 35 should wake up, and wake up soon. It should also bring home how serious the problem is when Neocons are in total control of our government. And, it should show why they must be stopped at all costs. So, here we go.

We need oil. This is no secret to anyone. Many believe that we have reached Peak Oil, and are on the downside of the slippery slope to oblivion. Our entire existence is structured around the availablility of not just oil, but cheap oil. And, we are running out of it, rather quickly. Don't for one second buy the Katrina bullshit, it had nothing to do with the price gouging that occured during that 60 day period following the disaster. Profit was the goal, and the goal was met in startling fashion. So startling that the Senate dragged the CEO's of the Big Oil Companies in for a little sit down, nothing more than a charade put on for the benefit of the American people. The pissed off American people, and rightfully so. We are being violated daily, and there is no sign of it letting up. Winter heating costs are expected to rise as much as 30% in parts of the country, and you can't blame Katrina for that. You can only blame greed, cronyism, and intentional misguided policy from Booshco. Booshco is in reality Cheneyco, but that is another matter. And, by the way, have you heard anything more from the Senate on this issue lately? Didn't think so, and you probably won't. A mere 3 day headline and we'll move on to other issues.

So what is the grand plan? To become a Perpetual War Machine, fighting wars all over the world and taking what we want and need to survive. Survive and have a select few make a huge profit, that is. We are already on the road to this very thing happening. Look at what has occured since the day Boosh was appointed, and follow up to today. The signs are everywhere, and becoming less and less subtle by the minute.

It was clear from Day One of the Boosh administration that he had every intention of invading Iraq, and was looking for any plausible excuse to do so. When 9/11 occured, he twisted that into something that made the invasion possible. We already know all of the crap that was done in the leadup to war, so I will not go into that. We started a real war based on phony intelligence, phony connections, and a phony alliance. I believe that the reason for war was two-fold, revenge for Saddam trying to kill Daddy Boosh and Oil. Screw the people who get killed and maimed, screw the fact that we have bankrupted our nation both morally and financially, the profit margin for Booshco is too great to pass up. But, after a few years in Iraq, we are realizing something else. Everyone hates us. How do we handle that? What do we do?

Since everybody hates us anyway, why put up the nice guy facade any longer? Find More Oil. In order to successfully control the world's oil, we need the necessary military force to handle such a mission. And, we do not currently have the capability to do it. We cannot raise incentives high enough to get young mostly African American men to gleefully enlist, they are realizing that the price is too steep. Maybe losing a leg or two, if not their very lives. So, recruiting is turning into a failing business, and that has to be fixed. The next step, passed through the House and Senate by a very close vote just last week, is to drastically cut funding for student loans. At a minimum of $10,000 per year and with costs rising each year, education is becoming impossible for many families to afford. All a part of the longer range plan. By making college essentially unaffordable for the masses, the military may be the only way for most to get an education.

Along with this, we are witnessing the dismantling of the middle class. This project is nearing completion. The housing bubble is about to burst, but in the meantime, banks continue to loan money to people that they know they have no chance to repay. Want a $300,000 house that is really only worth $150,000? Just call a friendly mortgage lender. He'll figure out a way to extend your loan to 40 years, just to keep the payment on the very upper edge of what you can pay. Want to pay off those credit card bills? Further leverage your home, pay them off, and start charging all over again. After all, you have to have furniture to fill that larger home you just bought. And, in 2007 you will have to replace your $150 27" color television that works perfectly with a $2000 LCD or a $4000 Plasma set that is able to receive a digital signal, or buy a box to make your old one work. How much will the boxes cost? No one knows, yet. But why buy a box anyway? After all, this is the digital age. Buy a few new TV's for your new home, and charge it all. High energy costs? Don't worry, we have great insulation in these "nice" homes. The vast majority of middle class America, or what's left of it, is one blown automobile engine away from bankruptcy. Oh, I forgot, we already took care of that little bankruptcy loophole. Silly me. And credit cards? A bill was recently passed that forces credit card companies to DOUBLE the minimum amount due on all credit card bills. Of course, this is done for the "good of the American people," because we know that if you only pay the minimum it will take 20 years to pay off the credit cards. So, they are doing us a favor. Especially those that can barely scrape by making minimum payments. Health insurance? Employers are phasing out health insurance faster than I change socks. So, again, the military may become the only way to be insured. And on and on and on. Middle class? What middle class? What is this leading to? A MILITARY DRAFT.

We are now in the position that a military draft will become a reality, not if but when. And this draft will not include the old gang, males 18-21 years of age. That would hardly support the numbers necessary to fulfill the Industrial Military Complex that the Neocons deem necessary for our survival. So, we must include females, and expand the age range a bit. Say, between 18-35. Now the numbers of troops are getting up where we need them.

Now all we have to do is figure out a way to supply them with uniforms, guns, tanks, body armor (if we deem that important enough), Hummers, airplanes, food, housing, transportation, a doctor and a dentist. Not a problem. Before we are done, virtually every business that stays afloat in the New America will be entirely devoted to providing just those very things to our troops. Everyone will be a part of the largest military force in the history of mankind. Either fighting, or building toys and uniforms for those who are spilling their blood.

Look at all the problems we have just solved. Health insurance provided by the military. Jobs provided by the military. Housing provided by the military. Education provided by the military. Population control provided by the military. Budget problems? Solved. All we need is a Defense Fund, and everybody is taken care of. Problems solved, and we can go around the world and take whatever we want.

Does any of this ring a bell? USSR anyone? They tried it and it didn't work too well. But, we are a lot smarter than they were, so we can do it! We also have more resources than they ever had. Sure, if you want to include borrowed money from China and other countries, and the phony money that exists in our country today. Money that is backed up by nothing other than printing presses. We've got all we need.

Enough. You people aren't stupid and can figure the rest out on your own, simply by doing a little reading about bills that have been recently passed by our Leaders, and connecting the dots. I will make you one promise, though. Three more years of Booshco and we are at either Option #1 or Option #2. These are our choices. Neither one looks very attractive to me, and hopefully not to you either. The Neocons hope that we can reach Option #2 before Option #1 occurs, but they realize that it is literally a race against time.

Now, please hang with me over the next few days. We'll begin to tackle how to dismantle the potential disaster that confronts us. There are ways out of this, but none will be easy. Nor painless. And, like the neocons, we are literally in a race against time. See you tomorrow or Wednesday.

Cyclone

The Real Deal Exposed; Part 1

Here is what we face, folks. Pure and simple, unvarnished, and what choices face us heading into the future. And, it's going to take a while, so stay with me. This will be a dialogue over several days. But, reality check time is here. We'll start with Option #1 that faces us, move to Option #2, and then build to some solutions. But problems are many, and solutions are few. So be prepared.

As anyone who has read my writings over the last couple of years knows, and especially over the last six months or so, I have nothing but the deepest respect for Patrick Fitzgerald. I believe that he has proven himself to be a legal genius, completely non-partisan and will not sell himself out under any conditions, to anyone. Period. But, Mr. Fitzgerald has the same problem as all attorney's, be they prosecutor's or defense attorney's. The problem is that he works on "attorney time," rather than "everybody else" time. That is not a criticism of the man, simply a fact. The American legal system is set up and functions solely on a basis of built in, unfettered delays. Due to the fact that the system is overburdened and filled with cases that should never have been filed, the backlog is staggering. All attorneys and judges know this, thus delays are merely a part of life. In fact, they become a way of life for those inside the system. This presents a problem.

In dealing with the current administration, we no longer have time for the inevitable delays that the legal system requires. If the Madman Boosh and his Jackass cronies are left in place for three more years, without immediate intervention from an outside influence, America as we know it is over. It is really that simple, and it is really that dire. There are really only two ways that we can go, outside of the legal realm, and neither option is pretty nor painless. So, here we go.

OPTION # 1----TOTAL FINANCIAL COLLAPSE
The first way, and the most likely to occur if we "stay the course," in my view, is the total collapse of the American monetary system. What do I mean by total collapse? I mean that if you have $1.00 in your pocket you are as wealthy as someone with $100 million dollars. You are both broke. Your dollars are not worth the paper that they are printed on. And it could happen. In fact, we are not even in control of whether or not that happens. As much as we would like to think that it "can't happen here," I'm telling you that it can happen here, and will, if Boosh is left in power. Here's how.

The Chinese and the rest of the world own us, pure and simple. We owe staggering amounts of money to the Chinese, among others. They could call in those notes tomorrow, and POOF, we're gone. But that doesn't need to occur for us to fail economically. It can happen much easier than that. And, it goes to the very heart of how Boosh, Cheney and the cancer that surrounds them have driven us over the cliff in 5 short years. And, why they ALL must be removed, regardless of what it takes to do so. We cannot survive three more years of this madness. Now, stay with me here. This might take a while, but I will tie it into the economic picture eventually.

