Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been busy reading all of the great links that many of you have forwarded him concerning the FISA wiretap story. Please know that your Maximum Leader is reviewing and thinking about all of your thoughtful comments. He hopes to write something further on that subject later.

Until then…

Your Maximum Leader has, from time to time, done things that may not please The Almighty. He received a pretty normal middle-class church-going Catholic religious education. He further studied subjects sacred and profane all through his life. So he has a pretty good idea of the strictures that The Almighty has set down over time - at least the strictures according to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Knowing what your Maximum Leader does; he is aware that some activities and decisions he’s taken would not please The Almighty.

All that said one might expect that if The Almighty was greatly displeased with your Maximum Leader; he (your Maximum Leader that is) would be struck by a bolt from the blue and vaporized. Barring the use of a bolt from the blue, your Maximum Leader has also figured that being turned into a pillar of salt or having brimstone rain down from the heavens upon him are other tried and true methods The Almighty might employ on those in need of smiting. But we all know that the Lord smites in mysterious ways.

Carry on.