If bloggers should learn anything from newspaper columnists, it is that the annual ritual of year-end political prediction columns is really just a way to embarrass so-called pundits, and should be avoided by the rest of us at all costs. While that may have been sage advice in the past, with this Bush Administration, it's time to predict away. When a President believes that consistency is the hallmark of leadership, you get the same mistakes repeated in the same ways by the same people. Now that's consistency.
Undaunted by the prospect of the Administration and its cronies doing anything, shall we say, unpredictable, here are my predictions for 2006 populated by many of the characters we have come to know and love over the last 5 years:
The Bush Administration will demonstrate the true extent to which they value freedom of speech and the press when Karen Hughes, the U.S. Ambassador for "Public Diplomacy," announces Jeff Gannon as editor in chief of the Baghdad Bugle. Armstrong Williams will immediately take to the Iraqi airwaves to say, "The choice of Jeff Gannon is bold, imaginative and insightful," he go on to add, "he will be ready for any action that comes his way."
In promotional materials for Disaster God, former FEMA head Michael Brown's new private consulting firm which seeks to profit from public disasters, Brownie praised by President Bush as "Doing a heck of a job at receiving severance payments." In a separate interview with Fox News, Brown will show that the public scrutiny is getting under his, er, skin when he will shout, "It is patently unfair that I have become so associated with Katrina that no one remembers the dog shows. Some days I wish I would have just taken that job as the Nordstrom Runway Model."
Barbara Bush will return to the Superdome to promote a national program that will take any citizen who loses their house and all their possessions and forces them to live out their years in sports stadiums.
While I have tried to have some fun with this New Year's blog, I can certainly make one serious and unequivocal prediction about politics in 2006:
California will decide to invest in its children by guaranteeing all 4 year-olds in this state the right to a high-quality preschool education. This giant leap forward will not only unlock the key to improving our K-12 system, it will also bring California the security, prosperity and happiness it so richly deserves. Californians have always proven to possess that most unique combination of skill passion and empathy that built the world's greatest public-college system, developed the economic drivers of the 21st century, and never forgot to care for the least among them. After our state's voters approve the Preschool for All Initiative in June 2006, California's children will begin to receive the fresh start and sound fundamentals we all need to succeed as healthy and happy adults.
Finally, there is one thing we can all agree is more difficult than accurately forecasting the political future, keeping a New Year's resolution. Be that as it may, I wish that President Bush would make a single New Year's resolution that would be distinct from his behavior until now and could begin the process of healing our nation's wounds. That is:
"Mr. President, tell the truth about the war in Iraq."
I hope all the Huffington Post's readers and those in cyberspace beyond have a happy and healthy 2006.
