It’s still there, isn’t it? al Qaida doesn’t run the joint and they’re not flying suicide airliners into the oilwells. By Bush’s definition that counts as a big win. Sure, thousands are dying every month, but it’s never been about the people, people.

Bush launched the War on Terrorism because of the damage done to property, (aka: wealth) on 9/11. Lives can always be replicated at a lower cost. That’s Economics 101.

And look at the good he’s achieved in Iraq recently. The Green Zone’s safer than ever and bombings are rare. The Surge has caused a drop in fatalities from 64 per day to a mere 61. And even displaced Traqis and refugees are no longer a problem.

Best of all, he’s finally won over the hearts and minds of the Iraqi populace that he’d previously lost at Abu Ghraib.

He made an example of Saddam Hussein that has reverberated across the globe. Intimidated by Bush’s willingness to use our military might, terror attacks are way down and civil wars are being resolved diplomatically.

In the violent frontier of Waziristan - the part of Pakistan where the Taliban and Osama have used as a hideout, peace has been restored. Pakistan’s religious schools that used to train deadly jihadists are now helping orphans learn and aiding senior citizens with their daily chores.

And best of all, Pakistan now can see the benefits of democracy and has decided to shift from the rule of military dictatorship to democracy, with complete US support.

Kabul, the pacified capital of Afghanistan, has become as quiet as Kansas wheat field.

Iran has responded by permitting complete UN oversight of its peaceful nuclear power production operations.

And their salute to the British Navy has also shown how much they respect the freedom and might of great western powers.

Nearby, in Africa, Somalia’s become a tranquil island of calm. Darfur, in Sudan, has been drawing plaudits from the UN for the tranquillity that has replaced the genocide there.

Even troubled Zimbabwe has gotten on the Peace and Love Train.

Former foes of the US that have become strong trading partners no longer support violence as a means of settling disputes. China is a model of benevolence and successful capitalism, which is reassuring since they control our national debt. And Bush’s good friend in Russia, Vladimir Putin, has reformed their once infamous prison system and turned it into a virtual set of summer camps.

In the most troublesome areas of the Middle East, all of Iraq’s neighbors are tight with Bush and working on agreements that should solve everything, including the Israel-Palestine war.

And our intelligence system is operating better than ever.

Best of all, the groups and businesses providing funds to terror organizations have been completely shut down by Bush’s exemplary Justice Department:

The Chicago Tribune reported on Thursday that Colombia’s chief federal prosecutor, Mario Iguaran, has formally requested from the US Justice Department documents relating to Chiquita’s payment of $1.7 million to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (known as the AUC, by its Spanish initials) a group that the United States labels a terrorist organization.

Chiquita pleaded guilty Monday in US federal court to making payments to the AUC, and agreed to pay a $25 million fine, payable over five years. As part of the plea agreement, the US government will not publicly identify the senior Chiquita executives who approved the illegal payments.

Speaking in Bogotá, Mr. Iguaran denied Chiquita’s claims that the payments were made under duress.

“The relationship was not one of the extortionist and the extorted but a criminal relationship,” Iguaran told a handful of foreign correspondents in an interview.

“It’s a much bigger, more macabre plan,” he added. “Who wouldn’t know what an illegal armed group like the AUC does . . . by exterminating and annihilating its enemies,” Iguaran said. “When you pay a group like this you are conscious of what they are doing.”

And the prosecution of terrorists is going swimmingly, as well.

It’s also noteworthy that Bush has done more to advance equal rights in the US than anyone since Martin Luther King, Jr. Because of him, the most powerful woman in our government’s history exists, and she’s making real strides in foreign diplomacy where Real Men fear to tread.

His critics can be damned, as Bush’s popularity and place in history are secured, according to the latest numbers.

Tomorrow’s April Fools Day, but nearly 30% of the country celebrates it all year.

He would have been 80 today, but we lost him at 66. Cesar Chavez was as big a hero as Martin and Bobby to those who benefitted from his work, his sacrifices and his heart.

Three years younger and 10 days later, Dolores Huerta was born. She continues her advocacy for Latinos, women and other progressive causes today.

Interestingly, Chavez opposed illegal immigrants who wouldn’t unionize as he understood they threatened newly won worker rights and wages. Huerta now fights federal attempts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Without context, that sounds like they held different positions. But in view of the motivations of lawmakers today, I think Cesar would share her position. The xenophobia present today is thinly veiled as a law-and-order stance. With NAFTA, the concept of national borders has become practically obsolete and the struggles for equal rights and worker rights have to be global.

These days, I hear some compare Barack Obama to these heroes, mostly because his speeches inspire. I understand why some old civil rights era leaders feel the man hasn’t paid his dues. He hasn’t.

But while we honor backwards, we can only grow forward. Maybe Obama can help inspire more to join us in that walk. Maybe he’ll prove he can walk that talk.

Not many elected officials do.

Cesar did. He performed backbreaking labor in pesticided fields for less than the minimum wage. He fasted and marched to provoke positive changes.

I feel sad only that younger generations don’t always grasp how hard the struggles were and how people like these shone for all they endured while building hope. Because their struggles were shared, they truly represented millions.

There will be new heroes. I hope you can see your struggle in their works which is the difference between heroes and mere celebrities.