I'm new to the blogger scene but would like to participate. There are many things going on these days that I have strong opinions about. I wish to get them out and responded to. I have no delusions about my being omniscient or that the basis for my opinions are from totally unbiased sources. It is very difficult to know nowadays. I try to determine the validity of information and test it by what I call "the ring of truth".

The issues of the day are discussed or commented on by "spin" specialists. They seldom have the "ring of truth".
Partisan "talking points" come across like so many parrots squaking. In this category I place "entertainers" Rush Limbaugh and G.Gordon Liddy. Sean Hannity also has the typical razzmatazz music and gravely sounding side voices that can be extremely rude and uncouth.

For years I have decried the damage caused by the liberal influence in our schools, laws, churches, and media.
I consider myself a conservative and have voted Republican most of the time until the Bushes came along.
The candidacy of John McCain gave me hope but his star was shot down by the dirty tricks of Karl Rove. It appeared to me that the "big money interests" had decided George W. Bush would be a good front man for their purposes and subsequently backed him strongly. The manner in which he was injected (not really elected) into the Presidency was not a proud moment in our history. Since Bush has been head of the administration, with his reliance on V.P. Richard Cheney, he has assembled a group of syncophants who he loyally backs, and gives medal to regardless of the quality of their services. The hopes of the big money interests have not been misplaced. Their bet has paid off handsomely.

Now I decry the damage done by this administration. Very important, for me, is the degradation of the environment. The changes in laws, the disregard for existing laws, the skirting of laws by executive order, are all done in the name of "helping the economy". That translates into relaxing pollution regulations because requiring adherence to the stipulated standards would weaken the bottom line of the polluters. No consideration is given the deleterious effects on peoples health or the environmental impact.

The secretive nature of policy decisions is abhorent to our democratic process. The energy plan (and its secret planning) was anathema to the needs of the country at this time. My understanding is that "conservation" was a bad word. Cheney made the classic remark, widely repeated, that"conservation may be a personal virtue but has no place in an energy policy". Today they are eating those totally idiotic words.

The tax giveaways and the continuing effort to make them permanent when the deficit is skyrocking in the face of natural catastrophies and war debts is unconscionable. Add to that the totally irresponsible inclusion of billions of pork in the budget and we have a picture of dysfunctional government and legislation.

Of course the total mindlessness of the Iraq war is a puzzle to me. How the country got suckered into it is
the lingering question of doctored intelligence. This will eventually be sorted out I hope. The spinelessness of our elected representatives in allowing themselves to be stampeded into granting war powers to the President is finally being brought into focus. At long last some have found the backbone to speak out.

Well, that should suffice for an introduction. If anyone reads this and wishes to comment pro or con I will welcome the opportunity to discuss things in a gentlemanly manner.