THE CAMPAIGN ISSUE NOBODY'S MENTIONED.

Today, a new independent report commissioned by Congress is in the news. According to the study, the U.S. military is unprepared for a catastrophic attack on the U.S. This is mainly about what's left of our National Guard since Iraq. But, for me, it's just the latest certification that the vital and important traditional functions of our government have been allowed to deteriorate to a dangerous extent over the past eight years. Maybe longer; maybe there's blame to be shared by the previous administration.

But, it seems to me that the Republican administration of George W. Bush has taken an exceptional ultraconservative glee in throwing sand in the gears of our government structure and vital organs wherever it could. Aside from the military damage they've done, misusing the forces we had, any regulatory or functioning government program or agency you can name has been either allowed to under-perform or actively sabotaged by this administration.

So, I say, fine, let's have the big Iraq debate, though that issue is settled in most minds. Sure, go ahead and prognosticate on fixing health care. Wrestle with immigration; that's a fine time-waster a few of us can get riled up about. But I'll vote for the party and the candidate that understands what awful shape our government is in and rolls out a credible plan for fixing it. Tell me who you'll appoint to head Defense, State, Justice, FDA, EPA, CIA, and the rest of the bollixed up, demoralized, but vital bureaucracies. Give me your legislative and administrative plan for undoing the damage of the past eight years. Don't just badmouth our big government. Make it work for us. Democrat, Republican, or independent. If you get this, you've got my vote.

What to write about...let me see...

Why should I have trouble coming up with something to write about in an election year? Should be enough hype flying around to keep me in topics the rest of the year.

Actually, it's good that people are now casting actual votes. It's not so predictable as past years, either. I think the stupidity -- Bush's, Congress's, and ours (come on, we elected 'em) -- has knocked something loose. We're all mad enough to pay attention to the process this year. We also, apparently, don't feel so useless as in the past, and have decided not to let nuts and ad people make our decisions for us.

More people will vote this year than in past years. Bravo. And, I think we also have much better BS radar than ever before. No thanks to the pundits and press camp-followers. At least those folks are beating themselves up this time, instead of rationalizing. Leave that to the candidates and their agents. I'm really looking forward to the big Tuesday. I'm actually feeling confident.

This is a great country. The macho presidency is, like all past entourages, winding down. And we're still here.

HOLIER THAN BURMA?

I'd feel a little more righteous about President Bush's strong statement and sanctions against the Burmese government today (he even has Laura out speaking on the subject) if we weren't so famous now for Guantanamo and "rendition."

KEEPING MYSELF POLITICALLY SANE.

I watched President Bush's news conference this morning (9/20) on NBC. I found the President clear, cogent, and convincing in his answers and positions, even those regarding Iraq, which I still believe was a blunder. I say this because I, like a lot of people I'm sure, tend to stay in a zone of anger about the Bush administration. I think it was good to watch a news conference live and suspend my attitudes for an hour; to try for something like objectivity. Or at least fairness. Media marketers provide us with abundant opportunities to stay in our comfort zones, reinforcing our rifts. Pandering. Fairness is not in style. I tried it for an hour this morning and I feel better. It was a good workout. I recommend it.

CONTEMPT OF US.

It is now clear that only prerecorded voices looping gibberish are speaking for the U.S. Executive branch. I can only conclude that we all have access to privileged information and our government officials do not.

Administration spokesmen sound like nothing so much as Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, Saddam Hussein's last Information Minister, who called a press conference as American tanks rumbled by outside, announcing there were no American troops in Baghdad. In fact, the Americans were committing suicide by the hundreds at the city's gates. Comical Ali, they called him.

Our government's latest slapstick communication, as reported in this NY Times editorial, a faceless minion answered Senator Hillary Clinton's direct question to Defense Secretary Gates about planning for troop withdrawal with this drivel:

“...premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq.”

No wonder even loyal Republican lawmakers are looking green around the gills. Never mind Contempt of Congress. This is Contempt of Country.

They're not an attractive bunch, I admit, but I believe Congress is the only branch of government that may be able to turn this brain-dead administration around. Keep up the pressure on your representative to keep the heat on the Bush administration to change Iraq policy. www.house.gov - www.senate.gov -- just enter your state or Zip code to find your Senator or Representative.

It also occurs to me that a general slowdown by the bureaucracy could help stop this nonsense. I call upon all loyal career professionals in our national civil service to stand up to the political appointees and for the people. I'm not sure we can wait another eighteen months to change direction.

THE SENATE'S ALL-NIGHTER.

Yesterday on the Today Show, Lindsay Graham admitted he didn't lose any sleep--he went to bed. What can we say about the Democrats' marathon filibuster buster? I guess the question here is, how shall we structure our time between now and January 2009, when a new President and Vice President and, thus, administrative branch, are sworn in?

George W. Bush thinks he's winning. He's going to go down with his ship and he's trying to take us with him. For better or, more likely, worse, it's the way our system works. I wonder who could convince him and Cheney that they could be remembered as wise Americans who came to their senses before it was too late? Is there time for an impeachment trial?

Congress can't get anything done. They. Can't. Get. Anything. Done. Can anyone hear me?

