What are they thinking...?

Republicans.

"You can't live with 'em. You can't live without 'em."

And that's the problem. Why can't we just live "without 'em" for a while?

You would think, that after the past 8 years and the defeats of 'o6 and '08, the Grand Old Party would begin to get the message. But NOOO!!

What is it that they don't seem to understand. We are in two endless wars (3 if you count the "War on Terror") The economy is on life-support. Our healthcare system is neither healthy nor caring. Our kids can't read (English, let alone Chinese) Our air is gray, our water is brown and our roads have more holes than Albert Hall.

And so much of the current mess is attributable to Republican decisions. The gated mentality of "I've got mine and screw you" has provided us with legislation, or a lack thereof, that has frustrated the better intentions of the bright minds that have an insight into the solutions we so desperately need.

Now, let's stipulate that the Democrats are no angels either. They've enjoyed their moments in the sun. We can thank them for Viet Nam even though Johnson and Nixon get the blame (Eisenhower, Schmeisenhower)

We can thank them for the nightmare "13 days in October" that almost made the whole conversation about the future moot. Not to mention Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

We can thank them for Chicago '68.

But PLEASE!!

The transgresions of the the modern GOP, run by Rove and fronted by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Delay and many other lesser players (Thank you Ann Coulter...no Rush Limbaugh..no Sean Hannity...no Dennis [How can HE be a Republican...Saturday Night Live?] Miller) are far worse because they seem to nurture the worst in us.

Greed. Cruelty. Dispassion. Ignorance.

What has happened to the "Party of Lincoln", by the way, a man who revered education and fairness...let's review, the EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION ANYONE?!!

No, we get Bridges to Nowhere and gazillion dollar wars and bailouts and torture and poverty and whatever else you can imagine in describing the inner fires of Hell.

Please just stop. Heven't you done enough? Don't you have enough pearls and diamonds and caviar and Mercedes and speedboats?

Can't you just admit that we live in a diverse and complicated society no longer easily categorized by Kings and Queens (ok, a few queens...) and peasants.

We all count. We all deserve to live in peace and harmony and an environment of well being.

To paraphrase Lee Iacocca, but leaving off the "leading" part because enough already,

"....., follow or get out of the way"

Just get out of the way so the best and the brightest can fix what you've done for so long now.

To quote another great American,

"It ain't over 'til it's over"

But it's damn close....damn close!