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Check out the very last paragraph in this article on Kennedy’s attacks on Rumsfeld. In a city where the number of lobbyists has doubled in the past four years (the rise of George Bush’s everything for sale gov’t) and taxes have been cut 5 times in the same timeframe, the sudden interest in accountability for the administration’s actions by the Democrats is, well, tepid and somewhat pathetic. See this article in the Washington Post on the depressingly great market for lobbyists in DC today.

If the Dems had any interests other than preserving their own seats in Congress, they would be outraged and would start filing ethics complaints against people like Duke Cunningham. Read more about this complete jackass on Josh Marshall’s Talking Points Memo.

Final political rant.. I’m watching the Daily Show, and I get to see Duke, James Sensenbrenner (who embarrasses me because he’s from my home state), etc., pass their flag burning amendment finally. How? By consistently invoking September 11th to bludgeon the opposition into a shambles.

Thanks. That really helps with the war on terror, with a strong economy, with small government, with fiscal responsibility, with health care and the environment. These are not the actions of human beings with honor, with dignity, and with respect for others. In the words of the evangelicals, what would Jesus do? I believe he’d be burning a flag and tossing the moneychanging lobbyists out of the temple, if you’ll allow me to stretch a metaphor.

Ah, that felt good.

Every day I hope there is a God. Not necessarily a Christian God, but that there is one out there. I don’t need an afterlife, and I don’t need to continue forever, but I hope there is more to this world than simple, random, thoughtless chance. On reading things like this story about Bush’s ordering an illegal air war in Iraq 6 weeks prior to gaining the consent of Congress, much less the U.N., I hope there’s an afterlife which corresponds to your beliefs.

In such a case, Bush will burn in Hell when his time comes. I hope the souls of those he has ordered needlessly and illegally murdered cloud round his soul like a dark omen, warning away dogs and children. And it pains me to write that, because I don’t want to think that way of another human being. But looking at the utter disregard this man and his neo-con friends have for the dignity of other human beings, I come to the conclusion that 2008 cannot come fast enough to remove this cancer from the American politcal system.

You can call me a conspiracy-minded chap, but I see an unelected despot who shows no regard for the pain he inflicts in the lives of his own citizens or those abroad, but instead kow-twos to a never sated set of corporate and religious concerns whose ideologies are systemetically more related to fascism than to democracy (i.e.—imposition of a set of values and principles upon an unwilling populace).

It makes me sad my country has fallen so far. Hmm. Time to start taking those Chinese lessons, so I can serve when the new regime starts cashing in their markers on all our foreign debt. Hmmm. maybe Joseph Campbell was right: when Jesus preached the gospels, he meant that Heaven and Hell are states of mind and spirit on Earth. Guess which way I think this country’s soul is trending? Dark days ahead, baby. Dark days.

I ride my bike to and from the continuing studies class I teach at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; the ride home is a bit dodgy in traffic, but a lot of fun. Riding up Lake Shore Drive at 9pm gives you a view of the park and the city which is spectacular, and the lake breezes are nice and cool, too. So, I get near my house, and hit a jagged piece of concrete. Instant flat. Fortunately, I didn’t crash, and was near the elevated train.

Now, I either have a wicked head cold or sinus infection or something. So, I’m sweaty, and I’m tired, and kind of out of it. It’s nearly 10 pm, it’s been a long day, and I knew I was fatigued, otherwise I never would’ve hit that piece of concrete. I go to the el station, and talk to the two attendants who were switching shifts. The one lady kept talking to me and talking to me. I couldn’t figure out why.

I get home finally, put away the bike, the gear, etc., and go to kiss Lora. She pulls back and says, oooh, gross, you have snotty running down to your lip!

Great. I’m sure those two ladies had as good a laugh as she did.

Oy, what a week.