Open letter to Red Sox fans.

Dear Red Sox fans,

Let me first express my condolences for your loss. I know it's been painful over the last 48 hours after being unceremoniously dumped from the playoffs by the Chicago White Sox and thus dethroned as baseball's world champs.

But hey, there's always next year (Remember how you said that for 86 years in a row?). Besides, you finally received what you have been asking for all these years:

JUST ONE!!

When the Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001, the prevailing cry amongst Red Sox Nation was "We've waited 83 years while Arizona has been around only four seasons. All we're asking for is JUST ONE World Series title."

How about the 2003 Florida Marlins? Again, you all whined. "They've won TWO World Series in eleven years of existence. We've gone 85 years without winning. All we want is JUST ONE."

Well, you got JUST ONE last season. What else do you want?

While you effectively exorcised "The Curse of the Bambino" in 2004, I believe you are now under the grips of a new, and possibly longer lasting, torment.

THE CURSE OF BUCKNER!!

I believe it began within a matter of days after you clinched the 2004 World Series. You couldn't leave well enough alone, but you meant well when the following sentiments were uttered by you euphoric fans:

"Bill Buckner, we forgive you!"

That's one problem that plagues you Red Sox faithful: Your woeful lack of perspective. Buckner didn't want your forgiveness. He didn't NEED your forgiveness. He didn't commit a crime. He made an error in a baseball game in 1986 which didn't allow your club to clinch it's first World Series in (at the time) 68 years. But I need not remind you of your history. However, I would just like to prepare you for your future. "The Curse of Buckner" will know no mercy. All you did to the Bambino was trade him away to the hated New York Yankees where he had a legendary career. Yet his curse endured EIGHTY SIX YEARS.

Can you fathom what misery "The Curse of Buckner" will bring after 18 years of burning "Billy Buck" in effigy? You received your first glance of "Buckner" in the fifth inning of Game 2 against the White Sox. With your club leading 4-2, Chicago's Juan Uribe hits an inning ending, double play grounder toward second baseman Tony Graffanino when..... well, let's not re-live the horror.

I have a feeling you'll soon long to watch native son Ben Affleck in "Gigli" than have to endure "Buckner".

Oh, well. In the motif of Humphrey Bogart's famous reference to Paris in "Casablanca", you'll always have '04!

Those who forget history....

...are doomed to repeat it!

Have the Democrats learned nothing? It's a veritable feeding frenzy amongst the left after the recent indictment of House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on campaign finance violations.

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on the DeLay indictment:

DeLay's indictment "is the latest example that Republicans in Congress are plagued by a culture of corruption at the expense of the American people."


Howard Dean, Chairman of the DNC:

Today, the state of Texas is doing what the Republican-controlled federal government has failed repeatedly to do, which is hold Republicans in Washington accountable for their culture of corruption. This alleged illegal activity reaches to the highest levels of the Republican Party.

These statements were issued within hours of the DeLay indictment.

Let's go back to 2004, approximately one week before the Presidential election.

John Kerry was so quick to blast President Bush upon the revelation of the Democrat's "October surprise". When it was revealed that 380 tons of explosives disappeared from the Al-Qaqaa munitions plant in Iraq after our troops arrived in Baghdad in early 2003, Kerry seized the moment. Since it was only a week before the general election, the Kerry camp came out with a TV ad where Kerry himself said the following:

The obligation of a Commander in Chief is to keep our country safe. In Iraq, George Bush has overextended our troops and now failed to secure 380 tons of deadly explosives. The kind used for attacks in Iraq, and for terrorist bombings. His Iraq misjudgments put our soldiers at risk, and make our country less secure. And all he offers is more of the same. As President, I'll bring a fresh start to protect our troops and our nation. I'm John Kerry and I approved this message.

This hastily run ad was put out in spite of the cautions issued by Richard Holbrooke, one of Kerry's top advisors.

You don't know the truth and I don't know the truth. I don't know the truth.

It turns out that Mr. Kerry jumped to conclusions. The day after the Al-Qaqaa story broke, Major Austin Pearson, US Army, talked about his team removing explosives from the site.

The story was never brought up again...

....and Kerry lost the election

.....and Democrats lost seats in the House and Senate.

Are there any suggestions as to how the Democrats will recover this time if DeLay is cleared?