As ye sow...........................

"Bush said it was "a shameful act" for someone to have leaked details to the media. " (From Yahoo News)

I guess it's a matter of perspective. I view it as a patriotic act. This remark relates to his authorization of wiretapping and other spying activities without oversight or confirmation by any other branch of govenment.

"I am doing what you expect me to do,"...............................(From Yahoo News)

Obviously he wasn't speaking to at least 50% of the American public.............the 50%, or so who DIDN'T vote for him. I count myself in that vast group. I admit to a fatalistic view of how things would play out following his election. I knew in my heart that bad things would happen. Bad things of historic proportions. Sadly, my expectations have been fulfilled. Do his clandestine activities rise to the level of impeachability? If so, what would that mean? America has a history of acting without fully considering the consequences(see: Iraq/Saddam). We're not alone in this geopolitical hubris. No politician or government can grasp the nuanced complexity of the international geopolitical landscape, and yet all try to.
Sorry, I realize this is scattershot. I'm asking a lot of questions and not necessarily rendering coherent opinions. Kind of illustrative of my take on the state of the nation at this juncture.
Ankh

Minority Report

Excellent previous post Ne'er. Welcome back and congrats for having survived the gauntlet. What was your favorite beer?
I trust we've all seen the eponymous movie and remember the premise. It is my opinion that the U.S. Government currently operates under those same principles vis-a-vis terrorists and terrorism. These pre-emptive operating principles are at legal and ethical odds with the precepts on which this country was founded.
With a few notable exceptions, European governments are much more mature in their handling of situations involving terrorists and terrorism. I believe that terrorist entities, be they dictatorial governments or individuals must be allowed to declare themselves to some demonstrable degree before we bring force to bear. Would I be willing to place myself or my loved ones in harm's way for this cause?..................................That's a qualified "NO". No, but I accept and can live with a degree of unpredictability in life. In a war with no boundaries, we are all combatants. If we are willing, as a country to countenance our young men and women being IED fodder, then we should, by extension be willing to risk domestic violence in order to allow our enemies to declare themselves. We had no legitimate casus belli for invading Iraq. The degree to which we are risk averse in this arena is untenable. We want clean wars. Surgical strikes. Ignorable covert ops. These are all basically oxymorons.
Ankh

stuff

Despite my weak grasp of personalities, I just wanted to mention a hilarious interview I saw last(Sleepless in Craley)night. The talk show belongs to the guy who used to play the boss on The Drew Carey Show. He was interviewing Maureen Dowd, the columnist. Brilliant repartee on subjects ranging from Dubya to feminism to male orgasms.
I like Maureen Dowd, but it struck me as I watched her................she's basically Ann(she whose name must not be spoken)Coulter's Democratic mentor.
Are we slow for news and opinions, or is it just the Christmas Rush?
Ankh