Friday, October 01, 2004
Dog Pounding
The post-debate reviews are in:
CNN / GALLUP POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE
Kerry: 53
Bush: 37
CBS POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE:
Kerry: 44
Bush: 26
Tie: 30
ABC POLL ON WHO WON DEBATE:
Kerry: 45
Bush 36:
Tie: 17
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Woo doggies! Crawford, TX Newspaper Endorses Kerry
Bush's hometown newspaper has come out with an endorsement for Kerry. The editors note that
"Few Americans would have voted for George W. Bush four years ago if he had promised that, as President, he would:
• Empty the Social Security trust fund by $507 billion to help offset fiscal irresponsibility and at the same time slash Social Security benefits.
• Cut Medicare by 17 percent and reduce veterans’ benefits and military pay.
• Eliminate overtime pay for millions of Americans and raise oil prices by 50 percent.
• Give tax cuts to businesses that sent American jobs overseas, and, in fact, by policy encourage their departure.
• Give away billions of tax dollars in government contracts without competitive bids.
• Involve this country in a deadly and highly questionable war, and
• Take a budget surplus and turn it into the worst deficit in the history of the United States, creating a debt in just four years that will take generations to repay."
Good points. More here:
Bush's Hometown Paper Supports Kerry - BuzzFlash News Alert
"Few Americans would have voted for George W. Bush four years ago if he had promised that, as President, he would:
• Empty the Social Security trust fund by $507 billion to help offset fiscal irresponsibility and at the same time slash Social Security benefits.
• Cut Medicare by 17 percent and reduce veterans’ benefits and military pay.
• Eliminate overtime pay for millions of Americans and raise oil prices by 50 percent.
• Give tax cuts to businesses that sent American jobs overseas, and, in fact, by policy encourage their departure.
• Give away billions of tax dollars in government contracts without competitive bids.
• Involve this country in a deadly and highly questionable war, and
• Take a budget surplus and turn it into the worst deficit in the history of the United States, creating a debt in just four years that will take generations to repay."
Good points. More here:
Bush's Hometown Paper Supports Kerry - BuzzFlash News Alert
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Today's Scoop: Eisenhower Endorses Kerry
That's John Eisenhower, Dwight D.'s son. He explains why he will vote for John Kerry for President:
"As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration's decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and . . . I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry."
On the "Tax Cut and Spend" Republicans:
"The fact is that today's "Republican" Party is one with which I am totally unfamiliar. To me, the word "Republican" has always been synonymous with the word "responsibility," which has meant limiting our governmental obligations to those we can afford in human and financial terms. Today's whopping budget deficit of some $440 billion does not meet that criterion."
On the Current Admin.'s Arrogant (and Dangerous) Foreign Policy:
"Responsibility used to be observed in foreign affairs. That has meant respect for others. America, though recognized as the leader of the community of nations, has always acted as a part of it, not as a maverick separate from that community and at times insulting towards it. . . . The current Republican Party leadership has confused confident leadership with hubris and arrogance."
Read more here about how Eisenhower finds Kerry "courageous, sober, competent, and concerned with fighting the dangers associated with the widening socio-economic gap in this country" and "will vote for him enthusiastically":
The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 29-Sep-04 - Another View:
Why I will vote for John Kerry for President
"As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration's decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and . . . I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry."
On the "Tax Cut and Spend" Republicans:
"The fact is that today's "Republican" Party is one with which I am totally unfamiliar. To me, the word "Republican" has always been synonymous with the word "responsibility," which has meant limiting our governmental obligations to those we can afford in human and financial terms. Today's whopping budget deficit of some $440 billion does not meet that criterion."
On the Current Admin.'s Arrogant (and Dangerous) Foreign Policy:
"Responsibility used to be observed in foreign affairs. That has meant respect for others. America, though recognized as the leader of the community of nations, has always acted as a part of it, not as a maverick separate from that community and at times insulting towards it. . . . The current Republican Party leadership has confused confident leadership with hubris and arrogance."
Read more here about how Eisenhower finds Kerry "courageous, sober, competent, and concerned with fighting the dangers associated with the widening socio-economic gap in this country" and "will vote for him enthusiastically":
The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 29-Sep-04 - Another View:
Why I will vote for John Kerry for President
K9s for Kerry
Really, who would your dog vote for?
