A thumb in the eye

Below is the best piece of news poking a figurative thumb in the eye of the Washington politicians.

Oakland Tribune sends copies of '1984' to Congress

The Oakland Tribune in a Dec. 23, 2005, editorial called on its readers to mail or drop off their "tattered copies" of George Orwell's "1984." The editorial argued that "Big Brother Is Watching" via the wiretaps of U.S. citizens "secretly authorized" by President Bush. When 537 copies of the book are gathered, they'll be sent to each member of Congress and to President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The paper urged readers: "Feel free to inscribe the book with a note, reminding these fine people that we Americans take the threat to our liberties seriously. Remind Congress that it makes no sense to fight a war for democracy in a foreign land while allowing our democratic principles to erode at home."

What a crappy few weeks in the nation's capital: the slow erosion of the Bush Administration's tight control on leaks, let alone its credibility; the realization that the president circumvented the courts and Congress in ordering domestic spying; the agreement of lobbyist Jack Abramson to admit wrongdoing in exchange for naming names and implicating others in his schemes, probably including several powerful Congressmen. And get ready for a sizzling week of hearings as the Senate Judiciary Committee grills Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

It is 2006, a mid-term election year of a lame-duck president. The intensity will only increase from here.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.