before the real reason for his impairment hit the news, the idea did enter my mind that, because of the political ramifications of his replacement most likely swinging the Senate back Republican, his illness had the possibility of being some sort of poisoning. I tend to slap myself back into reality when those types of thoughts flood in by looking at the factors that would have to happen for such an atrocious act to occur and it's pretty unlikely. First, there really are no completely undetectable poisons and, had his symptoms and fate not been diagnosed easily, the clamor for a full and detailed investigation would've uncovered the act just as the recent radioactive poisoning in London was determined.

I'm pretty sure the Republicans are not that stupid to have committed such an obvious act. However, and here's the kicker, my brain still went there which tells me that in my subconscious, there's such a huge distrust for the Rovian empire and such a feeling that these are extremely desparate and devious men that the possibility even existed. I'm not so sure, had the roles been reversed and the ailment occurred to a Republican with balance of power resting in his recovery that I would've suspected a Democratic involvement. Those types of dirty tricks really have not been the hallmark of their strategy in the past. The only real conspiracy theory in modern times of a Democratic political leader being implicated in a lethal scheme was the notion that Lyndon Johnson was involved in the murder of some racketeer in Texas. I don't recall the guy's name. Billy Don something or other. That theory never really got any legs though.

That's not to say the Dems don't resort to some unethical politics but they tend to bully in different ways than physical force. I don't know if the current crop of Republican leaders are more lethal and capable of such a dispicable act but, they tend to rationalize death and destruction in foreign policy more than the other side and often there's a religious overtone to that justification. It's not a stretch to extend that mindset to local politics. Let's hope the line is clear though.

Art