The Next Chapter



Greetings Friends,

They say the older you get, the more quickly time passes. A scant 2 years ago, we were drunk on hope and change; now we're once again getting ready for political Armageddon. There is something even more sinister about the tone of American politics now, more so than when George W. Bush and Republican cronyism ruled Washington. That says a lot, considering most reasonable people believe Dick Cheney is the devil.

I succeeded in not paying close attention to the returns last night; I figured the inevitable would happen, and it did. Republicans made huge gains in the House of Representatives, the likes of which have not been seen in over 60 years. The Democrats barely held on to control of the Senate. If you thought Congress was blocked before yesterday, you ain't seen nothin' yet. This is not Parliament, folks; there will be no forming of coalitions or striking of deals. It would take a mountain of prunes the size of Everest to get these people moving again. Or, a good terrorist attack. I'd much prefer the prunes.

Welcome to the chapter of the Tea Party; Americans have decided they want the Constitution to be interpreted as literally as the Bible, and God save us from the consequences. Look forward to more isolationist tactics that will throw up invisible force fields along the southern border, and human road blocks along the northern one. Expect the painful deaths of health care and financial reforms, and the rise of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. I'm being fatalistic here, but right now, I can't help myself. The environment is literally so toxic, I'm having trouble breathing.

Personally, I've learned to be careful what I wish for; things never work out the way you want them to, and maybe, just maybe, that will be the case in Congress. My only fear is contemplating what it would take for all these constitutionalist Tea Party boobs to get their heads out of their asses and wake up. I don't even want to imagine.

In the meantime, life goes on. Guys like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher were worried 2 years ago about the lack of material they'd have to work with. There's another group that got their wish. They'll be struggling to keep up with the rancor and rhetoric even more than they were during the Bush administration. And for the rest of the world - it will be business as usual. Stay tuned.

Nava