"...and down goes Fraziah!"

You know you’re in trouble when your own party is abandoning you. Bush has been losing his court intellectuals like Francis Fukuyama and, most-stunningly, the Conservative movement’s Godfather, William F. Buckley, Jr., and now it’s translating into a loss of political clout and the cohesion of the GOP.

Which brings to mind an observation. For all the popularity various presidents have enjoyed in the past 50 or 60 years, when was the last time that a president enjoyed a second term that wasn’t marked by controversy, scandal, and other malfeasance?

Bush has the spying/torture scandals, among others.

Clinton had the Lewinsky affair and impeachment.

Reagan had Iran-Contra.

Nixon had Watergate. (And resigned over it.)

LBJ, technically not a full two-termer, had such trouble with Vietnam that he declined to run for an additional term.

Eisenhower… hmm…anyone remember anything controversial happening in Eisenhower’s second term?

So, assuming that Eisenhower’s second term was above board, it’s been at least 60 years since we’ve had a president who had a relatively non-controversial second term.

How much has government grown in those years? Is it any coincidence that the American Empire has blossomed in those same 60 years?

For those of us who love liberty, watching the Bush II administration at work has been a very aggravating and worrisome experience. However, we should always remember that eventually, human nature asserts itself, and the “political capital” a tyrant enjoys one day can evaporate overnight if he’s not careful. And let’s face it…most are not. Those in love with their own power get cocky, arrogant, and self-righteous. The rush of power can make one think they are invincible.

What’s that they say? Pride precedes a fall.

And what else do they say? Power corrupts.

Absolutely.