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(flag pin included)

Projection Politics

Clint Eastwood’s speech at this year’s Republican National Convention proved to us that there’s a Barack Obama only conservatives can see. We’ve all heard about him on Fox News, the secret Muslim who rode Affirmative Action into the White House in order to institute Sharia Law and mandate abortions. We just can’t see him the way true conservatives can. 

In fact, the last four years of American politics was summed up nicely by Eastwood’s presentation; an angry white guy shouting about a make-believe president for the benefit of a Republican audience. 

A lot of Democrats claim the whole conservative push-back is because of racism, but I don’t think that's the heart of the problem. I mean, we’ve all heard someone attack another based on personal grounds rather than solid facts. The attacker doesn’t know much but is emotionally invested in the argument, so he resorts to what he can improvise. And when it comes to an African American president, I think a lot of conservatives don’t pay attention to politics, they don’t read legislation, and so they fall back on what they know… racism and anti-government rhetoric.

the Question

Corporation Limits

Every time I hear how corporations are the job creators in this country, I want to punch their collective mouthpiece. Jobs are created because of need. People need a good or service long before a business can provide it to us. It’s not the other way around. 

Jobs don’t magically appear because some boardroom executive says so. Business managers don’t descend from on high to bless us with their mighty powers of prestidigitation. It only appears that way to them because consumers have been reduced to figures on spreadsheets. Our numbers are displayed across briefings and business charts, masking our human needs as demographical trends. Corporations use those numbers to make decisions about workflow to maximize their success. But what they are quantifying is human need. It probably helps them sleep at night to think about numbers instead of people. 

Indigent Care & You

It sickens me to watch a winning issue like health care lose ground to utter lunacy. Remember how we started all this? With warnings about rationed care and death panels for grandma, and now, a Socialist coup in the form of an insurance mandate. These are steaming piles of stupidity hurled from people who don’t even try to know about the things they argue against. It’s madness to debate. 

Here’s a perfect example. The Co-Founder of Tea Party Patriots, Jenny Beth Martin, debated the insurance mandate on the MARCH 26, 2012 EDITION of Hardball with Chris Matthews. Toward the end of the segment, Matthews asked her how she would pay for health care if she were in an auto accident out of state. Her response reveals how absolutely clueless she is about what she's saying:

Weapons of (Culture) War

Let’s face it: issuing a PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM in favor of LGBT rights isn’t exactly legislation, but it’s a bold stance for Obama nonetheless. It commits the United States to one side of a global debate on various gay, lesbian, and transgendered issues, a debate that has yet to be resolved among Americans. 

Though approval of gays and lesbians HAS INCREASED over the years, there’s still a core of Americans who steadfastly refuse to validate LGBT issues. Two Republican presidential candidates rushed forward to CAPTURE THE HATE VOTE by condemning Obama’s recent support of the LGBT community. Rick Santorum spoke with his usual passivity, referring to the gay lifestyle as apart from what is traditional. Rick Perry was more cavalier about it, pitting gay soldiers against Santa Claus in a campaign ad. To Perry and others like him, Obama is “waging war on traditional values” by supporting gays and lesbians. 

Yeah, about that whole culture war thing… remember that conservatives raised their religious beliefs as a weapon against the LGBT community not long ago. Back in 2004, the question of the sanctity of marriage was Issue 1 on ballots across the country. Conservatives shamelessly flogged their “traditional values” to galvanize the vote and reelect a Republican president. And it worked. 

But when you elevate an issue to national scrutiny, it doesn’t go away so easily. Gays and lesbians remained visible long after George Bush’s second term began, on television, in advertising, in jokes, in the news. People took another look at gay relatives and coworkers. Obviously, such scrutiny worked in favor of the LGBT community over time. It worked so well, an American president finally spoke of their struggles to a global audience. 

