Vote early and often

If you need some relief from the relentlessness of the current drive to unseat the Bushies and all their works, take a peak at Edwin O'Conner's 1956 book, The Last Hurrah. Loosely based on the life of James Michael Curley, perennial mayor of Boston, governor, representative, and jailbird, the book will make you laugh until you cry, and cry until you laugh.

And "vote early and often" is actually from a campaign song for Curley. That's what we need right now--a campaign song. I just can't decide which of our great pols it should feature. There are so many who would be perfect subjects.

Romania and USCIS

In the wake of 911, our government no longer represents the people. It represents itself, and that is quite different. Here's a case in point:

My church, a large Unitarian Universalist congregation in St. Paul, has a partner relationship with a Unitarian village in Romania. Our tradition is to bring people here every other year. We have brought the minister of the Transylvanian village church, and an elderly couple who had never been on an airplane until they visited us in 2002. We had hoped to bring two younger couples to visit us this year. Guess what: they were turned down by USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service) after travelling over the mountains to the US Consultate in Bucharest. Because they did not have "compelling" (USCIS language, not mine) reasons to return to Romania, the two couples were denied visas.

What is "compelling"? You might well ask. These folks are substantial village citizens, church-goers, land owners, and parents. This was not enough for the United States, which apparently fears that these Romanians will become a drain on the body politic. On appeal, the USCIS reversed itself, offering a compromise. The two women can come to the US, leaving their menfolk behind, adding to the existing hostages--children, the farm animals, the house, the barn, the parents, and the jobs.

Is this retalliation for the Romanian president having the temerity to ask the US to drop visia requirements? Whatever the reason, this is pretty sad. But they are coming, which is great. I hope we can show them that not all US citizens are afraid and that our present government's fearmongering is not representative.

John Kerry does it again

Come on, John. Why give in to the fearful Democrats, and the incessant marketing of the Bushies? Tell it like it is, which is that what you said about being stuck in Iraq is nothing compared to the "weapons of mass destruction", "yellowcake" and the rest of the bald lies that have come out of this administration.

You don't need to pander to these guys. You don't tell jokes very well, but are you so weak in the knees that you can't stand up to idiots? You know, and I know, that picking on you is an act of desperation. Why not just toss it back at them and hope it explodes?

Dick and Harry

I went to a Halloween party this weekend. The prize costume was a two man show, one dressed up as Dick Cheney in full hunting gear, the other as the hapless Harry Whittington, complete with buckshot all over his face.

And Dick Cheney is the guy who is telling anyone who will listen that if we allow the Congress to slide in the direction of the Dems, the terrorists will win. Doesn't this sound a little desperate? I thought, silly me, that the possibility of changing your government peacefully was one of those blessings of democracy that we were trying to impose on the Iraqi people. I must have misunderstood ....maybe I have buckshot in my ears and don't know it.