Yellow Dog

I received an interesting email from Don Williams, the clear-minded columnist over at the Knoxville "News" Sentinel. The lack of apostrophes seems to indicate some urgency:

In the past you’ve expressed support for my columns that run in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. I’m emailing now to ask a favor. Would you please google Knoxnews.com, click on “Opinion,” then scroll down and click on my column, which ran yesterday. Here's a direct link It’ll be headlined something like “Williams: Invasion: Contingency for Polls?” (I didn’t write that headline by the way). To the right you’ll see an opportunity to vote on whether you agree or disagree. I’d appreciate it if you would take the time to vote. Some of my opponents who vote week after week and rally opposition to me leave really nasty personal comments every Friday. Even if you disagree with the column, I still appreciate your taking the time to read. Should you take the further step of writing a letter to the editor, please copy me, as that lets them know that I know you sent it.

All my best,

Don

After being "asked" back in February by the conservative ownership of the "News" Sentinel to tone it down on national politics, Don really hasn't backed off too much. Hopefully he's not about to get the ax.

Here's why I could never be a Republican: simply put, because radical religious right whackos belong to the same party. I know the left has its loony fringe of tree-huggers and so-called "eco-terrorists," but televangelist Pat Robertson's (THE REV. Pat Robertson's) call for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is beyond the pale. Of course, as this article points out, this is the same guy that predicted hurricanes would devastate Disney World because the theme park was holding "gay days." If people like this are Bush's base, I am even more proud I don't belong.

Whom would Jesus whack?

As this NYT article points out, not only are the American people shielded from the human cost of the Iraq war (more than 2000 US military killed and 14,500 wounded), but the financial cost is also hidden from public view:

"All of this spending [on the war] will need to be financed by adding to the federal debt. Extra interest payments will total $200 billion or more even if the borrowing is repaid quickly. Conflict in the Middle East has also played a part in doubling the price of oil from $30 a barrel just prior to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 to $60 a barrel today. Each $5 increase in the price of oil reduces our national income by about $17 billion a year.

Even by this simple yardstick, if the American military presence in the region lasts another five years, the total outlay for the war could stretch to more than $1.3 trillion, or $11,300 for every household in the United States."

Conservatives may be too slow to wrap their brains around what the US could do with 1.3 trillion dollars (health care reform, anyone?), but they should be able to understand what their household could do with $11,300. I sure hope this war based on non-existent WMDs and non-existent threats to our security (and non-existent lies linking Iraq to 9/11) was worth it to Bush voters (and their non-existent ability to think critically).
The Trillion-Dollar War - New York Times

This one has been making the rounds on the Internet:

How many Bush administration officials does it take to change a light bulb?

1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed;

2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed;

3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb;

4. One to arrange the invasion of a country rumored to have a secret stockpile of light bulbs;

5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton for the new light bulb;

6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor,
standing on a step ladder under the banner: Light Bulb Change Accomplished;

7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally in the dark;

8. One to viciously smear #7;

9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along;

10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.