I have been thinking

about this all night.

As Mayor of New York City on Sept 11, 2001 Rudy Giuliani is telling us that he actually paused for all of the chaos going on around him, wrapped his arm around his police chief and said, "Thank God George Bush is our president." Isn't that more than a bit like saying, "Thank God daddy is here to take care of us."?

He did this before it as confirmed who we were dealing with. He did this while we were still assessing the carnage. He did this in spite of the fact that this president ( pre September 11) opposed increases to federal funding for New York City's first responders.

Then, he tells us that his feeling is exactly the same today. Even though this president has now cut funding for New York City's first responders to less than pre-September 11 levels, Even though this president (presumably at the same time Giuliani was singing his praises in the ear of his police chief) sat like a stunned rat about to be eaten by a snake for crucial moments after the attack, even though this president has squandered the good will and respect and sympathy that the world held for us post September 11, Giuliani would have us believe that he "thanks God for George W Bush."

Then Giuliani went into a rant about John Kerry's "flip-flops".

What about the GW Bush who ran on a platform of Compassionate Conservativism?

What about the GW Bush who told americans we need to hold our place of power in the world with humility?

What about the GW Bush who ram-rodded US power and might through Afghanistan and Irag after issuing ultimatums and now tells us that in the case of North Korea "you can't issue ultimatums to dictators?

What about the GW Bush who told us that he would "smoke out" Osama Bin Laden where ever he is and that we would take him out "dead or alive" but six short months later tells us that he doesn't think much about where Osama is and doesn't consider it a high priority to find him?

It goes on and on, I have only illustrated the problem regarding issues conservatives should genuinely care about. It would be pointless to argue with them about his changes in attitude about gay rights, no child left behind, jobs, the economy. These things are not really issues for them.

At the Minnesota State Fair yesterday I was asked to choose between five issues as to which is most important in the up-coming presidential election: Health Care, The Economy, Terrorism, The War in Iraq and Education. Given the status of each, how does one really choose?