I guess the inaugural speech was the major news story last week. I have to admit I didn’t even listen to it, although I read the excerpts later. I’m a little weary of talking about the guy who claims to be the President. I feel like I’ve said all I can say, but if people don’t continue to say it, that’s a big problem, and the inaugural speech is a fine example of why that’s a problem.

These speeches are supposed to be a big deal. If you’re the President, or even if you’re just impersonating the President, you only make this speech once or twice in your life. The speech is supposed to set the tone, establish the themes, and point the direction for the era you’re supposed to be leading. I don’t know how long it’s been since the person who sat in the Oval Office has been the actual leader, but I suspect it’s been at least a century since the President wrote a word of the speech. But even though professional writers compose the speech, the guy who reads it still has to take responsibility for every word in it.

Those who listen to it also have some responsibility, however. Theoretically, we the people are responsible for holding the guy to his promises, but as a practical matter, a President being inaugurated for his second term could say just about anything he wanted to say, and furthermore, he can proceed to do just about anything he wants to do, even it isn’t even close to what he says he’ll do. Lame duckness has set in.

The inaugural speech was pretty scary. Out of one side of his mouth, the Bushwhacker said the US isn’t trying to rule the world, but out of the other side he said that the US is committed to imposing it’s version of "democracy" on the rest of the world. He didn’t mention the part about exploiting the resources of the countries to whom we bring this democracy. The scariest part, however, isn’t what the guy said. What he said was completely predictable. The scary part is that he got away with it.

There was a time when a guy who was that obviously duplicitous would be roasted by all the daily newspapers and hooted down by every pundit in every town. These days, a guy not only gets away with impersonating the President, but he makes a major speech in which he contradicts himself from one sentence to the next, the "free" press takes no notice, and the people who vote think it’s eloquent and visionary. If that’s the kind of democracy were exporting with military force to the rest of the world, I can understand why some folks are thinking their dictatorships don’t look too bad.

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Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 80 years old and suffering from cancer, crawled out of his hospital bed to stand in front of Dubya for the oath of office, reminding everyone that Dub will no doubt be appointing his successor. This just keeps getting scarier. I’m envisioning John Ashcroft on the Supreme Court. Maybe even Condy Rice. The possibilities are awesome.

Michael Powell followed his dad, Colin, out of the Bush administration. Michael has resigned as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Most people who have any interest in free speech probably are relieved. As FCC chairman, Powell has been hardnosed about what he considered "indecency" on radio and television, but he’s been generous toward corporate dominance of the airwaves, as well as lenient toward the big corporations which dominate telephone and internet services.

But remember the lame duck factor. If Michael Powell was the bane of free speech, his successor is only likely to be even worse. Bush doesn’t answer to anyone anymore. The Democrats, aside from a couple of safe and harmless gestures by Barbara Boxer, haven’t shown any inclination to oppose anything he does. He could appoint Jerry Fallwell chairman of the FCC, and no one could stop him. Whoever it is, free speech is not going to be any safer in the next four years. The major commercial media get in line without being told, but when they come and get me, I hope some of you guys will help me escape and get away to some remote tropical island. I promise to keep giving you Local Views whenever I can get to a phone.

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Johnny Carson is among the obituaries, a unique figure in popular culture. Most people wouldn’t characterize what he did as great achievements or call him a great entertainer, but he was one of the best known and most popular entertainers of his time. He was a daytime game show host when he got the chance to succeed Steve Allen and Jack Paar on the Tonight Show. Allen and Paar always had pretentions of serious interviewing, but Carson was all comedy and entertainment for 30 years. Most good comedians rely on delivery and timing, but they also rely on well written material which they memorize. Carson was one of the quickest ad lib artists I ever heard.

I once saw him with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin on the set at the same time. In those days, people smoked cigarettes on TV, and while Carson was talking, Sinatra gave Martin a light. The cigarette exploded, Carson said, "Yeah those seed’ll pop on you," then continued with what he had been talking about before. He wasn’t exactly my kind of guy, but I always appreciated his quick wit. He didn’t invent the format, but that late night talk and entertainment thing probably wouldn’t even exist anymore if it weren’t for Johnny Carson. Come to think of it, I don’t watch it anymore either.