The Tycoon Report

WHY THERE’S A FUNGUS AMONG US

I've never been the type to rattle on about the "dope of the week," but recent events in Washington - where the only requirement for a job in the first place is to be a "dope" - have given me little choice.

First let me state the following for all of you who have written to get some clarification on the subject (especially after last month’s report): I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. No, this is not a "cop-out." Nor am I trying to walk away from potential customers who may lean either way. That is of little concern to me. At this point of my life I'll live with whatever consequences GOD has in store for me.

But in regard to politics - for better or for worse - I consider myself a pragmatist. What does that mean? Well you see, I started investing at a very young age and learned many of the painful lessons that make any person a great investor.

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons was that the stock market doesn't suffer fools or idealogues gladly. In fact, if you view the world through either lens you should probably stay far, far away from the market - it will punish you dearly in the long-term.

And since that is the way I earn my living, I've always run away from idealogus. In politics - just like in business and sports - I bet on people. Which is what brings me to my subject today: the "nuclear option." It is in that vein that I write the following short memo to Senate Majority leader Bill Frist:

"Dear Dr. Frist,

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and the rest of the Founding Fathers WROTE the constitution to protect the citizens from power hungry animals like you.

Yes, I know: You're dying to prove to the far right that you have the conservative moxy to push through any judicial nomination you want. And I don't fault you for that: Politics is a bare-knuclked business, and power - well for some folks that's all the dream about.

But next time you try to wipe away 200 years of tradition - the same tradition the great minds of our founding fathers placed - I want you to do something. Go to the Lincoln Monument at midnight and simply stare at it. Take a deep breath. Look at the lines in that mans face. The wisdom. The pain. The anguish.

Than I want you to think of the struggles HE went through to PRESERVE our democracy. Yes, it's true: Lincoln was as much of a political animal as anybody. But never forget that you are trying to walk in the footsteps of a giant who, in the end, gave his life for little annoyances like the fillibuster.

Best Regards,