FINALLY

Happy Inauguration Day! This means that not only is Obama officially President, but George W. Bush is not! I can't decide which is more exciting, honestly. I should be out partying at The Pageant, but the people that were going to come with me bailed; instead, I am watching "The Colbert Report" and drinking alone (ok so it's hot chocolate, but no less depressing). You know, I haven't always been this way--addicted to "The Colbert Report/Daily Show" and vehemently opposed to Bush. No, in fact, there was a time when I was completely indifferent to politics and W. and I were cool.

That all changed after the decision to go to Iraq 6 years ago, and my opinion of the government went only downhill after that. I thought the war in Iraq was manipulative and poorly planned even in the beginning, and I never understood the connection between Iraq and 9/11. Indirectly you could maybe stretch the case for it, I suppose (well, you obviously can), but Afghanistan should have been the imminent threat...you know, the place where the 9/11 terrorists and Bin Laden actually came from. How do you base a war on speculation and then convince the rest of the country to go along with you, anyway? Fear, I guess. Trust that the government knew more than we did. Collective ignorance, probably.

I probably paid too much attention to current political events. My insatiable, newfound curiousity spiraled into frustration and anger, and at times I had to force myself to take a break. The "ignorance is bliss" thing seemed to be working well for other people, after all. I couldn't keep myself away for too long, though, and I started watching Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert routinely because I needed to laugh at what I perceived to be blatant incompetence and criminal behavior on the part of our government. Surely, I thought, the rest of America would see that, too, and get rid of Bush in 2004. I would have gladly voted for Bush's impeachment in 2004, if that had been an option. Apparently, Bush really is above the law. (Exhibit A: "President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution."--Boston Globe, April 30, 2006).

Don't get me wrong, I think Bush had mostly good intentions, but he was severely misguided by the people around him. (I can't vouch for the intentions of Cheney, Rumsfeld, or Rove...oh, and don't forget "Curveball." I mean, if you can't trust a guy like that to lead you into war, who can you trust?) He put his blinders on and only saw what he wanted to see. That doesn't make Bush a bad person, necessarily, but it does make him a bad President. Iraq was certainly not the administration's only mistake, either. I regret that the economy, Iraq, the environment, our place in the world...you name it, had to come to this in order for America to do something about it. I feel like I have been watching a trainwreck for the past 6 years and I have been helpless to stop it. I am convinced that Obama never would have become President if Bush had not failed so spectacularly, though, so I have to thank him for that. Obama will probably spend a few years on clean up alone, but I think he will truly begin to turn this around. I have a good feeling about this. Please trust me this time.