How Well They Knew Him

On Day Two of my stark indictment upon my useless words I've decided to draw upon some very insightful words written a long time ago but still just as timely today -

The following was lifted from a 2000 Liz Smith column -

"I have in my hand the new issue of Texas Monthly which asks, "Is George W. Smart After All? Yes, And He Can Win!" The subhead should read: "But You'll Be Sorry."

The George W. Bush story notes that the governor is running ahead of Al Gore in the polls, but the anti-Bush remarks back before even his first election is what made saving the column all these years priceless:

Jim Hightower, former agricultural commissioner: "He is going to lose for three reasons. First, the smirk. His is not a facial tick. This is from within. It reflects a spoiled brat's sense of entitlement and a mean streak we've seen flair up. Two - down deep, this guy is shallow.....Three, he is ........a loyal performer for fat cats......a hired hand for corporate interests. That's not what the general public wants its president to be."

Garry Mauro, former land commissioner and failed Texas gubernatorial candidate: "I have never met a politician with less passion for the issues.....He has no core. He flip-flops 100 percent because he doesn't care....How can you run for president when your state, with a large surplus, won't pay for health insurance for teachers?"

John Sharp, former Texas comptroller: "When the economy goes bad, you better not have that kind of governor - and you better not have that kind of president. You'd better have someone who knows how to pull the levers of government and get the state, or the country, out of trouble."

Ann Richards, former Texas governor: "George W. is a disciplined campaigner. He stays on message....he talks about faith-based this and that.....this is a shield for what is actually taking place, and that is a delivery of influence over every aspect of our lives to the Religious Right."

Ben Barnes, former lieutenant governor: "He can't distinguish between no new taxes on the one hand and surpluses on the other."

Paul Begala, political consultant: "He's lighter'n my grandma's biscuits. He has the weakest, thinnest, briefest record in public life of any major party nominee in American history......He was a businessman!? I love that......with only his family's fortune and a trust fund, he started an oil company and ran it into the ground....bailed out by his father's wealthy friends."

An Apology To all My Devoted Readers -

First I wish to start this column off by thanking everyone who sent emails telling me how much I was missed. I could never express how much it meant to me to know how many of you cared enough to take the time to write.
Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Second, I have to come clean. I have been back at my desk for several weeks but find I am unable to write. And no, I did not fall and break my hand. I have not broken my back so I cannot sit in a chair. Nor have I been lying in a coma or fallen passionately in love with prince charming and hiding out in his castle.

I could not write because I have come to a terrible mindfulness and despondently realize from recent events that alas, the pen is no longer mightier than the sword. Even though I am cognizant of how slowly the political machine must grind, I truly believed back in November when the American people made their mandate reverberate loud and clear that the collective voice of a nation would stem the flow of our courageous men and women 's blood - but our administration and especially our president continues to wink at us and then turn a blind eye to our outrage and deaf ear to our voices.

This show of utter contempt for what the American public wants is what has made me stop and seriously consider asking what difference will my words, or the words of all the other billion bloggers and journalists and authors and news people embedded in Iraq accomplish when they are so boldly confronted and ignored by a despot?

Except for Chuck Hagel, the great senator from Nebraska, I don't hear any voices passionately raising hell in the senate chambers. Why is a republican telling it like it should be told? What happened to Jim Webb, the great hope from Virginia and all the other democratic voices that reassured us they were tired of it all and were not going to take it anymore?

What point to write? To activate? Activate what? To change and correct what is so terribly wrong? How can mere words help if our congress is wearing duck tape over their mouths and ear flaps over their ears? How did the words of one man set the entire world on fire? Congress did nothing four years ago to stop a madman and now a brand new set of mouthpieces have been just as muted out as their predecessors.

How can this be? How can that be happening in this once great country of check and balances? I don't have the answer except to say 9/11 happened.

Our president of scary faces and too scarce words invokes the terror of 9/11 in every single speech and every single state of the union spiel since 9/11. We lost thousands of lives and two mortar and brick icons and now it looks as if all the kings men and all the king's horses will never-ever be able to put our democracy back together again.

We need men and women with our forefather's vision and courage to emerge as a contemporary force of nature and stand up to King George all over again, demanding to take back our rights.

They must fight like their lives and our lives, and the constitution of this fine country all depend on it.