The College of Cardinals Just Gave You The Finger

The waiting is over and for progressive Roman Catholics – especially in the United States, the College of Cardinals just gave you the finger.

Before his election as the 265th pontiff, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedictus XVI, was widely known as "Cardinal No" because of his drives to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests.

The Roman Catholic Church continues its descent into irrelevancy; more homophobia, more head-in-the-sand about contraception and AIDS prevention. No marriage for priests, no increased role for women in the church.

Now it’s Habemus - the status quo, 19th century style.

But Americans, regardless of views on matters related to the scared or the profane, cannot afford to overlook the somnambulist in the White House. This is far more serious than the new pontiff.

From Pulp Friction:
Bush is bad for the economy. He's never run a successful business, and it shows.

-Crude oil prices recently hit $58 a barrel
-Home mortgage and credit card interest rates are on the rise
-Sweetheart deals like Bush's pet bankruptcy law benefit credit card companies, not consumers
-Job growth has been the weakest it's been since last summer
-America's trade gap is widening- imports cost more, exports earn less
-Bush is borrowing from Red China and Japan to finance his outrageous deficit spending.

Forgive me if I don't get all excited about budding democracy in the Middle East. Our nation is falling apart and Bush has squandered billions of dollars and thousands of American souls trying to force his version of democracy on his enemies.

Bush is spread too thin. He can't multi-task. He surrounds himself with sycophants. He's withholding and secretive, as dry drunks tend to be.

I'm sick of our country being led by a dullard theologian with untreated alcoholism.