So really, if there’s a war on traditional values, it’s because culture warriors wage it constantly, brandishing those values like so many knives. When religious beliefs are invoked on the national level, people get a chance to scrutinize those beliefs, maybe even see through them. Social conservatives would be wise to learn from this. 

the Mandate Debate

In March of next year, the U.S. Supreme Court will REVIEW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT signed into law by President Obama. Not the whole law, mind you, just the mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance. For example, one Florida official suggests such a mandate threatens personal liberty: 

“We have urged swift judicial resolution because of the unprecedented threat that the individual mandate poses to the liberty of Americans simply because they live in this country,” said Pam Bondi, Attorney General for the state. And twenty-five other states roughly agree.

Americans are mandated to purchase certain forms of insurance already, such as liability insurance for drivers or earthquake insurance for Californians. Opponents of the health insurance mandate argue that those other mandates are not the same. They say that we don’t have to own a home or drive a car in this country, so we should be able to wiggle out of health insurance coverage as well. 

But in order for this logic to work, they would have to figure out a way to avoid participating in American health care before they avoid paying for insurance. See, this is the real tyranny coming down on the anti-Affordable Care folks. The potential to get hurt is very real in our lives, and so is the potential to be cared for by the healthcare industry. 

God forbid, we could choke at a restaurant. We could get in a serious auto accident. We could get hurt on the job and be required to visit an emergency room. There’s not a lot of opportunity to opt out of care while you’re severely bleeding or unconscious. But there is a way to avoid paying for medical treatment. Several ways, in fact. 

That's the point. People need health care all the time for unexpected and costly problems, but since many are not insured, they duck payment or declare poverty. That cost then shifts to the hospitals, doctors’ offices, and eventually, the insured patients who visit those health care providers. All of which makes this a matter of national commerce. 

Hey, I don’t like buying more insurance, but I can’t think of a way to guarantee that I’ll never use health care without paying. Can any of you?

Occupied by the People

I’m not surprised that Republicans and members of the Tea Party are bashing the protesters at OCCUPY WALL STREET. First, it’s an impossible movement to co-opt, as opposed to the Tea Party’s blatant sponsorship by American Crossroads and copious Koch Brothers’ cash.  Second, demonstrations have appeared in every major American city, including overseas locations like Britain and Africa, making it much larger than the Tea Party. And third, both reasons 1 & 2 make the established one percent of American wealthy very nervous indeed. 

Really though, that seems the goal of the demonstrations: to show their frustration. They are the pent up energy in America today, and they’re finally letting it out. I’ve heard many talking heads scream for the Occupy Wall Street crowds to focus on a message, or to reach out to members of Congress. But doing so could corrupt this movement like it did with the Tea Party. Besides, legislation is not their responsibility. Other, more connected individuals who are sympathetic to the cause will push for legislation. Average Americans do their part by voting and by signing petitions for issues they care about. AND by expressing their outrage when their voices are ignored. 

I’ve seen a couple amendments and petitions appear since the movement sprung to life a month ago. Dillan Ratigan has been extremely outspoken about the need to GET MONEY OUT of politics. More familiar organizations like the NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK have scheduled demonstrations appealing to congressional figures to act on jobs legislation. Even corporations like BEN & JERRY’S Ice Cream have endorsed the Occupy Wall Street movement as something that’s long overdue. 

As for a message from Occupy Wall St. (et. al), they repeatedly remind the media and anyone watching that they are the 99% ... the vast majority of American citizens. And by citizens, they mean WARM BODIES as opposed to COLD HARD CASH. They’re proving their wealth in numbers day by day. Keep it peaceful, gang, and keep it up!

The 'Job Creators'

With the rise of the OCCUPY WALL STREET protests in New York City, there’s been a lot of legitimate discussion about money in politics. I say ‘legitimate’ because the protesters aren’t spewing political talking points like ‘no taxes’ or ‘less spending.’ They’re pointing to the financial sector, not Washington D.C., as the source of the problem. Politicians loosened the reigns on Wall St., but bankers and corporate entities were the ones running amok, taking radical risks at the expense of the stability of our country. 