For all of my 50 years on this Earth, we have, for the most part, been the good guys. We were always the ones to lend a helping hand to third world countries, defenders of the oppressed against the oppressors, always holding the high Moral Ground, at least on the surface. We were always being compared to the world's other superpower, the USSR, and we were held in higher esteem than they by the vast majority of the world. Although the differences between us and the Soviet's were really not all that great, the perception of the difference was what mattered. This is what I mean. In the days of the Cold War, we always were able to use them as the example of how not to behave, and the world bought it. Now to the difference.

If the Soviets wanted something that others had, they simply went and took it, by force. People did not like being conquered and burglarized, but, unless we intervened, other smaller countries were powerless to stop them. The Soviet's were the ultimate military industrial complex in the world. We did intervene on occasion, but only when WE had something to gain from it. Now to us. If another country had something that we wanted, we did not invade them and steal it, but we talked them out of it. The USA, the great protectors, and the greatest con artists in the world. We would talk people out of their resources and make them like it. We would toss in some cash, a few promises that we would keep, get what we wanted, and everyone left happy. In comparison to the Soviet method, ours proved to be much more palatable to the world. As long as we had the Soviet model to be compared with, we always came out looking like the "good guys." Then a strange thing happened. The USSR collapsed from within, and suddenly we were left alone as the world's only superpower. Everyone in America breathed a sigh of relief, no longer had to worry about the "Rooskies" blowing us up, or starting WWIII. A good thing, right? Well, as it turns out, that was the worst thing that could have happened to us. Without evil to compare good to, how does good really look? Without that evil buffer, our emporor lost her clothes. Like the Great Oz, the curtain was pulled back and we were exposed for what we really were.

For me, this realization struck back during the Iranian Hostage crisis. If you recall, the Iranian's had 400 some odd American citizens and held them for a long time. President Carter tried every avenue of negotiation that he knew of to gain their safe release. He eventually succeeded, although not before he had lost the election to Ronald Reagan. To rub salt in Carter's wound, the Iranian's decided to wait until Reagan was sworn in to actually release our people. That fact is irrelevent to my point here, but another fact is not. President Carter had made some promises to the Iranians in exchange for the release of the hostages. After their release, President Reagan, on behalf of the American people, then essentially told the Iranians to go screw themselves, that we were not keeping our end of the deal. Many Americans agreed with this, after all, the Iranians were certainly in the wrong for holding our people. But, they ignored the bigger picture. They ignored the fact that we are/were supposed to be the "good guys," and that our word was once our bond. In my view, it has been all downhill from that moment to today. The fall of the Soviet Union has only exacerbated our downfall. Now we must move to the Nuclear Power/Superpower deal.

Since the fall of the Soviets, ESPECIALLY SINCE BOOSH HAS BEEN IN OFFICE, we have been obsessive about keeping other countries from producing or acquiring Nuclear Weapons. The standard argument has been nothing short of exploitation of the fear factor, we simply don't want another country to fire nuclear weapons at us. You know, the safety thing. Bullshit, that doesn't even pass the smell test. Oh sure, some rogue madman like Saddam Hussein could conceivably get control of one and maybe, just maybe, try to use it on us. The "mushroom cloud" crap that Boosh spoke of during the leadup to the current Iraq war. Anyone with an IQ in double digits can see through the fallacy of this thinking. No country, I repeat, NO COUNTRY, would dare fire a nuke in our direction. It would be instant and sure suicide for the entire citizenry of the country who dared do so. That is a given, we would obliterate them in a heartbeat. We have thousands of nukes, and could take out the entire population of the world if we chose to. And, if any rogue nation like Syria or Iran thought about trying it, we would certainly have the intelligence in place to know that it was going to occur before it happened. If we didn't have the intelligence on the ground, we would simply buy the information with our fiat dollars. No, the real reason that we fight so hard to keep other countries from having nuclear weapons is far less about them using them against us, but about what we began discussing originally, the US economy. See, I promised you we would get back here eventually.

The Chinese, in combination with Europe and the rest of the world, could collapse our economy overnight if they wished to. You could go to bed a millionaire tonight and wake up peniless in the morning. Sound far fetched? It's not. This is the real reason that we want to be the only nation in the world with nuclear weapons.

We have always managed to keep the American Dollar afloat and viable as an accepted currency worldwide by maintainging two very simple concepts. We have nearly completely abobanded concept number one, and are rapidly approaching the end of concept number two. In short, we are in trouble, serious trouble.

The first concept comes from what I mentioned above, the Moral High ground that we used to enjoy. When we were thought of as the "good guys," willing to help less fortunate countries and back up our word with deeds, things went rather well for us. However, over the last two or three decades, our "word is our bond" way of life has fallen by the wayside. Because of this, countries that used to hold us in high esteem no longer do so. George Boosh and his policies have done more damage to our world standing in 5 years than any damage the rest of the Presidents, combined, have managed to inflict in over 200 years. By promising aid and not delivering it, no one trusts us any more. Fifteen Billion Dollars in funding pledged for the global fight against AIDS is one example. This pledge was made well over one year ago, and to date we have delivered 15 Million Dollars. That is a lot of missing zero's. Yet Boosh will tell you today of the 15 Billion in AIDS money that we are giving. Well, there is a lot of difference in pledging a certain amount, and then after the fact attaching unreasonable strings to the money before doling it out. Strings that, by the way, make certain that the money would not be wisely spent. Sounds great in press releases, saying that we are giving XXXX Billions of Dollars, but he never mentions that the money isn't sent. The rest of the world, unlike the blind sheep that make up the vast majority of Americans, know that the money has not been delivered. They are catching on to the game. That is but one of countless examples of unkept promises made by this administration. One closer to home that might ring a bell is NO Child Left Behind, mandated but unfunded. It is irrelevant to this discussion, in the sense that he is only fooling American's, but you get the idea. The rest of the world doesn't like being lied to by a country that was once thought of as one that could be counted on to help the downtrodden. The smokescreen has been lifted. We have lost the Moral Highground.

The second reason that the dollar has remained relevant is the real reason that we wish to be the only country in the world to have nuclear weapons. Other countries in the world have known that if they tried to do anything to crash our economy, we could simply blow them off the face of the earth. Our being the Superpower that we were, and I do mean were, was a real incentive for them to play along with our game. Our military might alone was enough to keep them in line, but that was okay because we were the "good guys" that were always ready to help when help was desparately needed. That is no longer the case, our word can no longer be taken seriously.

We are becoming increasingly suspect in being able to properly defend ourselves as well, and the world is starting to recognize that. They see the same things that we see, our military stretched to the limit attempting to fight two wars simultaneously, recruitment bottomed out with no incentive large enough to reach goals, and we are increasingly looking vulnerable. Combine that with the loss of the Moral Highground, and the world is suddenly wondering whether they really need us anymore. If we can't be depended on to give aid when needed, if we show that we will invade a soverign country under some trumped up pretenses, such as "national security," what is the point in helping us? Our word is no good, we might invade any of them who has something that we want (think OIL), so is our downfall really a bad thing for the rest of the world? These are conclusions that they are starting to come to on their own, and the conclusions point toward their deciding that they no longer need our ball to play with anymore. What are we going to do, blow up the rest of the world?

How could the rest of the world crash our economy overnight? Very simple. Decide, en masse, to base their economies on Euros or some other form of currency instead of American Dollars. In conjunction with this, they pull all of the foreign money out of our stock market and convert it to whatever currency they choose to use. Our stock market crashes in the grandest of styles. Should that once unthinkable act occur, and China calls in it's loans to us, it's over. Just like that. Our dollars are no longer accepted as good currency by anyone in the world except us. So, what happens then?

We do not have the ability nor the resources to manufacture goods or grow food in this country anymore. Certainly not to the extent necessary to take care of 300,000,000 people. Our dependence on foreign goods is such that we could not survive for long, once our dollars are no longer accepted as payment for those goods by the other countries. We'd be lucky to keep the State of Kansas alive for a decade, much less the rest of the country. If the dollars that you earn at work were worth nothing, unspendable, would you continue to show up at your job every day? Maybe for a day or two, a week at most, while you tried to figure out what was going on. What happens when the clerk at the gas station decides not to show? How do you get gas? And when the Supermarket runs out of food, is the driver that supplies them going to continue to drive to resupply the store without compensation? No, I don't think so. Or Walmart runs out of goods? Or the pharmacy, or anywhere? How long do you think it would take for this country to look like a scene from Escape from New York? Not long, I imagine. And, where would you escape to? Los Angeles? What would be different there? Nothing. There would be nowhere to go. It would be the 1800's all over again, only this time there would be 300,000,000 people, many with automatic weapons, running wild in the streets of America. Chaos. Utter, mass chaos would ensue. Farfetched? Not really. In fact, if we stay the course, I would surmise that this is one of only two options available to us.

