Picture and Politics...

I guess I'll follow the order of the title. The first pictures of Spring Break are just now emerging. I warn you, as these come out, that since it was a school trip, most of them will be in uniform...sorry. Anyway, here is my friend Ms. Delva (I like to pronounce it Delba) on the right and her twin sister SGT Delba on the left. I don't know the one on the left, but being around both of them was definately twice the fun. And now...onto politics.

Apparently two new things have surfaced in regards to upcoming elections. First, is Chairman Mehlman's COA for a Republican win in the next election and second is Sen Biden throwing his name in officially for 2008. Neither of these things is much of a suprise and neither gives me a whole lot of hope.

First, the Republican gameplan. No big suprises here. Obviously, they can't cut Bush loose and distance themselves in this election or they wont have any coattails (however short they might currently be) in the Presidential. Much like the '04 elections, they know they can't win a referendum election (it's all explained in the article). So, how do you make it a "choice" election? Somehow distinguish between the Republicans and the Democrats on grounds that have nothing to do with job performance...hmm...let's think, what's the best way to do that?

SEX SEX SEX! Why didn't they think of that before. What else gets voters out other than a little hate against gays and those godless abortionists? Here's the money quote passage:

This spring and summer, Republican leaders in the Senate and House plan to bring up a series of issues that are popular with the Republican base of voters. The aim is to stir conservative voters and spur turnout in the November election. Just last week, House Majority Leader John Boehner and Whip Roy Blunt met with leaders of conservative groups to talk about these issues.

House Republicans, for their part, intend to seek votes on measures such as the Bush-backed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a bill allowing more public expression of religion, another requiring parental consent for women under 18 to get an abortion, legislation to bar all federal courts except the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance, a bill to outlaw human cloning, and another that would require doctors to consider fetal pain before performing an abortion.

Awesome...nearly related, actually, is Biden's run for President. He seems like a weak choice...in fact, he doesn't seem like much of a choice at all...more of the same. Maybe I haven't read enough, but from what I have read, I'm unimpressed. According to this article, it seems like he thinks he can beat the Republicans on security, which he can't...

Biden said that the country's ports, railways, nuclear plants and chemical facilities are no safer today than they were before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He said that Bush had heightened the problem by eliminating funding for police officers and firefighters who would be the first line of defense against another attack.

"We have to be able to demonstrate that we are the party capable of providing security, both homeland and foreign, for the United States of America," he said. "Unless we're able to ante up the security chip, the poker game is over."

So, where does that leave us? Another election just like the last, both parties trying to show which can be the dog-gone warringest uprightiest of the two. Maybe it's time one of the parties, or a third party, came up with an alternate route...one in which diplomacy, negotiations and an understanding of the contribution the US makes to global issues and how that can be changed to help fix the issue of terrorism...a candidate who has an energy plan that isn't funded by oil companies, someone who sees our growing trade and education defecits and wants to fix them in some way other than enriching the rich.

You know who I like? (call me crazy) Gore. Yes, I said it, Gore. He's coming into his own and I think his time has come. He's sat out the last six years, not really defeated, but still out, underestimated and torn up by the media...he says what he wants, he's shown he has forsight (see the whole internet thing...which isn't what it was made out to be) and the balls to go up against Bush and the Democratic cronnies who have nothing to offer thus yet. Yes...I like Gore...maybe another Gore Clinton ticket...this time in reverse.