The Phantom Menace
The man pictured above is Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America. And his relevance in these proceedings will become apparent if you read it to the end.

According to this essay from The American Prospect, there are competing political traditions in the American body politic. One that is progressive, inclusive, welcoming, expansive, & supportive. The other that is provincial, exclusive, and, above all else, ambitious. Consider the notion of Manifest Destiny.

Favorite Quote: "In an administration determined to free American power from all constraint and business power from most regulation, Cheney's particular contribution has been to keep power as unchecked -- and often as unseen -- as possible."