ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

Besides wanting DVDs of "Sin City" and the new Beavis and Butthead collection, and maybe a nice shirt or two, I don't really want a lot for Christmas this year. Nah... all that giving and receiving of presents is overrated. Here's what I really want:

I want a more open government, one without all the secrecy, one without hidden prison camps around the world, one that doesn't advocate torture, one that will only use the troops when we NEED to, one that won't invade another country unless we're actually provoked into it, one that will try to build a budget surplus instead of spending as if it believes Armageddon will happen tomorrow, one that isn't trying to hasten Armageddon, one that listens to scientists when they have things to say about the environment and about issues like stem cell research, one that will keep tight standards for clean air and water and not relax those standards so that polluters can make more money, one that is serious about finding an alternative to fossil fuels, one that doesn't just save its tax cuts for rich donors, one that lets women decide what to do about their own health issues, one that is not systematically attempting to defund public education in order to privatize it, one that doesn't bend over for big oil and the auto industry and pharmaceutical companies and the tobacco industry, one that wants health coverage for ALL Americans, one that is ready to respond to disasters, one that will try to make our borders and ports safer, one that won't be peering into my private matters, one that isn't afraid of gays and lesbians, one that doesn't view everything in terms of dollar value, one that isn't just all about power and control, one that doesn't use fear generated by war and terrorism for political gain, one that will not try to co-opt religion and the flag and patriotism in a phony manner, and one that will, most importantly of all, be of the people, by the people and for the people. Is that too much to ask? AIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!