At least in Texas, everyone knows the governor and legislature do as little as possible. The legislature, for example, meets only ever other year. Power explicitly rests in state agencies and with a few political families. But that’s an exception. Elsewhere, people hire public officials to do their bidding. Palin, like a good neocon, takes the money, but does her own business, then dodges liability for not doing the people’s. She would be at home in BushCheney’s Washington, helping to make their corruption permanent.

Living away from where the public understands that acts of government take place derides those acts, derides the purpose and functioning of government, while simultaneously hiding where such acts do take place. They are announced in the rotunda or on the floor, but take place in lobbyists’ offices, gated communities, country clubs, private bars and aircraft, yachts and fairways. Out of the public eye, with no public record of what’s been decided, by whom, and in whose interest. All we know is that it’s not in the people’s interest, but it is on their taxpaying backs.

It means fait accompli are announced, but like Cheney’s energy and warmaking task forces, the process and players are hidden beyond view, beyond public involvement.

The neocons even do this with junior CongressCritters. Since Newt Gingrich’s time, these have been forced by peer pressure and ambition to live in Metro DC, like freshmen in a dorm, away from family, constituents, social settings beyond the party hierarchy that empower and focus them. Like wearing blinders and earmuffs and mittens, this isolates them, centralizes power and assures those in power of fewer attempts to undermine theirs, while they set about undermining their opposition’s.

Even Bush lived in the governnor’s mansion in Austin, but maintained homes elsewhere. Palin and Ahnuld exemplify a disdain for open government the neocons are rearing, like some ungainly hybrid fungus that can’t stand open air or the light of day, but grows beautifully in the damp dark on a bed of manure. Time for a little sunshine and a strong wind of change; a little breeze will only spread the spores.

A theocrat is a theocrat, whether Muslim or Christian.

By Juan Cole

http://www.salon.com/opinion/f…..mentalist/

dereliction of duty.

still trying to find time to compare with obama….

Ditto on election day… irreversible impact on our lives, that will cause more casualties to our soldiers.

At least, McCain didn’t have his Navy Lid on today. Doesn’t he
look fucking stupid… all he HAS his war stories… we ARE so fucked
if he is elected.
Palin repeated her lies again today, she is a modern day Jane Swift.
I’m starting to lose hope again…