HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Yes, Gentle Reader, I'd been wondering, of late, whether we would have good reason to shout that oft-over-used statement to the hills this holiday, when, lo and behold, a glimmer of hope dawns on the virtual horizon.

First of all, there is the rather belated move on Attorney General John Ashcroft's part to step down from the CIA leak probe.

It seemed to me that the probe had just 'disappeared into thin air' after the White House supposedly made the deadline to turn over documents related to the incident. Of course, we'll probably never know how useful that whole exercise proved to be. But, then again, with a Special Prosecutor appointed from Chicago, you never know. I've heard this guy described as Elliot Ness with a better sense of humor. Hmmm. We'll all be watching. I'm praying for an open hearing on the whole mess - televised no less.

Secondly, there's this wonderful tidbit. Why do I feel like the fox is guarding the hen-house in all this? For those of you who are too lazy to check out the link, the story is about how the US Military is taking over the Iraqi Oil Deal, essentially removing it from Halliburton's hands.

Yes, I'm glad that Halliburton has been exposed for the price-gouging company we all know they are and yet, I'm not exactly comforted to know that the US Military is taking over the responsibility for transporting the oil. Why, you assiduously ask?

1. In case you've been living in a cave with Osama bin Laden in the past two years, the US Military is being attacked DAILY in Iraq, and while I understand the hope is to contract out the work to another company - this time through a hopefully, legitimate bidding process, the winning bidder will still be seen as a US Military pawn and will draw more fire than before!

2. If there is anything we know about the Military, it is that they have a tendency to fight rather than negotiate their way out of conflict. They also have a nasty habit of entrenching themselves into a region and never leaving. This business with oil production will continue, potentially forever, and I can't see us pulling out of Iraq for many, many moons - maybe never. This will further destabilize the region - considering the Muslim extremists have a strong voice there - and who knows what will result from our continued presence.

Still, amid all that's happened this last year, I still look forward to 2004. For one thing, the US people will not continue to stand behind a dictator of a president if they find out he took advantage of their patriotic naivete. That's what I expect will happen with the 9/11 Investigation later in 2004. I personally believe that Bush is directly responsible for the towers being attacked, as well as the Pentagon, whether by intention or negligence. IF the American people find out he was responsible for this, I hate to think what will happen, but I have a nasty, awful feeling they will find out.

At least in 2004 we can look forward to a Presidential Election. My faith in the process was pretty shaken in 2000, when Bush clearly stole election from Gore. I'm giving it one more chance.

If Bush pulls some game to steal it again, I'm moving to New Zealand!