BUSH: Drops Barney in front of horrified children...
KERRY: Befriends a cute puppy in Vietnam...
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
The Big Dog--The Boss--Speaks
As the Vote for Change concerts begin, Bruce Springsteen tells Rolling Stone why he had to take a stand this election year:
"I knew after we invaded Iraq that I was going to be involved in the election. It made me angry.... I felt we had been misled. I felt they had been fundamentally dishonest and had frightened and manipulated the American people into war. And as the saying goes, "The first casualty of war is truth." I felt that the Bush doctrine of preemption was dangerous foreign policy. I don't think it has made America safer."
"I don't want to watch the country devolve into an oligarchy, watch the division of wealth increase and see another million people beneath the poverty line this year. These are all things that have been the subtext of so much of my music, and to see the country move so quickly to the right, so much further to the right than what the president campaigned on -- these are the things that removed whatever doubt I may have had about getting involved."
The Boss Nails the Media:
"The press has let the country down. It's taken a very amoral stand, in that essential issues are often portrayed as simply one side says this and the other side says that. I think that Fox News and the Republican right have intimidated the press into an incredible self-consciousness about appearing objective and backed them into a corner of sorts where they have ceded some of their responsibility and righteous power.... The Washington Post and New York Times apologies about their initial reporting about Iraq not being critical enough were very revealing."
"The fact that the administration refused to allow photographs of the flag-draped coffins of returning dead, that the president hasn't shown up at a single military funeral for the young people who gave their lives for his policies, is disgraceful. You have the Swift-boat guys who have been pretty much discredited, but there is an atmosphere that is created by so much willing media exposure that it imparts them credibility."
Born in the USA and ready to take his country back!
"I think that this particular election is, at the core, a debate about the soul of the nation. I think we can move toward greater economic justice for all of our citizens, or we cannot. I think we can move toward a sane, responsible foreign policy, or we cannot. For me, these are issues that go right to the heart of the spiritual life of the nation. That is something I have written about. It cannot be abandoned and is worth fighting and fighting and fighting for."
Craptacular: North Korea an Increasing Threat
Unless US Policy is to increase nuclear arms production in North Korea, this is pretty bad news:
USATODAY.com - North Korea: U.S. to blame for its nuclear weapons
As if the Iraq quagmire is not evidence enough, the total inability of the Bush administration to curtail the nuclear programs of N. Korea (and, in fact, to increase this production) should be further evidence of the need for a change in leadership. We need a President who can deal with threats and not create more threats to national security. Remember when Cheney was making all of those scary threats about the nuclear capabilities of Iraq? Well, now we have a country where those threats are real and not just lies, so what is the administration doing about them?
USATODAY.com - North Korea: U.S. to blame for its nuclear weapons
As if the Iraq quagmire is not evidence enough, the total inability of the Bush administration to curtail the nuclear programs of N. Korea (and, in fact, to increase this production) should be further evidence of the need for a change in leadership. We need a President who can deal with threats and not create more threats to national security. Remember when Cheney was making all of those scary threats about the nuclear capabilities of Iraq? Well, now we have a country where those threats are real and not just lies, so what is the administration doing about them?
The Scoop on the Toxic Texan
From Today's Washington Post: The Choice on the Environment? Kerry is the Only Choice
"Certainly there is no doubt about President Bush's belief in the need to reduce environmental regulation in order to ease the constraints on industries most affected by it. Although the administration has made few dramatic changes, it has rewritten an extraordinary number of rules, for example, to allow older utilities to upgrade their facilities without adding pollution control equipment; to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions, the most important source of "greenhouse gases"; to loosen the regulation of mercury emissions; to limit the amount of land that can be formally declared "wilderness"; to make logging easier in old-growth forests. The president himself has flip-flopped, as his campaign would put it, on the question of the urgency of climate change, first expressing interest in the issue, then walking away from it, then delaying discussion by proposing 'further studies.'"