Which makes it all the more gut wrenching when I hear politicians shill for corporate and financial interests. We’ve heard them for almost a year now spewing nonsense. “Big businesses, banks and lenders, millionaires and billionaires… they create jobs in this country.” Yeah, thanks for placing the cart before the horse. The truth is that businesses ONLY create jobs when those jobs improve their ability to serve more customers and clientele and thus make more money. Consumers need those few extra dollars in their hands FIRST before greedy assholes can get at them with products and services and not for profit donations. 

In any other conversation, you’d be crazy to suggest that a business would hire employees without sufficient consumer demand to justify that hiring. And yet, this same bullshit passes for logical discourse in Congress. In fact, certain politicians are getting all misty-eyed about hurting or overtaxing those innocent, patriotic tycoons. Because if we question the financial sector or the Free Marketeers, they get real bad scared and withhold prosperity for the rest of America.

Average Americans are starting to see through the politicorporate spin, the constant campaign to define our reality for us. They’ve taken to the streets across the country in protest. And it’s a good step, but it’s not the only step the 99% of Americans can take against our financial overlords... Are you sitting down? Because most people don’t like the second option available to them. Won’t even acknowledge it...

If we want to take back power from corporate interests, and we don’t want to fight with the police on Wall St., we could always stop consuming so much. Right? We can stop feeding that beast so much. We could try and be satisfied with less. That way, we’d have fewer wants and needs that corporate interests could capitalize on. 

Yes, the richest 1% would survive; they’ve been making money off of their money for years, and that won’t stop any time soon. But that 1% won’t thrive. They won’t have opportunities for growth. It would be a kick to a crotch that has so far lorded high above us. Talk about power!

Boehner Disfunction

Never let 'em see you sweat from your eyes...

FWD: CHECK THE LABEL

The following is one of the countless forward messages I receive from my family. Since it's a great idea, I thought I'd share. DR

Diane Sawyer has a special reporting coming up this week on America’s addiction to imported goods. They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class home that were not made in the USA. There were hardly any items left beside the kitchen sink. Literally. Durng the special, they are going to show truckloads of items made in the USA delivered to replace the items removed, how to find those items, and the difference in prices. 

Diane said that if every American spent just $64 (more than normal) on USA made products this year, it would create something like 200,00 new jobs. It made me think!! 

ABC World News w/ Diane Sawyer: Made in America 

CHECK THE LABEL!! 

Look for this whenever you can.

I was buying food the other day at Walmart. On the label of some products, it said ‘from China’. For example, the “Our Family” brand of Mandarin oranges say right on the can ‘from China’. So, for a few more cents, I bought the “Dole” brand since it’s from California. 

American markets continue to offer Chinese products, the same products that have proven inferior and sometimes even toxic when consumed. 70% of Americans believe that trading privileges afforded to China should be suspended… so why do we need the government to suspend them? DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA!! Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says ‘Made in China’ or ‘PRC’, choose another product or none at all. You’ll be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese imports. 

Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. And Easter is just one example. The point is, don’t wait for the government to act. You are the consumer. You can assume control on your own. CONSIDER THIS: if 200 million Americans each refuse to buy $20 in Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor, and fast!! 

The downside? Some American businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. WAAAAHH!! We’re sending a message to them. Start supporting American goods and services again. START NOW! Show them that we are Americans and nobody can take us for granted. If we can’t live without cheap Chinese goods, we deserve what we get. 

Pass it on, America!!!

CORPORATE LAPDOG

As the debate heats up over whether the Republican Party is benefiting from foreign campaign donations, I wanted to make sure this little gem gets plenty of air time:

So... did Rove answer the question about foreign campaign contributions?  He hems and haws for a couple minutes before Stephanopolous gets specific.  Let's check the transcript:

Stephanopolous: "Can you guarantee that none of the money, none of the funding going to groups that you support, that you're raising money for comes from foreign entities?"

