We do have a two-party system here in the United States of America. Elected officials do always seem to have a "D" or "R" applied to their title ( okay, sorry if you who are reading this identify with "I" ). There are a very few "I"s about, that get elected. Am I the only one around here who looks at each candidate's merits, instead of just voting for the person whose "letter" is the same as the one I checked at voter registration time?

What is it about those "D" people and "R" people that makes them always seem to be at odds with each other and habitually at each other's throats? Personally, I think this great country of ours would be quite a bit better if they could just stop being so preoccupied with their " D-ness " and " R-ness " and just get to the business of running the darn country! Throughout my life, I have been both "D" and "R"; now, I am proud to say, I consider myself neither. No blindly voting the party ticket or sticking up for a crooked politician who just happens to have the letter I am associated with next to his elected job title.

I look back to the Nixon " Watergate " years and I remember that very few folks with an "R" next to their name would speak out against Nixon or even support the search for the truth in the matter. To their credit, a few did finally speak out against the obstruction of justice and cover-up; and, of course they all jumped onto the band wagon once everything was so public that they couldn't keep defending him. The parallel I now see with the D-people and their blind defense of the current administration does give me a headache. Not even a few "D"s are supporting the Independent Consul's investigation of obstruction of justice and cover-up. To the contrary, they seem to revel in joining any unsubstantiated accusations against the official appointed to investigate the matter! Go figure; I don't remember the Watergate investigators being trashed the way the current investigators are being smeared.

Luckily for me, most of my friends are of the non-partisan kind. We don't take great pleasure in watching the "D"s and "R"s slug it out in all their partisan glory; but sometimes it is mildly amusing to watch their illogical antics. I do believe the Founding Fathers had the correct formula in a two-party system, but they probably never foresaw the huge size of the Federal government and the scramble for money that has now become the status quo.

So, what could be done about this dilemma of " R and D " ( I had to put the R first for those of the R-group this time ) ?

I am at a loss as to how we could stop the partisan bickering associated with the Federal government short of abolishing the system itself. We just can't do that; it has worked for 200 years. I am just not sure if reducing its size would do any good, though it couldn't hurt. Maybe, limiting the number of political appointees would help?

The only suggestion I have that could help is this: how about removing the party affiliations from the ballot? This wouldn't stop the various parties from supporting their candidate, but might make the more apathetic folks around here have to think before they punch that hole in their ballot.

- Bongo ( I am the voice of reason. )