Well... greed and power are certainly always factors on both side of the aisle. But one overriding reason why the W. admin. got so absolutely far out of hand with the incompetence, politicization (is that a word?), corruption, and usurping the Constitution (just to name a fraction of their ills) - the one overriding reason why they have been getting away with all this is that all the branches of our government (and the "fourth branch" - the press) have been, until recently, controlled by the conservative right - the political wing that believes that government is inherently bad and needs to be "shrunk down until it can be drowned in the bathtub" (to paraphrase their spiritual leader Grover Norquist). The system of checks and balances has not been working to reign in these freaks. It's one thing to believe that government should be minimal and efficient (a true conservative viewpoint that is arguable), but it is altogether different to have utter contempt for government, policy, science, facts, and due process like the Mayberry Makiavellis have. And then to give them virtually-free reign over all aspects of government - what the hell were "We the People" thinking?!?
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