I called the White House for the first time in my life today. I got a busy signal. But when I hit redial, the phone rang. I was placed on hold for a long time, so I decide to call back later. I redialed, and again, I was placed on hold for a long time. One of the good things about calling the White House and getting placed on hold is that you don't have to listen to stupid music while you're waiting; you wait in silence. The third time I called someone answered the phone on the first ring. I called to make a comment about the impending invasion of Iraq. I can't imagine that the President and Cheney (I know--I'm being redundant) and Rumsfeld and Rice give a damn about the comment line, but I thought it was a good idea to cast my citizen's vote. Just in case it turns out to be a closer call than any of them imagined. I gave the White House man my state, then told him I was appalled that we would even consider invading Iraq.

What bothers me is that it is not a toll-free call, so only people who can afford the phone bill get to call the White House and make comments. What about all of the citizens who can barely get food on the table or pay the rent? They have opinions, too. Just think: with the money John Ashcroft spent covering the statues, the White House could have had some toll-free lines for people who don't have much money.

Right.