MAILBAG - Sept. 14, 2007

Goats are common sense wildfire solution

Where is common sense in the City Council? Having a detailed presentation by Fire Chief Mike Macey and listening to “provincial” associations is or was a waste of time.

The goats have been very efficient in containing brush and potential fire hazards. I think City Council and administration can be efficient with their time and resources.

By the way, what is the status on that eyesore on Laguna Canyon Road — three cottages with rental fences. What is that costing the beleaguered taxpayers of Laguna Beach?

BENJAMIN J. JONES

Laguna Beach

Behind closed doors in the Oval office

Now that Karl Rove’s tenure at the White House is over, I see he is enthusiastically bashing Democrats coast to coast.

My guess is years from now, historians will want to know exactly what “the architect” and George W. Bush talked about immediately before their public announcement when Rove, the president’s most trusted aide, finally called it quits.

The following is what a fly on the wall of the Oval Office might have heard:

Rove: Mr. President, after all we have been through, from the Lone Star statehouse to the White House, it is with deep regret that I submit my letter of resignation. I truly am sorry that leaking the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame was misrepresented by the media or, worse, my testimony before the grand jury resulted in Scooter Libby being found guilty.

Bush: Pardon me, Karl. Better yet, I’ll pardon Scooter later. Yeah, it’s been a wild ride, hasn’t it?

Rove:I don’t know about you, but I will never forget the look on Al Gore’s face when he realized his fate had been sealed.

Bush: You got that right. It’s not every day the governor of a swing state turns out to be the younger brother of a presidential hopeful.

Rove: Kudos to you, Mr. President, for calling Jeb so many times late at night from the campaign trail. And speaking of late night calls, none stand out more in my mind than the one you made to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair months before the invasion of Iraq. It was pure genius how the two of you devised the weapons of mass destruction argument.

Bush: In my opinion, Saddam needed to be taught the ultimate lesson: mess with Bush 41 and you will have to answer to Bush 43.

Rove: I don’t mean to sound trite, but it truly has been an honor to serve you and the nation. When we first met, more than 20 years ago, I knew you would become a great leader. I won’t be with you when you complete your second term in office, but I will be there in spirit. God bless you, your family, this nation and the Republican Party. I look forward to seeing you at your library dedication a few years down the road.

Bush: Me too, you too. Hey, Karl, are you up for some barbecue before we make the big announcement?

DENNY FREIDENRICH

Laguna Beach