Keep that door shut!

The election of President Bush (43) has unclogged a logjam of Republican pipe dreams.

Ideas that were locked away in the hearts of conservative think tank members are out and about; they're here, and they're queer uh, well, you get the picture.

And what's come out sure isn't pretty.

This administration pushes tax cuts during a time of war, grabs ahold of the 3rd rail with both hands, and ignores Generals with decades of military experience and the trust of President Bush (41).

I think the downward spiral we've been seeing from the GOP is one of the best arguments against having one political party rule everything. One party rule opens the door for the crazy ideas that, politically speaking, should stay in the closet.

People drunk with power act a lot like people who are just plain drunk: they make fools of themselves.

I would have thought it went without saying...

I signed up to be a poll worker for the Special Election on Nov 8. Yesterday I went to the training course at the Alameda registrar of voters facility near the Oakland airport. The training course was nice, the instructor was good, and the facility was clean. Yet, in the restroom, was a sign that read:

Do not pee on the floor

My brother-in-law has often said that they wouldn't have put a sign up unless their had been a problem.

Why pay 20% when you can pay 28%?

On Sunday night I had the pleasure of listening to a conservative AM radio talk show. I live to tell the story, miaculously, but that is beside the point.

One of the callers was telling the host that he was sick and tired of "libruls" and their damn IRS. The host and caller agreed that what they really wanted was a flat tax, or better yet, a national sales tax. The caller said that he was a "regular" person who was solidly middle/lower-middle class.

It is a testament to the right's disinformation campaign/noise machine that they can get people who work for a paycheck to complain about a progressive tax system. I understand the ivory tower debates about what type of tax system we want, etc. But at the end of the day, people (I assume) want to pay as little taxes as possible (myself included). So despite the fact that flat taxes/national sales taxes would almost certainly raise the caller's tax rate, he prefers it.

Amazing. The progressive movement is going to have to focus on countering 30 years, and billions of dollars, of right-wing think tank money/media machine to convince the caller that maybe he really wants a lower tax rate (via progressive taxation) rather than a higher tax rate (via flat tax/national sales tax).

Indictments? Ehh...

The liberal blogsphere is abuzz with reports from e.g., The Washington Post that Cheney might be the focus of the leak investigation.

Anyone who lived through Iran/Contra (ok, ok, I may have been in short pants at the time...) shouldn't get too excited about rumors of the activities of the special prosecutor. These things have a way of fizzling out.

I'd give it a rating of: rare

Let's all have Bald Eagle omelettes!

We've waited a long time, but thanks to the tireless efforts of Richard Pombo (R-CA) and Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), the wait is over. They have basically gutted the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

That means its time once again for America's favorite treat: Bald Eagle omelettes!

• 5 oz. cooked, defeathered Bald Eagle
  
• 6 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon cream
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon herbs, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pepper

Beat the eggs lightly with the heavy cream. Heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan and add eggs. Once the eggs are set, add the eagle meat. Fold eggs over and flip occasionally. Serve warm.

Please ask your GOP representatives for other tasty recipes now available, thanks to their elimination of the endangered species act. (Cookbook will be available soon)