Caution: Somewhat of a rant to follow.

Outside the streets on fire in a real death waltz
Between what’s flesh and what’s fantasy,
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We’re winning the war on terror you know? Who cares that over one hundred and thirty people including eleven Americans died yesterday at the hands of suicide bombers in the quagmire that has become Iraq? Headlines only last for one day.

Babies. Fuckin’ babies are being blown up almost every day but as long as it doesn’t happen on our soil we can pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.

Mission Accomplished!

Jessica Simpson and Nick Whoeverthefuckheis are free to get divorced without having to worry about terrorists raining dirty bombs down on the courthouse.

Unless of course they decide to hide from the public and conduct their little operation in New Orleans. Most of that town is still underwater and uninhabitable almost half a year after Hurricane Katrina decided to pay a little visit. Thanks FEMA!

And ‘”Brownie, you’re doin’ one helluva job.”

And the poets down here don’t write nuthin’ at all
They just stand back and let it all be

You probably all know at least a little bit about the whole government wiretapping and eavesdropping on American citizens without a warrant or probable cause. A lot of people have their panties in a bunch about their civil liberties being violated and a lot of other people have those same panties wadded up saying that if you didn’t do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. I’m probably on the side of those who are questioning the government's motives on the whole deal but if you really want to know what galls me about this whole episode is that fact that that bastion of truth, those so-called liberal bastards at the New York Times sat on the story for over a year. Apparently, the only reason they published at all was because the guy who broke it was getting ready to come out with a book about the whole fiasco.

So much for “All the news that’s fit to print.”

I wonder what might have happened if the story broke just before or during the 2004 Presidential campaign?

And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment
And try and take an honest stand
But they wind up wounded
and not even dead
Tonight
in
Jungleland

Now that uber lobbyist Jack Abramoff is copping a deal and spilling his guts about his little scheme you have politicians from both sides of the fence cleansing their coffers of any money they might have taken from him in the form of campaign contributions. In an effort to clear their good names, they’re either donating it to charity or returning it directly to the source.

After all, this is an election year and nobody but nobody wants to get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Excerpts from Bruce Springteen’s tune Jungleland released on the Born to Run album some thirty years ago.