[PornoDoggy]

Colin, you are correct ... I overreacted to your initial statement. Looking at it in a different light (and with some sleep and a couple of cups of coffee), it isn't the biased attack that I initially thought. Would it be okay with you if I used a little bit of catsup with this crow?

I still think there was a political reason for releasing the information about the twelve suspected terrorists we haven't arrested yet. Not conspiratorial - political. Look - the Democrats play politics, the Republicans play politics, and dogs bite postmen. Some Democrats would have supported a war under Clinton that will oppose it under Bush (and the reverse is just as true about some Republicans). Some of the very same Republicans who were livid about Democrats "obstructing" President Bush's judicial appointees dragged their feet and stalled on Clinton nominees for the same judicial seats.

Diehard partisans of both parties will tell you that I'm lying, that their guys love Mom, apple pie, the flag, and that the other guys don't love 'em as much. The true morons will declare that the other guys are traitors and fifth-columnists and conspirators and whatever the hell else. My reading of American history indicates to me that it's been true since the 1830s at least - and probably will always be true.

I don't believe that the jackboots of the facists will show up at my doorstep tomorrow because the Republicans are in control right now. I am not concerned about the immenient demise of American democracy, or to be politically correct for the more right-wing readers, the American democratic republic. That doesn't mean I like some of the things that I see going on.

I don't want to see American foreign policy go back to the days when we would overthrow even a duly-elected government that we opposed, or replace one despot with another who was different only because he took payola from the U.S. - and IMHO that's the direction this adminstration seems to be heading. I don't want to see a return to the old days when law enforcement could spy on American citizens for political reasons. Designation of American citizens as "enemy combatants", denying the accused access to counsel, or even private access to counsel, are things that worry me - a lot. Welfare for religious organizations (a form of political pandering no Democrat would have the balls to attempt) and this Administration's attempt to return to the "God" standard bothers me a lot.

Does it mean the Republic will fall? No, probably not. Does it mean there are troubles ahead? Yes, I believe it does.