THE DEVASTATING COST OF POLITICAL WARFARE

There's a costly, full-scale U.S. war ongoing of late--and I'm not referring to the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts. I mean the one right here within the Washington beltway between the opposition party and the White House. And the casualties are mounting.

The Democrats, in a single-minded mission to regain power, have adopted an obstructionist strategy whose sole aim is the discrediting of the Bush Administration and the recapture of the vote in '06 and '08. Rove, DeLay, Libby, Rumsfeld--all Republican names now under vicious assault. And the Alito confirmation hearings seem to be headed toward a no-holds-barred carnage. Never mind the collateral damage to other national interests such as our effort in Iraq, tax reform or mending Social Security.

Undeniably, two of the initiatives on the Bush agenda following his reelection were positive attempts at vitally needed reforms: tax restructuring and Social Security. Bold efforts are needed here such as a transitional partial-privatization plan for Social Security or a serious consideration of the FairTax plan (a national sales tax eliminating the IRS). But with the rhetorical distractions flying back and forth and the Bush team hunkered down in their bunker, this isn't going to happen. Witness the pitiful report just released from the president's tax panel, simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. And Social Security is all but forgotten.

With the passing of each day it is becoming painfully apparent that government in America is no longer concerned with the welfare of the nation but rather simply with the acquisition and the retention of power. And with such a state of political hostilities, regardless of which party is the victor in the coming election cycles, we the people will be the big losers.

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