Without intervention, that is. Don't worry, we'll get to the intervention avenues a little later. But before then, we need to understand that the trouble that we are in is very real. And, just so you'll know, we do not have until the 2008 election to wait for the intervention. We simply will not survive that long. That is why I mentioned Patrick Fitzgerald at the very beginning. Mr. Fitzgerald, you must get on "everybody else" time. Staying on "attorney time" will finish us. Give us what you've got, Mr. Fitzgerald, and give it to us quickly. If what you have is not enough, we need to look to further intervention. It is in place, but someone has to sound the alarm.

This is the price that we pay when we, as a nation, become moral lepers. When the rest of the world finally has had enough.

So, there is a cliff notes version of Option #1. Tomorrow or the next day, we'll look at option #2. I believe that Option #2 is what the Neocons have planned for us, and it must be stopped. Anything, aside from the above worst case scenario, would be preferred, over Option #2.

Cyclone

Boosh Creates His Own Headlines

While things have slowed for the Thanksgiving Holiday, soldier's, Iraqi citizen's and Iraqi police officers continue to be blown up daily. The headlines have slowed, but never fear, the Boosh manages to create negative headlines for himself.

"Ten People Arrested Near Boosh Ranch"

He just can't help himself. Boosh somehow "forced" the authorities in and around the bustling town of Crawford to create a law preventing people from parking, camping, or just hanging out within seven miles of the Boosh hideout. Despite the fact that a caring farmer has given permission for protesters to use a small parcel of HIS LAND for their activities. The authorities spoken reason? To "prevent traffic snarls." You have absolutely got to be kidding me. A traffic jam in Crawford Texas? Who the hell is it disturbing? The freaking cattle?

So, Ten people get arrested, many more left after given the choice of leaving on their own or facing incarceration. This dumbass just can't resist making a fool of himself, and by proxy, making a fool of us all. I guess civil disobediance is fine in America, outside the seven mile radius of the Boosh ranch. Wouldn't want the Puppet to have to face anyone who finds him disgusting while he is out riding his bike, keeping his mind clear, so he "can lead, you know."

I am glad that he managed to throw in a few phone calls to the troops he sent to slaughter, "thanking them for their service and for keeping America safe!" I do wish, however, that they would have released the names of the people he actually called so it could be verified that the calls were actually made. But, no, we can't have that now can we? Perhaps then someone would locate these troops, and, find out what they said back to the jackass that sent them to their maiming. And, it might not be what Boosh wanted to hear.

This administration has pushed me to the point where, for the moment, I don't have the stomach to write anymore. I still have some leftover turkey to eat, some shopping to do, and a game or two to watch. So, I am taking a long weekend break from the madness. I do not wish to clean up after hurling my Thanksgiving meal all over my house, so I am taking a Boosh break until Monday. I hope that you all had a nice Thanksgiving, and I hope that the rest of your weekend is happy and safe.

Monday, the gloves are coming off. You see, it's the little things that always push me over the edge. I can deal with the big corruption issues, the war, Plamegate, etc. in a pretty reasonable manner. But arresting Ten People for exercising their rights to protest against a maniac, dry drunk, incompetent EVIL President? I cannot deal with that in a rational, measured manner. I have had enough of this crap from the lying, without morals, stinking, rotting corpse of the entire leadership that runs this show. The real Cyclone is about to unleash himself upon the world, the restrained and passive Cyclone is going into hiding. No more pussyfooting, trying to be politically correct, no more worrying about the sensitivities of the bottomfeeders. I have simply had it, and I am going to tell it like it is. See you Monday.

Iraq Debacle: What Does A Boosh Do Now?

Now that the New Democratic Iraqi Government has called for a timetable for all foreign forces to leave THEIR country, what is a Boosh to do? After the across the board dismissal of such talk from within America, how do the Neocon's respond to this? I'm sure that they must be offended. I can hear them now.

"After all we've done for you (in place of to you,) now you ask us to leave? How dare you?"

This places the Boosh Clan in a rather interesting position. They are not wanted anymore, and not just by a majority of the American people, but by the very people we have liberated. Liberated? Liberated from what? Does electricity count? If so, we've succeeded in liberating them from that inconvenience. Do IED's count? If causing them to be placed along various roadsides around Iraq count, then again we've been successful. Does a mass invasion of suicide bombers count? If re-populating Iraq with foreign fighters counts, then we've done a great job of that. It appears that the Iraqi's have had about all the "liberating" that they can stand for a while, at least from us.

Now the Boosh response will be very telling in why we really went to war. Was it simply to remove Saddam Hussein from power, thus ending the tyranny that the Iraqi people were forced to live under? Was it to protect Americans by fighting them "over there instead of here?" (laughable) Or, was it for oil, as many think? Just why was intelligence twisted to assure that the vast majority of the House and Senate, on both sides of the aisle, would support this massive failure?

If we choose to stay, ignoring the wishes of the new Iraqi Government, the question will be answered in a very unflattering way. We are there for oil. Or, if we cut and run, doesn't that mean that we are giving in to the terrorists, the very reason that Boosh has claimed that we have to stay? To win the "War on Terror"? (whatever the hell that is, I have never been able to figure it out)

We may have just been handed the Holy Grail, on a silver platter, from the Leaders of the New Democratic Iraq. Boosh has just been placed in a position that no one in this country has thus far managed to place him, and it cannot be comfortable. It's pretty hard to Stay the Course when the Course has been closed by its rightful owners.

So what is it, Boosh? Are we really there to Defend America, as you have always said? Or is the smokescreen about to be lifted and is the truth about to come out? The truth that we are in Iraq for oil, and because Saddam tried to kill your daddy?

For the sake of our troops, I hope that Boosh decides to fold the tent and bring them home. But, don't think for one second that he gives a damn about the troops. He doesn't. If he did, they never would have been there to begin with.

All I can say is this. G. Dubya Boosh is the last person I would want to be right now.

A Boosh About Face? What Book Are We In?

I have mentioned before that Booshco has generally been in the same book, if not necessarily on the same page. Over the weekend, it became apparent that what I have been telling you for some time is true. The people leading this country no longer trust each other, and clearly don't communicate with one another. As the administration is desparately trying to hold on to something that they will soon lose, POWER, they do not have anyone piloting the ship.

As we all know, Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa. last week called for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Murtha is a many times decorated military veteran, and is "the hawk" of the democratic party. Mr. Murtha spoke absolute common sense, stating that some 80% of the Iraqi people want us gone, over 60% of the American people want us gone, that we are the problem in Iraq rather than the solution, that we are the targets, the insurrection has increased with our continued presence, that we have lost nearly 2100 soldiers and have countless numbers of severely wounded, that the military had done what it was sent there to do (remove Saddam) and that nothing positive could be accomplished by our remaining. And, he feels that he was mislead by the intelligence provided by the White House gang.

The White House response along with Republican response was typical. Attack Murtha, attack Murtha, attack Murtha. It is all they know how to do. First Boosh, then Cheney, then some Freshman Representative that wanted to get her name in the paper. She went as far as to essentially call Murtha a coward, drawing furor and a rapid fire response over her comments, which she then wisely asked to have removed from the record. Cheney spewed his nonsense about how, to criticize is unpatriotic, and said that the mere thought that intelligence was skewed by the White House was the most reprehensible, blah blah thing he has "ever seen in this town." Apparently looking in the mirror is not a common occurence in the Cheney household, wherever that may be. Nothing unexpected from Booshco, other than the level of attack was fierce. The White House said that what Murtha was calling for was a "surrender to the terrorists," and that Murtha represented the "extreme Liberal Wing" of the Democratic Party.

The White House made a mistake on this one, (I know, stunning but true) and I think some are beginning to realize it. They are not attacking to win an election, but attacking to justify an unpopular war. And the man they decided to attack is far from a "coward," and is not backing down in the least. Yes, Murtha may be a Democrat, but when it come to war and protecting the American people, he is as hawkish as any person in the Republican Party or the current administration. He is not a Freshman Representative, but a well respected military man who will not be intimidated by the White House attack dogs. He may in fact welcome their arrival. He says it's time to pull out, and pull out now. And he's right.

I don't know if George Boosh bumped his head in China, or someone got to him and told him to tone it down, or if he is simplpy gun-shy about jumping on Murtha. But one thing is clear. The words of Boosh on Sunday were very different than what came out of the Administration last week. He said that while he didn't agree, dialogue about the war was proper and necessary. He said that Murtha was a true war hero, and his that his comments should be taken seriously and discussed. A total turnaround for a man that only knows how to attack. At the very same time, Donald Rumsfeld was running the Sunday morning talk show circuit, still in attack mode. Apparently he didn't get the message that the message had changed. Maybe the phone lines were down in China, or, more likely, he simply doesn't care what Boosh thinks. Boosh has never been in charge of these people, and that could not be more obvious than right now.

Cheney runs the show, always has, and will until he resigns. And that will happen soon. After that, should Boosh even attempt to stay in his token position, God only knows what things will look like until he is sent packing. Fortunately, he will not last long after Cheney falls.

