Administration Schmadministration

I don't like the administration. It isn't because they do stuff that I don't like (they do), it is because they do it in a horrible way. There are two journalists who had sources telling them that the administration leaked the identity of a spy (endangering her life) because her husband wrote an opinion article that said the WMD stuff was bunk. You might remember the story. Anyway, the reporters are going to go to jail for not releasing their sources. In an amazingly alphabetical wave of legislation, Wyoming is the only state without laws protecting reporters in this situation. Can you say "State's Rights"? Way to go Republicans! Does it seem to everybody else that everything seems to have something to do with Iraq? Oil prices hit an all time high; Iraq has world's most pure oil. It seems really obvious to me that these people knew what they were doing. They knew there were no WMDs, they just wanted money. Almost 1,000 Soldiers have died since the end of the war in Iraq. It just seems like money is the bottom line. No one (who gets on the news and is taken seriously) is doing the math: Haliburton contracts+ Oil prices+Bush approval ratings (pre- vs. post 911)+Patriot Act+Military Spending= selfish government. There seems to be such an obvious conflict of interests, which leads to the "Idea of the Day"Political Appraisal/Liquidation of Assets: All politicians should have to relinquish a full list of assets by the time they are sworn into office. Including those of affiliated companies or of those of their spouse. Then the President and VP. are forced to liquidate their assets. What should not be limited to just them would be a cap on earnings while in office.

Cap= ((Assets before taking office)(interest rate)+(salary(2)))(rate of inflation)

I doubled the salary, because their spouse would most likely not earn anything in that time, and would be seen as one earning entity for the purposes. It the spouse does have a job, then replace that for the second salary amount. People should not get rich(er) while in office. It is not every person's duty to run for public office, just to vote. Those who do run should be seen as public servants. They are making a sacrifice. If you are not willing to do that, then you shouldn't be allowed to run. The one thing I would give them is their children's education: no one should be kept from public service because they wouldn't be able to put their kids through college. I solve that with public school scholarships for their children. If that is the price for a higher level of sacrifice in our government, I think it's worth it.