George,

I think the quintessential Charlottesville Democrat should vote for Bush since he is expanding government at an unmentionable rate and just forked over more money to NEA. Don't get me wrong, I actually fancy myself an artist. I just don't think tax dollars should fund my vision. Any Democrats want to buy an original Tyler painting?

Okay that was my Dennis Miller moment...

The quintessential Charlottesville Democrat thinks that George Bush concocted the Iraq war to funnel money to his Halliburton Cronies. They see a definite conspiracy. They are polite folks who believe that government can teach meaningful values. They believe their tax dollars are well spent and they believe organizations like Planned Parenthood do not actually promote abortion they just "plan parenthood." They believe that there is a well organized and Christian Right to fear. Many drive their cars all over town but do not want roads and others think peace means not bearing arms. Some Democrats are embarrassed by American wealth, so they apologize for it and wish to redistribute it. (This is especially cogent among artists who've gained great wealth, as they realize the talents from which they derive money are God given. This producers a sense of guilt.) Note: Democrats do not believe in Nation Building or taking preemptive military action. Many, one current City Councilor included, see welfare as a way off of life as opposed to a temporary condition.

Now on the Iraq war, here's one man's opinion ( I got that line from Dan Rather. I love it.)

Democrat hatred of Bush blinds them from seeing what I think is the likely and common sense scenario. It is that between TWA Flight 800 falling out of the sky and into Long Island harbor, 911 and CIA evidence that Sadaam had WMD, coupled with the fact that Tony Blair and George Bush knew that Saddam had gassed his own people, Tony and W were absolutely scared to death. It seemed reasonable to them that Sadaam would do business with Al Quieda and other Islamic terrorists because they had in the past, and they shared a common bond of hatred of Americans. And after 911, it seemed reasonable to Tony Blair and George Bush they attack the US or UK again.

By invading Iraq, a nation that had previously maintained a functioning middle class and was led by a brutal dictator, they believed they could "upset the terrorist apple cart" in the middle east and also rid the world of an Evil man. If they built a functioning non Islamic democracy, they could then turn their focus to more reasonable states that harbored terrorists, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan and the Palestinians. These are states with which America and the UK could reason.

Ironically, it looks like Sadaam was bluffing. Don't tell that to the BBC. And, if you are opposed to preemptive action you will always disagree.

I note with a sad level of irony that David Kay said it was a lack of "human Intelligence" ... people on the ground penetrating terrorist cells that led to the intelligence blunder. Under who's administration was it decided that no American intelligence officer should penetrate or involve themselves with any terrorist organization that violated human rights?

Bush and Tony were scared. They took action. I'm glad they did. Time will tell.

Tyler Sewell (electronic mail, January 30, 2004)