Down the Hatch

In this wonderful political season, I'm about jumping out of my shoes. I thought I felt strongly about making sure that George Bush didn't get re-elected in 2004. That was nothing. Finding that the race between Obama and McCain is a dead heat makes me sick to my stomach. The current polls show how little people care about issues, and how much they care about appearances. Especially when those appearances, particularly in the case of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, are basically thinly-veiled lies about her experience. As just stated by NBC News, the Bridge to Nowhere was dead when she finally decided to oppose it, and she didn't sell the plane on Ebay.

So, you say, hey Marshal (btw, not the first name, but the old-timey law-enforcer), why don't you get involved? Go out and do what you can to convince your swing-state (I guess "swing-commonwealth" doesn't flow as well) that McCain/Palin will take away more of our rights than Bush ever dreamed?

Sadly, I can't. Blame the Hatch Act of 1939. This "Patriot Act"-like legislation restricts the political activities of executive branch employees like me. I am not allowed to engage in any political campaigning. I can give money (which I haven't yet, but should), but cannot take an active part in any partisan activity*. It's goals are noble, I guess, so as not to allow any political influence into government work. But in the wake of the last eight years of partisan nonsense from the InJustice Department, I think I should get a waiver. All I want to do is hand out some literature, or draw a picture of Sarah Palin with devil horns. Is that really so awful?

* If you were inclined to actually check up on this assertion, these activities are not prohibited for most of the executive branch, but they are for my agency.  In the long run, that's probably good, as I am a distinct ideological minority at work.