A few things that I feel about politics:

Because I work in the business of politics, I've come to view it as just that - a business. It is a giant dysfunctional gossipy corporation, and in that sense I don't often get the chance to think of politics from a philosophical perspective anymore. Occasionally my thoughts drift in that direction but then the phone rings and I quickly forget why I care about anything beyond filing.

However, there are times when I am reminded that political decisions are binding on the real world. The other day I was looking at the website for Americorps. Now I am largely incapable of making decisions, and if you ask me what I want to be when I grow up I'll only answer - uh, who's growing up? But one thing that I've been reasonably sure I wanted to do in the future is join Americorps' NCCC program. Probably none of you know what this is. It's a continuation of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the Roosevelt era which build much of the infrastruction of the national parks. NCCC is for 18-24 year olds, and places young people in teams of a dozen or so for 10 months. During this time they travel the country doing interesting service projects, and are trained in disaster relief (hence why many NCCC teams are currently building houses and such in Louisiana). I want to work outside, I want to make things I can see and wear blue jeans and a bandana to work. I like what I do now, but I'd love a change in the future. It's a good program. It's a good program for me, too.

Now onto the heartbreak. After finally coming to a decision about this, which is a cause for celebration in and of itself, I discovered that the program will no longer exist if the budget cuts for 2007 take effect. And they will. I have listened to angry constituents slam the budget cuts a thousand times. I feel their pain, as much as I can, but really what can I do? What can they do, but call the office and talk with an intern who is equally powerless? I am disturbed by the education cuts, which will put students more in debt, though I'm already in enough that I can't be that disturbed by it. Yet I did not feel what the sacrifice of cutting the budget would do to me until I found out that the one thing I decided I truly wanted to do is not long for this world. There is not a thing I can do about it. Maybe I'll call my congressman.