Did you know the Constitution is for sale?

I am so uneasy about the possibility of the Supreme Court's imminent decision regarding unregulated corporate spending on campaigns. This could be the beginning of the official end of any shreds of democracy left between these two shining (if not polluted) seas.

If the Supreme Court overturns this century's oldest campaign finance protection (the wee bit of protection that is truly left for individuals), We the People will become We the Poop. When I analyze the long-term and short-term implications of giving corporations, who already are able to outspend the consumer/voter, the equal right to endorse and contribute to political campaigns as much as their legislative needs require, well we will truly have given away the keys to the kingdom. I am so sorry. If this comes to pass, I will be so very sorry for all of us.

It reminds me of another tentacle of Jane Smiley's sound argument in favor of the public option in health care reform. She points out the obvious- that if Obama sells the middle-class down the river by signing off on anything less than a public option in a health bill, she rightly says, "that the government is just a sham, a front organization for wealthy corporations."

That's will just be the cherry on top of the real treat- if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff in Citizens United v. FEC, welcome The United Corporations of America.

And then the truly ugly war between the titans of greed and megalomania will be at our doorsteps, in our homes, in our bank accounts, in our tvs, in our computers, in our books, movies, and schools and there will not be a damn thing we can do about it.

We need help. Individuals need to unite, not try to "divide and conquer" or it will be "divide and be conquered." It is in the hands of the Supreme Court and this will tell us pretty much everything we need to know about the health of our nation.

One more thing- don't miss Bill Moyer's essay to Barack Obama. This is what journalists are supposed to do.

Hippies! Damn hippies!

Hippies! Damn hippies!

That’s what we were all saying last Saturday at Beyond Baroque during Maureen Cotter’s 5^th annual reading from her memoirs. This year featured more prison stories centered during Maureen’s stint as a prison guard in 1969 when she was assigned to guard the key witness in the Tate-LaBianca Murders. These were brutal murders that had the entire city on pins and needles even though the intended targets of the rampage were white-rich people. I guess even back then white guys weren’t safe. I don’t mean to make light of the murders. Saturday night, the audience was on pins and needles as Cotter sensitively described the era and her little slice of the American pie. She had a summer residency in a castle in the Hollywood Hills and found herself geographically smack in the middle of both murders as well as her involvement at work.

The modern day equivalent of “hippies, damn hippies,” would be “socialists, damn socialized medicine advocates.” I wish I could say that the debate is heating up; it’s more like the distortion machine has gone into overdrive with smoke and mirrors. Our beloved legislatures are already making changes to the over 1000 page bill based upon bent truths as delivered by none other than that resigned-Governor-rather-than-be-a-lame-duck-Governor, Palin. Why any half brained person would trust her interpretation of the written word is beyond me. But if anyone is interested in taking a look at the actual bill, here it is (most of it is table of contents).

The real catastrophe of this particular bastardization of the democratic process is that it forces many people into defending a health bill before knowing that much about it. We'll do anything to insure health reform. Whatever “it” is, I doubt that it’s socialized medicine in the true sense of the word. It might begin the process to take health care out of free-trade, but it is not socialism. It won’t affect capitalism in the long run. It will, hopefully, begin the process to remove health care from the fair market system, where it never belonged.

But the saddest thing about these arguments is what they represent in the American people. I’m not one of those people. But I'm an American and they're shouting for Americans. They're not shouting and shoving on my behalf. They don’t know their facts and they are not even representing their own best interests. For me, it is another nasty reminder that we have a serious lack of critical thinkers and debaters in the country. Perhaps in the world. I don’t know what will happen to us as a people or as a nation.

My favorite joke recently: Even North Korea couldn't stop Bill Clinton from taking two girls home. I got a little wrapped up in the Euna Lee/Laura Ling capture-release drama. I am happy to see Bill Clinton making good use of his time and talents. And yeah, he's not Secretary of State. She is. But it was a few of those sucker moments that make me proud to be an American. It's probably slutty patriotism.

In any event, there is so much to be grateful for- I hope you're feeling it.

I finally had the opportunity to sit face to face with the fabulous Pat Rocco. He's a tall tale himself and he was generous with his reminisces of Morris Kight. If you have a thing for camp, do not miss the next chance there is to see Pat Rocco film series. These are the real deal, dears.