Here's more proof of Kerry's superior record on the environment:
The Choice on the Environment (washingtonpost.com)
"Certainly there is no doubt about President Bush's belief in the need to reduce environmental regulation in order to ease the constraints on industries most affected by it. Although the administration has made few dramatic changes, it has rewritten an extraordinary number of rules, for example, to allow older utilities to upgrade their facilities without adding pollution control equipment; to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions, the most important source of "greenhouse gases"; to loosen the regulation of mercury emissions; to limit the amount of land that can be formally declared "wilderness"; to make logging easier in old-growth forests. The president himself has flip-flopped, as his campaign would put it, on the question of the urgency of climate change, first expressing interest in the issue, then walking away from it, then delaying discussion by proposing 'further studies.'"
Here's more proof of Kerry's superior record on the environment:
The Choice on the Environment (washingtonpost.com)
Throw Workers a Bone
The Bush jobs record is the worst since Herbert Hoover. The numbers speak for themselves:
- More than 1.5 million private-sector jobs have been lost under President Bush, compared to nearly 21 million private-sector jobs created under President Clinton.
- Manufacturing jobs have been lost in 37 out of 43 months under George Bush. In all, 2.7 million manufacturing jobs have been lost.
- 8 million Americans are unemployed, 34% more than when President Bush took office. And that number does not include discouraged workers and the underemployed.
- Although the economy is finally starting to recover some of the job losses suffered between 2000 and 2003, George Bush is still on track to have the worst job-creation record since Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression.
- George Bush would need to create over 700,000 jobs every month for the remainder of his term just to match the job record under his father, who himself had the worst job creation rate since the Great Depression.
More about the middle-class squeeze
Monday, September 27, 2004
Top Dog
A quick run-down of why Kerry will make a better top dog:
Budget
BUSH: Approved record deficits in a time of recession, war, terrorism and tax cuts. Budget in surplus when Bush took office; $521 billion deficit is projected this year.
KERRY: Says he would cut deficit by half, at least, in first term, in part through repeal of Bush tax cuts for wealthier Americans.
Economy
BUSH: Would make tax cuts permanent; no job creation plan for millions of jobs lost
KERRY: Plans to create 10 million jobs in four years, offer an employer tax credit for new jobs created in manufacturing,offer tax credits to help small and midsized businesses pay for employee health care, end a tax benefit enjoyed by American companies with operations overseas.
Education
BUSH: No child left behind (an unfunded and failed mandate)
KERRY: Says too much emphasis is placed on tests for measuring student achievement; focus on teacher training and pay, after-school programs, and tax-credits for college tuition
Environment
BUSH: Will prevent forest fires by logging forests; has consistently opposed many environment protections and favors a "polluters police themselves" approach; is in favor of legal protections for makers of MTBE (a gasoline additive that has a remarkable track record for ruining drinking water supplies and causing cancer), denies global climate change.
KERRY: Will much more broadly support environmental protections, and recognizes the costs associated with dirty air and water; has the highest congressional ratings from the League of Conservation Voters.
Health care
BUSH: Number of Americans without health insurance has risen in his presidency, reaching 43.6 million in 2002, up from 41.2 million in 2001 and 39.8 million in 2000, according to Census Bureau. Cost of drug benefit and other Medicare changes now estimated at $534 billion over 10 years, up from $395 billion when changes were debated.
KERRY: Would expand existing insurance system for federal employees to private citizens through tax credits and subsidies. Tax credits for small businesses and their employees for health insurance. People aged 55-64 could buy into federal employees’ health plan at affordable price. Government would help companies and insurers pay an employee’s catastrophic medical costs if the firms would agree to hold down premiums. Federal support to expand access to state-administered health insurance for children. Require mandatory financing for veterans health care.
Iraq
BUSH: ordered an invasion of Iraq, calling the Saddam Hussein regime a threat to America's security; oversaw a swift military victory followed by a violent aftermath in which the death count for U.S. soldiers topped 1,000 in September (current death toll, as of 9/27 is 1052 US and 1187 Coalition). Current bill is $200 billion (paid for by American taxpayers). More info here:
Iraq Coalition Casualties
KERRY: Voted to give Bush authority to wage war, but said he would have used that authority completely differently, including having a post-war plan and exit strategy. Kerry recognizes the importance of good foreign relations and the ability to cooperate internationally to fight terrorism around the world.
