Volume III. No. 27
 01-21-05
 George Bush Is Officially A Lame Duck
 { Well, at least, that's the good part...}
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2005
 

 The Texas Cowboy has been sworn again and now he is officially President
 of The United States for a second time. There must be a silver lining is all of
 this but before we attempt to find one, this week has been painfully obvious
 of the flaws of this man, his unchanging world-view, and his style of governing.

 Thank you, California Senator Barbara Boxer for asking the tough questions
 of Secretary of State nominee Condoleeza Rice during her appearance before
 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. At least someone on the panel believes 
 that the hearing was not just an excuse for an excess of half-hearted questioning 
 of the wannabe Secretary of State. Condoleeza Rice is going to be confirmed. 
 But it was Senator Boxer who time and time again, sighted the double-speak 
 of Rice during the days before the Iraq War began when it was Rice's mission
 to help build up public support for the burgeoning war effort. 

 Dr. Rice wearing her most-practiced persona of quiet outrage at the Senator
 from California's point-by-point delineation of her alleged errors, had this 
 answer. "...We can have this discussion in any way that you would like, but 
 I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity." 

 { as if the actual facts didn't matter } 

 Boxer was highlighting by way of proxy, the whole approach of the Bush
 administration when dealing with folks outside of their small circle. From 
 Rumsfield, through Cheney, and across the board. This White House finds 
 it extremely offensive to be questioned about ANYTHING. Especially it seems, 
 when those involved are called upon to admit errors in fact or judgement, 
 that are obvious to all but the accused.

 Thanks to Senator Boxer our friends overseas { if we still have any, that is... } 
 were made aware that some on Capital Hill are watching Bush et al. closely,
 and are not asleep at the switch.

 Inauguration week was also the moment when George Bush took a big step
 backward on one of his major campaign issues. Does anyone remember the
 so-called Gay Marriage Admendment? Oh, what a sneaky idea to make it known
 during a week when Washington is all abuzz about his elaborate multimillion 
 dollar inaugural, to slip into a Washington Post daily interview that he does
 not intend to pursue the matter vigorously on the hill.

 No kidding!

 The whole same-sex marriage ban deal was always a transparent scare tactic 
 to encourage middle-of-the road conservatives in the Red States to stay tight 
 with Bush and keep Mr. Massachusetts Liberal, John Kerry out of the Oval
 Office. Even Bush knows that his Far-Right pals are a little too eager on this 
 issue. Thus, after the election and even before he's sworn in --- was as good 
 a time as any to quietly reveal to the nation about how uncomfortable he is 
 with the notion of rushing down the road to legislating discrimination into 
 the United States Constitution. 

 Bush used the excuse that because the federal Defense of Marriage Act has 
 not been struck down, the time is not right for the constitutional same-sex ban.

 Er...didn't he know this very important fact last summer?

 Bush's endless rhetoric about "protecting the sanctity of marriage" while in 
 the midst of a hotly contested campaign is one thing. Amending the Constitution 
 is a much, much more serious undertaking. Apparently, "homophobe" is not 
 a label the self-described compassionate conservative Bush wants attached 
 to his name. 

 He found an out and he took it. He won't act, unless he's forced to. Afterall, 
 Bush's Vice President has a grown daughter who is an in-the-flesh, lesbian. 
 She's not "just" a gay cartoon character. { with apologies to Sponge Bob and 
 that light-loafered Teletubby pal of his }  --- Sorry, couldn't resist. But, the 
 hypocrisy of these people is beyond description.

 Last but not least, there was the inaugural speech. Our favorite cowboy put 
 the entire world on notice. "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can
 know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your
 oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand for your 
 liberty."

 Does this mean that more of the desperate American underclass who really
 would prefer to have decent paying jobs at home, rather than be forced into 
 the military as a means to earn a living, must stand as "liberators" on some 
 far-off shore?

 Meanwhile before Bush's speech Cheney on a popular radio program
 warned Iran in terse language about it's nuclear program. Are these guys 
 a tag team or what? And neither ever say the light - or darkness of actual 
 military combat.

 So, there you have it. Condoleeza Rice doesn't want to be reminded of 
 her mistakes. Bush suddenly has more pressing matters to attend to than 
 a gay marriage admendment. Mindless it seems, of the lingering divisiveness 
 that was caused by his harsh campaign rhetoric during the presidential 
 campaign. And now Vice President Cheney has all but warned Iran to 
 watch out because Uncle Sam doesn't like what you're during. -- On the 
 very day of Bush's inauguration, Cheney did this.

 Can you believe it? And we're not even out of the first week!

 This is the reactionary world of George Bush and company. Cloaked 
 behind all the religious-toned sanctimony is arrogance, intolerance, 
 a love of the rich, a contempt for the poor, and a dismissive attitude 
 toward the opinions and concerns of the rest of humanity that lives 
 beyond the borders of the United States.

 How fortunate it is that most Americans are in reality middle-of-the 
 roaders. Sure we all lean a bit to the right or to the left. That's a given. 
 But we must LIVE in the middle to get along with one another. And it is this 
 inertia that will prevent the conservative Bush from pushing this country 
 into some Far-Right backwater that is more attached to the past than
 to the future.

 The silver lining in all of this gloom, is that with every passing hour, 
 and every day marked off on the calendar, is all the sooner that George 
 Walker Bush will be resting comfortably back home in Texas.

 God Bless him.
 

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