My cousin asked me, in all seriousness, "Is distrust of George Bush and his Administratin reason enough to vote for Kerry?"

I'd put the question another way....

Assuming that everything the Republicans say about Kerry is true, balancing everything, whose faults are greater, his or the President's?

I've no doubt about the answer. Do you?

Good old Mr. Chicken Hawk President says, with a straight face, mind you, that his war on terrorism and, by proxy, Iraq has made the world a safer place. Of all the lies this Presidency has said over time, this is one of the most bald faced ones ever.

A safer world from terrorists?

Tell that to the 900 American servicemen and women who have died in Iraq
Tell that to all those who have been kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq
Tell that to the Iraqi people who, one year on, do not have anything approaching peace or security in their homeland
Tell that to the Americans and others who died in terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia
Tell that to the people of Istanbul who have suffered multiple terrorist attacks over the last year
Tell that to the citizens of Madrid

No, Mr. President the world is not a safer place from terrorists

I have not seen Farenheit 9-11. So I am obviously not in a position to comment on the movie and I will not do so here.

With that said, one of the much discussed "Ah ha!" moments in the movie is that clip where President Bush continues to read to the school children for a full 7 minutes after he's informed of the attacks.

Now, some Bush supporters (aplogists) are saying that the moment doesn't really prove anything. The President only wanted time to think through the situation and not scare the kids.

Okkkkaaayyyy. Suurrrre. Yeah, riiigghttt.

For one thing, since when was Bush a thinker? For someone who, per his own admission, doesn't read newspapers, can we really believe that he spent a full 7 minutes carefully thinking through the ramifications of the attack and about what to do? I don't think so. Not from him, this man who shoots first, asks questions later.

More likely, he was flummoxed - probably wishing Cheney was in the room to tell him what to do. They guy wasn't thinking, he was bewildered and afraid.

Simple as that.

The Supreme Court may (depending on which side of the aisle you're sitting in) have handed the Presidency to Bush Jr. But, say what you will, it has, at least, and Thank God for this, affirmed that it is, in fact, a Presidency, a constitutionally created office with constitutionally limited powers. Maybe some sanity will return. I hope sanity will return.