Malignancy in the White House

There is a malignancy festering in the White House, and it cannot be cured by the resignation of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby or by mandatory remedial ethics classes for Bush's staff.

Libby, assistant to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheny's chief of staff, has been indicted on five federal counts, including obstruction of justice, making false statements to the FBI and perjury committed before a grand jury.

Some Republicans have downplayed the Plamegate scandal, by insisting it's only lying --not treason or some other dastardly crime. Funny, weren't conservatives apoplectic when Clinton lied about his sexual liaisons with Monica Lewinksy?

Our system of justice relies on every party involved telling the truth, when a prominent figure like Libby lies to the FBI and to a grand jury, that's a grievous offense.

If President Bush pardons Libby, that will be the end of his administration, he might as well pack his bags and go home to his ranch. If Libby is found guilty of perjury or lying to the FBI, he should spend many years in prison.

The buck stops at the Oval Office, President George W. Bush needs to take responsibility for the misdeeds of his underlings. How refreshing it would be if Bush apologized to the nation and promised to clean house.

Libby's nefarious role in Plamegate was obvious months ago, why didn't Bush fire him way a long time ago?

The nation's confidence in the Bush administration won't be restored until he gets rid of Karl Rove and the other bad apples on his staff.

We are at a critical juncture in history, the war on terrorism, demands that the president have the full confidence of the American people.

Not the Best of Times for George W. Bush

Battered by Hurricane Katrina, bogged down by Iraq, buffeted by the DeLay indictment, belittled for his Miers' nomination and beleaguered by Plamegate -- these are not the best of times for George W. Bush.

Recently, Bush was asked about the impact of the Plamegate scandal. Was the investigation, which could lead to the indictment of Karl Rove, a distraction? Could he focus on tremendous responsibilities his job? The President replied with a smile: “There’s some background noise here, a lot of chatter, a lot of speculation and opining."

Yeah, and I bet there was also a lot of chatter, a lot of speculation and opining in Masada, when the Jews were under siege by the Romans.

The White House is in disarray, Bush needs to realize that he is in deep do-do, if he wants to advance his second term agenda.

We all know that Dubya is not one to admit his mistakes, evidently he doesn't learn from his mistakes either. Appointing his buddy Michael Brown as the head of FEMA was a disaster, now he's at it again nominating his pal Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

So what should George W. Bush do to combat the malaise that permeates the White House, should he just "curse God and die"?

Bush can begin to turn things around by admitting that his nomination of Harriet Miers was a colossal mistake. Bush should spare Miers any further humiliation and withdraw her nomination.

Miers is totally unqualified to serve on the high court: She's never served as a judge and she is a stranger to constitutional law. The only reason she was selected by Bush is because she is a loyal friend, who will most likely vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

But making bad appointments is just the beginning of Bush's problems, there is a stench of corruption and cronyism in the White House. The President should clean house, and get rid of any of his advisors who were involved in Plamegate.

Bush does not need any distractions if he is going to prevail in Iraq and in the larger war on terror.

What Secret Information Does James Dobson Have About Harriet Miers?

by Robert Paul Reyes

James Dobson, leader of Focus on the Family, is one of the stalwarts of the Culture Wars.

Dobson worked hard to re-elect George W. Bush, organizing huge stadium rallies and using his radio program to warn his flock that not to vote would be a sin. Dobson may have delivered Dubya victories in crucial states like Ohio and Florida.

Dobson has frequently and fervently demanded that George W. Bush appoint conservatives, in the mold of Scalia and Thomas, to the Supreme Court.

Many conservatives were shocked and dismayed when Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court; she is not the judge with a conservative track record that they were pining for.

But James Dobson has wholeheartedly endorsed Harriet Miers, basing his support for her on what he says were "confidential conversations and contacts."

Harriet Miers has the appearance and demeanor of a School Marm, but is she a Clarence Thomas in sheep's clothing?

James Dobson is a fiery evangelical who would be perfectly happy to see Attila the Hun nominated to the Supreme Court, so why is he so thrilled with the selection of Harriet Miers? What does he know that we don't?

"I can't reveal it all," Dobson said on his radio show last week. "Because I do know things I'm privy to that I can't describe.

The Senate Judiciary Committee should slap the smugness out of Dobson and subpoena him. Did Karl Rove promise Dobson that Miers would vote to overturn Roe v Wade?

An individual should not be nominated to the Supreme Court as "payback" or to placate a certain constituency. If Dobson was given private assurances that Miers would vote a certain way, the American public deserves to know the whole story.

The Pope Considers Banning Gay Clergy

A document that would bar gay men from the Roman Catholic priesthood has been submitted to Pope Benedict XVI for approval.

The newly installed Holy Father should not approve such a homophobic proposal, unfortunately the pontiff is a die-hard conservative.

This anti-gay document is a feeble attempt by the Vatican to scapegoat homosexual clergy in the aftermath of the child molestation scandal. It is unscientific and patently absurd to suggest that homosexual priests are more likely than their heterosexual colleagues to be child molesters.