Rove: "We do not solicit foreign entities, and we tell people that we- we will not accept foreign money and that it is illegal since 1907 for a- for foreign money to be involved in an American political campaign.  We have it on our- on our materials that no foreign money can or will be received.  And let me just tell ya, all the area codes I'm dialing are in the United States."

Obviously the emphasis is mine here.  Rove made sure we knew he wasn't ASKING for foreign donations.  He emphasized that his organization was TELLING the American people a specific message, and that such a message was included on the materials they use to solicit donations.  Nowhere did I hear a clear denial of the charges.  I heard artful dodges and deflections.

Now, I'm not saying Karl Rove is a lying douche bag, or that politicians have perfected the art of talking around questions they don't want to answer.  In fact, through several different postings on WORDfudge, I've advocated for facts above name calling and partisan rhetoric. But, well, you get the message.

EXHIBITS A, B, C, D...

Recently, the NAACP called on members of the Tea Party and other people of good will to repudiate the racist elements showing up at Tea Party rallies and protests. The resolution from the NAACP was specifically crafted so that the Tea Party would not be targeted as a whole. And yet spokespeople and celebrity Teabaggers have come out swinging against this resolution. They claim the movement is only engaged in political dissent in an age of government largess.

News flash! There's a ton of photographic evidence out there of racism running wild at Tea Party rallies. I searched "tea party + racism" on Google and found dozens, and it only took me thirty minutes. Here are some of the worst:

When you have to rewrite your racial slur so it's spelled correctly, is that irony? Or just par for the course?

Racism isn't any cuter when you get the kids involved, people. Sorry.

Obama has to be a Muslim... he's black. Right?

Yeah, I know, disgusting. But you gotta admit... the president looks pretty fly in this pic!

Wasn't it enough for her to call the President of the United States a liar? Why did she have to bring Africa into it?

The term 'half breed' specifically targets race, in case there was any confusion.

This picture makes me sick... so sorry to post it.

The racism started LONG before Obama became our 44th president.

Blurry, but you get the picture. And I'm still bitter that the Tea Party uses images of the Joker in their slander.

This sign was going so well until he decided to equate a brown man with al Qaeda.

This is when it started getting personal for me, cuz you know I love Michelle Obama. My girl!

The tea bagger's grasp of American history. Alas.

I made a collage like this in high school, and mine was just as factual. I got an 'F'.

Disagree with his healthcare policy all you want, but why did you have to bring voodoo into it? I'll tell you why... racism.

It's pretty sad when your only exposure to the black community was 'In Living Color'. That was the 90s dude, catch up.

And if a bunch of rednecks act like fools, will we still call it 'white power'?

This was sent out by an elected official as a holiday greeting card. Because Christmas is sacred.

Good old fashioned Civil War era racism here... vintage.

I believe in some of those things too. Where's my turban? Oh right, I'm white.

And since the bigotry and hatred in the Tea Party is not aimed solely at African Americans, I thought I'd add this pic. In this guy's defense, I've heard Barney Frank is hung like a purple dinosaur. Oy!

PHWEW! That was a terribly painful internet search to conduct. Keep in mind, I didn't select pictures with nooses in them because, honestly, I saw a few toward the end of Bush's second term. Nor did I select signs that spoke of Obama as a Fascist, Marxist, Communist, Socialist, or member of the Nazis. Those are technically political arguments which honor the spirit of the First Amendment. And besides, I don't see many tea baggers using those terms properly, which is embarrassing enough for them.

Members of this political party need to recognize, whether they like it or not, they are debating our first African American president. So when racism enters the debate, it makes tea baggers look like they're afraid of the person they are debating. They're focusing more on Obama than his policies. By all means, talk about taxation and spending and points of legislation coming out of the Obama administration. Don't allow racist comments and slurs to de-legitimize the message.