Religion
BUSH: The president is an evangelical United Methodist who says he has been "born again," a theology that undergirds many of his basic policy positions (see his radical position on stem cell research). He says he regularly seeks guidance from God and opposes movements to remove religion from public life.
KERRY: Kerry says his decisions as president would be guided by his "obligation to all the people of our country and to the Constitution of the United States." Amen.
Finally, Kerry wins the "character" issue hands down. He volunteered to serve in Vietnam while Bush used his rich-kid ties to get out of going. After returning from Vietnam (with a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts), Kerry testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (at age 27); he then served as a prosecutor, lt. governor, and was elected senator, all by the age of 40. That was about the age that Bush finally gave up partying and drinking and was "born again."
Budget
BUSH: Approved record deficits in a time of recession, war, terrorism and tax cuts. Budget in surplus when Bush took office; $521 billion deficit is projected this year.
KERRY: Says he would cut deficit by half, at least, in first term, in part through repeal of Bush tax cuts for wealthier Americans.
Economy
BUSH: Would make tax cuts permanent; no job creation plan for millions of jobs lost
KERRY: Plans to create 10 million jobs in four years, offer an employer tax credit for new jobs created in manufacturing,offer tax credits to help small and midsized businesses pay for employee health care, end a tax benefit enjoyed by American companies with operations overseas.
Education
BUSH: No child left behind (an unfunded and failed mandate)
KERRY: Says too much emphasis is placed on tests for measuring student achievement; focus on teacher training and pay, after-school programs, and tax-credits for college tuition
Environment
BUSH: Will prevent forest fires by logging forests; has consistently opposed many environment protections and favors a "polluters police themselves" approach; is in favor of legal protections for makers of MTBE (a gasoline additive that has a remarkable track record for ruining drinking water supplies and causing cancer), denies global climate change.
KERRY: Will much more broadly support environmental protections, and recognizes the costs associated with dirty air and water; has the highest congressional ratings from the League of Conservation Voters.
Health care
BUSH: Number of Americans without health insurance has risen in his presidency, reaching 43.6 million in 2002, up from 41.2 million in 2001 and 39.8 million in 2000, according to Census Bureau. Cost of drug benefit and other Medicare changes now estimated at $534 billion over 10 years, up from $395 billion when changes were debated.
KERRY: Would expand existing insurance system for federal employees to private citizens through tax credits and subsidies. Tax credits for small businesses and their employees for health insurance. People aged 55-64 could buy into federal employees’ health plan at affordable price. Government would help companies and insurers pay an employee’s catastrophic medical costs if the firms would agree to hold down premiums. Federal support to expand access to state-administered health insurance for children. Require mandatory financing for veterans health care.
Iraq
BUSH: ordered an invasion of Iraq, calling the Saddam Hussein regime a threat to America's security; oversaw a swift military victory followed by a violent aftermath in which the death count for U.S. soldiers topped 1,000 in September (current death toll, as of 9/27 is 1052 US and 1187 Coalition). Current bill is $200 billion (paid for by American taxpayers). More info here:
Iraq Coalition Casualties
KERRY: Voted to give Bush authority to wage war, but said he would have used that authority completely differently, including having a post-war plan and exit strategy. Kerry recognizes the importance of good foreign relations and the ability to cooperate internationally to fight terrorism around the world.
Religion
BUSH: The president is an evangelical United Methodist who says he has been "born again," a theology that undergirds many of his basic policy positions (see his radical position on stem cell research). He says he regularly seeks guidance from God and opposes movements to remove religion from public life.
KERRY: Kerry says his decisions as president would be guided by his "obligation to all the people of our country and to the Constitution of the United States." Amen.
Finally, Kerry wins the "character" issue hands down. He volunteered to serve in Vietnam while Bush used his rich-kid ties to get out of going. After returning from Vietnam (with a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts), Kerry testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (at age 27); he then served as a prosecutor, lt. governor, and was elected senator, all by the age of 40. That was about the age that Bush finally gave up partying and drinking and was "born again."
