Had Enough Yet?

I live in a small town in Oregon. It’s interesting, because I was born and raised in suburban Chicago. Backwards as all native left- and right-coasters seem to think midwesterners are, Chicago is downright cosmopolitan compared to where I live now.

But even out here in the sticks, we have our progressive community. In Columbia County, Oregon, it’s called the “CCCHD”—Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity. I met them when I attended one of the weekly war protests they hold at the feet of our town totem pole every Sunday. One of their favorite slogans is, “Had enough yet?”

When it comes to the performance of our Congress the last couple of weeks, my answer to that question is an emphatic “Yes!” While the American citizenry wages a daily battle with run-away drug and medical costs, gasoline prices topping the charts, prohibitive housing costs, wonky weather linked to global climate change; our Congress is engaged in covering their sinking asses. DOMA, death tax, and now this useless debate on withdrawal from Iraq, designed specifically to draw a line in the sand for the Republican support base. But they did take a little time out from that to vote themselves their annual pay raise. Very important, what with the price of gas and housing and all…

For the next five months, we should not expect our government to govern. Not until after the election. But wait--how many months will they have to cram in something useful before the posturing for the 2008 presidential elections begins? Or has that already started?

I don’t know about anybody else, but I certainly have “had enough.”

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