Religious institutions have been attacking the Constitution and the people of the United States long enough.  I don't want their money, but it is the only way to get their goddamn mitts off of my government.

(Cross posted at The National Gadfly)

Many in the mass media, in an attenpt to try to explain the "why" of America's economic problems have looked in the wrong area. In this insightful column, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch explains why the workers and their unions are not the problem.

You remember those - - to start withdrawing, a little at a time, as soon as practicable immediately after the inauguration.  Not all at once, not unconditionally, but starting right away, continuing as permitted in reaction to conditions on the ground, and maybe even keeping a residual force.

Did the Democratic Party secretly plan to give the next nominee a Clintonista cage?

"Times are a changing" in the white male domination of Washington political position. The Obama Adminstration will mark the third out of for most recent administrations in which a woman has been the top diplomat assuring the national security of the United States and leading the State Department. There was Madeleine Albright in the Clinton Administration, Condolezza Rice in the two Bush terms, and now Hillary Clinton in the Obama Administration.  Yahoo News reports,

President-elect Barack Obama planned to nominate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as his secretary of state on Monday, transforming a once-bitter political rivalry into a high-level strategic and diplomatic partnership.

Obama will name the New York senator to his national security team at a news conference in Chicago, Democratic officials said Saturday. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for the transition team.

To clear the way for his wife to take the job, former President
Bill Clinton agreed to disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997. He'll also refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference, and will cease holding CGI meetings overseas.Yahoo News  

Friday was a good day to be waiting on a FedEx truck. I was expecting a job offer that came with a promotion, 10K signing bonus, 10% pay increase, talented boss and fresh new challenges and opportunities. In return, my prospective employer would be gaining a highly-skilled and productive worker to fill a position that's critical to putting their products on the market. A position that has been vacant for nearly a year.

Of course, the anticipation of receiving the offer letter was clouded by brainstorms of my resignation letter. It wasn't going to be easy. I'd be leaving a high-profile and stable position at a highly-reputable company for a little known startup. Also, I would miss my colleagues and the company's progressive and uniquely European workplace policies. But every now and then an offer arrives that you just can't refuse.

Or so I thought...

One thing that really got on my nerves over the last few years was the lack of accountability in American politics. Not a single Bush appointee was forced to resign in disgrace despite the many screwups related to the Iraq war, justice department, etc.(just name a field that they did not mess up).

Sure Gonzales and Rumsfeld left, but only when it got too inconvenient, and only on their own terms. They did not feel obligated to express regret over their blunders.

Well, even a country like India which has many bad politicians, the people demand resignations when things get messed up. The disgraceful laughable way in which India responded slowly to the terror attacks in Mumbai has led to the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil submitting his resignation.  

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/30mu mterror-patil-sends-resignation-to-pm.ht m

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil [Images] has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images]. Patil  had offered to quit at the Congress Working Committee meeting on Saturday night held in the backdrop of the Mumbai terror strikes, party sources said on Sunday.      

Patil told the meeting that as the Home minister  he "takes the responsibility and whatever the CWC decides, I am ready
to do", they said.

You got to understand that Indian politicians are not exactly role models for our politicians. The ruling party in India is full of sycophants and the union minister is not exactly a paragon of virtue. Still, even he felt compelled to submit a resignation. What did we get from the Bushies? Excuses and sidestepping of responsibility over the years. What did we get from Democrats?  In an effort to look statesmanlike,  they gave us an example of mealy mouthed wimpy evasion of taking Bush and his cronies to task for the enormous harm they did to the country.

You got a chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Lieberman, unwilling to take a single Bushie to task.

We got  bailouts where no politician or exec will take responsibility for the problems.

Nice. Change is not just a slogan. Obama is really doing a lot of superior groundwork compared to past presidents.  But he must understand accountability is key regardless of ideology. He must not let any of his underlings forget that in the upcoming years.

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