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Frequent Flyers, No Roaming Charges

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Message Missy Beattie
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If power corrupts, then George Bush is a synonym for scandal. Assigning himself unitary control over our lives, he and his posse have unlimited access. It will do no good to deadbolt your bedroom door. Every whisper will be heard and recorded by this born-again Christian who was supposed to restore decency to the Office of the Presidency.

Indecency seems to hit us in the face each time we turn on the news. From Abramoff to Z, the boys and girls in DC have been partying on, spending, funneling, and just being themselves. Did they start out this way? Some of them did. But not all. Power is seductive and can corrupt.

So despicable is Jack Abramoff that he made racist remarks in e-mails about the very people--six American Indian tribes--who put their trust in him to lobby for their interests. He took their millions and distributed it among mostly Republicans whose hands were ready, willing, and able to play with it. Tom Delay saw some of the world as a result of Abramoff's generosity. No delayed gratification for Tom. Jack paid for the Texan's adventures in London and Scotland in 2000. A grand time was had by all but those ripped off by the super-lobbyist. I'm hoping he and his partner, Michael Scandal Scanlon, former aide to Mr. Delay, sing loudly enough to bring down the house--that no one on the take will be left standing in oration. Meanwhile, all the recipients of the goodies, are scurrying to unload, even dropping money and gifts at various charities.

For a brief time, these opportunists were laughing all the way to the bank, to parties, to golf courses, and as they globe trotted to the finest resorts. They must have thought "The Rapture" had already occurred. "This is heaven," they, probably, smugly said. Power seduced and corrupted.

Long overdue a permanent seat in the "timeout chair," the party animals should have to sit in the corner of their jail cells. The fun has expired.

But make no mistake--it's not just Republicans. Because power can corrupt. You see, there's greater Republican involvement at present since Democrats are powerless. If or when the Dems become firmer than the little squares of quivering Jello they are now, they, too, will be more susceptible to corruption.

The electorate will not like what it hears when all the details and players in this scandal are exposed to light. So we should prime ourselves for more "be afraid, be afraid, be afraid" as this administration continues its attempts to hypnotize us into the complacency that's required to dominate every area of our lives. Be prepared and reject the explanations and equivocations. Demand accountability at every level of your life and particularly from those you elect to positions of power. And only vote for candidates who show the strong character necessary to avoid corruption--for example, Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin who may be like the late, great Paul Wellstone, a man who always followed his conscience.
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Missy Beattie lives in New York City. She's written for National Public Radio and Nashville Life Magazine. An outspoken critic of the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq, she's a member of Gold Star Families for Peace. She completed a (more...)
 
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