More food for thought as the elections neareth...

A propos again of Anna Politkovskaia and the one-man, one-way, one-truth society which she tried so hard to change...we should not forget how much the party in power here has done to try to stifle dissent. Freedom of expression has never been universally popular here, all the required patriotic rhetoric aside, but I cannot remember in my lifetime a group of politicians so conspicuously intolerant of anyone who disputes their version of events. It began with Ari Fleischer after 9/11, warning "Americans had better watch what they say" in the aftermath of the attacks. It continued with the President and his staff during the 2002 and 04 elections, as they demonized Democrats who disagreed with any aspect of Bush policy, morphing them into Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden in TV ad blitzes. And it has only intensified in this election with the likes of House Majority Leader John Boehner. Boehner recently wondered whether Democrats were more interested in protecting the American people or in "coddling the terrorists." The "crime" committed in that instance came in a disagreement over detainee policy.
I realize that I am preaching to the choir here, but I think Americans unsure of which way they will vote should ask themselves which party would be better this time around for the cause of free speech here in the United States. After this group, I don't think we can afford to take it for granted any longer.