I come to this argument from a somewhat different point of view, having lived and worked much of my life outside the US, and being very proud of my birth country, of which I am also a citizen. I am an immigrant, and like many immigrants am fiercely proud of the institutions that make this country great, and most grateful for them. Like many immigrants, I strongly support the Presidency and the ‘muscle’ of this country which keeps us happpier and safer than most other countries.

In the past I’ve been outraged at the idiocies and cultural quirks of Reagan, and Carter and Clinton, but I’ve always supported the Presidency. This in the face of constant queries over the decades when traveling, that made me cringe with embarassment.

However, this President – this most morally corrupt President – has done our institutions the worst damage I have seen in the last 40 years.

Forget about foreign opinion. Forget about our personal embarassment – those will change over time – but never forget that our liberties are under constant threat by people who WANT to be our leaders and were willing to compromise to get there. Any stand they make is an illusion; it is simply their negotiating position, and it was up for sale the moment they ran for office, or took a stnd ‘on principle’.

As for Bush, I strongly support the Presidency, but I do not suport this man. When he acts as the President – when he slips on the crushing burden of his proper role – I will support him, but when he is just Bush, I will condemn him. This man does not wear the mantle of greatness often enough to learn from it. He has forgotten what the Presidency is.