OH MY GOD! LIBERAL THOUGHTS!

Liberal Is NOT A Four Letter Word…Bush Is
The republican party (no caps intended) has, for the last two decades viciously (and successfully) painted the Democratic Party, Judges, Unions, Attorneys…well, anyone who doesn’t agree with them as “Liberal” as if one should wash their mouth out with soap after using the word. John Kerry is the one of the latest targets. This has prompted me, once again, to turn to the dictionary for a definitive look at the word. The OED, definitive as it is, brings up a lot of definitions when used as either an adjective or a noun. Here are just a selected few.
1. Originally, the distinctive epithet of those ‘arts’ or ‘sciences’ that were considered ‘worthy of a free man’; opposed to servile or mechanical. 4: Directed to general intellectual enlargement and refinement
2. a. Free in bestowing; bountiful, generous, open-hearted.
3. † a. Free from restraint; free in speech or action.
4. a. Free from narrow prejudice; open-minded, candid.
b. esp. Free from bigotry or unreasonable prejudice in favour of traditional opinions or established institutions; open to the reception of reform.
5. Of political opinions: Favourable to constitutional changes and legal or administrative reforms tending in the direction of freedom or democracy.

Now, I’m not a worldly, educated man. Perhaps one of you that hold an advanced degree or who took some advanced courses in the English language could point out to me what, unless you are an admirer of Hitler, Stalin, or Macarthy, is so wrong with this wor…Oh, wait. I think I see the problem.
“Free from restraint; free in speech and action.” Obviously we can’t have that. As Bush and the Republican Leadership have pointed out again and again any dissent only proves you are an Osama-loving traitor and should be detained and sent to Guantánamo Bay for an unspecified period of time. Wait, I see another.
“Free from narrow prejudice; open-minded, candid” and “Free from bigotry or unreasonable prejudice in favour of traditional opinions or established institutions; open to the reception of reform.” Oh, my, my, my…tsk, tsk. We’ll have none of that. Everyone knows that 1956 (including the communist witchhunts) is the model for all things republican and we shall have none of this silly future modernism mucking things up.
And then there is that gosh darn political side. “Of political opinions: Favourable to constitutional changes and legal or administrative reforms tending in the direction of freedom or democracy.” Dear God, NO! Constitutional changes are reserved for restrictinng freedom and democracy. As for legal or administrative reforms, only if they prevent the rabble frrom profiting or getting too uppity against our dear friends, the United States (incorporated in the Bahamas) Corporation!

Cover-up, Lie, Obfuscate, Repeat
No, that is not a D.C. law firm. Those four words sum up the last four years of Bush and Company. Richard Clarke, former counter-terrorism director is the latest target of this den of wolves. This 30-year, four-administration bureaucrat has written a book critical of Smirky and Company with regards to their handling of terrorism threats before and after 9/11.
As he did with former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil, Bush let loose the attack dogs, insinuating Clarke has an agenda to help Kerry, “otherwise, why would he wait to release this information now?” Sounds reasonable, except it was the White House that sat on this book for over three months before giving it the go ahead as to it not releasing any secrets. In addition, Al Franken in his book Lies (And the lying liars who tell them) included these exact charges and his book was released in September of 2003.
So, my question is why did the White House sit on it for three months? I’d make an educated guess that it was to give them time to come up with a strategy to discredit him. By the time they are through with Clarke, they will have the faithful believing that he planned the 9/11 attacks just so he could say ‘I told you so!” As I said, cover-up, lie, obfuscate, repeat!

Fini
Tracy
Copyright 2004, TCB Cameron Consulting