What a goddamn arrogant self-righteous bunch, this is...this human race:):):)...

I've been visiting some old haunts, lately:):)...

A liberal forum that I love...though I needed a serious break from...things were getting a little nasty:):)...hard to imagine in a period of liberal resurgence, I know:):)...

And a conservative forum:):)...where I felt I was talking to a brick wall, much of the time:):)...

But both had/have some great thoughts too...and a sense of how conservatives and liberals were reacting to various events and issues:):)...

And...the whole process...I think...has made me much more of a genuine independent, these days, I think, than in the past:):)...

I've been a liberal and a Democrat for most of my life:):)...my vote for George H.W. Bush in 1992 being a serious mistake and an exception, really:):)...

But goddamn if I haven't been uninspired, disappointed, and generally a little annoyed with the low-ball leadership among liberal and Democratic leaders, right now:):)...

Harry Reid vigorously opposes a more intellectual heavyweight like John Roberts...and supports a relative intellectual lightweight like Harriet Miers to fill the seat of a justice as admired (for good reason) as Sandra Day O'Connor?:):):)...because he likes Harriet's poor, sad underdog story, running one of the biggest law firms in Texas?:):):)...give me a fuckin' break:):):)...maybe Harry's a little intimidated by the brains of someone like John Roberts...and feels a little bit more at home with someone like Harriet Miers...for all the wrong reasons...

She definitely hasn't done much to convince me, yet, that she's Supreme Court material...Earl Warren or William Rehnquist -- two other judges with no experience before sitting with the Supreme Court -- she has definitely not proved herself to be, yet...

And Hillary Clinton has proved, thusfar...that when the going gets tough...as it did in Louisiana...Hillary starts a commission...much less admirable than the leadership of her husband...who worked on raising money for the effort...and had constructive criticism for the Administration's effort...

And Nancy Pelosi has just never impressed me, really...

Katrina prompted a serious break, for me, from conventional "Big L" liberal and Democratic responses...

And taught me a lot about how rare geunine leadership instincts really are...

And revisiting my old haunts has really hammered home an old lesson, for me, at this point, at least...

That we are all one big arrogant, self-righteous bunch...

Goddamn...

We are all so goddamn sure that we have the answers to everything...

That seriously studying issues...and listening to others...and trying to really understand them...

Just really isn't that important...

That the only things that matter...

Are our opinions and our assholes...both of which inspire concern, on our part, for our own...and indifference or hostility to one anothers':):):)...

We are just all just one big dumbass group hug...

All embracing ourselves for just how proud we are...

That we found all the right answers...

Without having to seriously think through them...or to consult all different kinds of people who may both agree and disagree with us...

But especially...all those folks who have:):):)...

It's so ironic...the pretense...of so many folks...who have never studied or tried to understand a whole host of issues...

So goddamn sure that they have all the answers...

And that everyone else...just doesn't recognize their brilliance...

And then...all those same people...lobbying their politicians...and their activist groups...and their friends...and their lobbies...

To do all those things they are all so goddamned sure will make everything better...

And then...when it doesn't...

Blaming the dumbasses in office who did all their bidding without thinking about it nearly enough themselves...

It's one big cosmic joke, I'm afraid...

We lobby and argue and persuade our politicians to act in a million different ways...

And then when they do...

We yell to the rafters for the heads of these same goddamn fools...

Lord, help us:):):)...

We are one big arrogant, self-righteous lot...

And...as my friend Lu, says...we get the government we deserve:):):)...

And right now:):):)...

We got it:):):)...

Lord, help us:):):)...

I think I need a drink:):):)...

Love,
Ben