We learned one very important lesson eight years ago today: Presidents have no responsibility for anything that happens during their first term in office until September 12th. That’s right, President Obama, your free ride ends today. Starting tomorrow, you’re on the hook for everything that happens. No more blaming President George Dubya Two Terms Mandate Bush. Oh, wait…my mistake. The nine-month grace period is for Republicans only. They get to say they “kept America safe for eight years,” even though they were either asleep during or complicit in (depending on which theory you prefer) the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor (and for 14% of Republicans, that doesn’t count, ‘cuz they’re not sure Hawaii – which was a US Territory from 1898 until it was admitted to the Union in 1959 – is part of the United States). Sorry, my Kenyan friend, but you started getting the blame for everything the day after election day. Well, except the shit that was Bill Clinton’s fault, of course.

Otherwise, not much has really changed in eight years (and those are Bush years, which is 56 in human years). Oh, we have fewer rights, a little less privacy, torture has been codified as official US policy, the government has asserted the right to arrest and indefinitely detain citizens and non-citizens alike without benefit of warrant or trial (or even a hearing before a judge), etc. But the rich are still getting richer (once in a while one of ’em goes to prison, just to make the little people think there’s justice), the poor are still screwed, and if you’re one of the 46.3 million people who don’t have health insurance, well, make sure you wash your hands a lot. Oh, and if you actually have a job? Make sure you don’t go to work if you get sick (don’t worry about not getting paid or losing your job). Oh, and did I mention you should wash your hands a lot?

Speaking of heath care (and the reform thereof), Orrin Hatch says he doubts Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins will be on board. Duh. But that doesn’t mean the Democrats shouldn’t kiss their asses and give away anything even remotely related to actual reform first. After all, progressives can be shit on, but DINOs and faux “moderate” Republicans need to be appeased. OK, you can have Poland and France, but that’s it. OK?

BTW, am I the only one who finds it ironic (in light of the whole “providing health care to evil illegal immigrants” kerfuffle) that public health care is provided to all Mexican citizens as guaranteed via Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution?

Oh well, a short week comes to an end, and already I wonder how I can get anything accomplished over a measly two-day weekend consisting of college football on Saturday – when Syracuse, starring in the role of the Christians, heads down to Happy Valley to be thrown to the (Nittany) lions of Penn State – and NFL football on Sunday.

So much football, so little time….