Some days everything just kind of comes together, doesn't it? I was looking at some news photographers' shots from the ever-popular 9/11, and reading the stories of their experiences on that day. And I was reminded (as if anyone needs reminding) of how many people risked their lives that day to save others. How many firefighters and police officers died. And how many of those who lived are still sick today because of all the crap they were exposed to while they worked their asses off to save the lives of people they didn't know, the lives of people of unknown ethnicity, religion, politics. These people just went in and did what needed to be done.

And I thought about how Americans are facing an election this fall. And how polls suggest that Americans want to punish Obama and the Democrats in general for not having done enough. And, well, that's when my head began to really, really hurt.

America is in deep shit today because of years of Republican greed and corruption, and Americans are mad at Obama for not turning that around in two (count 'em, people - two) years. The hell with the fact that he's gotten you (some of you, at least) the possibility of decent medical care, despite the best efforts of the Republicans. To hell with him trying to tax the people who can afford it, and lift some of the burden off the people who really can't. Nuts to his moving stem cell research forward so that there might be some chance to find some way to stop things like Alzheimer's (right-wingers - remember the Gipper?), multiple sclerosis, cancer, and a whole shit load of other hideous diseases currently untreatable. And who cares about his efforts to stave off a major economic meltdown brought on by years of Republican fat-cat-ism. Oh, yeah - screw him, things are still rough. After all of two years of effort. Fighting against Republican intransigence on a level that Eisenhower and the Republicans of the past, men of (and this is an unknown concept among today's Republicans, but...) honour, would be sickened by.

Which brings me to 9/11, firefighters, police officers, and Republicans. Remember, folks, the Republican assholes are the ones denying funding for adequate medical care for the very heroes they use in their PR machine.

If you vote Republican this fall, you've got the I.Q. of a plant.