Another conservative jumps ship

It's a bittersweet feeling when I find someone who writes more succinctly-- and better-- than I do on a topic that's dear to me. That's the case with his nicely-done finale from Steve Chapman's Christmas day column in the Chicago Tribune.

What we have now is not a robust executive but a reckless one. At times like this, it's apparent that Cheney and Bush want more power not because they need it to protect the nation, but because they want more power. Another paradox: In their conduct of the war on terror, they expect our trust, but they can't be bothered to earn it.

I still think that the whole NSA wiretapping is just the sort of event that will tick off many Americans. Especially after seeing the American Experience bio of Reagan last night. The GOP has been fomenting fear and suspicion of the government for decades now-- and now they're being hoist by their own petard.