Hail and farewell

Off into the mists of history will shortly pass the administration and its memorable figures. To them we bid a most hearty farewell, glad they will no longer bring chaos to a country which has been sorely used by them and their shenanigans. To those incoming we bid an "all hail" along with our most sincere hopes their team will bind up our wounds and make us whole again. We are a patient people, slow to wrath, but the incumbents long ago wore out the warm welcome with which we greeted them eight years ago. Let us hear those voices of dissent.

Loudest are the cries from the burial plots -- and the weeping families of the wav dead. Thousands died fighting for the country they loved, carrying out their orders under leaders in the field who were smart and valiant. Those who were left behind to be cared for because of wounds and illnesses muster in the many thousands and must add shame to the stark fact that we fought a contrived conflict by depending upon false or cooked intelligence. President Bush is herewith indicted for the responsibility that will be his throughout his remaining lifetime, to ponder while he waits for the court of public opinion to convict him. His vice-president bears responsibility, as well.

The constitution is not a fragile document, but his administration did its best to shatter it all in disdain for the rights of privacy afflicting innocent Americans. His cabinet starred Condoleeza Rice, who as Secretary of State served her country creditably -- as had Colin Powell before her. On the other hand, Donald Rumsfeld miserably mismanaged the war during his feckless term as Defense Secretary. More recently, we watched Secretary of the Treasury Paulson spend half a trillion dollars for a recovery package and nobody knows where the money went. We hope for some transparency this final week. We have suffered from malfeasance which led to the alarming deficits and the quadrupling of our national debt by positive acts of the president -- and a deep recession by failure to oversee those in charge of our money. Millions have lost their jobs and we are all suffering because of it.

So begone, begorragh, and good riddance to the lot of you -- welcome aboard to the newcomers who have us holding our hopes high and our outlook confident. Hail to the Chief!