The press conference given by President last week was simply remarkable. I watched the clip that has everyone abuzz... where the President says that as long as he is President we will stay in Iraq, and that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and did not have WMD.

In other words no matter what the "soveriegn government" of Iraq states they want us to do, Bush has determined to continue the occupation of Iraq. That is it, cut and dried. It is clear that he intends to hold on by the skin of his teeth and let the next President handle this mess. Now that is truly a profile in courage!

But all this is actually old news. Nothing new to see here... just move along. Then all of the sudden the President drops THIS bombshell!
I have suggested, however, that resentment and the lack of hope create the breeding grounds for terrorists who are willing to use suiciders to kill to achieve an objective. I have made that case. And one way to defeat that -- you know, defeat resentment, is with hope. And the best way to do hope is through a form of government.
What?! Did the President just actually say that the best way to "do hope" (whatever that really means... for the purposes of this post I'll guess he meant "give" or "instill" etc hope) was to have a good form of government? I'll wager when George said this that a rooster crowed in the Whitehouse garden, symbolizing the denunciation of Jesus Christ (as the great best giver of hope) by his chosen hand on Earth. What about family? Are these really your values George? You derive more hope from the government than your religion or family?

The thin high wailing sound you heard in the background several hours ago were the collective screams of dismay by all true Conservatives. Bush has attacked the core principle of conservatism with that statement. The best way to do hope is through a form of government? George Bush, meet Karl Marx.

Besides which the form of government is not the issue whatsoever. There are many examples throughout history of monarchs ruling with wisdom, and their kingdoms flourishing. Indeed there are examples of hope crushing failures in our own government throughout it's history. How many dreams were crushed during the great upheaval that was our civil war? Talk hope to a Katrina victim stranded on a roof for 4 days. Do you honestly believe that survivor would care a wit that the helicopter that came to their rescue flew the U.S. flag or the flag of another nation that may not hold our democratic values? Most certainly not! How many hopes and dreams were crushed by our governments lackadasical response to that hurricane? You can't hope for much when your floating face down in the Mississippi river!