I'm trying to stay interested and optimistic concerning the Democratic bid for the White House. I read articles and essays and online journals. I hope to see some sign that things are going to change, that we will have an option for a decent President.

I'm disappointed every time.

Hillary voted to give President Bush authority to declare war on Iraq. How brilliant was that? Now she supports legislation that primes the pumps for war with Iran. Yeah, Hill. That's a fan-fucking-tastic idea.

John McCain calls the actions of Idaho's Senator Larry Craig disgraceful. Interesting. I'm just wondering, what's disgraceful?

Oh, don't get me wrong. Senator Craig's actions were less than honorable. But let's review what is actually disgraceful, versus the Republican rhetoric.

First, Craig was accussed of coming on to a handsome undercover cop at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. (Other allegations in a similar vein have surfaced, generally concerning homosexual acts with willing adults.) Was this disgraceful? Well, inasmuch as Mrs. Craig is concerned, yes. It's disgraceful that coming on to someone is an offence. It's disgraceful that Craig doesn't have to balls to stand up and say, "I like sex. I like anonymous sex with complete strangers, male or even female." (I'm making the assumption he also likes women, as he did marry. This could've been a smokescreen, of course, to keep people from realizing he likes men.)

The wire clothes hanger had safety pins hanging off them. It wouldn't be funny, but I've just read "Or All The Seas With Oysters," by the wondrous Avram Davidson.

I hope I don't get strangled in the night.

As it is, the Bangkok weather is hot and muggy. Tomorrow: hot and muggy. All this hot and muggy leads to rain, and thunderstorms, and generally inclement weather. But, no matter. Inside, it is cool and dry and safe.

This trip is nothing, if not completely without incident. Nothing has happened. Nothing. Everything has gone as planned, mostly. I haven't made it out to see Transformers, but otherwise, there've been no surprises.

Republican Presidential candidates are now lambasting both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama over their nay vote to spending $1,000,000,000.00 on the open-ended "war on terror." They say those who voted against the bill voted for a "policy of surrender," voted against the troops.

You know what I say?

Fuck the troops.

So, our boy Bush has vetoed the Dem's attempt to bring our other boys back home. I hope he enjoyed their votes in 2004, because that'll be the last military votes the Republicans will ever see.

One can hope, at least.

Republicans must be damned unimaginative. At least, Cheney and Bush don't show much spark. It's all, "Embolden the terrorists" this, and "Giving aid to the enemy" that.

And so on.

It's all very boring, really. It's like they can't come up with anything else, this shrill one-note call-to-arms.

My favorite Cheney quote from his recent Tulsa speech is this: "Opponents of our military action there have called Iraq a diversion from the real conflict, a distraction from the business of fighting and defeating bin Laden and the al Qaeda network," Cheney said. "We hear this over and over again . . . Yet the evidence is flatly to the contrary."

All I'm saying is, when the time comes to make a documentary about 9/11's alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, they'd better cast Ron Jeremy.

That's all I'm saying.

Saddam Hussein was killed early this morning on the same scaffold used by his secret police during his rule. I guess there's a certain poetic justice, if the poet is Charles Manson.

Jack Williamson died a couple of days ago.

Many don't know of him, one of the greatest science fiction authors of our age. His novella "With Folded Hands" explored the dark side of robots who only want to serve. His horror novel "Darker Than You Think" predates Stephen King's books by many years.

He was first published when he was 20, and he continued writing his whole life. He helped shape modern science fiction into what it is today. He was respected by his peers. He influenced writers that came after.

RIP,

"If we do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons." -- President George W. Bush

Holy fucking Christ. Bush managed to get weapons of mass destruction, terrorists, and think of the children all in one short sentence. That is an astounding feat. I wish I could be that rhetorically-concise. As it is, I go on like a homeless man at a pep rally. Bush, though, he's lining up his rhetorical devices like teenage cheerleaders at a pep rally. Difference is, he isn't trying to look up the skirts of his rhetoric.