In other, less mature comfortable countries, this would be the moment the Army steps in. In Gaza, one political party ran the other out of town. Thank God we don't do that in the U.S.A.

Ahem, well, here's my voice: Wake up, Senator, Congressperson. Get together on passing a law against George Bush's brain. And make sure you've got the votes to override a veto.

FEET TO THE FIRE.

I just wrote emails to my Senators, to make sure they keep the pressure on the Bush Administration to change direction in Iraq. Despite the smoke the President and his lieutenants--not to mention his generals--blow about how much progress they're making with the "just started" surge, they still act as if everybody's asking them to pull out of Iraq tomorrow or the next day. That's never been the case, and it's time we got the message through to Bush and Cheney that we're not buying that. We need to see a real change in direction, in the interest of our security and the health of our troops. You don't have to have top secret clearance to sense that we're in World War III (Pakistan, London, to name two current fronts outside of Iraq) and we're tied down in Iraq. Not that sending conventional brigades on classic invasions is going to work against this enemy. Republican, Democrat, or whatever, write your representatives today.

WHITE HOUSE SURGE IN PRESS CIVIL WAR.

Don't doubt for a minute it's a civil war. Today's exchanges are typical. This morning the New York Times reported that White House occupants are debating new Iraq war policies. A few hours later, Reuters reports, Tony Snow denied it. Count yourself fortunate. You live in America, where it's legal to challenge a secretive President. Begin to worry when the press stops reporting everything they hear, immediately. And keep demanding to know why.

PARDON ME?

Look. Jerry Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, before he was even charged with anything. George H.W. Bush pardoned the Iran Contra guys. Bill Clinton pardoned Mark Rich, one of his bigtime money people. If we want to change this odious practice, we have to get serious about helping our Senators and Representatives enforce the laws they make. So, look to yourself, not at the hype. We're all to blame for putting up with it. So, get off your duff and do something about it.

[AFTERTHOUGHT: Actually, I should have said, If we want to change this odious corruption of this much-needed clemency power...]

THE WARTIME PRESIDENCY.

It's a different kind of war, Bush and Cheney say, therefore new and extraordinary actions must be taken. If it's so completely different from what we've fought before, why are they running a World War II-style security and secrecy system, from a time when we were under threat of attack and infiltration from frighteningly competent, stunningly well-organized countries. Almost nothing about this War on Terrorism remotely resembles World War II, when the U.S. economy was transformed to a weapons machine, right down to the recycling of tin cans and the rationing of butter and gasoline--America was a different place for those four years. And, significantly, it was united. Today, only Americans directly related to members of the military stand to sacrifice for our cause. How did we let this go on long enough for Messrs. Bush and Cheney to be working on their memorial libraries? How small these libraries will necessarily be; their contents will almost certainly be classified.

BLOOMBERG'S BOLD MOVE.

Don't get me wrong. Everybody who flirts with running for President of the United States makes a bold move. But I think Michael Bloomberg's departure from the Republican Party is uniquely bold, and, in terms of politics-hype, brilliant. Every new-lead-desperate media monster (read: all of them) is talking about him this week, not just in the media capitals, but out in the heartland, too. You can find every last ort of the story reported and masticated. Just Ask or Google Michael Bloomberg. In today's bits-per-second world it was all out there in about as long as it took to run spellcheck. 

Never mind what he's saying (I'm not running). He's the first in--to the inevitable, much needed test-marketing of the non-elephant-non-donkey in the room. The new American third party. Other than the inescapable fact, for me, that the next president can't be Republican...now I'm getting excited about the possibilities.  

WHAT IS INTELLIGENCE?

I remember a moment of realization I had, not long ago. George W. Bush was on TV, saying something like, '...my decisions are based on deeply held beliefs."

It dawned on me: His decisions are not based on current facts. This explains almost everything.

TODAY'S HYPE WATCH.

Of course you know to watch how the Deny-er absorbs issues and clasps them to himself, ignoring recent facts. E.g., sorta-quote: "If you want to make sure your troops are getting what they need, write your Congressman, or your Senator." No longer operative: Rumsfeld's heartfelt exposition of Administration policy, sorta-quote: "You go to war with the army you've got." Even after even the usually flaccid voters chop him down to size, it ain't an issue until Bush says it's an issue, and the Democrats' fault. That is very high quality hype, pal. Later.

WE VOLUNTEERED.

I remember hearing President Bush mention in passing, several times, that we have an all-volunteer military. Could he have thought that we wouldn't be affected by watching thousands of them come back in coffins or without limbs, because they knew what they were getting into? I really don't want to believe this, but I do.

PRIORITY ONE, CONGRESS, MR. PRESIDENT. IRAQ.

Just to make sure you got the message. Don't even start talking about taxes, or drugs, or even Halliburton, until you get us on the road out of Iraq. It isn't simple, and it'll be a fight. Bring it on.

WORDS OF OUR TIMES.

Bill Clinton gave intern a whole new meaning. Mark Foley did the same for flirt. And, in so many ways, George W. Bush defines torture. Imagine yourself living through the next two years. No wonder the marching types are marching.

Photo on 10/6 Seattle Times front page. The story, if you're checking in later.