MAY 2006

Howdy Folks,

The Prevailing Principle: Governing vs. Politics

Not long after the 2004 Presidential election, I was performing in San Diego. I was having a conversation about the electoral outcome with a friend who I had earlier tried to sway towards Senator John Kerry. His wife overheard the conversation and blurted out “Ha-Ha, my guy won.” To be sure, political discourse is going the way of the Monday morning quarterback, with punditry running rampant as citizen are able to choose carefully crafted invectives released by think tanks masquerading as news outlets. But this woman is an intelligent professional, who rather than engage me in apposite dialogue chose to treat the election like a NASCAR race. Furthermore, she and others I began to speak with seemed to know much about the soap opera that is Beltway politics, but nearly nothing about the role and responsibility of those that we choose to legislate and lead.

In my opinion, the mess of corruption that we seem to find ourselves in started with one Ronald Wilson Reagan and the advent of “Me Politics,” whereby we have a large segment of the population voting against their best interests (the working poor voting for oil barons in the hopes that they, too will one day be wealthy), holding dear to misguided patriotism (e.g. the myth of Reagan “defeating” the USSR, our fighting men/women being relegated to storm troopers as all other aspects of armed service are outsourced), and the initiation of unseemly corporate ethics as a guide to national debate. All this has led to a win-at-all-costs mentality that now sees us at the beginning of uncovering what will be one of the largest corruption scandals the United States of America has ever witnessed.

I believe this disaster, which will cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, came to be because the average U.S. citizen now cares more about politics, especially as portrayed on global national corporate television outlets, than the tedious minutia of Government. Yes folks, government is not nearly as sexy as political wrangling.

However, something that may be both entertaining and imperative lurks on the other side of the upcoming mid-term elections. The indictment, arrest, and prosecution of dozens of Republican, and to a MUCH lesser extent Democrat politicians, lobbyists and government officials. The “Contract with America” set rose to power after the Democrats became corrupt following a 30 year run as majority party. Well, folks, it took the Republicans just 10 years to rewrite the sordid book of back-scratching and cronyism.

Yes, the Republicans’ Kung Fu is better than the Democrats’. Yes, the political propaganda machine of Rove, Cheney, Norquist, Reed, Abramoff and their ilk played a better game and won the victories of political war. But this is not a bowl game, a political fantasy league, nor a divisional playoff race. We have the legacy of our great nation at stake, and in light of the well-oiled PACs that make up the GOP, one thing stands resolutely clear. These people have no idea how to govern. For every tax cut, gerrymandered victory and skewed election result stands scores of inept appointees, wrong turns, expensive economic quick fixes and millions of poor, working poor, and middle class families who have seen their local taxes rise, student loans dry up, and basic services vanish.

My fellow Americans; this administration, from President Bush down, is corrupt. They have pulled the wool over many an eye with Potemkinesque promises, divisive issues and a complacent media. But there can be no denial of the immense problems we face as a Republic. We can only proceed when those who have placed personal politics over constitutional law have been rebuked. And make no mistake, I call for the heads of all those involved: Republicans AND Democrats, as well as those apolitical souls who consider money their only party.

This can only be done by restoring the checks and balances so fortuitously created by the Founding Fathers. To wit, restore at least one house to Democratic control. I cannot reasonably assume that the majority party, the cause of these unlawful acts, can be relied upon to enforce themselves. Therefore, it is up to the voting public, informed and angry, to start in motion the grueling process whereby we can vanquish the politicians and supplant them with those who govern.

See You Somewhere soon,

Paul

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This Month's Recipe:
Vegetable Stew

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