I enjoyed both the above entries. As far as the Venezuela connection...

A year ago the Bush junta recognized an illegal government in Venezuela. The duly-elected president (a Marxist) was out of the country and the military staged an 'overthrow'. But then the president came back, asked what was going on and returned to the job.

The problem was, the White House recognized the new government IMMEDIATELY. Within a couple of hours. They recognized the leaders of the coup as the official government of Venezuela. They actually tried to deny it later, but it's so ON THE RECORD that it was one of the first big indicators of the lengths to which Bush / Cheney would go to for oil manipulation.

Venezuela is one of the OPEC nations, and 15% of U.S. oil imported comes from there. AND, the president of Venezuela is currently the head of OPEC (rotating post). So the Bushes, while BS'ing the world about 'democracy', assisted the military in their overthrow of the president with money and intelligence and then rewarded the efforts of the coup leaders with official 'recognition'.

Technically, the Bush actions were 'in the interest' of the U.S. Bush was already planning to go to war with Iraq and needed a secure Western Hemisphere oil supply, but you DON'T behave like that and then lie about it when it is SO PUBLIC. Our leaders need to treat us like adults and ASK us if our oil is worth overthrowing democracies to us.

So now, currently, the Bush Company is pouring money into Venezuela again to foment dissatisfaction. The harbors have been blocked so no oil can be exported, and Bush and Cheney are responsible. They want Americans willing to back ANY atrocity in order to get the price of gas at the pump back down.

By the way, the interview here:

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=78&row=1

may be the biggest story of the past century. This guy defected from the World Bank (after winning the Nobel Prize for Economics), and he explains how the world works. The World Bank puts pressure on countries like Argentina and Venezuela, plans depressions and riots...and the Bushes work for this plan. GW made phone calls from the White House while his Daddy was President...helped set up the destruction of Argentina...and now they're doing this to the U.S.

And did you know Bush (who is trying now to come up with a 'reason' for war with Iraq) had plans even before going into the White House for this war? It's not about Weapons of Mass Destruction, etc.:

http://www.sundayherald.com/27735

As far as Lincoln....I think he and the Founding Fathers would weep. World War 2 and Korean War veterans have just had their medical benefits cut off. They agreed to a contract to serve, in exchange for medical treatment afterwards, and that has just been deleted. Our forefathers would puke. And rightly so. The proof that THIS IS NO GOVERNMENT OF AMERICANS is everywhere, but that particular bit of proof...the withdrawal of benefits to veterans...what more proof do you need?