Republicans choking on their own success (A bit of a happy ramble)

I wish I could say it was all part of the plan, but no. The democrats did TRY to win the last election, but the eastern democrats chose an ineffective eastern candidate over a general and former head of NATO as the candidate to challenge a bumbling, language mangling, incumbent whose STRENGTH was his internationally despised, ill-conceived foreign policy.

In spite of the Dems eternal wretchedness in choosing candidates, the Democrats almost stole the presidential election in Ohio---despite a heavy national lean to the republican party overall.

But what can you say. The Democrats were handed an incumbent opponent with a 49% approval rating --- practically a guaranteed loser --- and they "mislead" their party to a near landslide defeat.

Obviously, election day 2004 was a bitter day for liberals everywhere. The thought at the time was that this landslide defeat might be the end of the democratic party (not a bad idea IMO, but a vast overreaction...Again IMO). With Bush back as President and the House AND the Senate firmly controlled by Republican majorities nothing would prevent the Religious Reich from implementing their agenda. Roe v. Wade would fall. The rich would be further released from a significant tax burden. America would continue to invade countries we don't like. The American government would continue to spend money to win stupid wars at any cost while the country falls further and further into debt. And, of course, liberals would be blamed for it for disagreeing. (Because we are all, admittedly, whiney bitches.)

Well, based off the last 6 months, I could not be happier with the prospects for the next 3 years at least.

The Republican's political success is....well....a big fat pretzel.

So far they have put themselves up against the supreme court in a notably contentious way. (A frustrated Tom DeLay made statements that seemed intended to imply congress would wreak their righteous holy vengeance on the supreme court's powers and funding for not going along with the Reich's agenda. Some media have taken DeLay's words to imply that he is --- in old school KKK politician style --- openly suggesting that someone might take some righteous fury out by trying to kill a judge. The reporting suggests DeLay's words were irresponsible at best, reprehensible at worst.)

They have tried to manipulate the system to achieve a political+religious goal (Trying to keep Terri S. Alive despite the fact the courts had already followed due process on the matter in a professional and thorough manner.)

The media appears to have caught DeLay in an honest-to-gosh ethical scandal. There appears to be enough smoke to launch and investigation into DeLay, but DeLay has had an active role in making changes to ethics committee rules that makes it impossible for an investigation into his ethics to occur without a republican crossing the line.

Republicans wear their "morals" like bulletproof vests, but their lack of ethics are proving more difficult to obscure.

The Republican leadership is learning that "yes, Bush's economic plan is in fact pretty much the same one that had the economy on it's knees for the last 4 years". Being able to give approval on policies that don't work won't buy you much goodwill with the public.

The trade deficit has hit an all-time record.

Gas prices are at ridiculous highs.

We continue to borrow money for things that do not help our Infastructure and will not make us MORE capable of paying off this debt.

The economy appears faltering which suggests interest rates are NOT going to go back up much. That in turn means that banks will have to work MUCH harder to make loans --- meaning they will have to offer more loans to less qualified candidates at these reduced rates to make the kind of money they need to make. That in turn mean more defaults. More bankruptcies. More bank bailouts.

Congressional approval rating is at a deserved 37%.

I cannot wait for the next election. As it will not be a presidential election, the eastern democrats who chose lame candidate after lame candidate will not be able to undermine this group of Republican's work.

2008? Well. That still looks like a date with disaster. It appears the Dem front runners are Hillary Clinton (a woman) and Obama (a black man). Great candidates for a proudly chauvinistic and racist electorate.

Oh well. We can only hope that sane Republicans (like John McCain) can save the day and squeeze empty shill Rudy Giuliani and backwoods asshole Jeb Bush out of the presidential picture in 2008. Maybe we could actually have a red, white, and blue America again, instead of a red one and a blue one.