Yellow Dog

Bush's budget is not only irresponsible, it's also dishonest, with costs of the ongoing war in Iraq not even included. To pay for his billion-dollar (unnecessary and unjustified) war and to offset his tax cuts to the highest income groups, Bush is making some cruel (and not very compassionate) cuts:

Cuts would be made in hundreds of domestic discretionary programs across the budget, including education programs, environmental protection programs, numerous programs to assist low-income families, children, and elderly and disabled people, and research related to cancer, heart disease, and other medical conditions.

Program Terminations:  For example, among the domestic discretionary programs that would be terminated are:
 
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides nutritional food packages for less than $20 a month to more than 400,000 low-income elderly people, one-third of whom are over age 75;

The Preventive Care Block Grant, which is operated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provides grants to states for preventive health services for underserved populations;

The TRIO Talent Search program, under which colleges and universities assist disadvantaged secondary school students (two-thirds of whom are minority) by providing them with academic, career, and financial counseling so they will better be able to finish high school and attend college;
 
The Community Services Block Grant, which provides funding for a range of social services and other types of assistance to low-income families and elderly and disabled individuals.

Other programs that would be terminated include:  the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, and Safe and Drug Free Schools Grants.

Deep Program Cuts:  Among the domestic discretionary programs that would be cut deeply are:
 
Section 202 housing for the low-income elderly — funding in 2007 would be cut 26 percent below the 2006 level, even before adjustment for inflation.
 
Section 811 housing for low-income people with disabilities — cut 50 percent in 2007.
 
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which promotes community policing primarily by putting police on the streets — cut 79 percent in 2007.
 
Cuts in child care: The President’s budget also calls for cuts in discretionary child care funding for children from low- and moderate-income families; the number of children receiving child care assistance in 2011 would drop by more than 400,000 as compared to the number who received assistance in 2005.

So at a time when poverty is increasing along with the gap between rich and poor and when we are at war and spending billions of dollars in Iraq, Bush--instead of asking us to sacrifice--is implementing new tax cuts and making deep cuts in programs that benefit the elderly, the poor, the disabled, and children. Gee, when God was talking to Bush and telling him to go to war in Iraq, I wonder if he ever happened to mention, "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me."
The President's 2007 Budget: A Preliminary Analysis, Revised 2/10/06

Here's an article from the conservative-leaning Washington Times, noting that Bush's spy program is not only illegal but also ineffective:

The Bush administration's surveillance policy has failed to make a dent in the war against al Qaeda.

U.S. law enforcement sources said that more than four years of surveillance by the National Security Agency has failed to capture any high-level al Qaeda operative in the United States. They said al Qaeda insurgents have long stopped using the phones and even computers to relay messages. Instead, they employ couriers.

The assertions by the law enforcement sources dispute President Bush's claim that the government surveillance program has significantly helped in the fight against terrorism.

The ineffectiveness is really beside the point, though, when it comes to the larger issue of destroying our constitution. I'm encouraged to see, though, that some conservatives are showing some backbone and defying King George:

"I'm for the president's inherent authority to conduct the war, but not to neuter the other two branches," says Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of four Republicans on the Senate Judiciary panel to challenge the White House interpretation of presidential war powers.

All Republicans should be outraged by this abuse of executive power and invasion of privacy (all you have to do is imagine Clinton spying on you without getting a warrant) instead of lapping up Bush's claim that in order to protect our democracy, we have to destroy our democratic principles.

Insight

Former #2 Republican in the House, Tom Delay, was forced to step down when he was indicted on charges of fraud and influence-peddling and is currently under criminal investigation. So what do the Republicans do? They give him a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee and a seat on the subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department.

This quote from Bill Burton, spokesman for the DCCC puts it better than I could have: "Allowing Tom DeLay to sit on a committee in charge of giving out money is like putting Michael Brown back in charge of FEMA."

Glad to see the Republicans are working so hard on reform. Pretty outrageous.

ABC News: DeLay Lands Coveted Appropriations Spot

Remember Bush's overblown talk about how he wouldn't stand for leaks in his administration? Well, maybe he should have a talk with his VP:

"Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, testified to a federal grand jury that he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" in the summer of 2003 to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to go to war with Iraq, according to attorneys familiar with the matter, and to court records."

Oops. I guess it's okay as long as the leaks are to cover their own asses. And speaking of asses, Karl Rove--who leaked the name of a CIA agent, endangering national security--should not still be working in the White House and should not have security clearance while under ongoing investigation. That's an outrage.

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Cheney 'Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information (02/09/2006)

More rigged legislation (see outrage below), this time a backroom legislative maneuver by Bill Frist (Kitty Killer- TN) and Denny Hastert done without approval of the House-Senate conference committee. Does it protect consumers? Noooo. Does it protect big pharmaceutical companies? Ding, ding, ding! You are correct.
Hastert, Frist said to rig bill for drug firms - Thursday, 02/09/06

When you're dealing with an administration as corrupt as this one--one that lies us into a war, commits the treasonous act of outing a CIA operative, and conducts illegal warrantless wiretaps of US citizens--it's hard to to work up any more outrage.

But in the recent budget submitted by the compassionless conservatives, there are not only deep cuts to education and programs for the poor and elderly, but some pretty vicious cuts to Social Security benefits:

"President Bush's budget calls for elimination of a $255 lump-sum death payment that has been part of Social Security for more than 50 years and urges Congress to cut off monthly survivor benefits to 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts."

Bush also snuck into the budget his plan for Social Security privatization, a plan Americans clearly did not support despite Bush's hard-sell pitches--which is why he had to sneak it into the budget. It's the way this administration operates.
Sloan: Bush Slips Soc. Security Plan Into Budget - Business Edge - Newsweek - MSNBC.com

Stumbled across this disturbing little story:

A Springfield (Florida) pastor was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after a witness told police he saw the pastor throwing puppies from a pickup truck, according to a report.

Robert Tiencken said he saw Vincent Kohn, pastor of The Anointed Church of God, throwing several puppies into the woods and leaving them to die, WJXT-TV reported.

"He was actually throwing them, not setting them down, but throwing them as far as the trees. Just chucking them," Tiencken said. "He said, 'I told my wife. You don't have to call the police. You don't have to call them.'"

Tiencken called the police anyway.

The detectives who tracked down Kohn said they found the malnourished mother of the puppies chained-up at Kohn's home along with four or five more puppies that had no food or water, according to the WJXT-TV report.

The dogs are now being cared for at animal control.

local6.com - News - Fla. Pastor Accused Of Throwing Puppies From Pickup Truck