Bush & Company

Largely responsible for the shootings in Tucson as all the other such tragedies is the lack of sensible gun control fostered by the NRA to which rightists pander, with liberals too craven to counter.

Reckless and inflammatory language, publicly and repeatedly articulated, may or may not directly encourage the rancorous urges and plotted attacks of the hostile and unstable and may or may not rally those impressionable malcontents teetering on the edge of violence. What is real is the toxic climate such language spawns.

Will someone with power, courageous and strong, come forward and organize an expansive and effective campaign to prod the nation and the Congress to act against easy access to firearms and assault weapons? Until serious steps are taken---apart the undaunted activism of lawmakers like Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) whose legislative efforts, though successful, can only proceed slowly and piecemeal---the incidents will recur.

ouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on June 21, 2007, the completion of her "Green the Capitol" plan, detailing ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption in the House by half over the next 10 years.

Against the ongoing project from its inception, self-righteous House Republicans in the new 112th Congress say they must abbreviate (but really terminate) the initiative, although it has already saved 265 tons of unused paper, recycled 1800 tons of paper each year and retained 375,000 watts of energy from the House computer center, among other proven benefits.

As usual, Republicans stubbornly and inconsistently cite costliness as their illogical rationale. Could they really be that shortsighted?

To "Green the Capitol" was her plan,
Hailed a success since it began
And yet to make the budget lean,
They say they'll have to gut the green;

And while Pelosi's plan's effective,
The savings great of every kind,
House rightists cry that it's defective---
To kill it's what they have in mind.

Make no mistake, there'll be a fight
With those lawmakers on The Right,
For though confirmed by every stat,
The author is a Democrat.

How long, it seemed, was the wait for the Bush tenures to end! Once a Democrat was in office, things would get better; and they did.

Ironically and sadly, though, the side effects of such a superior commander-in-chief's tenure seem sometimes to negate the positive.

The rancor, the jealousy, the vengefulness from the opposition party; the unbridled freedom of speech from the radical Right media; the hysteria and credulity of portions of the electorate; the violent acts of demented extremists all seem unstoppable.

Yet this Obama, with his sometimes maddening forebearance and tolerance, may ultimately prove himself to be the almost perfect president and peacemaker the majority of voters envisioned on election day 2008.

How long, this time, must we wait?

It would be disillusioning to believe that President Obama, to gain political points, commended Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie for signing Michael Vick. In any case, he's lost others.

Perhaps Mr. Obama's words, spoken on a call to Lurie about his alternative energy project for the team's stadium, were taken out of context or blown out of proportion. He says he just believes in a second chance for one who's paid his debt to society.

Perhaps it's in his nature to take on faith that the heinous Michael Vick, who not only engaged in dog fighting, an illegal as well as an inhumane and profitable activity, but tortured and executed the animals, as well, has mended his ways. It's doubtful, however, that one capable of such acts is rehabilitatable, despite scripted assurances to the contrary and court-ordered volunteer work for the Humane Society.

This person should never be allowed to own an animal again and laws should be considerably strengthened and expanded. 23 months in a federal prison on the charge of dogfighting is woefully inadequate.

Why doesn't the president counter his damaged reputation by adopting homeless and abused dogs himself?

Yet more reprehensible than the president is owner Lurie,

who for profit rehired the monstrous Vick.