''Bush in 30 Years—a grassroots contest to find the best Flash animation"

MoveOn has announced the top 50 semi-finalists in their contest and Seattle has one: Michael Bade. Here's what he told me about why he got involved: "I did my flash piece because I am extremely concerned about how money is being spent in this country. We are told that we are insecure because of terrorism and need more security. We already spend more money than all our enemies combined, on weapons, defense and homeland security. Now the very things that have made Americans secure at home are being attacked by our own leaders. When I found out that we have had a Social Security surplus for years and that it has been used to fund other things I was really angry. They make it sound like we created a crisis by getting old when in fact they created a crisis by spending the money on other things and continuing to do so. Health care is the other big insecurity for Americans. Lose your medical insurance and you are screwed. Talk about insecurity! One of my best friends had a heart transplant. If he misses one payment on his medical insurance they will drop him. He already pays $1200 a month for insurance and $400 a month in co-pay for drugs and he's only 52 years old. You can own a $500,000 house and go bankrupt if you have a stroke and don't have medical insurance. I have friends in France, Japan and Germany who think we are nuts to accept these kind of living conditions. In modern industrialized countries Health care and Social Security are part of being a citizen of that country. I worry about my old age. Will I be able to afford health care? Will I be able to ever retire? This administration seems like it is trying to strangle its citizens to death. So that's why I spent the time and energy to make the flash animation. It's just one of the ways through, music, art and film that I am trying to be a good citizen."