Let's talk about replacing GWBush in 2004.

The integration of church and state:

President Bush has long preached of the power of prayer to aid drug addicts. Now he's putting dollars behind the rhetoric, asking Congress for $600 million for a new, three-year drug treatment program that would welcome the participation of religious groups.

The proposal sparked conflict even before Bush touted it before Congress. Opponents fear government will pay for programs that replace professional counselors with prayer and Bible study.

"The president wants to fund untested, unproven programs that seek to pray away addiction," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "People with addiction problems need medical help, not Sunday school."

Bush and his supporters argue that faith can accomplish what secular programs cannot.

"Let us bring to all Americans who struggle with drug addiction this message of hope: The miracle of recovery is possible, and it could be you," Bush said in his State of the Union address.

Many federally funded programs combine medical models with religious faith, sometimes employing the 12-step program made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous. But others are permeated with religion and eschew licensed counselors altogether.

Bush Wants Substance Abusers to Pray Away Their Addictions

Bush wants to ignore the independent and self-operating 12 step programs who refer to his method of sobriety as the "One-step Program." Since these organizations will accept no funds from any outside source and have proved effective for millions of people (not becoming prevelant in Russia!), it should be frustrating for him that he can't stick his ample nose into their business. He's an meddling octopus that makes any true liberal look like the model of a traditionalist.

LW, Good point! Isn't there something in the 12-step program about not being able to control? c.i.

Michael Kinsley's view, published in Slate.com:

And tell us again why we're about to invade Iraq but we're "working with the countries of the region" to pinion North Korea, which is further along the nuclear trail and can't even be bothered to lie about it. Bush's "axis of evil" coinage last year and recent flagrant North Korean nose-thumbing made it almost impossible for Bush to avoid addressing this logical conundrum. His solution was artful but mysterious: "Our nation and the world must learn the lessons of the Korean Peninsula, and not allow an even greater threat to rise up in Iraq." He seems to be saying here that the United States should have invaded and conquered North Korea years ago. But as Bush sets it out, the "lesson" of Korea seems to be that if you don't go to war soon enough, you might have a problem years later that can be solved through regional discussions. That doesn't sound so terrible, frankly. Regional discussions can be grim, no doubt, but they're more fun than a war. So, what exactly is this lesson the Korean experience is supposed to offer?

There are actually plenty of differences between the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the one in the Middle East, and good reasons why you might decide to bring Iraq to a crisis and steer North Korea away from one. But all these reasons cut against the Manichean notion of an absolute war against an absolute evil called terrorism. Bush is getting terrific credit for the purity and determination of his views on this subject.

But either his own views are dangerously simplistic or he is purposely, though eloquently, misleading the citizenry.

"Eloquently"? I doubt it's that...

What ever adjective is used, many of the citizenry is being mislead, but they don't seem to realize it - yet. c.i.

Considering all the troubles ,we Americans have endured in recent years, I have to say that I don't want to change places with President Bush.

What will happen next?

There is, c.i., many statements in the 12 step programs literature about the fact that one of the character flaws is wanting the world around you to be like a stage play where you can make all the actors on the stage do what you want them to do. That's fine if you're just directing a stage play. It also points out that putting faith in people will ultimately dissapoint you and they get no closer to any religion than identifying a higher power. Some will use the word "God" but not necessarily in the Judeo/Christian meaning. I still believe Bush is a one-stepper from alcholism and drug addiction who is still a white knuckler and his higher power is Mrs. Bush.

That sweet thing? c.i.

That little school marm image if deceptive -- I think she's got her little switch hidden somewhere on her person. "Now, George, stay away from those pretzels...and while you're at it, you'd better expose yourself to the White House press as little as possible."
Now there's a true flash of wit.

Lightwizard, you a "friend of Bill W's"?

"Powerless over alcohol" is not exactly what I had in mind. ;( c.i.

No, but I have friends who are.

In the case of politicians, they are powerless over power.

c.i. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

That pertty well incompasses control in my book. Control is turn over to our Higher Power.

"Control" is usually referred to in the concept of drinking.

BillW, It's been my understanding of Alanon and AA that loved ones of the alcoholic or drug addicted have no power over them or anybody else for that matter. c.i.

Yeah, c.i. - it's the whole concept of the Serenity parayer. We spend our whole lives trying to live those words..."serenity to accept what we cannot change", and "courage to change the things we can"...

I'm a work in progress...

snood, That's what I was looking for, the "serenity prayer." Thx, c.i.

One of the philosophies of the 12 Step Programs is that the addiction is a symptom manifested from character flaws and one of them is an unnatural desire to control other people. Many members will tell you that they never had a normal relationship as they had taken their partners as hostages. The Serenity Prayer addresses this mental fixation to control which leads to frustration and doubt which leads to drink.