OUR PART

During a recent conversation on the Gulf Coast oil spill, I wondered aloud what it would take for the American people to push back against corporations like BP and hold them accountable. BP's response to this spill is particularly offensive given their FOURTH QUARTER FOR 2009. They could at least research ways to effectively contain and/or clean up the mess that's bound to come from drilling off-shore. Anything but floating worms and powders, top hats and funnels and giant plumes of fire shooting endlessly into the sky.

So I asked about my fellow Americans and what it would take to push back against crap like this. Imagine my surprise when I got this as a response: "What do the American people have to do with it? We elect a federal government to take care of those things."

Now before I wax patriotic, let's go back to September 10, 2008 when Americans discovered the federal agency in charge of oil regulation, the Minerals Management Service (MMS), was LITERALLY IN BED with the lobbyists they dealt with. Actually fornicating and snorting drugs with corporate personnel, sometimes on federal property. The Obama Administration is in the process of RESTRUCTURING that agency, but in the meantime, the oil fields and drilling born from all that collusion and debauchery cover the globe. How long before we can verify that other facilities haven't cut corners or neglected regular maintenance? How many more Gulf Coast disasters are waiting to happen?

In theory, I can see where my friend was coming from with his response. We elect a government to act on behalf of us, right? We forget that some of "us" are corporations and banks, and in America, THEY'RE PEOPLE TOO. The whole issue of corporate personhood has twisted the Fourteenth Amendment to allow shady practices and rampant social agendas to go unchecked for a while. Corporations have a right to lobby the government on behalf of their interests, and wow do they have persuasive resources. Cocaine and whores for everyone!! Casual Friday ad infinitum!!

(Cue patriotic music.) If you really want to break it down, we as a collective society elect a government to provide a network of resources to get shit done. That's all. They help us achieve our objectives, whether it be security or oversight on the many other aspects of our lives. By it's very nature, a democracy acts as an amplifier for the people; otherwise, it's a dictatorship, or a military state, or a theocracy. We are the energy and the impetus. We are the reason the government acts at all. But we as citizens have to participate in that, loudly and often. Not just during election years. It's obvious that certain of our CORPORATE CITIZENS are participating. We have to compete with that.

Which brings me back to my original musings, where the American people hold corporations like BP accountable for the oil spill. It's obvious that we're not getting off of petroleum any time soon, nor is this essay an anti petroleum rant... I see that we use it for fuel, for plastics, for medicines and healthcare needs. But if we're going to keep up this addiction, at least in the short term, we have to do it smarter and safer. No more lives should be lost or devastated. No more wetlands destroyed by oil spills. And if we can't guarantee that, then we should not drill offshore.

I personally don't think the petroleum industry has much of a reason to innovate on their own. At least not until the oil dries up. Which is why Americans should make an example of BP. Sure, the equipment and manpower will be swept up by another competing company instantly, but we 'THE SMALL PEOPLE' would be sending a message to the industry. The rampant neglegance, lack of planning for disaster, and bullshit media strategies will not stand.

HEALTH CARE HYPOCRITES

It amazes me the number of people against health care reform who currently benefit from Medicare. Retired people no less, or folks on disability. They get all fired up about the evils of “socialism”, and yet when I remind them that Medicare is a government run program, they cling to federal assistance like it was their job. [wink]

There’s a huge disconnect here that anti reformists are unable or unwilling to see. So instead, I suggest we harness some of their populist rage and put it to better use... by shaming this double standard.

Consider the lopsided way federal assistance programs are funded in this country. Money paid into the system goes toward those people who are currently using the system. Our tax dollars are not held in some account with our names on it, waiting for us to come of age. It’s spent as soon as it's collected from us.

Which means the tax dollars used to support CURRENT Medicare recipients are taken from MY wages. That’s where the money comes from. And hey, I believe such a system should be in place, and that people who’ve paid their share into the system should be afforded some measure of security. But I have a problem with people arguing against my getting some form of assistance or reform or cost management, ESPECIALLY those who’ve stopped paying into the system (which is true for many recipients of Medicare). They should be BEGGING for wage earners like me to get some form of assistance, to help manage our finances, keep our heads above water and continue to pay into the system. The system that supports THEM.