Rep. Murtha is correct. We do need to get out of Iraq and get out soon. One reason that Boosh, if no one else, may agree is that the timing of the withdrawal seems to suspiciously coincide with the 2006 elections. The Democrats must not let up on the war issue, make it very clear that they are the ones who want out of Iraq, not the Republicans. Like the current administration, they need to get in the same book, if not on the same page. Otherwise, the Republicans will turn it into a plus come election time. The moronic sheep that twice elected this man can easily be led to believe that troop withdrawal is a Republican idea. And that, my friends, could be fatal to the future of our country.

Cyclone

The China Trip Fiasco

While many Americans struggle to put gasoline in their automobiles and heat their homes, President Boosh is doing nothing to either conserve energy or earn his paycheck. Here are the results of his trip to China.

Boosh wanted to convince Japan to discontinue it's 2 year old ban on the import of US Beef. The Japanese government politely said "No Thanks." Darn, Loss # 1.

Boosh intended to talk the, (joke) "Coalition Partner" South Koreans, out of withdrawing one third of it's 3200 troops from Iraq. The South Korean response? Sending one-way plane tickets to said troops. Loss # 2.

Boosh handed Hu Jintao, the President of China, a list of people that he thought should be released from jail. Boosh seems to think that these people are being irresponsibly held, most on charges that stem from either religious leanings or political writings. That certainly takes some gall, considering that the request is coming from a man responsible for holding an unknown number of Middle Easterner's without charges. We don't know where they are held, who they are, how long we've held them or what crime they have allegedly committed. We do know that secret prisons have been uncovered, torture has been used, and chemical weapons have been unleashed on the Iraqi people, courtesy of the United States Military. President Jintao told Boosh to take his list and shove it. Loss #3.

Boosh had hoped to convince Jintao that the current trade imbalance is killing the American economy, and that they should try to find some way to advance towards correcting this problem. Jintao declined to talk about this issue with our Commandante. The White House spin machine jumped on this one in a hurry. They said, "This was a tiny part of a large conversation." Loss #4

In another request made to help the American economy, Boosh hoped that China would begin to allow Chinese currency to float, allowing outside factors to determine what it was actually worth. This would aid in keeping the American dollar somewhat more stable. Jintao said no, thinks China would prefer to "stay the course." Loss #5

President Boosh, as he does every time he speaks to whomever the President of China happens to be, brought up the ongoing Chinese Human Rights (or lack thereof) Issue. Jintao essentially told Boosh to mind his own business, that China was a country that would decide how to treat it's own people. Without the help or input of the USA.
Loss # 6

For the first time during a Boosh visit to China, reporters were not allowed to question Boosh or Jintao during the trip. The usual farcial "show of unity" did not occur this time around. Jintao, like many American Republican leaders, simply sees no upside to appearing in public with Boosh. Obviously, he is no longer willing to go through the motions. Loss #7

The only news coverage that was allowed in China for the visit was the photographing of Boosh riding a bicycle with the Chinese Olympic Team and hopefuls. And, the only quote from Boosh that the Chinese media was allowed to use, was far less than earth shattering. Prior to the Bike ride, Boosh was heard saying, "Now, take it easy on me guys." I'll be generous and give Boosh a win on this one. Win #1.

So, that's the tally. One win, seven losses. You see, China has us by the gonads. We owe them more money than we have, and President Jintao knows that he no longer has to play the "Diplomat" game. He can now call the shots, because the World community no longer takes us seriously. That, my friends, is how far we have fallen. This trip amounted to Boosh being "taken behind the woodshed" by President Jintao, and given a spanking. He has turned this nation and her power into the laughingstock of the World. The only positive that the White House can pull out of this is that Jintao has agreed to visit the United States sometime in the future. Had that been the goal, as Booshco seems to indicate, it seems that a lot of time and money could have been saved by making a phone call and inviting him. Right now, though, it seems that Boosh would rather be travelling anywhere than facing the questions he gets here at home. No matter the results of the trip.

We can only hope that President Boosh can wield more influence today when he visits Mongolia. What he hopes to gain from that visit, I don't think even God could know. Maybe he can at least be photographed with the leader of that nation, doing more than what he does best, riding a bike.

Just a Quick Note on Fitzgerald

I told you two days ago, (I think, the days run together) that Patrick Fitzgerald is ready to strike again. It is now public information that Fitzgerald has asked to empanel a new grand jury in the CIA leak case. Look for the bigger fish to start to swim in circles now. And Karl Rove is not a bigger fish, trust me on that one. Neither is Woodward. Rove may (read will) go down, Woodward might, but look out above. Do you hear me, Mr. Cheney? I'd probably start writing that goodbye letter pretty soon. Perhaps one should learn to keep one's vile mouth shut about what is reprehensible in "this town." The good guys ARE going to win, eventually.

Cyclone

Some Changes to Cyclone's Real Deal

When I started this venture, I did not really know what to expect. I knew that some of the people familiar with my work over the years would drop in and see what's going on. I also believed that a few people from Alternet would come as well, along with various people from other progressive sites that I post on under various screen names.

The response to Cyclone's Real Deal has been startling to me, and I want to thank all of you that have visited this site. As I have just begun, and am not a technical guru by any stretch of the imagination,I have elected to make some changes that will help it become easier to access this site. I have changed the counter settings as well, trying to discover how many people, especially new people, are visiting. And the numbers have amazed me. This counter has been reset numerous times, and is well into the 600's now. When all the numbers are computed, the actual figure of visitors is well over 3000, in just less than 3 weeks. I will make further changes as necessary as Cyclone's Real Deal continues to grow. I honestly did not expect this thing do draw much interest. Due to the positive responses, I am now in this for the long haul, it appears.

The immediate changes are these. You can now reach this site through:
www.cyclonesrealdeal.com.
If you wish to email me personally, this can be done through:
cyclone@cylonesrealdeal.com

I am also going to begin writing a summary of issues that I don't have time to fully address, in much shorter form, just mentioning things for people to keep their eyes on. The comments will be shorter, but will cover much more territory. I plan on doing this at least weekly, probably on Friday or Saturday. As I learn new things, I will give you the heads up as soon as possible, although it may not be as indepth as I would like. As you know, things seem to be happening at a rapid pace in Washington these days, and attempting to keep up with all that is important in long pieces is an impossible task. I have purposely avoided linking other articles in my pieces as I know that you are all aware what is going on. There are plenty of other places to find links. I will add some sidebar links to sites that I feel are helpful and important, once I figure out how to do it.

So, bear with me as the format changes somewhat. This is still an ongoing experiment, and I welcome any suggestions on how you would like to see this site develop. Please keep visiting, and keep commenting on things you read. Also, please email me with particular questions or suggestions that you may have that will make this site better. The only way that we can accomplish the goal of removing the Boosh administration from power is through knowledge, and spreading that knowledge to those who are oblivious to the truth. So spread the word that this is a site worth visiting, if that is what you believe. It will take all of us together to make our country again be what it once was, and knowledge is the key to that happening.

I am currently working on something that will explain the CIA's role in the takedown of Boosh, but it is complicated. It will come to you in multiple parts, beginning on Monday, if all goes as planned. Just remember, Patrick Fitzgerald may well not be the end all, but others are standing in line to pick up where he left off, should it become necessary. Booshco will fall, the groundwork has been laid. Now the "how" is what is important.

Again, thank you for all of your support. And PLEASE, email me and let me know what you would really like to see on this site. I am approaching this as a joint venture between me, the writer, and you, the reader. We have to work together to GET OUR COUNTRY BACK.

Cyclone

Woodward and Plamegate; What Does It Mean?

It became public yesterday that Bob Woodward of the Washington Post claims to have learned of the name Valerie Plame prior to Scooter Libby giving the name to Bob Novak. This was apparently considered "background" for a book that Woodward was to write, and not for use in the Washington Post. What does mean to the Libby indictment, in specific, and the entire investigation, in general? The simple answer is very little, if anything.

If you listen to the lawyers for Scooter Libby or to the mainstream press talking heads, you would expect that Patrick Fitzgerald, any day now, to crawl on his knees to Libby, drop the indictment and apologize for tarnishing his sterling image. Well, it hasn't happened yet and it isn't going to happen ever, so those interested in seeing the Plame investigation fail are going to be sorely disappointed. The main-stream media rushed to break a story, as usual, and missed the key ingredient in doing so. Nothing surprising there, in fact it is becoming the norm rather than the exception. Here's the Real Deal.

