Okay, clearly there's been a backup -- not a sewage backup, but the comparison is certainly apt. No, this has been a backup in blog posts since I no longer have the free time to spew my ill-conceived and baseless opinions out into the world, whining and grumbling like a slightly younger and less eyebrow-laden Andy Rooney. With boobs.

So, the thoughty thought I am releasing today actually came to me on March 20 at a post-St. Patrick's Day party, where I met a nice Lithuanian man whose parents had immigrated to the U.S. just as the Soviets were taking over their country.

He said, "My dad told me that when the Russians came in, they didn't haul away the political leaders, the people who were 'in charge' at the time. They took away the teachers, the engineers, and the doctors."

So, tea partiers may look at that and say, "See? SEE?? Obama wants to take over! He wants to control health care and public works and education, JUST LIKE THOSE DAMN RUSSKIES! I TOLD YOU he's a Communist!"

But, I look at it differently. This health care bill is the first inch away from privatization and corporate takeover of formerly public services since St. Ronnie Reagan came to town and saved us all from all evil. This move away from corporate control, however slow or incomplete, was met with such a shrieking and wailing and gnashing of teeth from the would-be overlords that it's making me re-think my disappointment in Obama. If he can make them THIS MAD, he must be doing something right.

Now he should focus on education and getting our teachers back.