what i want for christmas

i hear alot that democrats have no plan for securing the nation, that all they do is lambaste the president's doctrine of pre-emption (which i don't believe is a doctrine so much as the excuse du alternative agenda) and criticize.

this isn't true, of course - several democratic senators have suggested more effective ways of going about securing the "homeland" (zig hile). here's my offerance for what we should be doing instead of spending $5 billion a day in iraq:

• actually provide significant funding to the department of homeland security
• fix the c.i.a. - get rid of the yes-men and put smart, impartial analysts there that aren't afraid of giving the president the truth
• secure our sea ports, screen cargo
• start screening cargo on foreign and domestic flights
• increase state and local funding for first responders (police, firefighters, emt's, etc.)
• reduce dependence on foreign oil - promote and fund research for alternative energy
• fix the u.s. coast guard, the ships of which are extremely in need of upgrades and who are intrical in protecting our borders
• secure loose nukes (who said that?), lead by example in reducing our own stockpiles
• sign kyoto treaty
• increase aid to africa and other areas - poverty, want, and desperation are root causes of terrorism
• make sanctions against countries that are ACTUALLY guilty of human rights violations - pakistan, saudi arabia, north korea, the sudan, etc.
• secure all mass transit systems - increase security personnel, screen
• lick my taint clean so i don't go postal

worlds apart