People are failing to give Fitzgerald the credit he deserves. He is a genius, and is not about to jeopardize the investigation by making "silly" mistakes. If one listens to what Fitzgerald actually said versus what the Libby lawyer's are saying that he said, and what the media is focusing on, you will find a key difference. Libby's lawyers are shouting that since Fitzgerald said that "Libby was the first person to give the name of Valerie Plame to a reporter," the case goes away. In fact, what Fitzpatrick said was, " Mr. Libby was the first person 'known' to reveal the name of Valerie Plame to reporters...." Libby's lawyers have simply removed the word "known" from Fitzgerald's actual statement. That word makes all the difference, and does nothing to reflect on the strength of the case against Libby, regardless of what the Libby defense camp wants you to believe. The statement itself in fact has little bearing on anything to do with Libby, but could in fact point towards what I said yesterday, that Fitzgerald is about to strike again. Look at it this way.

If Fitzgerald's case rested upon whether or not Libby was the "first" person to reveal the name of Plame to the press, he simply would have closed up shop and gone home one week after indicting him. He did not. The Libby indictment is about the fact that Libby lied about his involvement, not when his involvement occured. Fitzgerald did, in fact, rent larger office space just prior to the indictment. This indicates that he is in it for the long haul, and will not stop until he has the truth.

Fitzgerald learned of the Woodward comment one week after the indictment of Libby. That should give those in the White House a clue that Fitzgerald is after bigger fish, rather than comfort in thinking that Fitzgerald missed something and misspoke. In fact, the night before the indictment, Woodward was on Larry King's show spouting off about how this whole case was all about nothing. Did this stop Fitzgerald from issuing the indictment? No, and like I said at the time, he had just begun.

If those in the White House want to look at Woodward's statements as a silver bullet, by all means let them do so. What it should show them is that there is yet another person with a problem, and that person may well lie at the very core of this case. It will lead to the FIRST PERSON to leak the information, and I would not want to be that person. Do you hear me, Mr. Cheney? You will know who that is when Patrick Fitzgerald makes the statement that the Libby lawyer's say he made yesterday, "that ????? WAS THE FIRST PERSON who leaked the name of Valerie Plame to the press," and not ".....the first person known to have leaked..." A subtle but vital difference.

I have no idea why Bob Woodward has done what he has done throughout the course of this investigation. I do have suspicions. I think that Woodward has never gotten over the "Watergate Glory" that he has built his career on. I think that he is afraid that someone other than himself will finally break this thing open, that it will be bigger than Watergate, and that he believes he will be forgotten as "the Watergate man" who played a large part in unraveling that scandal. Someone else will become the "Woodward and Bernstein" of the 21st Century. And I believe that his ego cannot stand this thought.

I also believe that Mr. Woodward is taking a very serious risk. It appears that he is attempting to aid this administration to keep this story smaller than it should be, claiming to have told people things that they don't remember hearing, essentially doing the same things that put Libby where he is today. For his sake, I hope that he is not perjuring himself, simply to stay on the top of the "investigative journalist" heap. The groundwork for such a charge may have begun to be laid yesterday when Mr. Woodward spent two hours with the Prosecutor. Or, maybe Woodward is the key to the lock on the door that Fitzgerald is attempting to open. Either way, we should have some answers pretty quickly. Perjury is something that Patrick Fitzgerald takes very seriously. If you don't think so, just ask Scooter Libby.

Fitzgerald To Strike Again, Soon

There is something going on within the bowels of Washington. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is, but Republicans inside the beltway are suddenly feeling very insecure about where the Fitzgerald hammer may next strike. Many believe that reality for Scooter Libby has set in. Facing serious jail time, Libby may have begun the process of negotiating a deal with Fitzgerald. It is the only possible way to mitigate his punishment, and jail is not a good place for the likes of him. G. Gordon Liddy he is not. Libby is quickly understanding that this administration has chosen the tactic of "every man for himself." This revelation has come over a rather short period of time, and he realizes that he has been totally abandoned by the very people he has thus far chosen to protect. Interesting, considering the Boosh mantra of "loyalty first." Loyalty with this bunch is a one way street, as it always is when power hungry, moral lepers are in charge.

The question then becomes, how much does Libby really know and who all can he take down in his wake? I'm betting that he knows a lot, and Rove is the smallest of the fish. But, Rove is also important in that he can add a lot to the picture himself. And, rest assured, if Rove is indicted he'll be singing like a canary within days. Cheney is the obvious target, and Libby can take Fitzgerald there. Rove, I believe, will lead to Boosh himself.

The Senate vote yesterday to force the Boosh Administration to report quarterly on the progress of the Iraq situation is a direct result of the eerie pall hanging over the town, as well as a signal that the Republicans have had about enough. All signs indicate that Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald will make a move on another member of the Boosh administration, sooner rather than later. Exactly what that move will be, no one can be certain. I can, however, narrow it down for you.

Possibilities:

1) Karl Rove is soon to be indicted. If you recall, the day that the Libby indictment was announced, Rove was absolutely giddy in replying to reporters questions in his driveway that very morning. Telling all that he would have a "great Friday and a wonderful weekend as well." Since that time, many people, including those within the White House, have questioned the Boosh judgement to keep Rove in their midst. Many members of the Republican Party have quietly been "suggesting" that Rove might need to be separated from the administration. Boosh remains the same stubborn, stay the course moron that he has always been. The difference now is that he is doing it from a great distance. First he travelled to Argentina, now he is touring Asian countries. He appears nearing the point of abandoning former friends and current staffers, including Rove and his Vice President. Do not be surprised to see Rove "resign" while Boosh is away on one of his little trips. And, the trips will continue. Home is the last place he wants to be right now. Also do not be surprised if Rove is indicted shortly after his resignation.

2) Cheney's resignation is immenent. If my belief that Libby either has or is about to "break" is accurate, Cheney should be gone very quickly in an attempt to avoid indictment. My fear is that Cheney will ask for a "non-indictment guarantee," which Fitzgerald most assuredly will not give to him. Should that be the case, Cheney being the obstinate bastard that he is, might just hang around to muddle up the legal process. But, he will not wait to be indicted while sitting as the Vice President. If one's indictment is immenent, they have approximately one week of lead time. When Cheney resigns, if an indictment does not follow within 10 days, you will know that either he tossed in the towel early or struck a deal of his own. I think that Cheney striking a deal is the best possible outcome, it would indicate that the departure of Boosh and the rest of the crew would soon follow. If Cheney is indeed indicted, that will mean that we will probably have to put up with what is left of Booshco for a while longer. But, in the long run, it will not matter. Cheney is done. He can make it easy or hard, the choice is his. Regardless of which path he chooses, the house of cards will fall with him and then it is only a matter of time before we are rid of Boosh and the Clan.

The end game is nearly upon us. Fitzgerald could indict Rove today, but why would he? He is after larger game, the very head of the cancerous body that is called our government. Should he fall a bit short, never fear. The next "investigation" into this administration will be conducted by people with different methods than Fitzgerald, the CIA. But, the goal will be the same. To remove Booshco from power. Rest assured, someone will accomplish the mission, not if but when.

Cyclone

Are the Big Boys Jumping on Cyclone's Bandwagon?

John Dean appeared on Keith Olberman's Countdown show last night. He stated that the Veep Cheney is in the cross-hairs of Patrick Fitzgerald, and predicted that Cheney would not survive this term. Hello, about time. Dean stated that Cheney was the real target of this investigation. While his forecast is a bit different than mine, (he believes that Cheney will remain in office until after the '06 elections, I think he's gone sooner) he has come to the same conclusion as I.

Seymour Hersh recently was quoted as saying essentially the same thing. The company is starting to arrive to Cyclone's party, albeit a little late. While Dean's credibility suffers, wrongly in my view, due to his whistleblowing during Watergate, Hersh cannot be touched. His journalistic career is unmatched. I am glad that they have begun to speak the truth. Unlike little old Cyclone, their stature and ability to reach masses of people in a national forum will allow the world to begin to learn that the Boosh nightmare will come to a premature end. I have said that this is beginning of the public display, and the evidence is proving to bear this out. I only hope that others soon join, helping the pressure cooker to blow.

My question is, Are these guys stealing my stuff? All I can say is, if so, I'm in good company, and they are welcome to it if it hastens the Boosh downfall. It's about damn time!

On another different yet similar note, Boosh sure seems to be visiting a lot of far away places lately, don't you think? Interesting. Mongolia? Has any President ever visited Mongolia before? What the hell is in Mongolia that requires the presence President of the United States?

The truth is this. As I said before, Boosh is in a position that he has never been before, and is beginning to panic. He is like a 7 year old who is running away from home because his mommy made him clean his room. Without the support of his close advisers who he can no longer trust, without support from the vast majority of the American people, while watching his base crumble around him, Boosh is on the run. While on the way to the airport, he is screaming TRAITOR at everyone who dares to question his judgement and motives. The Argentina thing didn't work out too well, he meets resistance and mass protests everywhere he goes, so he chooses Mongolia as a destination. Hoping upon hope that he will at least not be embarassed there, he is desparately seeking refuge from his troubles.

What he will learn, though, is that no matter where he runs, it cannot be far enough. He may or may not find some comfort in Mongolia, but it really doesn't matter. It will only be temporary. He must come home sometime. And, he cannot run from what torments him the most, his poorly functioning brain and the upcoming loss of power that is in his short term future.

