I am down with democracy and all that, but damn it is scary when guys like this vote.

Ed Hamilton, of Kerr County, Texas, is challenging fellow Republican Mindy Williams in the primary for county treasurer. His platform? He wants to eliminate the position, according to the Associated Press.

Hamilton said if elected, he would hand the duties to someone else and petition state officials for a referendum on a constitutional amendment that would allow any county to eliminate the treasurer position if it chooses.

Williams, who was appointed last spring to the $46,000-a-year post, said the job shouldn't be eliminated. It provides accountability on the county's spending, a check and balance that is "essential to county government."

Hamilton says "check and balance" is "a euphemism for duplication of effort."

Please tell me this made news because Hamilton is an oddball -- even in Texas. One of the scariest things to come out of the Bush administration is how “check and balance” is a four-letter f-word whether it’s in regards to war or our justice system. Ugh.  

In related news, two non-profit journalism organizations conducted a study that found that the Bush administration released at least 900 false statements regarding the national security threat in Iraq, according to AP. Hopefully, this will encourage traditional media outlets to once again act as “a check and balance” to our government's powers.