It’s real simple: people who have federal tax dollars supporting THEIR health care needs should not argue against federal tax dollars used to support MY health care needs. Why should they get both?

TEA BAGGERS

The National Tea Party Convention for 2010 took place in Nashville this past weekend. I’d give you direct reporting of the event, but tickets were WAY out of my price range. Ah, but that’s what happens when a grass roots movement is sponsored by for-profit groups like Tea Party Nation. I keep hoping tea baggers will notice this, but so far only a couple people protested the sharp fees and requests for political donations.

My most important gripe with this group is one of historical fact. Attempts to identify the tea bagger movement as some modern-day Boston Tea Party are not only factually cross-eyed, but also disrespectful to the colonists in early Boston, Massachusetts.

British Parliament had just imposed the Tea Act on the American Colonies which would increase taxes once more. Colonists revolted, and succeeded in turning away shipments of the taxable goods in two different cities. And when problems surfaced in Boston, the colonists decided to send a message to the oppressive foreign power. They dumped the shipment of tea into the harbor.

Now, if modern day tea baggers were ANYTHING like the colonists in Boston, they would cast off the shackles of their oppression in symbolic gestures... like tossing taxable goods into a harbor. Lord knows there are plenty of opportunities to do this in today's world! Government run options for health care like Medicare and Medicaid. Retirement and disability insurance such as Social Security. Those two ALONE are a tremendous burden on taxable earnings.

And before they start in on me, I've heard the counter argument to what I’m saying here. "But dur, we can't get out of paying taxes for this stuff." Whiners. First of all, yes they can, or at least Joe the Plumber figured a way out of paying his. They should ask him. Second, if they VOLUNTARILY gave up using a few government resources, especially in a large voting block, they’d have the perfect argument to bring to their elected officials. They wouldn’t be using certain tax funded goods and services. They would acquire their own resources in the future.

If their movement proved one thing last year, it was that people CAN change a debate by mobilizing at public forums. Regardless of who mobilized them or how distorted the message became, they changed the debate. Period. Why not use this same momentum and actually toss some tea in the harbor? Go to the root of this argument. Work toward legislation that would allow for voluntary exclusion on certain programs. Give up the benefits as a gesture of the revolution taking place across the nation. In other words, show us you mean it.

But they won’t. They’ll argue out of one side of their mouth while feeding the other. This is why the term "tea bagger" is so appropriate for this populist movement. Not because of the balls-on-the-chin connotation, hardy har. It's because the members throw their tea into the harbor only long enough to froth and rally and protest... and then they pull that tea right back out again and save it for later. They argue against government while benefitting from government.

I've seen miserly old women do this with real tea bags. They keep a soggy one tucked away in a baggie in their purse, and use it over and over. By the end of the day, I’d imagine their drinking some pretty weak tea. That’s how the tea bagger message looks in the light of scrutiny: a lot of hot water and little substance, and very little sacrifice.

WHETHER TO ASK/TELL

Earlier this month, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn.) announced his sponsorship of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a prime piece of legislation said to undo Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I commend Rep. Murphy for doing this, particularly since this is his first term. It shows a willingness to champion principles over politics, something sorely missing from today's political climate.

Seems like everyone else has extreme views on this issue, which guarantees an emotionally charged debate that gets nothing done. So, I'm weighing in.

First, to the opposition. We are talking about war here people, not ridiculous Culture Wars crap. There are tax paying, law abiding, VOLUNTARILY ENLISTED men and women tossed out regularly, not for sexual misconduct, not because they cause problems in the military... simply because you aren't comfortable with them. No shred of evidence supports the notion that gays disrupt military procedures, but plenty suggests homophobes do.

That's what this is really about... coddling your inability to deal with homosexuals. In other words, OTHER PEOPLE are forced to adjust their lives because of YOUR issues. In gay culture we call that drama, and we have plenty of our own to deal with.

