Bob Woodward and Mark Felt (aka Deep Throat)

What better way to start a new year and a new administration than a reminder of the political scandal par excellence?

When he first burst on the media scene in 1972 at age 29, you either loved or hated Bob Woodward. Although he's grown older (and presumably easier to caricature), that's as true today as ever before.

And why? Well, with the little help of a friend, Bob proved that American politicians - including the President - could be crooks. As self-evident as that is today, this revelation was a shock to the innocents of the mid-Twentieth Century.

Bob also proved the corollary that politicians like to lie. And that's even before they get elected! After all, in 1961, Richard Nixon told the press he was leaving public office and politics forever. "You won't have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore", he said. A double lie. Nixon did return to office and to politics. And Bob showed us we could kick Richard Nixon around anytime we wanted to.

For more about Bob and his famous friend with the funny nickname, click here.

In any case, whether you worry about our elected leaders and their flunkies burglarizing political opponents, selling our own weapons to terrorist countries vowed to destroy us, starting disastrous wars to destroy weapons that don't exist, or spending millions of taxpayers dollars because they have to chase a bit of skirt, there's only one question remaining:

Parliamentary system, anyone?