It's always something

One of the greatest sayings ever spoken was given to us by the late Gilda Radner. "If it's not one thing it's another." If it isn't finding out that Bush has a White Office of Lessons Learned then it's an AIDS group sponsoring by "kill the gays" musicians. If It's not racism, it's homophobia. If it's not ruthless Republicans then it is morally bereft Democrats.

But then I read Maureen Dowd's column about Alberto Mora, the former Navy general counsel who recently won the Kennedy Foundation "Profiles in Courage" award. He had tried to warn the morally bereft administration about their morally bereft policies towards prisoners of war at Guantanamo. Because, duh, we are at war and they are prisoners.

I was so inspired by his comments.

"Cruelty disfigures our national character. It is imcompatible with our constutional order, with our laws, and with our most prized values. Cruelty can be as effective as torture in destroying human dignity and there is no moral distinction between one and the other. Where cruelty exists, law does not."

That is the word I have been searching for - cruelty. Our country has become cruel. We are cruel to each other, to animals,to children, to seniors, to people in New Orleans, to poor people, to people of color, to immigrants, to women. Who is left? The Right.

Apparently the Right suuports torture. How does that work with the guys who stand in front of Planned Parenthood wiht the signs and pictures saying abortion is torture? I knew a gay guy who was driving down the road with one of his friends. They saw one of these obscene demos and stopped, got out of the car and started making out in front of the anti-choice men and started making out in right next to them. Ended that business in a hurry. I wish some of you gay guys would try that action. Hear me, Konagod?

Speaking of being effective, let us look at what Rahm Emmanuel, Congressman from IL said on the House floor about the White House Office of Lesson Learned, which, by the way, pays over $100,000.

Here's Rahm:

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President said we continue to be wise about how we spend the people's money.

"Then why are we paying over $100,000 for a 'White House Director of Lessons Learned'?

"Maybe I can save the taxpayers $100,000 by running through a few of the lessons this White House should have learned by now.

"Lesson 1: When the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of State say you are going to war without enough troops, you're going to war without enough troops.

"Lesson 2: When 8.8 billion dollars of reconstruction funding disappears from Iraq, and 2 billion dollars disappears from Katrina relief, it's time to demand a little accountability.

"Lesson 3: When you've 'turned the corner' in Iraq more times than Danica Patrick at the Indy 500, it means you are going in circles.

"Lesson 4: When the national weather service tells you a category 5 hurricane is heading for New Orleans, a category 5 hurricane is heading to New Orleans.

"I would also ask the President why we're paying for two 'Ethics Advisors' and a 'Director of Fact Checking.'

"They must be the only people in Washington who get more vacation time than the President.

"Maybe the White House could consolidate these positions into a Director of Irony."

I would apply for that job but I would probably have to wear a dress. Or become a Republican.

As Roseanne Roseannadana would say. it's always something.