And to my gays (and gay sponsors), I say relax. President Obama is not going back on his values. He's honoring a balanced, coequal version of government. Rep. Murphy summed it up nicely: "The President doesn't want to clearly contradict U.S. law, even though I feel that this law is fundamentally wrong and discriminatory." That point cannot be stressed enough here folks. DADT is codified law, not just a fun slogan. Undoing it democratically will take effort, meaning lots of cosponsorships that we have to work for.

I know it hurts to wait, and I know there are people affected by this law frequently. I'm not trying to belittle the issue or loath my self here. Seriously though, the last thing we want is another president who errs on the side of only some Americans. I'm giving Obama time and space to shut down Guantanamo. After that, I'll be pissed right along with you!!

QUITTING = VICTORY

Well, if you're interested, here's the link to PALIN'S RESIGNATION from her post as governor. Many assume she's doing this to run for president in 2012... they asked the same of Pawlenty when he resigned, to which he said no, and yet we see him on the evening news programs every week. So we shall see.

But for now, this is a happy occasion. The culture wars have receded until such time as Americans are happy and prosperous and so have nothing better to think about than who should get married and what health care rights women should have access to. If you're interested, I took a particularly irksome portion of her press release and commented on it... check it out:

Some say things changed for me on August 29th last year – the day John McCain tapped me to be his running-mate – I say others changed. Let me speak to that for a minute. Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I've been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations – such as holding a fish in a photograph, wearing a jacket with a logo on it, and answering reporters’ questions. Every one – all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We’ve won! But it hasn't been cheap - the State has wasted thousands of hours of your time and shelled out some two million of your dollars to respond to “opposition research” – that’s money not going to fund teachers or troopers – or safer roads. And this political absurdity, the “politics of personal destruction” … Todd and I are looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills in order to set the record straight. And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn’t cost them a dime so they’re not going to stop draining public resources – spending other peoples’ money in their game.

DR: Let me stop you there governor. What you're saying is that it's wrong to use taxpayer funds to dig your way out of ethics investigations. And yet that's exactly what you've been doing this entire time. You know it too, which is why you cover it over by demonizing the probes and investigations. If only these sorts of things were retroactive, hum? *sigh* Why oh why do I search for wisdom in your words? Okay, continue...

It’s pretty insane – my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with this instead of progressing our state now. I know I promised no more “politics as usual,” but this isn’t what anyone had in mind for Alaska. If I have learned one thing: life is about choices! And one chooses how to react to circumstances. You can choose to engage in things that tear down, or build up. I choose to work very hard on a path for fruitfulness and productivity. I choose not to tear down and waste precious time; but to build up this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people! Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow”.

DR: No I'm sorry Sarah Palin, but YOURS is the quitter's way out. You see, there's a third option that's wholly other than going with the flow or quitting... it's working against the status quo, fighting the business as usual mentality in Washington, using modest power and trasparency to effect real change on behalf of Americans. All those great campaign slogans you can't seem to live up to.

Nah, only dead fish "go with the flow"... Productive, fulfilled people determine where to put their efforts, choosing to wisely utilize precious time... to build up. And there is such a need to build up and fight for our state and our country. I choose to fight for it! And I'll work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and life... I'll work for and campaign for those proud to be American, and those who are inspired by our ideals and won't deride them. I will support others who seek to serve, in or out of office, for the right reasons, and I don't care what party they're in or no party at all. Inside Alaska – or Outside Alaska. But I won’t do it from the Governor’s desk. I've never believed that I, nor anyone else, needs a title to do this - to make a difference... to help people. So I choose, for my State and my family, more "freedom" to progress, all the way around... so that Alaska may progress... I will not seek re-election as Governor.

DR: Tah bitch!! Don't let the door hit ya where that secessionist party split ya! And if you even dream of running for the presidency in 2012, do the world a favor and crack open a book. No more fancy pageant walkin'.