No Kool Aid For You

Please note for the record:

George W. Bush stepped down today in a peaceful transfer of power. He did not suspend the Constitution or the 22nd Amendment. He did not declare martial law. Army troops in Colorado Springs remain on base, training, and are not assuming command of portions of the state of Colorado.

Osama bin Laden was not captured and produced in an "October surprise" to alter the outcome of the election. Iran has not been attacked. Our only response to the war in Gaza (please note both sides claiming victory; at least one of them is wrong) has been diplomatic.

Bush did not pardon himself for any "war crimes," nor did he pardon former Vice President Cheney or any of his own administration's officials. Yes, he did plenty of damage on his way out, but it's damage that Obama would quite likely have done himself had he been in office.

Bush did not even attempt to ram through last-minute appointments to judicial or administrative agency positions.

Bush opened Blair House to the Obama family for the traditional five days preceding today's inauguration. He said nice things about Obama taking power and went to some effort himself, and directed his staff to go to some effort, to hand over the reins of power to President Obama.

None of these predictions and gripes of blue-colored Kool-aid drinkers came true. Our democratic republic is thriving and alive. George W. Bush is now Private Citizen Bush, a (wealthy) resident of Crawford, Texas. He has his opinions and beliefs, like the rest of us. To be sure, he has a lot of money and a nice government pension and plenty of political contacts. But he has no more overt political power than do I. He doesn't even get an excuse from jury duty if he's summoned.