After all, the government only overcharged its citizens $87 billion last year, expects to overcharge them $112 billion this year, and the government's own accountants predict a surplus of about $125 billion next year. And that's just from income taxes. Maybe, the government could afford to give people a $100 billion tax break over two years, $50 billion this year and $50 billion the next. Half a tax break, maybe.

Paying off the government's own credit card is going swimmingly. Having raked in $149.8 billion from what Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlements didn't need last year really helped. Along with the income tax bonus, the government was able to throw most of this money against one side of the national debt and keep it from rising more than $18 billion. This year, the booty will be even better.

The people don't care if their money is used to save the government six cents with every dollar American workers go into hock. Money isn't everything. People have learned to work for the pure pleasure of it. Their kids will work for less.

Alan Greenspeak has done miracles. Bill and Hillary are taking over the Big Apple. Denise Rich will get to write more songs. The laugh-in talk-over news people are even more popular. Our programs and policies are out-shouting everyone. The military has been given more money than it ever got during wars. We've got a star wars program to keep the defense industry happy. And we haven't had any accidents for weeks.

It's time to get ready for the next elections. Time to put the blame for everything evil on the other cult. Time to ready the next spin. But most of all, it's time to start raising the millions needed for the next campaign and putting your cult up front.

There are only 17 months left before the next elections. The one hundred days of Congress men and women not having to worry about keeping their jobs are over. Everyone did what they could.

Now, it's time to take a break, sit back and plan how to use those accomplishments in order to get re-elected. Stop worrying about power shortages, gas prices, lock-boxes, trade barriers, unemployment, the stock market, or any of that silly stuff that effects the populace. Think about what the other guys did wrong. Think about how you can bash them without appearing to be nasty. Nobody likes nasty.

Light up, if you can afford it and want to risk cancer. Power up the computer if you can or take a drive in the country. Use a battery operated car. Start thinking about all the good things you tried to do. It doesn't matter whether they ever went anywhere or not. You can still lay claim to trying. Sometimes, you can even pretend that they actually happened.

Most of all, think about the promises, speeches, mailings, and general begging and pleading for money that you're going to do in order to run a successful campaign. The fund raising events and promotions, dinners, and advertising that must be arranged. Were you a loyal soldier? Did you vote party-line enough to warrant party support? Where do you stand with the political action groups? How much money can you count on and where will you get the rest?

The 100 days of freedom and action are over. Summer break, a break that started two hundred years ago because Washington was too hot a place to work during summer. Nowadays, you can claim to be conserving electricity. Use it to get ready for the next bout. Hey, maybe you can champion a little election reform, but not too much. We don't want to spoil things.