Don't take your eyes off of the ball, or the Booshman. It's getting very hot in the kitchen, and,

THE MELTDOWN CONTINUES.

Cyclone

Democratic Brain Lock; Plus Another Thing

The Democratic Party is criticized for not "having any new ideas of their own." It is all you hear from the Republican leadership these days, a leadership that is desparate for something to distract the citizenry from the real issues facing us. Their attempts at misdirection are becoming laughable. I believe that the Democratic Party does not know where to begin, and I'm not sure that anyone, be it the Democrats, Progressives, Greens, or whoever, could POSSIBLY know. This is why the masses are completely dumbfounded that no one can figure out what to do, or even where to start. I'm merely writing about it, and I have trouble figuring out where to begin, so I feel the pain as well. In pure random fashion, I'll draw a straw and start here.

The fact is that Booshco has bungled everything that it has touched, EVERYTHING. This is causing Democratic brain lock, an unavoidable disease. Think about it. What idea could they possibly come up with that would be considered new, given the number of pies that Boosh has dipped his incompetent, corrupt fingers in? Lets make a list.

The war in Iraq, the War in Afghanistan, the War in whatever country Boosh decides is next on the hit list, the War on Terror, the War on Drugs (man, we've got a lot of wars to fight), fake terror threats, high oil costs and the inevitable oil shortage, finding new sources of renewable energy, Social Security reform, Health Care reform, Homeland Security, Border control, the Plame investigation, the enormous deficit created in large part by all of the above wars, indicted and soon to be indicted White House staff, the cherry picked "intelligence" that limited what the members of the Senate and House were allowed to see prior to the Wars, the indictment of Delay, the Frist investigation, the Scott McLellan credibility war, troop recruitment problems, fallout from the Katrina murders (and make no mistake about it, they WERE MURDERS), the lack of American credibility anywhere in the world, the failure of the American economy, the torture of prisoners. These are 24 items that must be addressed and or handled BEFORE any new ideas can even be brought to the table. And, that list is merely off of the top of my head. If I thought about it for an hour, I could probably add 100 more.

So, with all of this that must be dealt with by new leadership, why should the Democrats or anyone else be required to come up with a new agenda of their own? Just in order to deserve the right to regain leadership? The above is more than enough to keep new leaders occupied for the next 6 years, or 26 years. Is a new agenda even reasonable? I'd suggest that one would be kept quite busy trying to repair the damage done by Boosh, and foolish to attempt to add anything else.

Now the other thing.

I heard and saw Ken Mellman, head of the Republican National Committee, numerous times over the weekend. As usual, spewing the same, tired drivel. It was this: The Clinton Administration agreed with the Iraqi intellegence assessment. As did prior administrations, along with many nations around the world. So, in essence, they all agreed with the Boosh cabal in the decision to go to war. To believe this, one must ignore history and take a great leap of faith.

Let's use the Clinton's for a moment, and accept the farcial idea that they did agree with the Boosh claims, including the WMD and "immenent threat to America," agreed with the total package. (this is pure hogwash, by the way) To then accept that President Clinton would have invaded Iraq in a similar fashion is where the leap of faith is required. Clinton in no way thought that Saddam was an immenent threat to the US, nor did anyone outside the Boosh group of war hawks.

If you recall, President Clinton was more than able to contain Saddam by ordering targeted air strikes and maintaining sanctions against his country. This kept civilian casualities to an absolute minimum, and kept Saddam's crimes within his own countries borders. Certainly the airstrikes in some ways punished the Iraqi people, as did the sanctions.

Yes, Saddam was a brutal dictator, but we cannot begin to take down every sadistic regime in the world. And, I would suggest that before we do begin a war, it be with someone that is an actual threat to us. But, to suggest that the Iraqi people would have preferred this Boosh version of "Democracy" being forced upon them, over the Clinton policy, is undeniably indefensible. And, Saddam's neighbors absolutely preferred the former situation in comparison to the current abomination that is the current Iraq. The new, democratic Iraq, has become nothing short of a factory for terrorists, sending teeage jihadists to strike out at anything and everything around it. Above all, one obviously must not ignore the unneccessary loss of over 2000 AMERICAN SOLDIERS, plus countless wounded. And still counting, while we "stay the course."

No one before Boosh, including his father, chose to take down Baghdad, and we are now seeing why. They knew that the result would destabilize the region, likely create a civil war, and make it a much more dangerous place to be. The Boosh predecessors showed necessary restraint, something with which this man is unfamiliar. It is past time for him and his group of idiot thugs to stop spreading these lies. Surely, the evil Boosh bastards can CONNECT THESE DOTS.

As the poll numbers continue to crash and burn, Boosh simply does what he has always done. Say the same things over and over, "it's my way or the highway," only at a much louder volume. Memo to the White House, It Isn't Working Anymore. Nobody in the entire WORLD believes you!

Cyclone

The Boosh Public Meltdown: Begun in Earnest

If one needs evidence of the deteriorating mental state of our leader who resides on Pennsylvania avenue, there is no need to look beyond his Veteran's Day address on Friday. He has indeed reached a new low. I do not mean only his poll numbers, which FOX NEWS had at 38% Approval on Friday. Yes, THAT FOX NEWS. No, I mean a new low, in tone. Sure, the word's were not really all that different. And no, rest assured, we are not going to change the course and bring reason and sanity to the table. The pent up anger residing deep inside the empty crevices of this man's head were spewed forth in a manner that surprised even me, and I've been predicting and anxiously awaiting such a thing to occur over the last few months.

For those that don't know what I'm talking about, Boosh spent almost 50 minutes in front of the cameras Friday. That is about 12 hours in human time. I forced myself to watch every second of it, as painful and unhealthy as it is to look at him for that length of time. He screamed at Democrats, John Kerry, and, in most offensive fashion, the 60% plus American citizens who do not believe that he is doing a good job in leading our country. It was like watching a time warp, watching a madman debate a candidate that he defeated with lies one very, very long year ago. It was a sight that was in one way pleasing, getting to watch what I had known for some time was just around the corner. In another way frightening, when one steps back and realizes that he is representing the "free" world. If you are to realize how significant Friday's events were, you must look at how things around Boosh have changed recently.

Until shortly before the indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the Boosh machine, on the surface at least, looked like a well oiled apparatus that was in the same book, if not always on the same page. Everything was carefully scripted, and there was always someone nearby who could control and correct Boosh when necessary. A MALE figure. If not Rove, then Libby. If neither of those were available, a couple of times per year you might even experience a Cheney sighting. If you look around him today, no such figure exists.

You see, throughout his life, Boosh has always had a man around to bail him out of whatever scrape he managed to get himself into. Be it a DUI, a problem in school, a missed National Guard assignment, or another failed business proposition, Boosh was one phone call away from rescue. Now there is no one to call. No one to trust anymore. He gave up on Daddy Boosh years ago, officially the day he was appointed to the Presidency but more likely years before that. Libby is indicted and has resigned, so that option is no longer available. The Brain itself, Karl Rove, can no longer be trusted, either politically or personally. Politically, because he is not well liked among the American people these days. Personally, because Boosh has no idea what information Rove is passing to Patrick Fitzgerald. In hindsight, I'd bet that Boosh wishes that Rove would have been indicted with Libby, at least the false crutch would be out of his thoughts. And the mystery man, Cheney, who is rarely seen and more rarely heard from, is simply not the right man for the job of controlling the boss. Cheney finds such a thing unnecessary and distasteful. It forces him into his weakest arena, the public one, and he well knows that you cannot serve two masters. Cheney's master is that of secrecy and vengeful payback, not that of keeping an eye on Boosh and cleaning up his misstatements, after the fact. Andy Card for the job? Not a chance. If you thought Michael Brown was an incompetent disaster, let Card try to do something to help you. Card is the equivalent of a Frat Brother brought along for the ride, this ride just happens to be end at the White House. So, only two people exist that are available to rein in the Boosh disaster. And, they are both women, Laura Boosh and Harriet Miers. Not exactly who the Doctor had in mind.

First lady Boosh, a long time ago, gave up any thought of trying to sway, influence or control the thoughts of her husband. She realized that it was the equivalent of beating one's head against a concrete wall until blood flows. She realizes that Boosh is headstrong to a fault, not very bright, and frankly she is happy that he has a day job that keeps him busy to a degree. At least under those circumstances he is not causing further damage to the twins. And, dear old "gosh you're the best Governor ever!!!" Harriet has her nose so far up the Boosh anus that she would sooner choke to death than attempt to correct his actions or statements. Additionally, she has very little knowledge outside of what it requires to be Counsel to the Boosh. Planning for a positive future for anyone, herself included, is not on her radar screen. If it were, she would have had the sense to talk the Booshman out of nominating her to the Supreme Court, thus saving herself and the Boss some real embarassment.

