've never before purloined a news story from the Seattle Times, but here's an appropriate one to borrow, which will likely receive a lot more coverage within the next three days - I hope. President Bush was in Seattle attending a fundraiser for a local congressman, who was in the same limousine, when a district school bus stopped for the president's motorcade. As the president waved to the school children, the bus driver "made an obscene gesture"; "gave him the bird"; "gave him the third finger." You know exactly what she meant. Remember free speech? For her lack of enthusiasm for the chief executive (which so many of us share), she was fired. The only person, it appears, who noted the "event" was Mr. Bush, who told Congressman Dave Reichert (for whom he was in town campaigning). The Congressman, realizing what damage had been done to the President's soul, called the Issaquah School District and had her removed from her job. The 43 year old driver had been with the school district since 1999. Get this, the school superintendent said the following, "This was part of a pattern of behavior with this particular bus driver." If that is so, how is it she wasn't reprimanded years before. On the other hand, perhaps she has given that painful gesture to other presidents visiting Seattle. Bush, be a man and go to bat for her.

With the passing years I have become less and less respectful of the man and his minions. "The Great Divider", as they headlined a story in the International Herald Tribune, has done nothing that I can think of to improve this country; in substance or image. He's spending the final days of this mid-term election, flying around the country on Air Force One, (I'm sure he's paying his fair share for use of the aircraft!), and preaching his all too familiar themes: America is making real progress in Iraq. In the world of W his administration is successfully marching with committed Iraqi officials towards real democracy and we are to believe that we are staving off the civil war, which is already underway.
Mr. Bush I've been against this war and your policies since you took office. I love this country, but I don't like your leadership.
I don't understand how you get way with some of the campaign crap you espouse - such as the ridiculous notion that if Democrats manage to control even the House of Representatives, the United States will be the losers and the terrorists the winners.
I mentioned a story repeated in the International Herald Tribune today. In it the editorial included the following, "...when the president of the United States gleefully bathes in the muck to divide Americans into those who love their country and those who don't, it is destructive to the fabric of the nation he is supposed to be leading."
He has done it before, but seldom with such glee, playing the politics of division, anger and fear.
Another two years? Mr. Bush you can't get me off the radio for giving you "the bird" - I'm already off, for some reason."