Big plans in my imaginary world

I was chasing links and came across an interesting item at Goddard's Political Wire blog. It refers to a recent Gallup poll that found there are only five remaining states with statistically significant Republican majorities: Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, and Nebraska. In one of my occasional political fantasies, I'm the supreme ruler of the United States, with absolute authority to do whatever I think will make the country a better place. One of my initiatives would be large-scale confinement of conservatives in massive rural detention facilities, and now I've confirmed the sites for the centers. Utah and Idaho would get three each, with two in Wyoming. Alaska is too cold, and Nebraska has produced a few decent Repubs like Chuck Hagel, so I'd build there only as a last resort.

Until construction was complete and the logistics of transporting thousands of rightwing morons to the centers were worked out, my system of confiscatory taxation would be in place. After Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter and all the others were wards of the state, they'd have no income to tax. The loss of revenue would be offset by an overall reduction in the cultural pollution they generate. Anyway, that's the outline of my plan.

Sometimes I wonder, part two

The economic stimulus package is still under consideration in Congress, and the Republicans are making a big production of their reservations and misgivings and are being generally contrary. Their solution, the standard fall-back position, is more tax cuts. Not exactly innovative thinking. All the tax cuts the Republicans enacted since 2001 didn't keep the country out of the current mess, but tax cuts will solve everything now ?

Considering that Republicans were running the show from 2001 until 2007, I'll continue to blame them for whatever's wrong. In my view, any problems they didn't cause are problems they didn't prevent. So my bottom line is this: Why should we suddenly believe they have anything constructive to offer at this point ? They had their chance, and they blew it.

It's critically important to remember that Republicans have absolutely nothing to gain if the majority of Americans decide Obama's presidency is successful, and everything to lose. At least Limbaugh is honest enough to say he hopes Obama fails right up front.

Sometimes I wonder...

A news item that's a hot topic in North Texas and got some national attention: A basketball game on 01-13-2009 between the girls' team at The Covenant School and the girls' team at Dallas Academy, an institution which has an excellent reputation for its special needs programs. Covenant beat Dallas Academy 100-0, and was allegedly pouring it on late in the game, even though Dallas Academy's team is the kind that seldom, if ever, wins a game. Covenant has issued public apologies and fired their coach, and it's become quite an issue. In December, thousands of orangebloods were in an uproar because Oklahoma was chosen to play in the Big 12 conference championship game, although Texas had beaten them in October. Never let it be said that Texans don't understand the importance of sports in society.

Another item in USA Today discusses the problems that U.S. automakers like Chrysler are having with product marketing. Gasoline at four dollars per gallon started driving up demand for smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles, and the big gas-guzzlers began to be phased out. Suddenly, gasoline prices drop below two dollars and right away the demand for big trucks and SUVs has jumped and started to outstrip inventories. Some folks never learn. I'd love to see gasoline in the $ 1.499 / gallon range for the next five years, but I'm not counting on it.

So long, 43... Howdy, 44...

Today, January 20th, the nation scraped Bush 43 off the sole of its shoe, and strapped on the shiny new Obama roller skates. I watched an hour of the cable news coverage this morning, including the entire inaugural address. From what I could see on television, it looked like Obama attracted a pretty fair turnout, like an ocean of people, nearly two million by one estimate I heard. A televised moment worth remembering -- Chief Justice Roberts mixing up the oath of office and Obama's grin which seemed to say, "You wouldn't have this job if it had been up to me." I also got a kick out of the expression on W's face while he listened to Obama reel off the long list of things that will be done differently starting now.

This afternoon I was running errands and listened to a little of Hannity's show on AM radio. I didn't think the conservatives could give it a rest for one day, and I was right. Bitch, bitch, bitch. I remember how I felt on inauguration day in 2001, so I can understand what people like Hannity and his listeners are going through... it's tough when the country tells your party to pound sand. There's a remote possibility that Obama will catch the breaks and things will get better before 2010, which puts additional pressure on the Republicans. After running the show for so many years, the thought of being on the back bench for a long time has them in a snit.

One down, one to go

With all the distractions around Christmas, I lost track of the news and as a result, I haven't spent as much time on the blogs as I'd like. Tonight, the pretend gunfighter went on television to give his so-called farewell address. This is something I don't remember any previous presidents doing, but W has done a lot of stuff no previous presidents did. Anyway, I guess it'll be W's final speech since the new guy gets his job on Tuesday. His last speech, and I didn't watch it. I didn't watch his first one, either -- or any of the ones in between. One of the few accomplishments of my life is surviving eight years of that fuckwad without seeing any of his speeches. I always read about them, which was enough in itself to make me sick.

According to some blogs, W's job approval is soaring as the end draws near - up to 34 percent as I recall. Apparently, nearly all the approval is coming from Republicans, many of whom had turned off on W last fall. Guess the prospect of the N in the White House has The W looking better to them now. What a bunch of losers.

Tom Craddick is out as speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, and soon W will be back in Texas wondering where everybody went. I think the applicable expression is, "Sayonara, motherfuckers."