So, back to Friday's "speech." Calling what spewed from his mouth a "speech" proves that I am liberal, it should really be characterized as a RANT. It began as a typical Boosh rah-rah that we have become accustomed to and bored with, then quickly morphed into the ravings of a madman. He fell back to the positons he spouted immediately after 9/11, the "you're either with us or against us" theme. He stated (wrongly, I might add) that the representatives calling themselves Democrats had access to the very same intelligence that he did, prior to voting to give him authority to take this nation to war. He lashed out at Senator Kerry, reading a quote taken from around the time of that same vote. Taken completely out of context and clearly meaningless at this point, Boosh essentially had a debate with John Kerry on national television, only Kerry wasn't there. Truly chilling stuff. If you feel the need to debate a candidate that you allegedly defeated during the last election, your base is quicksand. And finally, he resorted to that tired theme, aimed squarely at the American people, that to criticize this failed administration is akin to being un-patriotic.

I've got news for you, Mr. Boosh. The well deserved criticism of you and your administration has been going on for a long time, and will only continue. ESPECIALLY from me. You have simply been unaware of the criticisms, because, as you have so often admitted, you are not a reader. If you don't see it, therefore it cannot be real, at least from your perch. It is obvious to anyone with a functioning brain that you are also not a thinker, or leader, or in reality anything other than a child playing a very dangerous adult game.

Yes, the thing I call Boosh has spoken, and it was not a pretty sight. Boosh is like a caged animal that has yet to be fed, and the feeders have left the building. When isolated, left alone without the entourage to save him, he does the only thing that he knows to do. Strike out. At targets both seen and unseen, real and imagined, including the American people. He made the statement on Friday that "now is the time to show the enemy that we are a united, not divided country."

Here's another one you've missed, oh great one. Poll numbers do in fact mean something. While campaining, you promised to be a uniter not a divider. At present this country is divided. (I know, another news flash, but educating Presidents is not a simple task) Unfortunately for you, as it begins to unite, it is happening at the farthest point possible from where your mind sits. You are the main impetus for that division, the key ingredient for creating the road to destruction. It's time for someone to tell the truth around here, and it is obviously not going to come from what is left of Camp Boosh.

I have told you all for a while to expect a Boosh meltdown, and expect it pretty quickly. Well, it has officially begun. Unless someone comes to his rescue, and soon, Boosh will find himself in a roomful of reporters, being peppered with questions. I'm not talking about a short visit on a walk to the plane or helicopter, but inside a room. Trapped, like the caged animal I spoke of. And, as they begin hammering away at the misdeeds that have been committed by him and those that he chose to place on his team, he will again lash out, in spectacular and unimagineable fashion. Only this time, unlike Friday when Senator Kerry and all of the Democratic leadership were absent, there will be someone present to fire back and expose the diversions for what they are. And aid in exposing Boosh for what he really is, a sick, twisted creature. Whatever you do, Cyclone readers, don't miss any Boosh press conferences for a while. A meltdown will occur. It will be a painful but pleasing site, if there is such a thing.

General Musings, Plus a Warning of Things to Come

Simple musings, because that is all I have the energy for today.

1) The Senate has asked the Pentagon to Investigate Douglas Feith's role in wielding excessive influence concerning pre-war intelligence that led to the Iraq War. This is not merely a push to begin and complete the Phase II investigation of the Senate Intelligence Committee that was talked about recently, but a separate investigation. Bad news for the Neocons.

2) It seems that Boosh's ability to negatively affect the outcome of elections is not limited to American soil. Although Boosh made an eleventh hour campaign stop in Virginia before the election for Governor, his negative influence has reached across the pond. While the Democrats were winning the Governorship of the Red State of Virginia, despite "help" from Boosh, Tony Blair was suffering a stinging defeat of his own in Great Britain. Blair had proposed that he be allowed to detain people considered suspects in terrorist activities for 90 days instead of the current 25 day maximum. This was overwhelmingly defeated. I guess 90 days is too much to ask for one to be held uncharged. What is the rule here? 90 years? Or is there one? I'm not sure.

3) Chalibi has arrived on American soil. When asked if he gave misleading information to the United States during the lead up to the war in Iraq, Mr. Chalibi stated, "It's more important to look to the future than to the past." Sounds rather Booshlike, don't you think? This respones is the equivalent to a resounding "yes."

4) The Italian's have released a video showing the carnage in Fallujah, accusing the US Military of using incendiary devices, ala chemical weapons,in 2003 and 2004. Such devices were banned by the Geneva Convention in 1980. In reviewing the photos of what was left of Iraqi civilians, it is indisputable that something unconventional was used. Likely phosphorus or napalm, essentially the same thing. The only difference between the two is simply that they are manufactured in different places. The chemical composition is the same. British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram admitted that between March 31 and April 2, 2003, Mark 77 firebombs were available for use in Fallujah. Mk 77's are phosphorus explosive devices.

5) Jordanian hotels housing American's were blown up last night, killing and maiming countless people. These bombings were well coordinated, and proved to be very effective. Another bomb was found before it detonated at another hotel. If you believe Osama bin Laden, expect the same to occur in Los Angeles sometime in the near future.

6) The war in Iraq continues to go swimmingly well, another 5 Iraqi policemen were killed yesterday while eating lunch. Recruiting replacements is becoming a real problem over there, as we idiotically continue to stay the course. I haven't heard about the American death toll from yesterday, though I'm sure there were some.

7) The secret CIA prison network continues to be hot news. President Cheney, (oops, a Freudian slip?) continues to twist arms in an attempt to exempt the CIA from anti-torture regulations, while the Puppet in Charge, Boosh, runs around and tells the world that we don't torture people. The world ain't buying it, Mr. Boosh. Meanwhile, Scott McClellan is bombarded daily, by an evermore agressive press corps, asking for these apparent opposing positions to be reconciled. These press conferences have become a macabre sort of entertainment, at least for those outside McLellan's family. I think I would rather be Scooter Libby than Scott McLellan right now.

8) Judith Miller has retired from the New York Times, citing the fact that she "has become the news" rather than one who reports the news. I guess that is the price one pay's by agreeing to sell an illegal and immoral war on behalf of a corrupt administration while parading as a "journalist."

And on a lighter note,

9) In light of the Libby indictment, all Federal Employees with a certain level of security clearances are being required by Boosh to attend "Ethics Classes." Yes, Karl Rove is also required to attend. What are they going to do, write 100 times on a chalkboard, "I will not leak classified information nor out CIA operatives, I will not......" Things are starting to turn into a joke around the "World's only Superpower."

10) And finally, Boosh has given word that White House Officials are free to contribute to the "Scooter Libby Defense Fund." Imagine that, the highest sitting member of any administration to be indicted in over 100 years, and the same White House passes a cup for money to defend him. Never mind that he is already a multi-millionaire. My check is in the mail as we speak.

Now, to get serious for just a moment. The game that I have predicted for so long, the complete dismantling of the Boosh Administration from top to bottom, that will result in his resignation, has begun in earnest. I always knew that the evidence that the takedown was reaching full steam would come in the form of "public" statements being made by certain key people. These statements, while still very subtle, are beginning to surface with more regularity. More and more, each and every day. Think of it as a pressure cooker. Sooner or later, the lid has to blow. The water is now boiling, and history is being made. Soon, it will be made in a very public fashion. I will begin to get much more specific about some things, hopefully the time allowing for that is near. For now, I will leave you with this.

Rove is history. For all practical purposes, he is already gone. He is there in name only, his power days are over.

Cheney is history, you will begin to see how the final chapter of the Cheney run in politics is written, very soon.

Once Cheney is gone, the rest will follow in short order, Boosh included. What will follow the Boosh departure I am not sure, but you can bet that the guidelines listed in the Constitution will not dictate that answer. All bets are off, and new rules will be made.

We are at a moment in American History that no one, including myself, would have thought possible 5 years ago. We, as a nation, have fallen so far, and at such a rapid rate, that even those of us who make a life out of following politics have been taken aback. Fortunately, the pieces are in place for us to be saved from ourselves and from our incompetent and deranged leaders. Superman will not allow it to end now.

But, we as a people, had better pay attention and learn something as we watch what is about to unfold. Most don't get a second chance to get it right, and we should count our blessings that we will get that opportunity. Personally, I know of no one that's gotten a third chance.

Cyclone

Trent Lott: Do You Believe in Miracles?

Miracles occur so seldom in the minds of today's Americans that most refuse to acknowledge their very existence. The metamorphosis of Trent Lott should be viewed as a miracle by liberals and progressives, the "Miracle in D.C."

