turkey time in the U.S.A.

background entertainment: "Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor (MPR)"

A nice article about George Soros describes how he has demonstrated his commitment to getting G.W. Bush out of the White House.

A "life or death" situation is how Soros describes the 2004 election. I must admit that I agree, but that's no surprise to any of my friends.

Bush's Iraq visit was a classic piece of chicken-hawk theater. The Institute For Public Accuracy reports that not all of the relatives of the soldiers on the "front lines" are entirely pleased with his micro-visit to Baghdad International Airport.

Very brave, Mr. pResident. Sneaking out of your house, riding in a vehicle with tinted windows and wearing a hat; taking one plane to D.C. and another from there to Iraq; and of course, the ultimate expression of confidence: landing in Baghdad with the lights off and the windowshades down.

Then, sir you didn't even eat with the troops.

This demonstrates two possibilities. Either or both could be true.

1) Bush's syncophants are scared. The supposed progress in Iraq is a lie, and they know it. They know that they can't protect their Chief anywhere in Iraq, not even at an occupied airport.

2) Bush himself is just scared. He admitted joining the Air National Guard to avoid the draft, then failed to meet his terms of enlistment. Lost his flight status because he was apparently afraid to take his required physical a few years into his enlistment. Also failed to appear in Alabama after he requested, and was granted, a transfer to that State. Irresponsible, cowardly, corrupt or all of the above?

Clearly W has already admitted his fear by stating that he wasn't going to run to Canada, and wasn't going to injure himself (I believe the phrase was "not going to blow out my eardrum with a shotgun") in order to avoid serving in Vietnam, so he entered the Air National Guard in the assumption that he wouldn't be deployed overseas.

Clinton is still vilified by some Republicans I know because he went to Oxford during the Vietnam War. They like to say that he was running away from the draft. So what was General Wesley Clark running from when he went to Oxford? Or my cousin, whose father is a devout Catholic and very, very Republican - what was she running from? All three were honored with the privilege of being named Rhodes Scholars. Each one worked in their own way for the benefit of man; Clinton as a politician, Clark in the Armed Services, and my cousin as a physician.

My cousin may not appreciate the association I have made above; I know that her dad (my uncle) is what I like to call a "rabid" Republican. She may have inherited his opinions, much as I gained my basic political underpinnings from my Dad. I prefer to think that she's leaning our way.