George W. BushCheney visited Phoenix yesterday (the rich enclave Town of Paradise Valley, actually). I was back from my Utah trip just in time to join about 300 others to protest and picket outside the resort where BushCheney was holed up with fatcat backers to raise money for Republican rubber stamp Congressman Rick Renzi. Nothing surprising here. Nor were BushCheney's words anything new.

Bush criticized Democrats who voted against legislation allowing tough interrogation of terror suspects by CIA agents and a bill authorizing warrantless monitoring of phone calls and e-mails to detect terror plots.

"If the people of Arizona and the people the United States don't think we ought to be listening in on the conversations of people who can do harm to the United States, then go ahead and vote for the Democrats," Bush said.

"If you want to make sure that those on the front line protecting you have the tools necessary to do so, you vote Republican for the safety of the United States."

It's the same old Vote for Fear campaign BushCheney has been waging for the past five years. What does surprise me is that anyone in America believes: a) that BushCheney is at all competent or b) that Democrats are unwilling to take effective action to protect the nation. Of course, all BushCheney needs to do is scare enought people to ensure the barest majority and he's home free. No wonder he's willing to work so hard.

For the record, I have no problem with aggressively pursuing individuals and groups who seek to kill and harm others. What I do have a problem with is chucking 230 years of Constitutional government that has seen this nation through far worse threats than "terrorism". Threats like invasion by the British, civil war, two world wars and the cold war. In my mind there is something to be said for protecting America without destroying it.

I don't know what good our little protest may have done. If anything we at least demonstrated that some sane people live in this most Republican state. Of course, if we were really sane, we would migrate to a more favorable political climate.

But that would let the Republican Terrorists win.