I can't hold back any longer. I must make this confession.
After watching the fiasco that is George Bush all this past week- my jaw hanging open so much that the muscles in my neck literally hurt- I have come to this stunning and chilling conclusion.
I miss Ronald Reagan.
There. I said it. Out loud. To the public.
Now, the people that know me know that I hated the things Reagan did with the intensity of 10,000 suns. I hold him responsible for setting the stage for all the cowboy-swagger, me-first, shallow attitude of the county that you see today. It was with Reagan that we saw the rise of the "conservatives" who have since mutated into the monsters that are now driving this bus right off the cliff.
But, just as I was disheartened with the people who pointed their finger at Ford's pardon of Nixon as the reason we can't hold Bush responsible for anything today, I guess it's unfair to blame 'ol Ron for this mess, when we, the American people, by proxy of Congress, won't stand up to this insanity.
I'm going to have to trust Carl Levin and his band of brothers on the Senate Armed Services Committee, but already I'm hearing "politics" as the ultimate driving force behind the decisions to be made.
That danger of political damage may loom large in the minds of Levin and others. Already, Republican leaders such as Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate minority leader, have portrayed Democratic opposition to Bush's plan as a desire "to cut off money for the troops."
Carl seems to think that he is dealing with a sane person. I don't know how much more evidence Carl needs before he realizes that isn't the case.
If Congress disagrees (with Bush's plan) in a bipartisan fashion, "it would have a significant impact," Levin, D-Detroit, said after leading his first hearing as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee since Democrats took control of the Senate.
Levin opposes efforts, at least at this point, to deny funding for the increase of up to 21,500 troops Bush announced this week.
"I don't think funding is the way you approach this," Levin said.
Michigan's senior senator said he worries such measures would "send the wrong message to the troops" and would embolden Bush if, as he feared, it they fail to pass.
Embolden Bush? Are you kidding me? George doesn't care now. He is going to do this with or without "bipartisan" pressure.
Bush struck a defiant note in an interview to be televised Sunday by CBS on "60 Minutes." Asked if he believes he has the authority to send additional troops to Iraq no matter what Congress wants to do, Bush said: "I think I've got - in this situation, I do, yeah. And I fully understand they will ... they could try to stop me from doing it, but, uh, I've made my decision and we're going forward."
Did you hear that? Are you guys listening to this?
Not only is Bush already escalating in Iraq, it seems he wants to drag Iran into the picture- and, boy, won't we have some fun then.
Recent U.S. military raids against Iranians in Iraq were authorized by President George W. Bush but do not mark a widening of the conflict, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
You can trust Condi, right? Because she's never lied before.
She told the New York Times Bush had given an order for a broad offensive against Iranian operatives in Iraq.
As we try to hold Baghdad? How does that work?
Gates uses the words "last resort". We have seen what "last resort" means to this president- I give it a month or so. If it's not happening already.
Gates and Pace also assured lawmakers there are no immediate plans to attack targets in Iran. In his speech this week, Bush vowed to disrupt Iran's aid to insurgents in Iraq and "destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq."
Bush's comments refer "strictly to operations inside the territory of Iraq, not crossing the border," Gates said, later adding that "any kind of military action inside Iran itself, that would be a very last resort."
Uh-huh.
Why on God's green earth should be believe anything these people say anymore.
So, if Congress is going to flounder about, worried about "politics", keep in mind that George isn't worried about politics. Not at all. The American people want stem cell research, he will veto it. The American people want lower drug costs, he will veto it. The American people want to raise the minimum wage, he is against the bill as it stands now- Republicans insist on more tax breaks that will cost us $10 billion dollars over the next ten years.
This is not a man who cares about what the "people" want, or even the consequences of his actions on his own party. This is a man who is going to do as he pleases. That much has been made clear. Over and over again. These are just the latest examples.
Since Ford died, I have been looking back and wondering why the Democratic message hasn't sold in, well, practically my entire lifetime. Yes, we got Bill, but he was an aberration, a superstar, and when it comes down to it, a moderate. Not that there is anything essentially wrong with that- but it makes you wonder- why. Why twelve years of Reagan/Bush I. Why eight years of Bush II. Why hasn't the progressive message sold.
I can only conclude it's because the Democrats haven't stood up to be counted. I see no other reason. I know it's a bit more complicated than that, but in the broad picture of time you have to ask where they have been all these years. There is a book in there somewhere.
All I know is, if they don't stand up now, George is going to lead us right to Hell. Whatever that means to you.
We might already be there.
When I am missing the days of "nuclear annihilation" and "mutually assured destruction", I know something is just. not. right.
I thought Reagan was crazy. I thought he would get us all killed. I was wrong about that.
I hope to God I am wrong now, too, but it seems the evidence of insanity on George is even stronger than it was on Ron. At least Ron seemed to give a damn. George doesn't.
I'm not wrong about this point- if ever a president needed some impeachin', it's this one. Bush has got to go. Cheney, too. I don't think we can wait two years. By then it might be too late. Heck, by next week it might be too late.
Miss ya, Ron.