BUSH'S VACATION

It's August, you know what that means? Our unelected president checks out of the White House and retires to his ranch in Texas. It's called a vacation, but lest you think I misrepresent the nature of les vacances, let me be clear that Bush will be doing a great deal of fundraising while on holiday, which allows his administration to pay for half the travel costs with taxpayer money.

But a vacation? When U.S. soldiers of questionable morale are stuck in Iraq long after their so-called successful war? With no prospect (or guarantee) of being swapped out with fresh squirts until September? When people are still in detention as a result of our strike against the Taliban closing on 2 years ago? When Jose Padilla is not going to be enjoying sun and surf anytime soon? I hear Guantanamo Bay is beautiful this time of year. Wanna go?

We should amend the Constitution's enumeration of Presidential powers to require that he or she be confined to the White House in time of war and during the unlawful (meaning, beyond the Constitutionally clear powers of the Oval Office) imprisonment of so-called terrorists.