Old Dog, New Tricks
Can you say "War Profiteering?" Where is the outrage over the no-bid contracts to Cheney's former company, Halliburton? And in return for all of those lucrative contracts, the company is doing a crappy job.
Check it out:
Halliburton and Iraq: Growing Evidence of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
From Today's New York Times
Fact Check
Halliburton's business with the military has grown substantially since Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney took office. The company rose to seventh-largest military contractor in 2003 from 22nd-largest in 2000.
Mr. Cheney's financial disclosure statements from 2001, 2002 and 2003 show that since becoming vice president-elect, he has received $1,997,525 from the company: $1,451,398 in a bonus deferred from 1999, the rest in deferred salary. He also holds options to buy Halliburton stock.
Cheney [has refused to] provide an accounting of any communications he and his staff have had with Halliburton or actions they have taken on Halliburton contracts.
In March 2003, Kellogg Brown & Root, Halliburton's construction and engineering subsidiary, received from the Pentagon what is called a sole-source contract, meaning it was awarded without bidding, to restore and operate Iraqi oil wells. The contract, which was classified when it was awarded just before the invasion of Iraq, could be worth as much as $7 billion.
More on Cheney/Halliburton War Profiteering
Check it out:
Halliburton and Iraq: Growing Evidence of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
From Today's New York Times
Fact Check
Halliburton's business with the military has grown substantially since Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney took office. The company rose to seventh-largest military contractor in 2003 from 22nd-largest in 2000.
Mr. Cheney's financial disclosure statements from 2001, 2002 and 2003 show that since becoming vice president-elect, he has received $1,997,525 from the company: $1,451,398 in a bonus deferred from 1999, the rest in deferred salary. He also holds options to buy Halliburton stock.
Cheney [has refused to] provide an accounting of any communications he and his staff have had with Halliburton or actions they have taken on Halliburton contracts.
In March 2003, Kellogg Brown & Root, Halliburton's construction and engineering subsidiary, received from the Pentagon what is called a sole-source contract, meaning it was awarded without bidding, to restore and operate Iraqi oil wells. The contract, which was classified when it was awarded just before the invasion of Iraq, could be worth as much as $7 billion.
More on Cheney/Halliburton War Profiteering
Dog Eat Dog
When I hear Bush supporters chant, "Four More Years!" my immediate thought is, "Four more years of what?" Loss of jobs? Record deficits? Quagmires, like Iraq? Record numbers of poor and people without health care? More curtailing of civil liberties? More environmental rollbacks? Bring it on! Did you know that real income for the typical American household has dropped by more than $1,500 during the Bush Administration, while the cost of family health care premiums has risen by more than $3,500?
This story in the Detroit News is one of the clearest explanations I've seen of the wrongheadedness and general unfairness of Bush's tax cuts. If you're making $300,000 or more a year, the news is pretty good; if not, too bad for you. And get a load of that chart showing the alarming deficits. Oh well, in Bushworld, there's never a bad time for tax cuts for the rich, even during a time of war. That's okay, the next generations can pay for it. And this is supposed to be the party of values? Only in a dog eat dog, survival of the fittest, world.
Read more here:
Working poor suffer under Bush tax cuts - 9/26/04
This story in the Detroit News is one of the clearest explanations I've seen of the wrongheadedness and general unfairness of Bush's tax cuts. If you're making $300,000 or more a year, the news is pretty good; if not, too bad for you. And get a load of that chart showing the alarming deficits. Oh well, in Bushworld, there's never a bad time for tax cuts for the rich, even during a time of war. That's okay, the next generations can pay for it. And this is supposed to be the party of values? Only in a dog eat dog, survival of the fittest, world.
Read more here:
Working poor suffer under Bush tax cuts - 9/26/04
Sunday, September 26, 2004
A heartbeat away...
National Security: In the Doghouse (or Foxhole)
While the US is engaged in a war on terror, terrorism is on the rise:
The State Department recently reported that there were 175 significant terrorist attacks in 2003, the highest number of significant attacks in 20 years.
There were more terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda in the 30 months after September 11 than there were in the 30 months preceding September 11.
