it is coming

the Republican majority in the House received a sudden death shock today as the Budget Bill failed. interestingly, this bill contained a provision to cut $8 billion dollars earmarked for protection against a flu pandemic. in other news today, China reports its first flu fatalities.

House supporters of the bill said that it provided a satisfactory level of federal support for health and education programs and that new fiscal restraint was called for, given the resources needed for the Gulf Coast hurricanes and the war in Iraq.

undeterred in applying fiscal restraint to the poor but not the wealthy, the Republican House majority managed to push through tax cuts for the rich.

though currently ticking like a time bomb across the world, the pandemic is coming. as the country soon may be reduced to cries of 'Bring out your dead,' it makes sense that the GOP seeks now more than ever to put a little cash in the pockets of the wealthy. how else will they all be able to afford islands of their own to ride out the pandemic? sure, we could take intelligent and fiscally responsible measures to develop prevention and response strategies but perhaps it will be more cost effective for major shareholders to sequester and survive, then colonize some less-fortunate country where they can truly enslave the workers...

in the meantime, Democrats seek to hold fast to the spine instilled by Harry Reid. in another move, a bipartisan coalition has written a protest regarding the Patriot Act extension. Democrats are threatening to filibuster if civil liberties protections are not strengthened. the question is whether they are really coming to play or whether they will melt at the oft-brandished threat of the 'nuclear option.' special 'snaps' to Colorado's own Salazar for his part in authorship of the letter.

finally, no blog published today would be complete without a link to the moving oration of Rep John Murtha, the strongest Dem Hawk and the man believed to 'speak for the Armed Forces', in his insistent demand that America pull out of Iraq. of course, it is his response to WH response attacks that most eloquently nails the yellow elephants to the wall:

"I like guys who got five deferments and (have) never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done," Murtha said.

the straitjacket of silence is unraveling, from all its many, many, many buckles and straps.

btw, i just love this link