He's Not There

Any connection between American art and American nature
is purely coincidental, but this is only because the nation
as a whole has no contact with reality
--A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole


The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do
--B.F. Skinner

The more he looked inside, the more Piglet wasn't there
--The House at Pooh Corner, A. A. Milne

Well no one told me about her, what could I do
Well no one told me about her, though they all knew

Please don't bother tryin' to find her
She's not there
--She's Not There, The Zombies

___________

VoteVets.org, which bills itself as a "pro military organization committed to the destruction of terror networks around the world, with force, when necessary," representing Iraq and Afghanistan vets, cheered the resignation of Jim Nicholson as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"This resignation is long overdue, and welcome. Jim Nicholson had no business handling our nation's veterans, and was an inept political appointee like Michael Brown at FEMA. The result of his tenure at the VA was a bungled budget that was billions short, budget cuts that hurt veterans, and personal data of thousands of veterans being stolen. Nicholson resigning is the best thing to happen to our nation's veterans during the Bush administration.

"It's now up to the President to nominate someone qualified to head the VA, and for the Congress to make sure that only the most qualified person is confirmed. Our nation's veterans deserve nothing less."

While it is true that our nation's vets deserve nothing less, that is surely what they shall get if it is in the hands of GWB to nominate a successor. The hurdle-jumping question for all administration nominees is not who will best serve the client population, but rather, who is under their cloak, and will look good when propped up like the Marlboro Man in front of the paparazzi.

Though this is an opportunity, it is also a foregone conclusion. Eighteen months of passes to go.

--Lisa