More Scary News: Dramatic Increase in the Nuclear Threat Posed by North Korea
In 2000, North Korea was believed to possess no more than 2 nuclear weapons. In 2004, experts believe North Korea possesses at least 8 nuclear weapons, a 400% increase.
Failure to Finish the Job Against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan
By deploying a relatively small number of ground forces, and by diverting resources to Iraq, we reduced our chances to defeat Al Qaeda and achieve long-term stability in Afghanistan.Military officials say foreign fighters are continuing to advance their terrorist aims in Afghanistan, and the county is now in danger of reverting to a terrorist breeding ground.
Inadequate Planning for Iraq and Go-It-Alone Attitude Have Left Our Troops at Greater Risk, Our Forces Stretched Thin, and U.S. Taxpayers Paying Most of the Bill
America has provided 90% of the troops and 90% of the resources for the Iraq war. This has been the largest call-up of the National Guard and Reserve since World War II.
It's time for a change in leadership. Kerry can restore our international reputation. Bush has burned too many bridges. Kerry has both served in a war and also returned from that war and made courageous efforts to bring our troops home. He has the first-hand experience to lead us forward in Iraq and to deal with other national threats that the Bush admin. has been ignoring (N. Korea, Iran, Syria).
The State Department recently reported that there were 175 significant terrorist attacks in 2003, the highest number of significant attacks in 20 years.
There were more terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda in the 30 months after September 11 than there were in the 30 months preceding September 11.
More Scary News: Dramatic Increase in the Nuclear Threat Posed by North Korea
In 2000, North Korea was believed to possess no more than 2 nuclear weapons. In 2004, experts believe North Korea possesses at least 8 nuclear weapons, a 400% increase.
Failure to Finish the Job Against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan
By deploying a relatively small number of ground forces, and by diverting resources to Iraq, we reduced our chances to defeat Al Qaeda and achieve long-term stability in Afghanistan.Military officials say foreign fighters are continuing to advance their terrorist aims in Afghanistan, and the county is now in danger of reverting to a terrorist breeding ground.
Inadequate Planning for Iraq and Go-It-Alone Attitude Have Left Our Troops at Greater Risk, Our Forces Stretched Thin, and U.S. Taxpayers Paying Most of the Bill
America has provided 90% of the troops and 90% of the resources for the Iraq war. This has been the largest call-up of the National Guard and Reserve since World War II.
It's time for a change in leadership. Kerry can restore our international reputation. Bush has burned too many bridges. Kerry has both served in a war and also returned from that war and made courageous efforts to bring our troops home. He has the first-hand experience to lead us forward in Iraq and to deal with other national threats that the Bush admin. has been ignoring (N. Korea, Iran, Syria).
No Tree Left Behind
Bush has overturned over 200 environmental regulations (he also went back on his campaign promise to reduce carbon dioxide emissions—flip flopper!). He has made it possible for the coal-producing plants (the same ones responsible for all the pollution in my hometown, which is one of the top 10 most polluted cities) to update their plants without putting in place environmental protections (it's voluntary!). He has opened more wilderness to development and allowed more strip mining of mountaintops. I remember back when people were calling Gore an environmental extremist. There is no one who is more of an extremist than Bush, who has completely surrendered all environmental protections and instead protects his special interests and corporations, the same ones who give him huge donations. Oh, and if you think your drinking water is safe from arsenic and mercury, think again.
Read this and weep.
Read this and weep.
Leader of the Pack
I've heard a lot of pundits explain that, in spite of Bush's numerous failed policies (most notably, on the economy and the war in Iraq), some people like and trust him because he makes decisions and never wavers from them. George W. Bush once told The Washington Post's Bob Woodward the great thing about being president was that he didn't have to answer to anybody. "I'm the commander," Bush bragged. "See -- I do not need to explain why I say things...Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation..."
See, that's definitely been the case thus far: No need to explain why, after he was informed that the nation was under attack after the second plane hit on 9/11, Bush stayed in the classroom for nearly seven more minutes, continuing to read to the children (Confirmed, Commission Report at pp. 35, 38-39). No need to explain why he failed to react to the August 6, 2001 security briefing, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." (Confirmed, Commission Report at pp. 260-262). No need to explain why we went to war when there were no WMDs. No need to find out who in his administration outed a CIA operative (treason). No need to disclose who his vice-president met with to discuss our nation's energy policy. No need to hold anyone in his administration accountable for Abu Ghraib, etc.
