Who's Better Off?

Call me cold-hearted....or call me someone who sees, every day, the economic consequences of George Bush's Wars.
This post is a response to a conversation I had last week about how much better off the Iraqi people are these days. Whether or not that's true is a matter of some debate, but not my focus here. My question is "Why have the needs of the American people become less important than those of the Iraqis?"
How dare this proponent of family values devalue the American family, whose members are left to try to survive despite the plummeting value of our dollar and the rising cost of gasoline and fuel oil, all direct results of our foreign policy?
How dare this president who claims to be a compassionate conservative show no compassion for his own people?
People used to say that going to war meant choosing guns over butter, since our finite resources cannot offer both. But butter is a luxury, not a necessity, for most of us. When the choice is between guns and heating our homes, between guns and the stability of the American dollar, the choice becomes even easier.
Sure, this is one of many posts complaining about George's Wars. My hope here is not to add one more brick in that high, solid wall. What I'm trying to make so very clear here is that we have elected a government which truly cares nothing for its own people, their liberty and their daily lives.
We have a chance to change this. I won't even ask you to stop complaining about the Democrats and consider the alternative. I won't insult your intelligence by reminding you how important it is to register and cast your ballot. What I will say is that sometimes, this time, voting is not enough. If you are truly ready for a change, get involved, step up and become part of the solution.

Will History Be Kind...I Sure Hope Not

Little Georgie has figured out he's the kid nobody likes. His father's fame and money can't fix this disaster, and Little Georgie's feeling down in the dumps. Here's what the Peter Baker had to say in a recent Washington Post:

At the nadir of his presidency, George W. Bush is looking for answers. One at a time or in small groups, he summons leading authors, historians, philosophers and theologians to the White House to join him in the search.

Over sodas and sparkling water, he asks his questions: What is the nature of good and evil in the post-Sept. 11 world? What lessons does history have for a president facing the turmoil I'm facing? How will history judge what we've done? Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?

When will he figure all this out? Does he really need philosophers and theologians to tell him he's wrong and needs to make it right? Exactly how much are we all paying for these consultants anyway?

He's been so insulated from real folks for so long, limited to watching Fox News and allowed no contact with protesters (who are kept far away). Only strong supporters get invited to his speaking engagements. Hey Dick [Cheney, that is], what the heck did you think would happen to your boy?

Now we read that Little Georgie is feelin' bad, his best hope being that history will prove him right years after he's as dead as the uncountable Iraq casualties.

Explain to me why we should feel sorry for him. Tell me why his stress level is more important than that of a soldier wearing body armor in the heat of an Iraq summer day, a soldier who can't go out on patrol knowing that he'll come back with all his body parts intact.

Georgie's feeling bad? Don't ask us to feel sorry for the guy, ask him how he intends to fix what he started. Does he have what it takes to accept this responsibility, or will it just be more cold drinks in the Oval Office?

Call me cold and callous, but I'm glad he's finally worried about what people think about him. I'm delighted that he feels like the mistake he is. Now let's see how he intends to make things right.

Thank You, Susan!

After months (years?) of pretending to understand how her constituents feel about the Iraq War, Susan Collins (seen here telling us how well Homeland Security handled things in New Orleans) has finally taken a public stand supporting the patriarchy of King George rather than the Mainers who elected her.

This is, of course, the best possible news for Democrats. I'd loved to have been at Tom Allen's campaign headquarters yesterday when Collins' statement was announced. I heard it on Maine Public Radio (where else?), on my way into Augusta to mail some "begging letters" for a fundraising efforts, and cheered.

Sitting on the fence, talking the moderate line and voting the party line, is something both of Maine's Senators have become experts at. Collins' admission that she intends to vote to continue this bloody war is a clear departure from her usual MO, and I hope it will be just one more thing that will bury her under a landslide of Tom Allen votes next year.