Treating a cancer in the White House

Today is the 61st birthday of our dear leader King George W, so I thought I might give him a proper tribute. Things haven't gone so well lately for the Emperor with Closed Mind, but I'll do my best to cheer him up so he's not too crabby on this his special day.

First, he should know that there are others out there besides the neo-cons who are applauding his little maneuver to spring Scooter. Here's a very informative piece written by former Monty Pythoner Terry Jones congratulating our prez on his new found madness for mercy: A president transformed. I, like Mr. Jones, am brimming with positive expectation that this is the turning of a new leaf and the start of the compassionate conservative era that was promised once upon a time.

Second, there's some hopeful news in the stars. It turns out that it's not too late for this Chief Executioner to change his deadly ways. For George and all the other cancers out there in the world, here is an instructive little horoscope I found on the Los Angeles Times website:

Cancer (June 22-July 22). Education and tolerance go hand in hand. When you know more about the lives others are leading, you can respect their choices. By exploring the way others live, you gain sophistication of thought.

Education and tolerance, those are two magic words that could salvage Georgie's legacy yet. Picking up books and newspapers could be the start of a whole new Bush burning with optimism's flame. It's hard for a man to be so isolated from the folks he serves and gain that sought after sophistication of thought, so maybe George can walk a mile in our shoes before sending us all off to Guantanamo for choosing to fight for such crazy notions as freedom of speech.

George could spend some time in the fields, picking fruit with the immigrant workers he wants to extort before granting amnesty. He could spend some time in the inner cities breathing the particulate matter choked air that his friends in the fossil fuel industry want to continue polluting. He can take the long 3-bus ride from my neighborhood down to the only public hospital in Chicago serving the uninsured, to see what it's like for the tens of millions of Americans with no way to pay for quality health care.

Granted, that's a lot to do for a lame duck with only 18 months left in office, but real education isn't easy or quick. It's a birthday gift that will keep on giving, and you'll thank me George when you're finally able to sleep at night no longer tortured by the demons of your unforgiveable sins.