I have figured out a way to enjoy tonight's Sean Hannity-Rocky Anderson debate.

I'm not going.

It's not that I object to their right to have their showdown at Kingsbury Hall or to their promises to donate any proceeds to charity or to a little spirited discussion between a left-wing mayor and a right-wing talk show host about the situation in Iraq and whether President George W. Bush ought to be impeached.

I might object to their personalities, but I will fight to the death their right to use them.

Let them talk where, when and how they may.

But it is a free country.

And I don't have to go listen to them.

I'm not going to the Ice Capades either.

Maybe if they were debating something enjoyable, like the designated hitter rule.

Or something that could bring real change, like the price of gas.

But pay money to hear two people talk about something as depressing and unsolvable as Iraq?

Besides, even before Rocky and Hannity start insulting one another tonight I already know which side I'm on.

I feel strongly both ways.

I agree with Rocky that our occupation of Iraq is a colossal screw-up and actually counterproductive to the war on terror. By meddling in politics in the Middle East, what we've done for al-Qaida and terrorists everywhere is (A) give them a more convenient place to shoot at us and (B) further alienated the mainstream Muslim world by trying to impose Western-style democracy on Iraq.

But I agree with Hannity that our intentions regarding Iraq were and are pure. Saddam Hussein was indeed a butcher and a bad guy who thumbed his nose at international rules, we really are trying to help the Iraqi people and the Bush administration, however arrogant and misguided, is not corrupt.

Well, no more corrupt than any other administration of the past 200 years.

I agree with Rocky that we should get out of Iraq now, if not yesterday.

But I agree with Hannity that talking about impeaching President Bush is nonsense because last time I looked it up in the Constitution, neither being a freedom zealot nor an idiot is an impeachable offense.

Like a lot of Americans, I've been debating this whole business in my head for over four years now and meeting with increasing frustration. Almost since the minute after I voted for Bush the second time I've been counting the minutes until he hits mandatory presidential retirement age. Watching him continue to try to govern is like watching Evander Holyfield continue to try to box.

What a mess. And now we're adding to it by having these two yay-hoos smirking at each other.

They already gave us a preview with their, uh, negotiations on KSL Radio, with talk-show host Doug Wright doing a decent impression as Vince McMahon.

Basically, after calling each other liars, their exchange went like this:

Rocky: "Oh yeah!"

Hannity: "Yeah!"

Wright-as-McMahon: "OK, let's debate!"

All it gave me was a headache.

Why would I pay to get another one?

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.