There is a great deal of nastiness in our country these days. The close election for President has made everyone a political science expert, which really means that everyone has an opinion and they feel free to express it in any bone-headed way they want to. Because there is no mandate, because there is no clear majority in Congress, because there is the question still lingering of the legitimacy of Bush's win, everyone has decided that they know what's best for the country.

I like to play devil's advocate a lot of the time (usually erring on the side of liberals because, deep down, I know I am extremely liberal on most issues) just to throw a little bone into the fire and see if it blows up.

Conservatives (even compassionate ones) are up in arms over all the stuff Clinton (and his wife, they can't get over Hillary at all--I hear "lesbian bitch" a lot) did in his last days in office. He pardoned someone whose wife gave a lot of money to the Democratic party. Is there always this much scrutiny about pardons? I remember little tickles of resentment from the former Bush's pardons, but nothing nasty (Democrats had gotten back into the White House after 12 years--they didn't care what Bush did).

But half the nation is up in arms about some guy who got a get out of jail free card. They don't really care about anything other than putting another black mark on Clinton's name. They don't understand why people like him. They still don't get why he was elected to the office of President TWICE. And they're still pissed. It's like eight years of bile has come up in their throats and it's still raining chunks.

And all the gifts (furniture, paintings, etc.) the Clinton's took with them on their way out of office. I'm pretty sure this is regular practice. Most of the time all the old stuff gets thrown out (if the newcomers don't like it--and most of the time they don't) or given away. And it's not like the new Bush isn't getting gifts (and will for four years at least) and placing them in strategic locations around their new home.

All of this is about as consequential as a game of XFL football. But Republicans are still pissed they weren't in office for eight years--even though they snuck their guy in this time (I know, that's a little underhanded, tit for tat). My grandma even likes to tell me that Democrats have selective memories--not realizing that the elephants forget about their own screw ups, too.

It's coming to a head on a couple of issues. Old issues. Stuff that's been around since the last time the new Prez* did a couple lines of coke. Star Wars, the dream of a cloak of security, is rearing it's ugly head again. The Prez* and his deputies are calling for an reorganization of the military. I think this is, in itself, a good thing. There is a lot of fat that could be cut out (planes that don't work that we still pay for, upkeep and personnel for systems that are outdated), but I fear all of this talk of trimming down the military is really so they can justify the extreme expense of a national security shield--not to actually streamline the military. I shouldn't fear this, except that all of the signs point in that direction. Single-mindedness is rather easy to detect--they're not looking anywhere else.

And then the big tax cut fight. How much, to who and will we really have this kind of surplus for the next 10 years?

Back when I was in college, there were regular tuition raises of 6 to 10% every year. When I first started at UNM, tuition was under a grand for in-state undergraduates. And every year the president of the university would tell us that the increase is only "ten pizzas a semester" or however many pizzas we'd have to give up to pay for school. Ten pizzas is about a hundred bucks. And yes, a hundred bucks isn't that much. But when you're in college, a hundred bucks is food.

Now we're supposed to be impressed that the average tax break is $1600 (for something like a family of four making 40 grand or so). Since I'm not a family of four and I'm not making 40 grand, I'm gonna assume my break would be much less (take out the exemptions for two children--$1000 and I'm getting back $50 a month). Forgive me if I'm not cheering for the new tax cut. Give me free health care and keep the tax cut--this will save me more money in the long run since I won't have to pay for health care and will get that back in my paycheck.

Republicans like to point out that the percentage of cut is bigger for low income tax payers. This may be true. But let me describe what percentages do. Hypothetical numbers: If you make $10,000 and you get 10% of your earnings back, you get $1000. If you make $100,000 and only get 5% of your earnings back, you get $5000. It's this disparity that concerns me. Do you know what disparity means, Mr. Prez*?

And so it really comes down to this: Do you call giving a blowjob sucking or blowing? And does it really make a difference which way you get screwed?

Matt Worley isn't pissed, he's just annoyed.