Senator Rick Santorum is a jackass. I won't even go into why, I'll just let you read for yourself. Copy and paste the following links into your browser.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/04/22/santorum.gays/index.html

his actual comments:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/04/22/santorum.excerpts.ap/index.html

Anyone who disagrees with me, hit the "Say something, go on" link and let's have a real debate about this guy. I'm itching to go in, coach.

Okay. As I read the Times today and read about the President declaring victory in Iraq, I can't help but ask one question:

Did we ever find any chemical weapons? I mean, really. Not some stuff that might or might not be used to make one - did we find fully assembled chemical weapons that were at a stage to be launched?

Okay, I can't help myself. One more question:

So does that mean that we measure success by the apparent breakdown of government (since we can't seem to find Saddam - hmm...sounds like the war on another threat to national security) or do we measure success based on what the Administration "sold" the country on - which was that the threat of chemical and biological weapons was so real that we had to go in there and stop it?

Um, yeah. Someone please explain it to me before we start to take out other "rogue states" such as Syria and Iran, 'cause you know that's coming next. Looks like Bush finally looked at a history book - if he stays at war and "wins" the war against terrorism, he doesn't have time to worry about the economy and can control his wartime popularity - just keep it going. That's how you win a second term.

Oh, and funny how Dick Cheney's former firm gets the winning bid on rebuilding Iraq.

Are you F*!@$ing kidding me?!!? Are you kidding me?

The media is not fooling me. The Administration certainly isn't.

So based on what was said today, let me announce to all of you right now that WE'RE WINNING THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM BECAUSE WE'VE COMPLETELY RUINED TWO COUNTRIES' EXISTING SYSTEMS AND PUT OUR OWN IN PLACE OF IT BECAUSE THEY WILL BETTER CATER TO OUR NEEDS.

Forget the fact that we can't find Osama, the most dangerous man in the world, or Saddam, the second-most. Nope, what matters is us getting our way. Just like with Boutrous-Boutrous Ghali and Koffi Annan (if you don't know who the two of these men are, then you probably believe what Fox News tells you) and the Human Rights Convention, and the Kyoto Treaty, and we might as well add Syria and Iran to the list.

Hmm, systematically getting rid of the Arab countries does seem to be making the United States safer, after all, we also just shifted our "Code Orange Terror Alert".

Get real, America. Open your eyes. I support the troops, for chrissakes, they are doing their jobs. But I cannot support a president who will continue to put them in harm to protect a way of life that seems to be getting us into a lot of trouble. I realize that they are fighting for my right to oppose this war, but go back to the top of this list and ask yourself the two questions I asked. Try to answer them. Perhaps then you might be just as frustrated and angry as I am at the serious and honest lack of "Strategery" this Administration follows.

Or perhaps you should be angry, revolutionized, and shocked to find out that it isn't a lack of strategy at all. Where are we headed? Mull over that.

I've been busy. But let me say that the best thing about this week all has had to do with sports. And it's because of my two favorite all-time teams, so on that superficial level, I've been able to avoid ridiculous newslines that say that we're actually winning the war because we don't know where Saddam Hussein is and that because we toppled a statue of him, that means that we've won.

May I take this small moment to remind everyone that we don't know where Osama Bin Laden is, either? Perhaps he and Saddam are hunkered down in a cave with Jimmy Hoffa and Elvis and Tupac and Biggie, drinking tea and laughing.

Meanwhile, the US continues to try to render the UN useless, despite the best efforts by Tony Blair (who I love, but haven't been able to figure out recently, I think he's having a serious brainfart right now - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, TONY?!) - leaving everyone to wonder who's going to run that silly, wayward Iraqi country and Americans wave their flags in victory. The Senate approves spending an additional $80 million dollars on the war, while in recession, and throw in ridiculous pork-barrel-pet-projects like giving hundreds of millions of dollars to Columbia to fight the drug war (?!!!!???) because they know it'll pass. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there is talk of extending the Patriot Act, which means that sooner or later doublethink and Big Brother will come to realization - and we thought Cointelpro and J. Edgar Hoover was bad enough.

(Here, I will have a Chris Farley moment.)

And the worst part is, I have problems saying I'm against this war because suddenly, I'm not "patriotic enough", or I'm a "traitor". I am "un-American" and "delusional" to think that Saddam would have gone away on his own. I'm a "neo-hippie" and a "pinko-lefto-socialist" (which will become true if George Bush wins re-election - and is becoming true now) who has no "faith in the power of America".

Okay. So maybe I don't "wave the American flag mindlessly because our boys are at war". Maybe I don't "support our troops in the way they want me to". Maybe I "think the President of the United States is delusional." Maybe I think "peace is never an option because of the current administration". Maybe I think "Karl Rove is using the war to win the next election". Maybe I think their "strategery and vision of America is all wrong".

What I do know is this: I don't need to like George Jr. to be an American. And I don't need to support him to be an American. And I don't need to stop shouting what I believe to be an American. In fact, that's what makes me one.

So maybe you can understand why I've been retreating into a world where there are rules. Where heros are made without killing anyone or being a prisoner of war. Where sportsmanship is more valued than raw power.

Thanks to Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick and Kueth Duany and Jim Boeheim for giving me something to believe in again. I've only been waiting my whole life for the 'Cuse to play a game like that. And I only hope to see more - especially if 'Melo was serious about hoping to go to another Final Four.

And just when I thought that inspiration and emulation could only go so far - my thanks go out to the newest Yankee addition, Hideki Matsui, for making history on Tuesday night. Never thought I'd see an incredible Asian athlete hit Grand Slam on opening day on his first day in pinstripes.

At least they gave me something to watch. Something that didn't involve me throwing something at the TV.

It's always time for a revolution.