Throughout the country on the night of January 3, 2008, televisions were tuned to the cable news networks as a nation waited with bated breath for an early indication of who might be the next Commander-in-Chief.
But in one ivory mansion in Washington, D.C., all the television sets were dim, all the radios silenced. The man of the house couldn't be bothered to wait up for the results, the spinning, the speeches.
"What time do all the results start coming in? Because he goes to bed early," his mouthpiece said at a press conference earlier in the day. The leader of the free world cares not about what will happen to our nation when he hands the reigns over in 2009. Why trouble himself over such trite matters when there is sleep to be had and a big Sleepnumber(TM) bed to be tucked into? The lights are out, the windows shuttered, and the President asleep...
Or is he?
Misdirection has been the name of this administration's game. The war in Iraq? The result of a lie. The 9/11 Commission? Recommendations are just ideas, not law. Hurricane Katrina? Well he certainly doesn't control the weather.
President Bush and his administration wait until America's attention is elsewhere to do its dirtiest work. Congress may have foiled his attempts at recess appointments by holding pro forma sessions through the holidays, but now the prospect of fresh leadership has distracted many members of the legislative branch and the majority of Americans who are thirsty for change.
What tricks does he have up his sleeve? What still lies in store for us in this last year of his rule? What liberties can be revoked, what rulings overturned, what further violation of basic human rights can be accomplished in such a short period of time?
The excitement of the upcoming election signifies a wonderful movement in our country, a movement towards totally embracing our democracy and our power to participate in our own government. The media has sunk its teeth into the horserace and won't let go.
But while we follow the ads, the debates, the primaries and returns, we must remember that there are 383 days left of questionable leadership and intelligence in the White House. There is one year remaining before we can redeem ourselves in the eyes of the world by electing a leader who won't say things like, "We need to have our medical records put on the I.T." (Jan. 3, 2005) and "Who could have possibly envisioned an erection--an election--in Iraq at this point in history" (Jan. 10, 2005).
This is NOT a diary about fearing what Bush will do next. It's a reminder to be vigilant. Don't let this administration get away with a single tyrannic statement without blogging about it. Don't tell yourself, "Oh who cares what he vetoes, he's outta here in 12 months." Because on January 20, 2009, when he strolls out those doors and onto that helicopter, we need to be sure he is faced with a lifetime of accountability from us, the people he has wronged so severely and for so long.