Agreeing with Bush

On the day our civil liberties are before the Senate for confirmation, the day the military kangaroo courts resumed at Guantanamo Bay, I'm forced to agree with the Shrub when he said:

"In a free society, there's only one check on political speech and that's the judgment of the American people. So I ask all Americans to hold their elected leaders to account and demand a debate that brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to our adversaries."

Amen, George. A debate that brings credit to our democracy. Does that mean that you'll finally participate in the debate instead of swift-boating anyone who opposes you? Does it mean that you're finally willing to drop the "with us or against us" rhetoric and actually discuss options with someone who doesn't agree with you? Does it mean the bubble is bursting? Does that mean that the nearly two-thirds of us who oppose the war will finally be heard and we can leave the budding theocracy of our own creation to fend for itself?

I doubt it. To you, your noble words simply mean don't disagree with me, it's unpatriotic, it's giving aid and comfort to the enemy, it's treason. There's little nobility left to the Republicans these days with the culture of corruption symbolized by Jack Abramoff and Tom Delay and the polyanna President you with your refusal to listen have become. There's precious little left us Democrats either with our inability to pull together to kick you bums back to the farms and pulpits and oil fields you came from. Our party rightly responded that the President has no authority to define what is appropriate speech, as much as your man Alito may uphold your grab at royalty.

So I guess what I really mean is I agree with your words, with what they say to someone who didn't survive college on Daddy's money and cocaine. I certainly don't agree with you: Dissent is not giving aid and comfort to the enemy, it's supporting the troops in the best possible way, by fighting to bring them home safe from an ill-advised, failed attempt to impose democracy on another country. Imposing democracy by force has never worked. In Iraq, it will lead to formation of a Shiite theocracy in the image of Iran.