Yellow Dog

This article from the Aspen Times asks a good question: "If the American people are so firmly behind the environment and environmental protections, why did they re-elect Bush?"

As is typical of Bush's corporate cronyism (I defy anyone to name one Bush policy that has not been in the interest of corporations or the rich), he has filled the Environmental Protection Agency with former corporate lobbyists.

For instance, "the head of the U.S. Forest Service, Mark Rey, is a former lobbyist for the timber industry. Bush's "Healthy Forest Act," which was passed under the guise of thinning forests near populated areas to reduce risks of wildfires, is really an effort to weaken forest protection laws." So the guy protecting our forests is from the timber industry. Hmmm, even the most uncritical Fox news viewers might be able to see the problem here with the fox guarding the henhouse.

In addition, "Steven Griles, deputy secretary of the Interior Department, is a former mining industry lobbyist. " Yeah, that's just who we want overseeing the protection of our lands, a guy who is interested in making big bucks for the timber industry. Goodbye national forests.

As Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., attorney for the National Resources Defense Council points out, "The polluters have been put in charge of the agencies that are supposed to protect the public from pollution."

RFK Jr Bashes Bush for 'Crimes Against Nature'

Can you imagine the howls from right-wingers like Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Hannity if the Clinton administration had been discovered paying off journalists to tout its programs? First we learn that the Dept. of Education paid Armstrong Williams a half million bucks to spread the government propoaganda about "No Child Left Behind," and now another conservative columnist, Maggie Gallagher, has been caught in the act of accepting a $21,500 contract from the Health and Human Services Department to promote the agency's marriage initiatives (this is in addition to the fake news reports sent out to sell the new Medicare plan). I wonder how many additional conservative columnists are on the Bush payroll. On some logical level, though, it does make sense that anyone in his/her right mind would have to be paid to support Bush's misguided policies.

Columnist Maureen Dowd wants in on this "pundit payola" and has even agreed to do her part to push the Bush admin. propaganda:

"I still have many Christmas bills to pay. So I'd like to send a message to the administration: THIS SPACE AVAILABLE.

I could write about the strong dollar and the shrinking deficit. Or defend Torture Boy, I mean, the esteemed and sage Alberto Gonzales. Or remind readers of the terrific job Condi Rice did coordinating national security before 9/11 - who could have interpreted a memo titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" as a credible threat? - not to mention her indefatigable energy obscuring information that undercut the vice president's dementia on Iraq.

My preference is to get a contract with Rummy. It would be cost effective, compared with the $80 billion he needs to train more Iraqi security forces to be blown up. For half a mil, I could write a doozy of a column promoting Rummy's phantasmagoric policies.

The president might need my help as well. He looked out of it yesterday when asked why his foreign policy is so drastically different from the one laid out in Foreign Affairs magazine in 2000 by Ms. Rice - a preview that did not emphasize promoting democracy and liberty around the world. "I didn't read the article," Mr. Bush said.

And why should he? Robert McNamara never read the Pentagon Papers. Why should W. have to bone up on his own foreign policy?

Freedom means the freedom to be free from reading what you promise voters and other stuff. I could make that case, if the price were right."

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Love for Sale

Oh, and the taxpayers are paying for this propaganda campaign, and as much as I understand the Bush admin. needing good PR to sell failed education policies and medicare reforms that enrich their big-pharma pals, I'd rather not foot the bill. That's why I'm glad to see that Congress is introducing "The Stop Government Propaganda Act:"

"In response to continued revelations of government-funded "journalism" -- ranging from the purported video news releases put out by the drug czar's office and the Department of Health and Human Services to the recently uncovered payments to columnists Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher,who flacked administration programs -- Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) will introduce a bill, The Stop Government Propaganda Act, in the Senate next week."

In what's being described as the "bloodiest day" for US troops in Iraq, 36 were killed in a helicopter crash in western Iraq.Yahoo! News - 36 U.S. Troops Die in Iraq in Their Bloodiest Day

Meanwhile, Bush--in a televised news conference--put on a happy face and claimed that there was "progress" in Iraq.

Too bad there's not room in his bubble for the rest of us.

Tuesday's news from Iraq:

"An American hostage pleaded for his life with a rifle pointed at his head in a video released Tuesday, while nine Iraqis, including a senior judge, were killed in a series of attacks that highlighted the security risks ahead of this weekend's elections.

On a day that the U.S. military said six American soldiers had died, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi also said the time was not right to talk of a U.S. troop withdrawal. "

Video shows American hostage pleading for his life

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., hearings continued in the confirmation process of Condi-lies-a Rice, one of the main players in perpetuating the lies (who can forget her line about "the mushroom cloud?") that led us into this quagmire.

Accountability? Condi is being "promoted" to Sec. of State; George Tenet, whose CIA offered up the false intelligence on WMD was given a medal, and the evil Don Rumsfeld still has his job. Rewarding failure--just like voters did with Bush.

This letter from 84-year-old Adrienne McCalley is proof that we should listen to our elders, who know best (and see things clearly):

"I AM an 84-year-old tenth generation American and I am frightened. I'm frightened of the disastrous possibilities that now lie ahead of us with four more years of George W. Bush.

I'm frightened that an administration showing some aspects of an oligarchy combined with an appeal to religous fervor has been embraced by so many Americans.

I'm frightened that these patriotic but confused Americans seem unable to differentiate between simplistic stubborness and genuine leadership strength in assessing Bush's leadership.

I am frightened that for four more years we are locked in with a president who has a very undistinguished personal record: He is rumored to be a grade C student. He is the recipient of a drunk driving charge. He was an alcoholic until age 40. Bush's record appears to be one of low achievement.

I am frightened that so many voters willingly accepted this man's mediocrity and failed to see that the real George W. Bush stood up in that first debate.

I am very frightened of what havoc can be wrought in so many areas during four more years of President Bush."

Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Letters / Four more years: I'm frightened