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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Joan, Carl, Tom, Scott, et
al.,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>It is very difficult for me to
understand how "George the Butcher" was reelected. Here is a guy responsible for
the deaths of over 1,100 of our troops and over 10,000 Iraqis. Tom mentioned the
patriot act and how we have lost a lot of our freedoms because John
Ashcroft has convinced Bush that we are all possible terrorists. I have been
very vocal on my views about Bush and hope that one of these days the Fibbies
don't cone a knockin' on my door to take me away to Guantanamo with all those
"terrorists". (Lets see. How many of them have been convicted of anything?) The
way our laws have been butchered by the Christian conservative Bush and Ashcroft
we are now living in an atmosphere like when the KGB were active in Russia.
This old thing about innocent until proven guilty and a right to an
attorney have flown out the window. In another year they will have listening
devices in our homes, cars and places where we work. They can't trust us cause'
we're dangerous. They have <FONT size=2><FONT size=3>Transportation
Secretary Norman Minetta</FONT> </FONT>, who won't racial profile and loves
to pull little old, white haired, 89 year ladies out of line for a pat down
before they can board the plane. Doesn't that make you feel safe? Right after
9/11 they federalized the baggage screeners because "it would be a whole lot
better and we would be safer". I'm sure the cost tripled and we know is isn't
any better. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>I love this country but don't like what
it has become. We are a global society but Bush has thumbed his nose at most of
the rest of the world because he wanted to enrich the "Military Industrial
Complex". Do you all remember learning about that in school. I hope you all
learned a little about it and understand that is what is leading
our country now. Our country is led by money. Why do you think that 90% of
Crapo's political contributions came from outside Idaho? Where is his loyalty?
The saying "follow the money" is how decisions are made. Somehow we have got to
take back our country and get people elected who love our country more than
money.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>I've rambled on long enough and hope we
can holler loud enough to make this a better place for us, our kids, and
grandkids to live. I will continue to email my representatives and probably even
email them more. We need to be heard to repair our "Good Old
USA"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Dick Schmidt</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
href="mailto:auntiestablishment@hotmail.com">Joan Opyr</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020 Moscow</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, November 03, 2004 3:26
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] New and improved
headlines</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Wait, Carl, Tom, Dick, Scott and other discouraged Democrats
-- don't despair. Instead, read these breaking headlines!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Shirley Ringo Wins! Tom Stroschein keeps seat
on Latah County Commissioners! Judge Hamlett retained! Patty
Murray stomps George Nethercutt! Barack Obama will be the
first black man since Reconstruction to win a seat in the US Senate.
Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota holds onto her House seat and
actually increases her majority. Barbara Boxer's opponent,
whoever the hell he was, gets proverbial tar beat out of him! This is
all good news . . . nay, it's excellent news. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Give me a P, give me an O, give me an L-L-Y-A-N-N-A! Why?
Because I said so, that's why.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Listen, you lot -- I've had cause to worry of
late that the mother-lode of ready topics that I've been
mining these last few years for my Auntie Establishment
columns would simply dry up. A Kerry presidency might have
done something about job loss, outsourcing, health care, the falling dollar,
Social Security, Medicare, the environment, our dependence on foreign oil,
and sorting out the quagmire in Iraq. With a firmly Republican
Senate, House, and Administration -- and, coming soon, a fully conservative
Supreme Court -- that danger seems to have passed. Phew!
Yesterday's vote was a boon to the lazy, i.e., me. Now, once again, my
column will virtually write itself. Thank heaven, or rather, Ohio.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As far as I can tell, George Bush won 51% of the popular vote and the
same states he won last time around (with perhaps New Mexico tossed in for
good measure). He is now, legitimately, our President. This time
around, we can't blame Florida, Jeb, or Pregnant Chad. And what's more,
the world cannot and will not blame them either. We will be obliged to
bear the full responsibility for our decision, and believe you me, we
shall. I don't mean to go all Dick Cheney on you and suggest that this
opens us up to another terrorist attack -- that would be cheap. I would
like to suggest, however, that I doubt we'll be hearing much of that old
canard from our foreign friends, "We love you Americans, but we hate your
President." Instead, what we'll hear is "What the hell were you people
thinking?" And I'll be happy to tell them: Karl Rove, the political
mastermind of the Bush Administration, successfully managed to play the
events of September 11th, 2001, like a hand full of aces. I am forced to
bow both to Mr. Rove's political brilliance and to the dual power of
fear (of another terrorist attack) and loathing (of gays and lesbians)
in mobilizing the GOP base. The fact that 11 anti-gay marriage
initiatives were on the ballot in 11 swing states played no small
part in Mr. Bush's victory. While I think that's a sucky way to
win, it's clear that the gay-card has now joined the race-card in
the Republicans' winning repertory.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But that's okay. Melynda and I are pleased to be in such good
company. We've always sided with the underdog, and now we are the
underdog. Strangely enough, I think that's why I don't feel
defeated today. Sure, I moped around the house this morning, muttering
into my coffee cup about nationwide lead-poisoning and the South's
reputation for in-breeding, but this afternoon, the sun has begun to poke
through the clouds and I have begun to feel energized. Why?
Because what would America be without her dissenters; without her
critics? Our country voted yesterday for four more years of
the four past years, and we have no reason to assume that a
President who can't admit to mistakes won't go on to make many, many
more It'll be our job -- actually, our duty -- to point those out.
And to object. And to fight for what we believe in, to respectfully
but firmly disagree, and to gird up our loins for the battles to come.
I'm ready. Right now.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bring it on,</DIV>
<DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PS: I must admit to fairly salivating at the fun we'll all
have when Kentucky sends the drooling and demented Jim Bunning back
to the US Senate -- that's what we really needed, a replacement for the
late Strom Thurmond. Also, the jokes I've already plotted at the
expense of Oklahoma's "Queer Revere," AKA Tom Coburn ("The Lesbians
are coming! The Lesbians are coming!") are, to quote the great
Milton, thicker than the fallen leaves at Vallambrosa. What's
tragic for the country is bread and butter for the comedian. It's
hootnanny time, folks, for Jon Stewart, for Bill Maher, and for small-time
jokers like little old me. Hip. Hip.
Hooray. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV><BR clear=all>
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