Merriam-Webster Online ^[1] came out with their 2005 word of the year:

1. integrity ^[2]

Pronunciation: in-'te-gr&-tE
Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY ^[3]
2 : an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS ^[4]
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS ^[5]
synonym see HONESTY ^[6]

In a year where a majority of Americans lose trust in the president and his cohorts, the most often looked-up work on Merriamm-Webster online is integrity. The president’s approval ratings have been mired in the 33-43% range for months, and the veep’s approval ratings have been much worse. Congress is in the 20s. It can only mean one thing: a turnover in Congress, similar to the one that occurred in the 1990′s, when the so-called Republican Revolution occurred. All the conservatives are pooh-poohing it, because the liberals “don’t have any ideas”. I guess better education, more freedom for all, universal health care, better international relations, and decreasing poverty are not ideas.

Tax cuts for the rich, now there’s an idea. Cut wages for workers so corporate fatcats can make even more money. WHat a great idea! Occupying other countries whose leaders we don’t agree with, that’s a capital idea! Eliminate most government programs, and give all that money to the military and to companies like Halliburton, KBR, Exxon-Mobil, the Shaw Group, and Bechtel. BRILLIANT!!!

The ironic thing about integrity ^[2] is that Bush ran on a “rule of law” platform. How many laws has he broken? How much largesse has he taken advantage of? How many incompetencies has he been guilty of? They guy was handed an economy on a silver platter, and when he came into office, the US was on top of the world.

Now we are in the shitter.