Stroke the Rich

Kathleen Parker opens her recent column with one of the greatest lead lines I've read in quite awhile.

"Not since Cujo showed up for a blind date with Lassie has so much froth and spittle saturated the airwaves. This time, it's Big Government and Big Media circling the hydrant."

This, of course, is referencing the voices, both pro and con, reacting "to the recent New York Times revelation that the U.S. government has been monitoring international financial transactions in attempting to track terrorists."

There is one aspect of this debate that puzzles me. It is that the Left defends the revelation, effectively killing the program, while the Right cries, 'Treason.' In a way it would seem more consistent for the Left to applaud the program and the Right to desire it ceased. In accordance with its usual rhetoric, the Left would want the government closely monitoring the activities of the rich, while the Right would want its rich patrons' methods of illicit financial gains hidden from all scrutiny.

I seriously doubt that my finacial transactions with Wal-Mart and Goodwill were closely monitored by Dubya's cadre of storm troopers. (Although many may consider Wal-Mart an anti-American, subversive organization.)

Go figure.