I'm frankly on the fence about whether I should go to Yearly Kos. I have my tickets/reservations: the whole works. I'm all set. I went last year in Vegas and had an amazing time. I went to the panels, met a ton of great people, both famous and not-yet-famous. I went to Mark Warner's party and Wes Clark's party. I'll never be the same person I was before I went.
YK06 was great, no doubt.
Before YK06, I went through the same period of doubt as well. I called some friends who gave me their opinions. My mom and family weighed in as well. Their advice helped me to decide but this year I'm stuck. But this year, I have to decide on my own.
However, this year is different. This year, I can't get advice from friends and family because I can't guarantee that our conversations will remain private.
Warrantless wiretapping has worked its way way into all sorts of facets of my life. Oh, I've found work arounds. When deciding where to meet people for dinner, I tell them I'll just go to meet them at their place and we can decide then. I've placed more faith in Magic 8 Balls than the label advises. Sure, it feels like you're relying on pure chance at first. Later, you stop thinking about that.
Things weren't always this way. I've known the government was illegally listening to my calls, reading my email and chat, etc. I mean, that's illegal and all, but that's not when my problems started.
By calling people to testify, the Democrats have exposed a truth about which I was previously unaware. The administration has let me know that I can't get good advice if I can't guarantee that that advice will remain confidential. They feel so strongly about this that they are again willing to break the law to conceal the advice they've been given. They must really believe in the principle of it. I mean, when someone who works for me gives advice to someone else who works for me and those people conspire to keep that info from me, even breaking the law to do so.... Well, there must be something to it.
So here I am. Part of this is my problem of course. I mean, I should be able to make a decision without a task force or appointing a YKos Czar. I should be, to coin a phrase, "The Decider". I guess I'm not that kind of man.
Guess I'm stuck with the most reliable source of advice I have left.
"Ask again later."
<sigh>