Moldy Peaches

Government in your bedroom and living room, but heaven forbid someone get public health care. U.S. President George W. Bush (under the influence of his band of merry religious gatekeepers) says he supports extending indecency standards to cable and satellite programming, which is currently exempt from such regulations. Such a move would affect programs like HBO's highly popular gangster drama, The Sopranos, and Howard Stern's future show on satellite radio.



Earth to Bush, if you want to fix a real problem check the foreign trade deficit. The U.S. trade deficit hit a record monthly high of $61.04 billion in February as imports of oil and textiles surged while American exports barely budged. For the first two months of this year, the overall trade deficit was running at an annual rate of $717.2 billion, a full $100 billion above the record imbalance of $617.1 billion set for all of 2004. Many analysts believe the 2005 deficit is likely to set another record of around $675 billion, driven higher by rising global oil prices.

The deficit figure is sending tremors through Wall Street. Investors are legitimately worried that the huge amount of foreigners' money America needs to finance the deficit could at some point trigger a freefall in the dollar and aggravate U.S. inflation problems.

Meanwhile, the US Congress and Senate continues to press forward with issues that affect all of America. Remember the emergency debate around the Terri Schiavo case (she got a bill named after her)? How about the vigor which Congress pursues the unacceptable and morally reprehensible issue of.... steroids in professional sports.



Meanwhile in Soviet Canuckistan, we continue to post surpluses and actually look after our less fortunate. The east and west coast of the US is welcome to join a truely progressive country anytime.