Time to Break Out the Fear

This morning I was doing my regular trolling of the news over coffee when I caught this headline:

Chertoff: European terrorists trying to enter US

My immediate response was, "Of course Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff is saying that. There's an election coming up."

Then I was like, "Oh, come on, Baldy, it's too early in the morning for cynicism."

But there, buried deep into the story were the words that confirmed my suspicions:

Chertoff and other intelligence officials have delivered similar warnings before, and he offered no new information about specific threats or an imminent attack.

I'd like to add, "particularly during election cycles" to that sentence, set off by commas, between before and and. Remember how often Tom Ridge was spewing out warnings during the 2004 election? It was genius.

Later in the day, a friend, sensing my cynical frame of mind perhaps, passed along this local election website from my home state of Kansas (although not from my home town). It offered me a much-needed touch of idealism. And it's a cartoon, or perhaps a comic (for I've never been clear on the difference, although I'm sure Titivil could explain it), but not one that will bring out the (self-)righteous indignation of the recent New Yorker cover.

Even if you don't join the small throngs of people donating to his campaign, his comic/cartoon will make you happy. And who can't use a little happy from time to time?