“Sometimes, I swear, when I see what our tax dollars get us in Congress, I feel like asking for my money back. But, other times, I find myself thinking that the laughs those clowns provide us nearly, but not quite, make up for their incompetence, hypocrisy and mendacity… Recently, I got my year’s quota of laughs when Congress decided to grill oil company executives because, I guess, the price of gas was higher than it had been in 1958. There’s nothing that rich, pampered politicians like better than putting rich, pampered business executives on the hot seat… at least until they have to go, hat in hand, to grovel for campaign contributions. I actually found myself sympathizing with the executives because they pretty much had to sit there and take it. God forbid they opened their yaps and pointed out that we’d not only have cheaper gas, but not have to toady to the Arabs, the Russians and Hugo Chavez, if these same politicians would quit caving in to the environmental fascists and allowed American oil companies to drill in Anwar, in the Dakotas and in the deep blue sea. It would also be a good idea if we finally began using nuclear power in a big way. Heck, if France can do it without turning Paris into Chernobyl, it can’t be that hard. In the meantime, thanks to these buffoons, I’m stuck paying $4.15-a-gallon for regular.” —Burt Prelutsky
