Journalist finds similarities between the Bush life and the pimp life

You Know It's Hard Out Here Being Pimped
(Thoughts Hustlin' and Flowin' in My Mind) -- by Ernie McCray

I can't get Three 6 Mafia's Academy Award winning lyrics out of my head: "You know it's hard out here for a pimp. When he tryin' to get this money for the rent. For the Cadillacs and gas money spent."

And every now and then, keeping the same beat with the same mood, thinking of pimp and pimping in a non-sexual way, with the pimp being the president of the USA, I find myself also humming and singing: "And you know it's hard out here being pimped. And our pimp don't have to worry 'bout his rent. He gets a nice percent of gas money spent."

And whereas the pimp in Hustle and Flow was trying to leave the pimping life, our pimp is ever on the go. Pimping is all that he knows. Our pimp, too, "Done seen people killed, done seen people deal. Done seen people live in poverty with no meals." But "staying the course" is how this pimp feels. This pimp lied about Iraq and Katrina standing behind the presidential seal. This pimp has "seen some crazy thangs in the streets" but he, unlike the pimp in the movie, can walk right by it all, spouting platitudes about "being safe," without missing a beat. And if you don't watch what you say and who you say it to, this pimp will listen in on you and the next thing you know you're pricing a prison tattoo or two.

And the pimp in the movie says "It's f--- up where I live, but that's just how it is. It might be new to you, but it's been like this for years." And he says something about how, when it comes down to what's happening in his world, "It's blood, sweat and tears." But our pimp shares no tears as he looks out at people who've shed blood and tears for years and years yet have no medical care or food to eat and have no place to live. And it's been like that for years, and others have tried to make it right but Dubya has absolutely no help to give. He's too busy pimp slapping folks in places faraway, trying to tell them how to live. But he doesn't have to knock us, we the people, around because as his "ho's" we only show our disdain in polls. Then we just walk the streets as pitiful souls who don't fully understand just how democracy goes.

The pimp in the movie seeks better ways and better days as he says: "I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night. Like takin' from a ho don't know no better, I know that ain't right." But our pimp doesn't even know the difference between wrong and right. Pimped our GI's into turning the dirtiest trick of all, sending them off to fight, knowing that the war, according to international laws, was a crime, and a shame in any God's sight.

But the "ho's" in Hustle and Flow also sought a way out. Like their pimp they began entertaining hopes and dreams in their heads, tired of "hopin' every night they don't end up dead." Well, our sons and daughters all scattered along the mean streets of Iraq have been hoping for too long that they don't end up dead. It's them, not the pimp, "duckin' dodgin' bullets everyday," and they've made it clear that they want to come home and we've got to stand up to our pimp and bring about that day. Or "supporting our troops" has only been something we like to say.

So why don't we begin acting like citizens in the Land of the Free, and make that man in the White House sing: "You know it's hard out here for a pimp. Tryin' to get the poor to pay the rich people's rent. Now that they know that's been my intent, my days in DC are just about spent."

Then Three 6 Mafia can rap with the people's consent about the sudden impeachment and demise of a pimping president.