It's the Something, Stupid

I keep vacillating between the fact that Democrats retaking power means
(a) doom and gloom
(b) absolutely nothing

Aside from the idiots who voted for Cantwell, I'm not sure I care too much. I long for the days of youth when life was simpler. Seriously, ignorance is bliss.

Bloomberg suggested that this would mean a rise in minimum wage (which doesn't seem like it could really be a bad thing) a cut in defense spending and possibly a cap to drug prices (probably a good thing?) and most assuredly an increase in taxes and probably additional investment in corn-based ethanol.

They pointed to the down opens of the four largest restaurant chains (McDonalds, Yum!, D-something and Starbucks) and largest retailers (Wal*Mart, Target, K-Sears, Home Depot and Federated) as proof of investor's displeasure with a rise in minimum wage, Boeing, Lockheed and others for military spending and Pfizer and others for drug caps. On the flip, they showed up opens for HMOs and Medical Prescription Drug plan offerers. And they showed an up on the corn-based ethanol providers and down on oil companies (suggesting oil exploration and research subsidies would be re-allocated towards more research into ethanol). CNBC chimed in to say that we'll soon be seeing excess production of ethanol to far exceed demand. And Newsweek and others have said that we'll ironically see a corn-as-food-shortage.

If Bush were smart (I'll give you a minute to stop laughing while I try to keep from bursting out laughing), he'd just start conceeding their demands, left and left. There's campaign ads for 2008 should be starting in about three days and that's not much time to try to swing people's sentiment back.

Zakaria had a great article on MSNBNewsweek recently that I don't have time to go look up at the moment. He suggested that today is the day to start tackling an issue on which George Bush, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Rudy Gulliani and at least one other large name I can't remember are all in solidarity on -- their solution to immigration, including a guest worker visa program, a clear path to legal immigration for current illegal immigants and other things that go along with that. He pointed to Clinton's (Bill, that is) working with the Republicans to get NAFTA passed because he knew it was the right thing for the country and that the Democrats wouldn't go for it. That the reverse opportunity now presents itself... Could Bush go around the Republicans to get this done?

I don't see it happening. I think if he even tried, Cheney would shoot off George's face.

It's so frustrating that the party I most identify is made up of a bunch of clueless frigging idiots who are incredibly media unsavvy.

When, oh, when will a sane third option come about? Care for the environment? Then you must also choose to support gay marriage and abortion. Care about lower taxes and world stability and protecting unborn children? Then you must also support the right for everyone to have guns and possess the desire to break and destroy things and kill people in other countries.

The sermon in church this weekend was really great, about how people seek external peace instead of internal peace. I know that sounds like a segue and an interesting topic, but of course, now I'm out of time.