Is such resolute determination a good thing when it means never having to rethink any misguided policies (particularly a war that has killed thousands of our soldiers) or admit any mistakes or take accountability? I'll take a flip-flopper, someone who is willing to let changing contexts and new challenges guide critical decision-making, any day.
See, that's definitely been the case thus far: No need to explain why, after he was informed that the nation was under attack after the second plane hit on 9/11, Bush stayed in the classroom for nearly seven more minutes, continuing to read to the children (Confirmed, Commission Report at pp. 35, 38-39). No need to explain why he failed to react to the August 6, 2001 security briefing, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." (Confirmed, Commission Report at pp. 260-262). No need to explain why we went to war when there were no WMDs. No need to find out who in his administration outed a CIA operative (treason). No need to disclose who his vice-president met with to discuss our nation's energy policy. No need to hold anyone in his administration accountable for Abu Ghraib, etc.
Is such resolute determination a good thing when it means never having to rethink any misguided policies (particularly a war that has killed thousands of our soldiers) or admit any mistakes or take accountability? I'll take a flip-flopper, someone who is willing to let changing contexts and new challenges guide critical decision-making, any day.
Yellow Dogs Don't Back the Fat Cats
From the AP: "Two-thirds of the $23 billion in tax breaks in the Republican-drafted energy bill will go to the oil, gas and coal industries."
This Wall Street Journal Article notes that the rich are benefiting from tax cuts most.
This Wall Street Journal Article notes that the rich are benefiting from tax cuts most.
From the Seattle PI (9/27/04):
A Government of the Corporation, by the Corporation, and for the Corporation
“The most dangerous results from Bush's economic policies are those that have provided corporate America and the wealthy a disproportionately high share of the benefits and greater power at the expense of ordinary citizens.
Columbia University historian Alan Brinkley has written: "Since 1932, we have not had a president who has been more closely allied with business and more sympathetic to large and powerful corporations."
During the past three years, Bush's tax cuts have provided as much of his total reduction in income taxes to the top 1 percent of the population, whose average yearly earnings are $1.2 million, as to the bottom 80 percent. The middle class now has a larger share of the tax burden and faces a materially heightened threat to its long-term economic security.
Under George W. Bush, the United States has become a government of the corporation, by the corporation and for the corporation, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Such an entrenched plutocracy is totally incompatible with the form of governance created by the Constitution to support representative democracy.
This dimension of Bush's failed fiscal policies carries his performance into a different, frightening realm from his postwar predecessors. My overall assessment is that Bush's four-year economic record is not only the worst in the postwar era but also by far the most dangerous for America's future economic and political health.”
[Walter Williams]
Dog is my Co-Pilot
I have to admit, as someone who was raised Catholic, that I'm confused by Catholics who support Bush (whose base is evangelical Christians--the same groups who often slam Catholics from the pulpit--or, in the small town I grew up in, even maligning them on public radio programs). Wouldn't a leader who shares their faith perhaps cast a more positive light on Catholics, who--after the abuse scandals--could use more postive PR, such as a national leader who shares their belief system? Even creepier is this story from the Boston Globe:
"The GOP has been pursuing a controversial program of asking church members to provide membership lists in an effort to register more churchgoers, whom the party believes are more likely to support President Bush."
Read more here:
Boston.com / News / Nation / GOP urges Catholics to shun Kerry
I like this quote from Ron Reagan, Jr.:
"People who believe they are acting with the mandate of God, who see others who don't share their beliefs as inferior in the eyes of God, make dangerous leaders. Just ask Osama Bin Laden."
"The GOP has been pursuing a controversial program of asking church members to provide membership lists in an effort to register more churchgoers, whom the party believes are more likely to support President Bush."
Read more here:
Boston.com / News / Nation / GOP urges Catholics to shun Kerry
I like this quote from Ron Reagan, Jr.:
"People who believe they are acting with the mandate of God, who see others who don't share their beliefs as inferior in the eyes of God, make dangerous leaders. Just ask Osama Bin Laden."
