Thomas Friedman wrote yesterday:

When it came to the Dubai ports issue, the facts never really had a chance — not in this political season. Still, it's hard to imagine a more ignorant, bogus, xenophobic, reckless debate than the one indulged in by both Republicans and Democrats around this question of whether an Arab-owned company might oversee loading and unloading services in some U.S. ports. If you had any doubts before, have none now: 9/11 has made us stupid.

No, a date or an event has not made us stupid. Rather, it's this administration's response to the 9/11 tragedy that has not educated us in the least.

How can Bush be frustrated at the outcome of this Dubai ports issue, implying he expects the public to use level-headed reason, when in fact he, Rove, Cheney, and the rest of his clan have systematically pushed the opposite? Inciting hysteria and appealing to the most base and primal emotions with well-timed, calculated reminders of impending doom and fear is not going to suddenly reverse and allow for a public that will cooperate on this matter. As I've written, once you embark on a campaign of hate-speak, lacking any effort to clarify or further address specific points, well, then you get what we have now -- a highly reactionary and woefully ignorant citizenship.

Again, as I've written, BushCo is now getting what they deserve. It's just desserts and he has no one to blame for his frustration but himself. Either you choose to lead in a responsible way and treat Americans as intelligent beings that have a desire to learn and can appreciate nuance and subtlety, OR you treat them like brainless idiots and accordingly manipulate the hell out of them as if they were witless lemmings. But, you can't have it both ways. It's high time the electorate recognize they're the former and categorically reject the latter treatment -- doing so at the ballot box. Vote out GW's lackeys and then finally rid ourselves of the entire gang. Let's FINALLY put an end to our worst national nightmare.