Well, in the bowels of the White House and the infamous Hitlerian Kamp Krawford, where the absolute generalissimo wanna-be hatches his nefarious plots, Jim told us, there lurks a modern version of Cardinal Richelieu. The aim of this notoriously noncompassionate person is to crush domestic factions, ruthlessly suppress opposition, use despicable measures to intimidate his enemies, and to hold on to a rapidly eroding power. He has used an enormous number of spies, both at home and abroad.

Like the original Richelieu, this one exempts the powerful and wealthy from taxes, while crushing the poorer people with extremely burdensome taxes. Herr Kardinal Krawford abuses authoritarian measures to maintain power Jim told us. He censors the press, has established a large network of internal spies, and forbids certain types of dialogue involving political matters in open forums, going so far as to prosecute and imprison those who dare conspire against him. Jim's wife Carmen thinks that he is truly a power-hungry cynic.

Liz next told us that Cardinal Richelieu is the same one you think of when you think of dungeons, Iron Maidens, the rack, and men in iron masks. What lurks at that infamous house in Kamp Krawford and the basements of the White House?

An Emphasis on Secrecy
Max said that we don't really need to fantasize about those instruments of torture. The White House practices it either on United States soil or abroad, through rendition. Secrecy has stifled democracy in the United States. Max gave us just some examples:

• Last year, the government classified over 15 million documents at a cost of over 7 billion dollars

• Bush uses a state secrets privilege ruse to keep proceedings secret

• The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 1,754 requests from the Bush White House to conduct surveillance on foreign nationals

• Requests for information under The Freedom of Information Act are hovering around 5 million. One group the government tried to discourage from seeking information on people detained by the Bush government's anti-terror efforts, People For the American Way, were told it might cost them $400,000.00 to get that information.

• A la Richelieu, the Bushies are using the "state secrecy" privilege 33 times more often than it was used during the height of the Cold War.

Well, you get the message. One of our teenagers who is off to college next year said that we should tell you about a wonderful organization that is keeping its eye on this administration's sinister secrecy ways. It is www.openthegovernment.org

Take a look at it, it will keep you up tonight.

Farm Chores Never End; Ambrosia Anyone?
The dinner gong just rang, and after a full day's work we were all hungry and ready to see what we were going to have for dinner tonight. With three couples engaged in dinner preparations, we knew it would be ambrosia!

Charlotte, who enjoys preparing complicated dishes, served us a Terrine of Three Cheeses and Walnuts. A Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs she and Max brought from their wine cellar was a perfect pairing. If we hadn't been so hungry, we could have stopped there because it was a perfect pairing of Amuse-Bouche and sparkling wine. Shelley next served us on of her specialties, a Crab Soup garnished with avocado and spritzed with lime juice. Cathy had brought over a Chardonnay from Omaka Springs, from the Marlborough region of New Zealand that went very well with the creamy soup.

I told you dinner was going to be good tonight. Things got even better when Bob and Judy brought out a dish they had made ahead of time which can be served at room temperature, Asian Noodles with Medley of Greens (from Art and Terry's greenhouses) that Bob served with a Sauvignon Blanc from Geyser Peak. After a small dollop of cantaloupe sorbet to cleanse our palates, we stayed along the slightly Oriental course dinner took when Alex and Jane served us skillet-seared Five-Spice Salmon with porcini mushrooms, just-wilted zucchini blossoms and asparagus, paired with a lively, fruity Blue Mountain Pinot Gris.

Winding Down
All we needed now was a simple dessert taken with the kids in the great room. Cathy and Shelley had made an Orange Marmalade Custard tart, and Max had prepared our after-dinner coffee with his secret blend of coffee beans. Betcha Richelieu didn't eat as well as we do!

Summary:
Extraordinary efforts to keep information from We The People is hardly the way this country ought to be run. We live in the United States, not some Gestapo-state. We, The Citizens, have to bring this administration to account.