Pardon me for a moment while I get political...

Goodness Gracious at the mercy of the crooks
We're broke and stroking vegetables
and there's way too many cooks
In every pot a pink slip, In every mouth a hook--
Goodness Gracious by Kevin Gilbert (from his album Thud)

First off, a small admission-- I won't say confession because generally confessions only involve something you consider negative... anyway, I'm a Republican, like my father before me, his father before him, and-- well you get the idea. I love the principles this party was founded on and I consider men like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan to have been excellent presidents.

Generally the party was founded on fiscal conservatism and the desire to initially contain and inevitably end slavery. It was a party of small government and a strict interpretation of Constitution-- any powers that weren't specifically given to the federal government fell to the responsibility of state and local governments. The federal government was there to keep the system of currency universal, establish a postal service, and handle any and all foreign policy issues. Domestic policy fell within the responsibility of the states.

In 1994 the American people elected the Republican party into power on the strengths of their "Contract with America." It was a pledge to America that under their watch things would be different. Under their watch, the corruption which had been running rampant under the Democratic controlled Congress for the previous 60 years would be over with. And initially they stuck to the contract. Somewhere along the line-- probably at the point where they were more concerned with their Clinton witch-hunt than with their contract-- they lost sight of their promise. Admittedly I wasn't a fan of Clinton either, and felt he should have been punished for perjury (generally the punishment is a stiff fine and a night or two in jail-- NOT impeachment), but I certainly didn't want to see him removed from office. I found him to be a generally moderate and likeable president-- but that's beside the point. In their impeachment-zeal the Republicans forgot about the Contract With America.

Looking at what the Republican party is today-- it doesn't much resemble the principles it was founded upon. The elected leaders of the party have sold out its principles to the highest bidding lobbyists on K street. Today the Republicans very closely resemble the corrupt Democrats they were elected to replace. As a result we Americans have 2 parties in power and neither of which is really looking out for us-- the voters. Both parties are most concerned in taking credt for everything that goes right and placing blame on the opposition for everything that goes wrong. Rather than conceding that the opposition might sometimes have a good idea worth listening to, they'd sooner vote it down because-- heaven forbid "the other guy" gets credit for doing something right.

And here I am, an everyday Joe of a voter sick of the whole bloody mess-- America needs another Abe Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt-- a president who doesn't take shit from anyone and has the best interests of the American public-- not the lobbyists on K street with the biggest bank accounts on his or her mind!

Things are a mess in Washington and while Bush may be partially responsible-- I'd say Congress is just as-- if not even moreso-- responsible for the mess. And the only direction the fingers should be pointed at is at themselves-- regardless of party affiliation!

Goodness Gracious we came in at the end
No sex that isn't dangerous, no money left to spend
We're the cleanup crew for parties
we were too young to attend
Goodness Gracious me.--
Goodness Gracious by Kevin Gilbert (from his album Thud)