After the Washington Post broke the story detailing the existence of secret prisons that the USA have built and used around the world, a furor broke out in Washington. While I have known of the existence, but not the location, of these present day gulags, apparently many members of the House and Senate did not. (astonishing, by the way) The immediate response was one of horror for those that did not know of their existence, and a "cover my arse" reaction hit those that did. What ensued was a typical knee-jerk response from the Republican leadership. Fortunately for us, most of these leaders have yet to learn that there are more important things to consider than who can be the first to reach the television cameras to "break the story." Those in Washington have nearly always lived with the "stay ahead of the story" mentality, regardless of the consequenses, and seek all the face time that they can get in front of television cameras. Sometimes this works to their advantage, and sometimes it becomes an M-80 with too short of a fuse. In this particular instance, the latter rules the day.

The Senate Republicans, still angered over the Libby indictment and angered over last week's Democratic move to force the debate on the lead up to the war onto the front pages of the newspapers, reacted immediately by calling for an investigation into who "leaked" this information to the Washington Post. As you know, leaks are not real popular in Washington these days, especially for Republicans. Many rushed to judgement, believing that a payback to the Democrats was right around the corner. Oops, maybe they should have waited and thought this one through a bit.

It turns out that the source of the leak is not going to be a Democrat after all, but another Republican. Had they forgotten that just prior to the Democratic stunt Vice President Cheney had spoken to them in private session? Seems maybe they did. The Washington Post article mirrored nearly word for word what Cheney had told them about the secret prison network, just last week, in that private session. The session was so private, in fact, that all but a few vital staffers were run out of the room. The sensitive nature of the classified information that was revealed required that the audience be tightly controlled and limited to the Republican Senators themselves, and the few others that have security clearances to hear such vital information. No Democrats were invited to the party, security clearance or not. Although other issues were also discussed, mainly the announcement that Cheney was going to resign, the Post article focused solely on the prison issue. Then the fun began.

As mentioned above, when the Washington Post story broke, some Republican Senators wrongly assumed that the "leak" came from the Democrats, and wanting to get ahead of the story, immediately called for an investigation. They apparently did this without reading the article, rather they just heard about it. Had they taken the time to read it, they would have realized that the very words printed could have come from nowhere but the Republican's only meeting with Cheney. It is closer to an official transcript of the meeting than a journalistic piece. Now they have called for an investigation, and undoubtedly the leaker will be identified as another Republican. On top of the Plame investigation, this is the last thing that the Republican's want or need.

Who out of this story becomes the hero for the Democrats? None other than Senator Trent Lott, their long time nemesis. Lott is proving to be an interesting character, and is in fact exacting revenge on his own party. He has a score to settle, and is doing it in a fashion that is brilliant, if not a bit odd. If you recall, some time ago, Lott found himself in a bit of a jam over defending a racist Senator at a birthday party. He looked at his comments at the time as no big deal, just a guy helping celebrate a man's reaching the ripe old age of 900 years, or surely something close to that age. Lott's remarks were certainly insensitive, showed a total lack of appropriate judgement in today's world, but were for all practical purpose, in his mind anyway, harmless. What the Republican's would do, in Lott's judgement, was deliver a slap on the wrist and allow him to continue carrying on business as usual. It would blow over in a day or two, and all would be well. Sadly, for him, he was in for a little surprise. It seems that some Republicans, a lot of Republicans in fact, saw this as an opportunity to strip him of power. And they took that opportunity, left him hung out to dry, all alone, and his resulting fall from grace was swift and astonishing.

So Lott did something that no one expected. It began with Katrina, and continued with his comments yesterday. During the Katrina disaster, Lott was frequently seen on television subtly slamming George Boosh in a below the belt fashion. He was criticizing the Federal Response in a way that only a good Southerner can do, saying things like, "Well gosh, it seems that they haven't responded quite like we hoped that they would." Or, "Maybe when this is all over we should look at what happened and consider making a few changes." All said in very innocent fashion. A way that portrayed him as a party loyalist, a bit confused at the incompetent response, but very measured and careful not to expose himself as one with an agenda that would put the Republican administration in too bad of a light.

This continued recently, on a different subject. When he was asked whether, under the current circumstances, Karl Rove should remain in his position and maintain a security clearance. Lott responded, "Well, I don't know. It should be probably be looked at some time down the road." Again, very measured, and giving no appearance of being anything but innocent.

Then yesterday, when the "leak" story blew open, Lott was interviewed and delivered a subtle, yet clear message to the Boosh administration, that the gloves are coming off and he has jumped ship. A declaration of war, if you will. Lott said, "We clearly don't know how to keep our mouths shut." Only ten words, but in this comment, substance outweighs volume in great measure. "We" means Republicans, "don't know how to keep our mouths shut" means that every leak you have heard from the Plame case to the present goes directly to the "we." A Conservative Public Senator outing the Boosh Administration for again leaking classified information to a reporter, is nothing to be sneered at. Lott's comments are a part of the grand scheme, but I'll get to that another day. Suffice it to say that the powers that will take this administration down are officially going public, and the drumbeats are beginning to get very loud.

I have been closely watching Senator Lott since his fall from power. Not because I like him, far from it. But because he is a bully who has had his pulpit yanked from him, and yanked by his own people. That makes him a dangerous bully. Let me be clear, I would not trust Trent Lott as far as I could throw him. But, he is on a mission. A mission that no one who hasn't closely observed him of late would have anticipated, given his former status in the Republican Party. Former is the operative word here, and he is pissed. The one game that Republicans are very good at is the game of destruction, and Lott has joined the game. The only difference is, he has switched teams, at least for now.

Alito: What Will Happen, What Should Happen, and Why It Won't

The real deal on Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Alito Will Be Confirmed

While it saddens me to say this, Judge Samuel Alito will be confirmed as the replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court. This will assure that we have a Conservative, Right Wing Court, in power for the rest of my life. I stated during the 2000 election that the single most important reason for not voting for George W. Boosh was to deny him the opportunity to stack the Court with Right Leaning justices. It is why I was angered with all of the people that assured Boosh of a close election, thus allowing him to be appointed, by voting for Ralph Nader. In doing so, they essentially voted for Boosh. Don't get me wrong, Nader lovers, I am a firm believer that a third party is necessary if this country is to survive in any recognizable form. But the year 2000 was the wrong year to gamble, the wrong year to make a statement. The stakes were simply too high.

At the time of the election, it was clear to anyone who pays attention to the Supreme Court, that the next President, whoever that happened to be, was going to get at a minimum one, and more likely two opportunities to mold the court. Chief Justice Rhenquist was getting old and was in failing health, and Sandra Day O'Connor was also likely to retire due to health issues. I actually believed that O'Connor would be the first to go. With a Republican majority in power across the board, if a Republican were elected, the Court was certainly going to lean heavily to the Right. Now this is what we have, and for those that believe in individual freedoms, minimizing the power of corporations and general common sense issues, the future is not bright.

What The Democrats Should Do

Again, it saddens me to say, the Democrats in power will not respond to this nomination in a proper fashion. The Democrats have proven themselves to be a spineless lot. With the exception of the "closed door session" that they forced last week, they have done nothing to show me or anyone else that they are willing to do what is necessary to guarantee a future, any future, for this country.

Although the outcome of Alito's confirmation is a certainty, the Democrats should filibuster this nomination and FORCE the Republican's to use their so-called "Nuclear Option." And, the Republican's would do just that. What would a filibuster accomplish? Assure a Democratic majority for the forseeable future, hopefully for another 40 years. And, assure that a Democrat would sit in the Oval Office for the forseeable future. As a bonus, they would expose the Republicans as the arrogant, corrupt, morally bankrupt party that we know them to be. Boosh has lost the middle, his poll numbers spell this out. The independents and moderates, the people that really decide the elections in this country, give Boosh a 65% Disapproval Rating as we speak. For the Republicans to invoke the "nuclear option," in essence changing the rules in the middle of the game, would push the centrists in this country over the edge and straight to the Democratic ticket, all across the nation. An uproar would be created among the very people that each party HAS TO HAVE to win any elections, the fence sitters. They would view this as dirty politics and force the Republicans to pay the price for their actions for many years to come.

Why What Should Happen Won't Happen

The centrist Democrats, who are not really Democrats but have to call themselves something, will prevent a filibuster. They can pull the strings and change the votes of enough Democrats, who have yet to see them for what they really are, to prevent a filibuster from happening. What are these people, really? They are fence sitters as well, generally younger Senators and Congressmen who want to lock in their futures as politicians. They have no capacity for original thought, no goal other than to assure themselves of succeeding as career politicians. Their number one priority is to make certain that they don't piss anyone off. Sure, their dreams might be different. Some may be positioning themselves for a future White House run, ala Evan Byah, others are content to remain Senators or Congressmen forever, in the mold of Strom Thurmon, yet others are merely sheep jumping on the bandwagon of their aforementioned up-and-coming brethren. They are the most dangerous types of people in power, those that are elected to lead but are in reality followers. People like this are how we got to where we find ourselves today.

The Democrats have an opportunity to make a statement, force the hand of the Republicans, and cement a Democrat-in-power future for many years to come. Unfortunately, they will return to their passive ways, and they will blow it.