Staff Entitlements Advisor, W Collection, is gloating over the neat trick pulled by the President's Social Security commission. Next week the 16-member group will split into two panels that will each hold their deliberations out of public view. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that plenary sessions be held in public, but makes no such provision in the case of subgroups. Apparently, holding public meetings and keeping two sets of books was getting too stressful. Something had to go.

This nomothetic end-run has infuriated critics, who view it as yet another example of the administration's growing reliance on secret governance. WC is, or course, miffed at the complaints, and dismisses growing fears of a tax cut- endangered Social Security system with the observation that SS is, at best, over-rated. "What," sneers the Ectoplasmic Economist, "ever happened to piggy banks?"

But our Lip-Synch Leader has little time for these concerns. He's got a nation to build and a brother to watch, as we learn in today's epistle, "Constructionation".

Critics have also targeted the President's attendance record, noting that he has spent over 40% of his term on one vacation after another -- a sort of day-on, day-off presidency. But look at the wonderful things he has accomplished to date! Imagine what he could do if he worked full-time! Why, he could change the world if he had half a mind!

Next week, "Gone Missing", a lurid little tale ripped from the front pages of the Tallahassee news establishment.

Today's inspirational message has been postponed until we're feeling better about things.


'Bye, now,
Hank