Direct From The Psyche Ward In Iowa City...

Karl Larsen of Iowa City is still pissed off about being a loser:

A recent letter to the editor from the Johnson County Republican Party co-chairman stated that Democrats should get over the election loss ("Get over election loss, Democrats," Jan. 14). He is, of course, correct.

The time and effort spent on challenging the election result only takes away from the loyal opposition's critically important role of keeping the terrible mismanagement of both foreign and domestic policies by this woefully inadequate and benighted administration before the public.

The litany of errors is too lengthy to detail completely in a letter to the editor but includes a poorly conceived and planned pre-emptive war of aggression that has caused the loss of more than 1,200 young American lives, countless injuries, the loss of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives, the misgivings of the international community and the loss of trust in the Muslim world. This sad effort was all based on flawed information and lies used to entice Americans' support.

Move on, then, to the economic shambles this ill-informed saviour of our nation has created with his unbalanced, self-serving tax cuts, war spending and budget deficit creation, while failing to address domestic policies such as health care, education, poverty and homelessness in any meaningful way.

If Saddam was just back in power paying the families of Palestinians to blow up Jews, starving his people and building palaces with diverted oil funds, and plotting to ramp back up his WMD program once sanctions were lifted, then all could be better in Karl Larsen's world. Then the French would love us and the Muslims would once again trust us.

What psycho ward is Mr Larsen writing the Press-Citizen from, anyway?

Over in Des Moines, 60s/70s daytime TV staple Mary Brubaker gets all hippie-dippie when it comes to the debate over allowing mourning doves to be hunted:

The world is in mourning for the deaths of thousands in war zones around the globe and for the deaths by nature's wrath in Southeast Asia. Here at home, the idea of allowing the bloody slaughter of a bird that symbolizes peace and spirituality is another unacceptable violence.

Dove hunting is another assault on nature and the human spirit. We need symbols of peace, healing and tranquility now more than ever. Killing mourning doves will only add to the despair and brutality in the world. Let Iowa proudly provide a safe resting place for wildlife that enhances quality of life.

I can't say it better than the great humanitarian, Dr. Albert Schweitzer: "Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace."

To Mary Brubaker doves are not birds that have a lot of offspring that can be hunted and eaten, regardless of their short lifespan. They are "symbols" of, er, peace or whatever. Here's a little more on mourning doves at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources web site.

D. A. Benda of Toledo reminds us:

If Republicans don't like Governor Vilsack's idea of raising taxes, we should remind them former Governor Branstad raised the sales tax.

I agree with this writer. I didn't think much of Branstad then and I don't think much of Branstad now, although I'll give him praise when he deserves it - like when he takes Rekha Basu to the cleaners.

Finally, the Des Moines Register is trolling for trolls concerning President Bush's inauguration speech.

We want to hear what Iowans have to say about President Bush's second inaugural address, to be delivered at 11 a.m. (Iowa time) Thursday. Get your (brief) opinion to us by 2 p.m. Thursday, and we'll consider it for publication the next day. For those who want to take a little more time to reflect on the speech or to comment on Bush's second-term priorities, we will consider letters for weekend publication that arrive by noon on Friday.

Here's how to get your opinion on the inauguration speech to us.

By e-mail: letters@dmreg.com

By fax: (515) 286-2504. You must include a home address and a daytime telephone number for confirmation.

I can just imagine how cranky some of the leftists are going to get. I bet they get a ton of emails and faxes before the speech is finished. Probably a bunch of chain letters, too. What do you want to bet? This should be fun.