Repossessing Patriotism

In the most important foreclosure of all, the White House will be taken back Tuesday by the majority of Americans who lost it to lawyers in 2000 and the legions who have joined them while watching in disgust as George W. Bush lowered American property values in the world neighborhood.

Our new tenants, the Obamas, are holding an open house as they move in and, although visitors won't be able to see it, the most cherished heirloom of all will be back in the people's possession, the patriotism that the Neo-Cons hijacked and tarnished for eight years.

President Obama will be wearing a flag pin in his lapel, but it was less than a year ago that he had to answer attacks on his patriotism for not doing so:

"The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a pin. Shortly after...talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security.

"I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great."

Over almost two years, they listened, heard and bought back their most precious possession on November 4th. Now Obama's talents as a community organizer will be put to the test on a global scale and, starting next week, he and his helpers will be cleaning house for us.

In the good times and bad ahead, at the very least Americans will be White House-proud again.

3 A.M. for the Economy

The red phone is ringing, not for a nuclear attack, but a total meltdown of the world's financial system and there is no one in the White House to answer it.

As the Federal Reserve, along with central banks in Canada, England, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Central Bank, cuts key interest rates--crossed fingers trying to plug the dike--George W. Bush is packing his bags, taking time out yesterday to visit an office supply plant in a Washington suburb for a pep talk.

"I wish I could snap my fingers and make what happened stop," he told the workers there. "But that's not the way it works."

Meanwhile, the Gallup Poll reports Bush approval ratings as the worst ever and that only 9 percent of Americans are "satisfied with the way things are going," dipping under the all-time low of 12 percent in 1979, the time of rising prices and gas shortages when Jimmy Carter was president.

No word on where the Gallup people found that 9 percent or what they have been smoking.