A recent poll echoed in my noggin as I groggily deplaned off a trip from Europe on Thursday. A growing majority of earthlings report that the US cannot be trusted to act responsibly in the world.  No surprise there, but the implications are clearer now. Curious Europeans had been politely but firmly askance: "How did things get so bad in the USA?" I was giving a talk on how to improve organizational climate, when one woman snarked: "Look, an American that actually believes in climate change!"  The resulting tangent of discussion(s) showed just how confused and disappointed world citizens have become since W-the appointed transitioned to W-the elected.

The folks I met were more informed about US politics than my sibliings and neighbors. Despite daily doses of Kos, Olbermann, Jon Stewart, and Colbert, I struggled to bring balance to the conversation given how informed they were.  Still, the Nov '06 optimism that has served to lift our spirits till the implosion last week was completely absent.  

The "Daddy Worshipers" lost a powerful patriarch when Rummy got a political "time-out" yesterday, and  most of the country now agrees that the Bush Administration is indeed strong-n-wrong and aggressively incompetent.  Buckshot Cheney lost his paternal appeal and is now more associated with the Penguin than being a strict father-figure.  The only dad-imagery that Bush conjurs is the equivalent of dad trying to be cool and blowing it in front of his teenage kids and all their friends.

R's won the race, with their keen slight of hand,
D's lost some face, but now Dean takes a stand,

Five years of crime, is all we can manage,
'06's the time, for fixing the damage

Good news for D's, the sea is a changin'
Should Kos charge fees, for polls rearrangin'?

Libby now leaks, to Fitzgerald the sleuth,
Bush quickly squeaks, claiming he spread the "truth."

More "truthiness," on mobile weapons lab,
Veep should confess, "Iraq had oil to nab!"

Mandate no more! Didn't have one before!
His push for war, predated Bush v. Gore,

Why'd the polls drop? Support in the 30's!?!?
Rove needs a mop, for dicks mess with birdies.

Why now so low? For Harriet Meyers?
FEMA? Shaivo? Or Dubai port buyers?

NSA spies? Wedding Gay? Iran's Nuke?
GOP "guys:" Tom Delay, or the Duke?

"Crashing The Gate," is where we are going,
Just contemplate, the grass seeds we're sewing!

I have a wingnut sister and brother-in-law, who fwd their propaganda to me occasionally, which provides a fascinating window into the clever machinery of the Rovian skunkworks. Yesterday they sent me a petition to "Support President Bush: Put the Pledge of Allegiance Back in Schools!"  I did not realize the Pledge had been removed, but alas these phony crises rally support for Bush for a pretend cause, when there is no real cause worth supporting.  These email  petitions get circulated so widely by unengaged and unthinking conservatives (who don't even spend 2 minutes with Google to fact check), that they have become a powerful uniting force on the right.  It doesn't matter if it is blatantly false, because it works anyway.  We saw a similarly timed and emphasized Gay Marriage "crisis," and all the uninformed and unengaged half-ass support that gave the conservatives in 2004.  This is clever skullduggery. My response to propaganda on the flip(note that this was tailored to be sent out to persuade (not debate) conservative relatives, so it is not overtly liberal)...

There once was a man from New Haven,
With sliver spoon, drunk, misbehav'n,

Spent 40 years sailing, through life always failing,
To excel, earn or learn, while bailing/derailing,

Found god on the beach, and with Rove as his teach,
Smirked his way through each, election full breach,

Then Bin Laden gave him, what SCOTUS could not,
A legitimate whim, now terror's all he's got,

"Fight 'em over there, not here!"
The inner circle would cheer,
But now it is clear, they betrayed US through fear,
And his book smarts don't save us or shore up our rear.

The rest of the world, is also quite mad,
bout the arrogant ignorance, and issues with dad.

Now his hair's a bit whiter, after Libby the insider,
(charged by Fitz the indicter),
made true on the claim "I'm a uniter, not a divider."

Indeed the country does tire, of the lies from the liar,
and the disapproval ratings grow higher and more dire,

With help from the masses, and droves that read Kos,
We'll unite off our asses, with this backbone that grows!