28 Days Later

On November 2nd of this year, a terrible illness swept over this great land. Overcome by the events of that day, many of us fell into a sort of catatonic state. We awaken 28 days later to find a very different* America.

Now, in a world where hoary paleocons roam unchallenged--OK, OK, what exactly has gone down since "Our Leader" was re-elected?

Well, let's see:

• George Bush immediately claimed a mandate and said he intended to spend the capital he'd earned.
  
• Leaders of the far religious right clamber to claim a piece of the mandate pie.
• Notably, Bob Jones III, president of Bob Jones University sends a letter of congratulations to Bush and exhorts him "Don't equivocate. Put your agenda on the front burner and let it boil. You owe the liberals nothing. They despise you because they despise your Christ." (Ed: This "liberal" doesn't hate Christ.)
  
• The terror alert status for Washington, New York and New Jersey financial institutions almost immediately gets ratcheted down a level.
  
• The administration's most prominent moderate Colin Powell resigns within two weeks of Bush's re-election. (Good news column: Attorney General John Ashcroft quits scarcely a week after Bush's re-election.)
  
• Bush replaces cabinet members like the more moderate Powell with "Yes Men" (and women) like Condaleeza Rice, "dispatching White House staff members to take over the State, Justice and Education departments."
  
• Republicans in the House dismantled their own law so that a post-indictment Tom DeLay could continue serving as Majority leader.
  
• The Senate voted to raise the ceiling on the debt level. (What ever happened to the party of fiscal conservatism?)
  
• The FCC continues fining the hell out of everyone.
  
• The so-called "Istook Amendment" appears in an appropriations bill and seems to allow congressmen to access to folks tax returns at their disgression. No one admits to knowing how it got in there.
  
• $2 million in the recent omnibus spending bill passed by Congress was allocated for buying back the presidential yacht. Jimmy Carter quickly sold the yacht upon becoming President because he feared it contributed to making the presidency appear more imperial.

Keep in mind now, Bush hasn't *started* his second term yet. I know, it's easy to forget. All this and November's just ending. If you're the hopeful type like me, you kinda wanna think we're working on his second term already.

Now, just for fun, Google "since Bush was re-elected" and see what you get. And let me know if there's anything I should add to the list.

*OK, not so much different, as more of the same, only worse.