At a time when there is a world-wide shortage of priests, the Catholic Church hierarchy should not ban homosexuals from holy orders.

This document is a canard because all priests - gay, straight or bisexual - are called to celibacy. What difference does it make what a priest's sexual orientation is, if he is supposed to be celibate?

Instead of barring homosexuals from the Roman Catholic priesthood, the Vatican should abolish celibacy as a requirement for the priesthood. A well-rounded priest will enjoy a healthy spiritual, physical and sexual life.

If the Catholic Church bans gay clergy, it will be sending a message to millions of gay Catholics that they are second class citizens, undeserving of the church's highest calling.

The Catholic Church should be a driving force for unity and inclusiveness, it should not become an instrument of divisiveness and intolerance.

I left the Catholic Church decades ago because of its Neanderthal teachings, if the Pope approves this mean-spirited document millions more will leave the church.

Australian Football Player To Amputate Finger

An Australian professional football player plans to have a finger amputated in a courageous attempt to improve his game. Brett Backwell, who plays Australian rules football, says he suffers from pain and restricted movement since he broke his left ring finger three years ago.

Backwell believes that amputating his finger is the only way to stop the pain and allow him to keep playing.

This is a fellow who takes literally the injunction of Jesus Christ: "If they right hand offends thee, cut it off".

There are certain politicians and celebrities who need to follow the example of Brett Backwell:

If the Rev. Al Sharpton cut off his pompadour, he would seem less like a buffoon and more like a respected minister and civil rights activist.

If the Rev. Jesse Jackson amputated his feet, he wouldn't be able to chase down every TV camera.

If Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, cut off cut off their tongues, they wouldn't be able to make incredibly boorish pronouncements. But let's hope that doesn't happen, that would put many columnists and pundits out of business.

If President George W. Bush had a lobotomy, at least then, he would have a perfectly good excuse for making such patently ridiculous statements.

If Jennifer Lopez lost her huge derriere, she would stop being the butt of so many jokes.

If Mike Tyson had all his teeth pulled out he would no longer be a threat to anyone, he certainly no longer poses any danger with his fists

Of course, there are my critics who believe that I would be better off if I amputated all my fingers, to prevent me from writing such mindless fluff.

Babies On "No Fly" List?

Post 9/11 we patiently endure many indignities and irritations for the sake of security. At the airport screening lines we take off our shoes without complaint, allow ourselves to be patted down, and patiently wait while security personnel rummage through our carry-on baggage, but most rational individuals draw the line at having to prove that a baby is not a terrorist.

While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which manages the "no fly" list, instructs airlines not to detain kids under 12, it happens quite often. Many parents have been made to cool their heels while their infants are investigated for possible ties to bin Laden.

TSA's budget is more than $5 billion annually, with all that loot, I wonder why they can't hire a couple of clerks to delete babies and senators from their "no-fly" list of over 100,000 names.

I'm a curmudgeon and I would be delighted if all babies were on the "no-fly" list, not that I suspect the little brats of being terrorists, but because I can't stand their caterwauling.

Airline security is compromised and common sense is trampled when passengers who are obviously not suicidal terrorists, but whose names are similar to or identical to names on the governments "no-fly" list, are detained at airports. Time is squandered and attention of airport security personnel is diverted from real terrorists.

An infant may be packing a load of crap in his diapers, but he probably isn't a shoe (bootsie?) bomber and only a Barney Fife would suspect him of being a card-carrying member of al Qaeda.

Our national security will not be compromised if we allow babies, members of Congress and blue-haired old ladies to pass through airport security without having to prove that they are not terrorists.

We shouldn't let our guard down because we haven't been attacked in almost four years, but by the same token we should never let security concerns curtail our civil liberties and turn common sense upside down.

The Discovery Shuttle Lands Safely

by Robert Paul Reyes

The explosion of the Challenger and Columbia shuttles are permanently etched in our collective memory, they are a reminder that sacrifice and progress go hand-in-hand.

The lift-off of a shuttle is no longer a routine matter, it is an exercise fraught with fear and worry, but humankind was born to explore the stars, so we continue to send men and women into space.

Two weeks of worry and anticipation ended happily with the safe return of the shuttle Discovery and its brave crew.

The flight was troublesome from the get-go, when pieces of foam insulation broke loose from the fuel tank on launch, an accident almost identical to the one that destroyed the Columbia, resulting in a two-and-a-half-year hiatus in the shuttle program.

Fortunately, the crew of the Discovery had the ability and expertise to make external repairs. The crew of the space shuttle demonstrated the "can-do spirit" that made us the greatest nation on earth.

The shuttle is like a classic Mustang, no sane person would sell his dream car because the paint is chipping. The deadline for ending the shuttle program is 2010, NASA should do the necessary maintenance and keep these proud birds flying until then.

We owe it to the memory of the brave crews of the Challenger and Columbia, not to abandon the shuttle program prematurely.

As an American and as tireless supporter of NASA, I'm proud of the shuttle program, and I'm eagerly waiting for the unveiling of the successor to this venerable spacecraft.