The end of the Curmudgeon?

I have given warnings in the past but here is another one. If the Democrats don't take over either the House or Senate this November I'm done. No more complaining. No more whinning. No more crankiness. Just silence. No more blog. Over and out.

I raise this threat, or hopeful promise to some, as we head into election time and the Republicans' messages of fear and hate are being dusted off for another spin. First we have the gay marriage constitutional amendment disgrace going on in the Senate and now we have terror warnings. Remember the 2004 presidential election? Everytime Kerry got a bump in the polls a terror warning was trotted out by Tom Ridge to scare the crap out of people. (And Cheney who famously warned that if you vote the wrong way, Democratic, the U.S. will get hit again). And sadly it worked. That and two guys getting married in Massachusetts was going to destroy the fabric of society was enough fear and hate for the Republicans to win. (Along with the usual ends justify the means voting interference that seems to be the only endeavor Republicans are competent at). So we have the gay marriage amendment hate message going out and the other shoe just dropped with the unnamed U.S. official claiming a terror attack in the U.S. in likely before the end of the year. The Republicans probably hope that if it happens it happens the week before election day.

What a self-fulfilling prophecy. If there are no terror attacks they can claim how good they are at stopping attacks and if an attack happens they can argue that there would have been more attacks if Democrats were in charge. Either way they can sell the idea that they are tough on terrorism when in fact their incompetent handling of Iraq and Afghanistan along with their political cutting of homeland security funds for top U.S. targets has made us less safe and more vulnerable to attack. (The Daily Show's Rob Corddry said the political "pork" spending spread around the country would make us safer since Muslims don't like pork and would drive them away.)

So just as Bush hits new lows in the polls an unnamed U.S. official comes out with a warning that you may die before the end of the year so you need to vote Republican before you do. Like I said if gay marriage, flag burning and terror threats carry the day again in November I am done. It's a government as good as its people and if the Republicans keep control of both congressional houses then the people aren't as good as I thought they are and this country deserves the leadership that it gets but it doesn't deserve daily crankiness of the Curmudgeon.