110th - I've got your challenge right here

[RangerOne]

Let’s pretend that we could condense American politics to a
conference room consisting of several dozen media darlings,
political pundits, government officials and corporate
executives. Sitting in the middle of that room is an obnoxious
slob.  He’s about 300 pounds overweight with flabby jowls, fat
neck and stubby little fingers.  He smells of sweat, good
tobacco, and $1,000 cologne.  Those stubby fingers are adorned
with gold rings and diamonds.  He looks remarkably good
because he is wearing a $5,000 hand tailored suit.  His hair
is dyed and his teeth are bleached, but he’s easily the
ugliest both physically and spiritually of all those in
attendance.  While conservation goes on around him, while all
these brilliant minds hash out the causes of our woes, he
feeds his face incessantly, his hunger knows no bounds.  He
belches constantly and passes gas that smells of sulfur.  For
some unexplainable reason, no one else in the room seems to
notice.  During the debate he shouts out demands to all the
participants.  He insists on his point of view and hands over
bundles of cash to make sure you heard him.  All in the room
follow his instructions but are too blind or too afraid or too
compromised to identify his power and influence. He rarely
speaks in public as he is guarded from the spotlight like some
illegitimate child of an evangelical preacher.  If he were to
wear a name tag, it would say “Big Oil”.  

From the PNAC manifesto to the Secret Energy Task force to the
Iraq Occupation to the ISG, nobody has been more complicit
than this slob.  Mountains of evidence, the means and
motivations, and numerous admissions by this administration
and its supporters point to him and scream of his duplicity. 
THIS HAS TO BE THE DEFINITION OF ULTIMATE POWER, to be so
integral to the policies and aspirations of the most powerful
country on earth, while existing in a nearly invisible
netherworld. This isn’t Alex Jones conspiracy theories; this
is stare-you-in-the-face documented complicity.

With all the ineptitude, corruption, and outright lawlessness
of the past 6 years, I have never been able to shake off the
feeling that this administration is happily progressing along
this disastrous course just as planned.  Many friends of Bush
have made a killing in war profiteering and the numerous
Homeland Security boondoggles.  But none stand to benefit more
than the Oil Industry.  Take this as fact: we won’t be
re-deploying any significant amount of troops until American
oil interests amend the Iraqi constitution and divvy up the
Iraqi oil.  Period.  It doesn’t matter who stands up, or
whether the violence reaches “tolerable” levels.  Our bases
are permanent until nearly every last drop of oil is gone. 

I’m probably preaching to the choir here.  I’m sure most of
you reading this are aware of what is going on.  I know most
Republicans refuse to allow this reality to creep into their
conscious thought, but after working on a successful
Democratic campaign this fall, I was astonished by the number
of fellow Democrats unable to connect the dots.  How can so
many discount or even ignore the ruthlessness of those who
manage this commodity?

I’m interested to see how the 110th congress handles lobbying
reform, health care, education, and the constitutional crisis
created by this administration.  But nothing will prove a
better gauge of their true meddle and integrity than the
recognition of the fat bastard in the middle of the room. 
Will they force the Oil Industry to testify under oath in the
people’s house, or will they don the blinders left behind by
the Republicans?   If they do, will they speak truth to the
ultimate power?  Until we as a country address this issue head
on, any talk of alternative energy will remain a conversation
by parties with next to no say in the matter.