Party Hearty? Party Hardly...

Today, this morning, while most Americans were at school or at work our President, George W. Bush, had a press conference. I guess that's when his people tell him the most people are watching. One of the brave reporters asked the question: "Do you think the coming election will be a referendum on the war in Iraq?" Pretty tough stuff. I waited anxiously for an answer. (Why was I not at work, you ask? Different story.)

The president said that he thought this election would come down to two issues:

#1. Which party would keep the economy healthy.

and

#2. Who would best safeguard the security of the United States.

at first I thought: "What a crock!" But really that's just a reflex response when he says anything. And then I thought: "What a crock!" because I believe that people are now concerned about the same things they were concerned about the first and the second time he was elected: Social Security, Health Care, Insurance Reform, Tort Reform, Education - all that stuff. The health of the economy and national security are just some big, bright, loud, displays to keep people from remembering that nothing has been done about the things that really do effect them.

And then I thought: "What a crock!" because after thinking about it I think that the two statements he made are completely open to spin. Arguments that republicans or democrats could both invigorate the economy and protect the national security. Normally that spin is what makes for elections. Whether the economy is kept healthy by tax cuts for the rich or by education and health subsidy for the poor is what we normally talk about. Protecting our national security by building taller walls and making more guns or though international outreach and lifting up the third world is what we normally can disagree on. Those are the kind of things we want to decide on in a typical American election.

But not this time, which is why the proffering of such blue chip issues is in fact for this election a crock of epic proportions.

This election is really about one thing and one thing only: accountability. Do we want to continue to have a government that allows the administration to do whatever it wants or do we want a government that thinks for itself?

Right now there is no party politics, right now there is George W. Bush, and really that's all.

While I am hoping to see a leadership change in the congress after this election, I have to tell you that I think I would be almost equally as happy to see every single incumbent voted out and have the numbers stay exactly the same. What is important this time is not whether someone wears blue or red. What matters this time out is will this person represent me and their conscious, or will they rubber stamp the will of the president?

The total lack of oversight and abdication of judgment and leadership from the legislative to the executive engineered by this current crop of congressional leaders is embarrassing. I guess from their point of view it must be much simpler to make the hard decisions when you let someone else make the decisions. But I've had enough, and I don't care if they are republican, democrat, green, libertarian, or communist - whoever they are they need to think for themselves.

Who will best keep the economy healthy? The same people that will best protect our National Security: representatives who know it is their duty to question the actions of the President.