New Passports?

US Passports have been revamped.  If you are about to receive a new passport, instead of the basic blue paper, the inside sheets will have pictures of the American Eagle embossed over the Constitution, a picture of Mount Rushmore, 13 quotes from past Presidents, and other American symbols.  This change has been in the works for 6 years. 

Views have been mixed.  Personally, I am not a fan of this change.  Over the past 6 years, the disgust with America has risen around the world.  This passport is just another way of America pumping its muscle.  What I find truly incredulous is that this particular idea was spawned during the Bush Administration.  This Administration has been if anything un-American although wraps themselves in the flag through marketing campaigns feigning patriotism. 

George Tenet, who ran the CIA for 6 years, came out with a book this week basically giving his view of the behind scenes before the Bush Administration ran slipshod into Iraq.  You have to have some belief in what George Tenet is telling the American people considering he did hold one of the most influential jobs in the country for 6 years.  In essence, he says that the Bush Administration did not even vet the process of declaring war against Iraq.  They used 9/11 to march into Iraq regardless of any information connecting the two.  How can the leaders of the free world be so cavalier about sending our armed forces into a country with no plan and no reason to attack?  There is no end in sight and our armed forces have been left weak and depleted. 

On top of the disaster in Iraq, there has been the farce of firing Judges around the country that weren’t backing up the Administration through the loyal yet not too bright Gonzales who runs our nations Justice Department.  We have Wolfowitz holding on to his job at the World Bank, another Bushie loyalist, who has been the complete opposite of loyal to his staff, unless you include his mistress.  This Administration has all but ignored the demise of New Orleans, used the death of Tillman in Iraq as another marketing angle to create smoke and mirrors against the realities of the war, eroded the Middle Class, back big business while destroying our environment, refused to create working relationships so  with Iran, Russia and Korea which has put us in a position of being weak, ignored any laws that actually were created to make sure there are checks and balances in Government.  Shall I go on?

Where were all the Republicans during this?  They were the majority of the Senate doing absolutely nothing even though they were fully aware of what was happening behind the curtain.  No leadership.  Each Senator chose to ignore Bush and his misgivings even though they were voted in to uphold the Constitution of the United States for the citizens that voted for them.  But now, as all underhanded illegal wrong things do, they eventually rise to the surface and seep out into the public. 

It is embarrassing, mortifying and disgusting all rolled up into one.  The Press on one level should be held accountable for not prodding and looking underneath the surface of everything from Abu Ghraib to Tillman, to going to war in Iraq.  I am not a big believer in impeachment.  It is bad for the country.  But, in this case, although there are only 18 months left of Bush, something should be done.  He might be a lame duck (certainly the Democrats have worked very hard to shed some light on the past 6 years now that they are the majority) but it is essential that no President in the future is allowed to do what Bush has done. 

Secretly breaking into the Democrat party headquarters is child’s play compared to what the Bush Administration has done.  It is an embarrassment for this country worldwide.  Where is the anger, where is the outrage?  It isn’t okay for this group of despicable people, Cheney, Rove, Condi, Bush, Gonzales, Wolfowitz to just fade into the wood work 18 months from now as good citizens that spent their years for the good of the country.  It isn’t good and it isn’t right.