AlterNet: Election 2004: Saving Room for the Rotten Pie

"Dan Green of New York City says of the election results: 'You can't be depressed now, the worst is yet to come.' Following that good advice, I intended to keep my indignation dry and save the outrage for when it is really needed, kind of like saving room for the pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. If we're going to get through the next four years, we have to pace ourselves, I concluded.

But here it is, not even three weeks into the new Bush regime, and already I'm jaw-dropped, you've-got-to-be-kidding mad. Here's the record so far:

* Republicans somehow managed to squirrel an obscure little provision into the appropriations bill that gives congressmen or their 'agents' the right to look at your IRS return and make what use of it they will. This perverse item was apparently the brainchild of Rep. Ernie Istook of Oklahoma, who is such a hopeless chucklehead it's often hard to take him seriously as a menace. He's chair of the transportation subcommittee of the appropriations committee, and in that position clearly needs to see your tax return. He also voted for funding for light rail in Salt Lake City (he's Mormon), but against light rail funding for Oklahoma City.

What is it with Oklahoma? Even Istook is likely to be out-dumbed by Oklahoma's new senator, Tom Coburn, who believes 'lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in southeast Oklahoma that they'll only let one girl go the bathroom' at a time. No evidence could be found for this peculiar claim. He also described state legislators as 'a bunch of crapheads.' While I do not agree, I am sympathetic to the perspective."

"If the worst is yet to come from this administration, it's going to be hard to save room for all the outrage and indignation that's coming our way."