BILL RICHARDSON AND THE PORK BARREL

Sometimes the things one wants are way too big to handle.

It seems our Governator, Bill Richardson, was at a cook out in Des Moines, Iowa and, as is usual with him, wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.

Of all the funny things (funny is used loosely) he thought he'd show off as a man of the people and take a turn at flipping pork burgers. But his gas got in the way and one of the regular cooks yelled that he was only burning the pork. If you want to tick an Iowan off, just burn his pork burger. The Governator got yelled at for not paying attention to what he was doing. (If he's done that here in N.M., somebody would have pointed it out it was business as usual.)

So he quit his turn at the BBQ and went on trying to peddle himself to the Iowans in attendance.

He had the cajones to remark that he had to beat someone of "significance" in the Iowa primary. He failed, however, to name anyone of "significance" in that primary. Just as well, I guess. So far, I haven't seen anyone of significance in either political party.

But the thing I liked in the newspaper's coverage, was the picture of fat Bill turning a couple of patties. Talk about posed.

Perhaps the picture of our Governator working a pork barrel brought images to my mind. Not nice images. Because he would owe a lot of jobs to people you don't want to hear about.

I am becoming more and more discouraged about the coming (yes, it will arrive sooner or later) election. Not one candidate has told us we're about to go down the toilet if we don't make some serious changes in this country. They all seem to want to go on with "business as usual".

There are web sites all over the 'net that are for this or that candidate, party or a particular axe they have to grind. But I don't see anything that leads me to a man/woman who makes me believe that he/she has answers that just might work.

Some are just absolutely not worthy of my trust. Others are deceptive and kind of slimy.

Obviously, I will never make a good Party man. I have a need to believe in the general goodness, honesty and common sense of anyone who wants my vote.

Yep, I was one of those who hated Lyndon Johnson's lies, who denigrated Richard Nixon's stupidity in denying wrongdoing, who was revolted by Clinton's lies, who still detests both Bush's falsehoods.

It has always been sort of a wanting on my part not to have my Commander In Chief be a liar. And worse yet, a liar who should recognize he's going to be found out, but seems oblivious to the idea that cheap lies will forever be found out. Maybe it's that kind of stupidity I don't like.

Jim Hightower is quoted if you click on the header.