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June 21, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels March 9, 2004 By Peggy Hirsch Ashland A man-made (well, specifically, DuPont-made) chemical has been found in most people's bloodstreams at five times the level the company allows in air and water at its manufacturing sites. DuPont reassures that there is "no threat" posed by this chemical, known as C-8 and also sold as Teflon. Teflon, coursing through our bloodstreams at five times the limit. Yes, it all makes sense now: the way facts ricochet off ideology, the way the party of accountability - isn't. I used to wonder why Bush got a free ride, but no more. Does Teflon cross the blood-brain barrier? Ever since the 2000 election, I had wondered about media inconsistencies. Why, for example, did Gore get bashed on trumped-up wardrobe charges, while Bush's military record went untouched? The military service issue resurfaced recently, but then sank again. I can't recall now what deep-sixed the topic. Was it a breast? The gathering gay threat to the sanctity of marriage, or was it just Scott McClellan's proclamation that this issue, like lying about the war or outing an undercover agent, was now forbidden? And timing intrigues me. For instance, when Bush went to Britain, there were embarrassingly large protests, even as a timely sex scandal involving Prince Charles failed to distract the Brits. But while America's reputation burned in effigy overseas, our press fiddled with Michael Jackson. (Do the Jacksons work for Karl Rove?) Today, when more people, even Republicans, are questioning Bush's leadership, we are suddenly assured that this election's issue will be same-sex marriage. Just when it looked like long-overdue criticism was to air, sex saved the day again. As much as some people care deeply, one way or the other, about same-sex marriage, where does it rate as a priority? Will it extract us from an ill-conceived war, balance the budget, or provide employment? Or has television, which helped achieve the Iraq War and profits from it, detonated another weapon of mass distraction? Wouldn't a liberal press mention, before you vote, that after Bush saves you from the heathen Democrats, he is going to need more money for war, appears to be planning to draft your sons and daughters, and might want to invade a few more countries? And what contingency planning does Ashcroft have if we, or our children, get uppity over this? Previously, Republicans were for: less taxation, smaller government, more freedom, and using our military only when needed. None of this has come to pass. Bush lied when he ran as a "compassionate conservative," even as he installed an administration that planned for war. Bush claims that Sept. 11 changed everything and the war on terror justifies everything. Not everything. The only thing that changed from election to implementation was that America was too terrorized to listen to dissent and debate. And George didn't tell a lie for war; he told a bunch. He lied about weather balloons, centrifuges, UAVs, mushroom clouds and yellowcake. He lied about Saddam kicking the UN inspectors out. And he lied again when he blamed faulty intelligence (other than his own), for his administration "cherry-picked" their intelligence through their own Office of Special Plans. (Phone the liberal media if you feel clueless.) The 6-o'clock news never called him on any of it. How to explain this? It could be Teflon. I'm not sure why Teflon only deflects accountability for Republicans. I know Reagan was called the Teflon President, but to understand why it is a partisan chemical, you would have to ask DuPont. Or ask the liberal media to explain it to you. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams