Something has nagged me for the last week or so. It has to do with the child health care bill that Bush vetoed. I just got angrier the more I thought about it, yet I couldn't pin point the exact why.
Then, I picked it apart. It wasn't one reason, it's many. So, this is my rant...
Conservatives hate the plan. Let's examine why.
First, they are bitching and whining about the cost. Yet Bush's little Iraq war (remember "cake walk", "seen as liberators"...?) is costing the poor taxpayer hundreds of thousands per MINUTE! And that's just fine with them. I don't mean poor tax payer as in I feel sorry for them. I mean poor as in not wealthy. With the tax breaks for the rich, it is the poor and middle class that will pay. Besides, us evil smokers are the ones footing this bill, and I would pay happily for it.
Now, money aside, let's talk about the self proclaimed moral majority. These people want to banish abortion. They want abortion illegal, for any and all reasons. They insist stem cell research shall never be in their lifetime. Now, these hypocrites, demanding that you carry, birth and raise a child you can't afford, refuse to lift a penny to help that child. If a child's life is so damn important to these.... people, then why is caring for their health so bad to them?
Don't even get me started on the Christian right!
Do you remember Bush calling Kerry a "flip-flopper"? If you do, you might remember the 2004 campaign where Bush himself rode the vote train on promising to pass a bill such as this one. Flop-Flip-Lie. In vetoing the bill, he made a statement that "The middle class wants a right of passage.." or something similar. Funny, I didn't think we had a middle class anymore.
Six years ago, I was doing well. My husband and I made about $100 or so a year. We had a nice little house and traveled, raised three sons... We were living the American dream. Now, six years later, we have two in college and one coastie. Both of the college boys are basically self supporting though we do help them with food and books and some odd expenses. We make about the same, kids all moved out and we moved down two steps on the "Class Meter". The cost of living has sky rocketed to the point that put us one step up over the poverty line. I can't even fathom starting with less six years ago.
The Right does not what health care for children to have a human face. They want to call themselves "kinder & gentler" but the fact is, that they are cold hearted. They want to talk about dying children as abstract theory. They resent the idea that we might say, "We are talking about real children and this what they look like." How else are we and the American people to keep our focus on the real significance and impact of the policies that we are discussing. The Republicans are outraged now, but they have no qualms about using children as poster children for their favorite causes like "freedom of no choice" and denying life saving stem cell research. That is perfectly okay.
Showing posts with label Bushco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bushco. Show all posts
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Big, Evil, Demented Plan - Part Two
This WaPo article is about events BEFORE-9/11. BEFORE-9/11, President George W. Bush spied on Americans. BEFORE-9/11, before the so-called “war on terror,” the Bush Administration contacted communication companies and asked them for information about their customers. BEFORE-9/11, Bush was pushing for warrantless surveillance of Americans!
Stram, can't you just hear the gasps, pointing and name calling from Hank and his Anon alias now..??
A former Qwest Communications International executive, appealing a conviction for insider trading, has alleged that the government withdrew opportunities for contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars after Qwest refused to participate in an unidentified National Security Agency program that the company thought might be illegal.
Former chief executive Joseph P. Nacchio, convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading, said the NSA approached Qwest more than six months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to court documents unsealed in Denver this week.
(snip)
Details about the alleged NSA program have been redacted from the documents, but Nacchio's lawyer said last year that the NSA had approached the company about participating in a warrantless surveillance program to gather information about Americans' phone records.
Not only did the Bush Administration ask Qwest to spy on Americans, it punished the company because it refused to do an illegal act. The company lost "contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars." One wonders whether the inside trading conviction was part of the "punishment" as well.
Now Bush has the audacity to tell Congress to pass a bill that gives immunity to companies that were "patriotic" and complied with the illegal request. Congress should encourage true patriotism, the kind that was shown by Qwest when it refused.
Congress does not even have the information it requested from the Whitehouse. It should do nothing until it gets this information. And then it must produce a law that protects American citizens from warrantless wire tapping.
All his talk about the "war on terror," making us safe at home and fighting for democracy abroad is just that, talk. Killing innocent Iraqi's and the slaughter of our brave soldiers is just his means to continue his evil ways. Of course he can get away with it! Hitler kept Germany afraid too...
Now tell me this isn't an evil, demented plan. Tell me that we should rally behind the evil empire and "allow them to protect us." My only question is... who's going to protect us from them?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Enemy of the State
Show of hands.. How many of you saw the Will Smith movie Enemy of the State?
A tad far fetched? Not anymore.
It seems Executive Privilege, Homeland Security and Terrorist are more than just a blank check. It's as though under the guise of safety these true terrorists who reside in and frequent Washington DC are taking their cues from the movie.
A program to employ spy satellites for certain domestic uses has been postponed because of privacy concerns.
Congress had already provided money for the program, which was to begin this month. But some lawmakers demanded more information about its legal basis and what protections there were to ensure that the government was not peering into the homes of Americans. As a result, the Homeland Security Department is not formally moving ahead with the program until it answers those questions, a department spokesman said.
"..not formally moving ahead.." We all know what that means, it means we're doing it and flipping you off at the same time.
Let us all take a moment of silence for the death of our Constitution.
In talking with a right-winged friend about this satellite issue, her comment was, "If you live a clean life you have nothing to worry about." Don't we? Isn't losing our privacy something to worry about? What about the burned fragments of our Constitution?
Sometimes at night, my husband and I sit out on our back patio with a cocktail and chat about the days events. Do I care if anyone knows this? Nope. Do I care care if the government is watching me do this? You bet your sweet ass I do!
Enough! I am done giving up my civil liberties and rights that I, my father, brother, uncles and numerous forefathers fought to gain and protect. I'm tired of the scared and the true traitors (HANK). I am tired of the verbal civil war that this ass, who has the audacity to park a Bin Laden in the Lincoln bedroom, has created. I'm tired of being hated by the world for the few war mongers we have left. I'm tired of the way I have to fly because of the way I vote and what I say.
Scared? Yes I am. Not of terrorists. Of my own government and what it has done to my country and of what my countrymen have become. Frightened children who believe in a Strike First policy. Doesn't that truly define "Terrorist"?
The department would not say how long it planned to postpone the program. “We are cooperatively working with the Congress to answer any questions that they have,” said a spokesman, Andrew Lluberes. “We are totally confident that this is going to go forward.”
A tad far fetched? Not anymore.
It seems Executive Privilege, Homeland Security and Terrorist are more than just a blank check. It's as though under the guise of safety these true terrorists who reside in and frequent Washington DC are taking their cues from the movie.
A program to employ spy satellites for certain domestic uses has been postponed because of privacy concerns.
Congress had already provided money for the program, which was to begin this month. But some lawmakers demanded more information about its legal basis and what protections there were to ensure that the government was not peering into the homes of Americans. As a result, the Homeland Security Department is not formally moving ahead with the program until it answers those questions, a department spokesman said.
"..not formally moving ahead.." We all know what that means, it means we're doing it and flipping you off at the same time.
Let us all take a moment of silence for the death of our Constitution.
In talking with a right-winged friend about this satellite issue, her comment was, "If you live a clean life you have nothing to worry about." Don't we? Isn't losing our privacy something to worry about? What about the burned fragments of our Constitution?
Sometimes at night, my husband and I sit out on our back patio with a cocktail and chat about the days events. Do I care if anyone knows this? Nope. Do I care care if the government is watching me do this? You bet your sweet ass I do!
Enough! I am done giving up my civil liberties and rights that I, my father, brother, uncles and numerous forefathers fought to gain and protect. I'm tired of the scared and the true traitors (HANK). I am tired of the verbal civil war that this ass, who has the audacity to park a Bin Laden in the Lincoln bedroom, has created. I'm tired of being hated by the world for the few war mongers we have left. I'm tired of the way I have to fly because of the way I vote and what I say.
Scared? Yes I am. Not of terrorists. Of my own government and what it has done to my country and of what my countrymen have become. Frightened children who believe in a Strike First policy. Doesn't that truly define "Terrorist"?
The department would not say how long it planned to postpone the program. “We are cooperatively working with the Congress to answer any questions that they have,” said a spokesman, Andrew Lluberes. “We are totally confident that this is going to go forward.”
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Chalk Up Veto #4
Well, Bush has vetoed the S-CHIP Bill.
So, let’s review this. His first Veto was on Stem Cell research, a real winner to be sure, the next two were on Iraq, vetoing plans that had majority support in the nation, and his newest Veto will deny four million children insurance.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program is a joint state-federal effort that subsidizes health coverage for 6.6 million people, mostly children, from families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford their own private coverage.
The Democrats who control Congress, with significant support from Republicans, passed the legislation to add $35 billion over five years to allow an additional 4 million children into the program. It would be funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack.
The president had promised to veto it, saying the Democratic bill was too costly, took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people now covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage. He wants only a $5 billion increase in funding.
Bush argued that the congressional plan would be a move toward socialized medicine by expanding the program to higher-income families.
We all know how I feel about smoking laws and sin taxes. You all should know this is a tax that I would be happy to pay. Personally, I think Bush needs that extra cash for his ner little war with his green little army men. (pun intended)
So, let’s review this. His first Veto was on Stem Cell research, a real winner to be sure, the next two were on Iraq, vetoing plans that had majority support in the nation, and his newest Veto will deny four million children insurance.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program is a joint state-federal effort that subsidizes health coverage for 6.6 million people, mostly children, from families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford their own private coverage.
The Democrats who control Congress, with significant support from Republicans, passed the legislation to add $35 billion over five years to allow an additional 4 million children into the program. It would be funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack.
The president had promised to veto it, saying the Democratic bill was too costly, took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people now covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage. He wants only a $5 billion increase in funding.
Bush argued that the congressional plan would be a move toward socialized medicine by expanding the program to higher-income families.
We all know how I feel about smoking laws and sin taxes. You all should know this is a tax that I would be happy to pay. Personally, I think Bush needs that extra cash for his ner little war with his green little army men. (pun intended)
Monday, October 1, 2007
Censoring the Contitution
Looking over the past six years one might think Bush & Cheney are an axis of evil all their own. Their "War on Terror" has become "War on the American Constitution."
It isn't that the left hasn't been screaming this since the unveiling of the inappropriately named "Patriot Act", it's just that we were screaming at each other while being called names by the right.
Now, it seems, a slew of books have graced the shelves of our local book stores.
In excruciating detail, these tomes tell of torture and warrantless wiretaps; they show a relentless arrogation of power and abrogation of what were thought to be solid constitutional principles. In these books, apocalyptic delusions got us into Iraq and misjudgments have helped keep us there. The picture that emerges is so bleak that even serious journalists and scholars sometimes veer toward conspiracy theories.
After much soul searching over our recent past, I do wonder if we, collectively as a nation, can recover. Will the world ever forgive us for the arrogance and stupidity of a few? It was, after all, just that that lead us here in the first place. The arrogance of the executive branch to shove our troops into the fire without ever knowing the enemy, the stupidity of their actions, the tortures, the occupation of an innocent country, the lies and fabrications that brought down more than a once great nation. It toppled our Constitution as well.
I do not look to the future and see peace. I see more of the same. I see this country back sliding so far and so fast, I don't believe there is a way out. We have slid back past the days of our first King George and smacked into the Salem witch trials. What can we do to stop this descent?
We can take a lesson from history maybe. You do remember how the Salem witch trials were stopped... don't you?
Saturday, September 29, 2007
War is Hell
He was one of America's first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. He saw more horrors in Kuwait and Iraq.
Today, he can't keep a job, pay his bills, or chase thoughts of suicide from his tortured brain. In a few weeks, he may lose his house, too.
Gamal Awad, the American son of a Sudanese immigrant, exemplifies an emerging group of war veterans: the economic casualties.
More than in past wars, many wounded troops are coming home alive from the Middle East. That's a triumph for military medicine. But they often return hobbled by prolonged physical and mental injuries from homemade bombs and the unremitting anxiety of fighting a hidden enemy along blurred battle lines. Treatment, recovery and retraining often can't be assured quickly or cheaply.
These troops are just starting to seek help in large numbers, more than 185,000 so far. But the cost of their benefits is already testing resources set aside by government and threatening the future of these wounded veterans for decades to come, say economists and veterans' groups.
"The wounded and their families no longer trust that the government will take care of them the way they thought they'd be taken care of," says veterans advocate Mary Ellen Salzano.
How does a war veteran expect to be treated? "As a hero," she says.
And this is the way we "support our troops." This is a shame. Our government who happily collects our tax dollars as pay, no longer represent us. They stand for, they support their special interests and wealthy friends.
A longer break for these brave troops was shot down by the idiot who bellows and coined the phrase, "support the troops." The idiot and his supporters pointed at the left and called us traitors and anti-American, yet, it is we who see the injustice here. It is we who see the pain and suffering. They see dollar signs.
My friend Stram over at 12 Seats has a live troll who is one of the last of the true bushies. He still name calls and let's face it, he's an idiot too. He called me a moron. Why? Because I said McCain was one of his and he said, "McCains a liberal you moron." These jackasses vote! Scares the hell out of me!
My point about Hank... I mean anonymous... is that he will read this and not see the true meaning. He will shrug and utter, "war is hell you moron."
Hell is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to blow up innocent Iraqi's yet refusing to care for the wounded soldiers who do nothing more than their commander in chief asks.
Every morning, Awad needs to think of a reason not to kill himself.
He can't even look at the framed photograph that shows him accepting a Marine heroism medal for his recovery work at the Pentagon after the terrorist attack.
It might remind him of a burned woman whose skin peeled off in his hands when he tried to comfort her.
He tries not to hear the shrieking rockets of Iraq either, smell the burning fuel, or relive the blast that blew him right out of bed.
The memories come steamrolling back anyway.
"Nothing can turn off those things," he says, voice choked and eyes glistening.
Today, he can't keep a job, pay his bills, or chase thoughts of suicide from his tortured brain. In a few weeks, he may lose his house, too.
Gamal Awad, the American son of a Sudanese immigrant, exemplifies an emerging group of war veterans: the economic casualties.
More than in past wars, many wounded troops are coming home alive from the Middle East. That's a triumph for military medicine. But they often return hobbled by prolonged physical and mental injuries from homemade bombs and the unremitting anxiety of fighting a hidden enemy along blurred battle lines. Treatment, recovery and retraining often can't be assured quickly or cheaply.
These troops are just starting to seek help in large numbers, more than 185,000 so far. But the cost of their benefits is already testing resources set aside by government and threatening the future of these wounded veterans for decades to come, say economists and veterans' groups.
"The wounded and their families no longer trust that the government will take care of them the way they thought they'd be taken care of," says veterans advocate Mary Ellen Salzano.
How does a war veteran expect to be treated? "As a hero," she says.
And this is the way we "support our troops." This is a shame. Our government who happily collects our tax dollars as pay, no longer represent us. They stand for, they support their special interests and wealthy friends.
A longer break for these brave troops was shot down by the idiot who bellows and coined the phrase, "support the troops." The idiot and his supporters pointed at the left and called us traitors and anti-American, yet, it is we who see the injustice here. It is we who see the pain and suffering. They see dollar signs.
My friend Stram over at 12 Seats has a live troll who is one of the last of the true bushies. He still name calls and let's face it, he's an idiot too. He called me a moron. Why? Because I said McCain was one of his and he said, "McCains a liberal you moron." These jackasses vote! Scares the hell out of me!
My point about Hank... I mean anonymous... is that he will read this and not see the true meaning. He will shrug and utter, "war is hell you moron."
Hell is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to blow up innocent Iraqi's yet refusing to care for the wounded soldiers who do nothing more than their commander in chief asks.
Every morning, Awad needs to think of a reason not to kill himself.
He can't even look at the framed photograph that shows him accepting a Marine heroism medal for his recovery work at the Pentagon after the terrorist attack.
It might remind him of a burned woman whose skin peeled off in his hands when he tried to comfort her.
He tries not to hear the shrieking rockets of Iraq either, smell the burning fuel, or relive the blast that blew him right out of bed.
The memories come steamrolling back anyway.
"Nothing can turn off those things," he says, voice choked and eyes glistening.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Word!
Cuba's foreign minister walked out of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday in protest of President Bush's speech in which he said the "long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end" on the communist island.
The Cuban delegation issued a statement saying the decision by Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque to leave was a "sign of profound rejection of the arrogant and mediocre statement by President Bush."
In his speech, Bush looked ahead to a Cuba no longer ruled by Fidel Castro, the ailing 81-year-old leader who has not appeared in public in more than a year, since ceding power to a provisional government headed by his brother Raul.
"In Cuba, the long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end," Bush said. "The Cuban people are ready for their freedom. And as that nation enters a period of transition, the United Nations must insist on free speech, free assembly and, ultimately, free and competitive elections."
Cuba's U.N. Mission said the American president had no moral standing to criticize anyone.
It accused Bush of responsibility "for the murder of over 600,000 civilians in Iraq" and for "the torture of prisoners" at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where more than 300 men are being held on suspicion of terrorism or links to al-Qaida or the Taliban.
"He is a criminal and has no moral authority or credibility to judge any other country," the mission's statement said. "Cuba condemns and rejects every letter of his infamous tirade."
I don't think I need to say anything else here.
The Cuban delegation issued a statement saying the decision by Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque to leave was a "sign of profound rejection of the arrogant and mediocre statement by President Bush."
In his speech, Bush looked ahead to a Cuba no longer ruled by Fidel Castro, the ailing 81-year-old leader who has not appeared in public in more than a year, since ceding power to a provisional government headed by his brother Raul.
"In Cuba, the long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end," Bush said. "The Cuban people are ready for their freedom. And as that nation enters a period of transition, the United Nations must insist on free speech, free assembly and, ultimately, free and competitive elections."
Cuba's U.N. Mission said the American president had no moral standing to criticize anyone.
It accused Bush of responsibility "for the murder of over 600,000 civilians in Iraq" and for "the torture of prisoners" at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where more than 300 men are being held on suspicion of terrorism or links to al-Qaida or the Taliban.
"He is a criminal and has no moral authority or credibility to judge any other country," the mission's statement said. "Cuba condemns and rejects every letter of his infamous tirade."
I don't think I need to say anything else here.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Moveon Bush
The spoiled war mongering, oil thirsty king rants on and on about any differences of opinion. He stamps his little feet and throws himself on the floor, holding his breath if someone disagrees with his murderous, lying rampage. We know this, its no secret. Yet, we all know, it's gone too far.
The stragglers on the right, drool when the king speaks believing every lie that spews from it's foul mouth. The rest of us just stand in awe of it all.
The latest of these is the kings calling Moveon.orgs advertisement that criticized the top U.S. commander in Iraq was "disgusting." Well of course it was! The truth about this idiot king and his henchmen is always disgusting. Truthful, none-the-less.
It boggles the mind how anyone out there isn't screaming and marching up to the white house. It scares me that thirty percent of Americans still think the Iraqi's are terrorists and they still believe this is a just war and they still bow to their master, the almighty dollar and, mind you, do this all in the name of God.
Now, here's the ad. Moveon has backed every statement they make with links, proof, documentation and not the manufactured type like king shrub used to get us into this living hell, using the constitution as a fire starter.
Are they wrong? Are we done listening to his babble? Are we fed up with the lies, spins and name calling yet?
I'm sorry if I sound bitter and sarcastic. It is, unfortunately, how I feel. I, for one, have had enough.
The stragglers on the right, drool when the king speaks believing every lie that spews from it's foul mouth. The rest of us just stand in awe of it all.
The latest of these is the kings calling Moveon.orgs advertisement that criticized the top U.S. commander in Iraq was "disgusting." Well of course it was! The truth about this idiot king and his henchmen is always disgusting. Truthful, none-the-less.
It boggles the mind how anyone out there isn't screaming and marching up to the white house. It scares me that thirty percent of Americans still think the Iraqi's are terrorists and they still believe this is a just war and they still bow to their master, the almighty dollar and, mind you, do this all in the name of God.
Now, here's the ad. Moveon has backed every statement they make with links, proof, documentation and not the manufactured type like king shrub used to get us into this living hell, using the constitution as a fire starter.
Are they wrong? Are we done listening to his babble? Are we fed up with the lies, spins and name calling yet?
I'm sorry if I sound bitter and sarcastic. It is, unfortunately, how I feel. I, for one, have had enough.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Standing Up?
This is going to be interesting to watch.
We all remember the "they stand up and we'll stand down" proclamation by Bush, right? I always thought that a spin sentiment rather than a truism. How can a government stand up while still being occupied and controlled by the military and government of another country? So, if you think about it, that statement is nothing more than than a typical lie-spin to appease the doubters.
Now, throw in the monkey wretch.
The Iraqi government said Monday that it was revoking the license of an American security firm accused of involvement in the deaths of eight civilians in a firefight that followed a car bomb explosion near a State Department motorcade.
The Interior Ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the Sunday shooting. It was latest accusation against the U.S.-contracted firms that operate with little or no supervision and are widely disliked by Iraqis who resent their speeding motorcades and forceful behavior.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad.
"We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We will also refer those involved to Iraqi judicial authorities," Khalaf said.
I now eagerly await the fall out of this one. My personal guess is the Interior Ministry will suddenly change their mind and reinstate the license, maybe a nice little kiss on the cheek, pat on the ass and it'll be back to business as usual.
I hope for that not to happen. I hope that they do stand up to the evil empire and throw our asses out of their bloodied country. I hope that the bushies eventually wake up and smell the gunpowder and see the death and destruction they have wrought. I hope their conscience haunts them for all eternity.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
War Oil Treason - The Real WOT
In the last few days, amid Craig news, we have been beaten with the "Benchmarks" that the Iraqi government has failed to achieve. Three out of eighteen were. Bush is demanding, without yet seeing this report, that we give his "surge" more time to work. He's also demanding another 50 billion (yep! That's dollars) for his little war, all the while eyeing Iran.
With that in mind, think about this little benchmark:
Allow two-thirds of Iraq’s oil fields to be developed by private oil corporations. In contrast, the oil industry has been nationalized in every other major Middle Eastern producer for over 30 years.
Place governing decisions over oil in a new body known as the Iraqi Federal Oil and Gas Council, which may include foreign oil companies;
Open the door for foreign oil companies to lock up decades-long deals now, when the Iraqi government is at its weakest.
Ah the pivotal benchmark that has not been met!
We are not at war with Iraq. That now is certain. We are holding them hostage. And, with Iran years from a nuclear weapon, no wonder Bush is eyeing them so closely and taking every opportunity to point at Iran and blame. No nukes and lots of oil!
The left has insisted this war was not a war of terror, but a war for oil. We have been called anti-American. We have been been told we hate the troops and do not support them. We have been laughed at and ridiculed. Even though, we were absolutely right.
If you think about it, the only ones Bush and Co. has been able to hold hostage with his wars and his fear mongering are the right wings that, unfortunately, help occupy this country.
With that in mind, think about this little benchmark:
Allow two-thirds of Iraq’s oil fields to be developed by private oil corporations. In contrast, the oil industry has been nationalized in every other major Middle Eastern producer for over 30 years.
Place governing decisions over oil in a new body known as the Iraqi Federal Oil and Gas Council, which may include foreign oil companies;
Open the door for foreign oil companies to lock up decades-long deals now, when the Iraqi government is at its weakest.
Ah the pivotal benchmark that has not been met!
We are not at war with Iraq. That now is certain. We are holding them hostage. And, with Iran years from a nuclear weapon, no wonder Bush is eyeing them so closely and taking every opportunity to point at Iran and blame. No nukes and lots of oil!
The left has insisted this war was not a war of terror, but a war for oil. We have been called anti-American. We have been been told we hate the troops and do not support them. We have been laughed at and ridiculed. Even though, we were absolutely right.
If you think about it, the only ones Bush and Co. has been able to hold hostage with his wars and his fear mongering are the right wings that, unfortunately, help occupy this country.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Bushco's War on Terror Report Card
If we are to truly understand the War on Terror and it's effects, we must first understand the word.
Terror:
1 : a state of intense fear
2 a : one that inspires fear : SCOURGE b : a frightening aspect c : a cause of anxiety : WORRY d : an appalling person or thing; especially : BRAT
3 : REIGN OF TERROR
4 : violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demand
Now, we have all heard that we Americans are fighting a vital war on terror. We have heard that this war is helping us in our quest for safety.
But, is it?
Bush may not listen to the experts but I think it's a good idea none-the-less. Foreign Policy and the Center for American Progress once again turned to the very people who have run the United States national security apparatus during the past half century. Surveying more than 100 of America’s top foreign-policy experts—Republicans and Democrats alike.
This is what they had to say:
*Six years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, just 29 percent of Americans believe the United States is winning the war on terror—the lowest percentage at any point since 9/11. More than 60 percent of Americans now say that the decision to invade Iraq was a mistake.
*The world these experts see today is one that continues to grow more threatening. Fully 91 percent say the world is becoming more dangerous for Americans and the United States, up 10 percentage points since February. Eighty-four percent do not believe the United States is winning the war on terror, an increase of 9 percentage points from six months ago. More than 80 percent expect a terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11 within a decade, a result that is more or less unchanged from one year ago.
*Nearly every foreign policy of the U.S. government—from domestic surveillance activities and the detention of terrorist suspects at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to U.S. energy policies and efforts in the Middle East peace process—was sharply criticized by the experts. More than 6 in 10 experts, for instance, believe U.S. energy policies are negatively affecting the country’s national security. The experts were similarly critical of the CIA’s rendition of terrorist suspects to countries known to torture prisoners and the Pentagon’s policy of trying detainees before military tribunals.
*No effort of the U.S. government was more harshly criticized, however, than the war in Iraq. In fact, that conflict appears to be the root cause of the experts’ pessimism about the state of national security. Nearly all—92 percent—of the index’s experts said the war in Iraq negatively affects U.S. national security, an increase of 5 percentage points from a year ago. Negative perceptions of the war in Iraq are shared across the political spectrum, with 84 percent of those who describe themselves as conservative taking a dim view of the war’s impact.
*More than half say the surge is having a negative impact on U.S. national security, up 22 percentage points from just six months ago. This sentiment was shared across party lines, with 64 percent of conservative experts saying the surge is having either a negative impact or no impact at all. When the experts were asked to grade the government’s handling of the Iraq war, the news was even worse. They gave the overall effort in Iraq an average point score of just 2.9 on a 10-point scale. The government’s public diplomacy record was the only policy that scored lower.
These are just snip-its of the entire article. I'd be more that happy to send it to Bush, but I don't think he can read.
Terror:
1 : a state of intense fear
2 a : one that inspires fear : SCOURGE b : a frightening aspect
3 : REIGN OF TERROR
4 : violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demand
Now, we have all heard that we Americans are fighting a vital war on terror. We have heard that this war is helping us in our quest for safety.
But, is it?
Bush may not listen to the experts but I think it's a good idea none-the-less. Foreign Policy and the Center for American Progress once again turned to the very people who have run the United States national security apparatus during the past half century. Surveying more than 100 of America’s top foreign-policy experts—Republicans and Democrats alike.
This is what they had to say:
*Six years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, just 29 percent of Americans believe the United States is winning the war on terror—the lowest percentage at any point since 9/11. More than 60 percent of Americans now say that the decision to invade Iraq was a mistake.
*The world these experts see today is one that continues to grow more threatening. Fully 91 percent say the world is becoming more dangerous for Americans and the United States, up 10 percentage points since February. Eighty-four percent do not believe the United States is winning the war on terror, an increase of 9 percentage points from six months ago. More than 80 percent expect a terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11 within a decade, a result that is more or less unchanged from one year ago.
*Nearly every foreign policy of the U.S. government—from domestic surveillance activities and the detention of terrorist suspects at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to U.S. energy policies and efforts in the Middle East peace process—was sharply criticized by the experts. More than 6 in 10 experts, for instance, believe U.S. energy policies are negatively affecting the country’s national security. The experts were similarly critical of the CIA’s rendition of terrorist suspects to countries known to torture prisoners and the Pentagon’s policy of trying detainees before military tribunals.
*No effort of the U.S. government was more harshly criticized, however, than the war in Iraq. In fact, that conflict appears to be the root cause of the experts’ pessimism about the state of national security. Nearly all—92 percent—of the index’s experts said the war in Iraq negatively affects U.S. national security, an increase of 5 percentage points from a year ago. Negative perceptions of the war in Iraq are shared across the political spectrum, with 84 percent of those who describe themselves as conservative taking a dim view of the war’s impact.
*More than half say the surge is having a negative impact on U.S. national security, up 22 percentage points from just six months ago. This sentiment was shared across party lines, with 64 percent of conservative experts saying the surge is having either a negative impact or no impact at all. When the experts were asked to grade the government’s handling of the Iraq war, the news was even worse. They gave the overall effort in Iraq an average point score of just 2.9 on a 10-point scale. The government’s public diplomacy record was the only policy that scored lower.
These are just snip-its of the entire article. I'd be more that happy to send it to Bush, but I don't think he can read.
King Clueless Spins Again!
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush insisted Saturday his new war strategy in Iraq showed promise but needed more time to bear fruit as the White House fought to rebuff calls for a withdrawal of US troops.
"We are still in the early stages of our new operations," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "But the success of the past couple of months have shown that conditions on the ground can change -- and they are changing."
In a clear jab at critics demanding a drawdown of US troops, Bush added: "We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight."
Once again, as if a broken record, this man is demanding that we give him more time. More time to do what? Kill innocent Iraqi's? Stretch our troops farther? Stash more oil for blood cash? What exactly?
And once again, we are hearing the "but this is going swimmingly" speech. But, is it?
"We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight."Over night?
Let's see... we invaded, bombed this innocent country last night?
Unfortunately for King Clueless and it's mate, the Iraqi's and the sane beg to differ.
This year's U.S. troop buildup has succeeded in bringing violence in Baghdad down from peak levels, but the death toll from sectarian attacks around the country is running nearly double the pace from a year ago.
Some of the recent bloodshed appears the result of militant fighters drifting into parts of northern Iraq, where they have fled after U.S.-led offensives. Baghdad, however, still accounts for slightly more than half of all war-related killings — the same percentage as a year ago, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press.
The tallies and trends offer a sobering snapshot after an additional 30,000 U.S. troops began campaigns in February to regain control of the Baghdad area. It also highlights one of the major themes expected in next month's Iraq progress report to Congress: some military headway, but extremist factions are far from broken.
In street-level terms, it means life for average Iraqis appears to be even more perilous and unpredictable.
Maybe the right wing-nuts can see the justification here. I can not. Maybe for them, the evil Iraqi's deserve this, after all they did take out the twin towers... right?
How can anyone read the statistics, read the reports written by experts and still continue to follow blindly? Granted he is the least popular president in our history, but he is still perched on the high chair drooling and chanting to the dollar almighty.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
"We are still in the early stages of our new operations," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "But the success of the past couple of months have shown that conditions on the ground can change -- and they are changing."
In a clear jab at critics demanding a drawdown of US troops, Bush added: "We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight."
Once again, as if a broken record, this man is demanding that we give him more time. More time to do what? Kill innocent Iraqi's? Stretch our troops farther? Stash more oil for blood cash? What exactly?
And once again, we are hearing the "but this is going swimmingly" speech. But, is it?
"We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight."Over night?
Let's see... we invaded, bombed this innocent country last night?
Unfortunately for King Clueless and it's mate, the Iraqi's and the sane beg to differ.
This year's U.S. troop buildup has succeeded in bringing violence in Baghdad down from peak levels, but the death toll from sectarian attacks around the country is running nearly double the pace from a year ago.
Some of the recent bloodshed appears the result of militant fighters drifting into parts of northern Iraq, where they have fled after U.S.-led offensives. Baghdad, however, still accounts for slightly more than half of all war-related killings — the same percentage as a year ago, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press.
The tallies and trends offer a sobering snapshot after an additional 30,000 U.S. troops began campaigns in February to regain control of the Baghdad area. It also highlights one of the major themes expected in next month's Iraq progress report to Congress: some military headway, but extremist factions are far from broken.
In street-level terms, it means life for average Iraqis appears to be even more perilous and unpredictable.
Maybe the right wing-nuts can see the justification here. I can not. Maybe for them, the evil Iraqi's deserve this, after all they did take out the twin towers... right?
How can anyone read the statistics, read the reports written by experts and still continue to follow blindly? Granted he is the least popular president in our history, but he is still perched on the high chair drooling and chanting to the dollar almighty.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
And This is the Way we Support Our Troops
Imagine living in a world or a country where doing the right thing, was wrong. Welcome to the land of Bushco!
If you saw a robbery, would you report it?
What if, in reporting that robbery, you were detained and tortured?
I know, this sounds a little too sci-fi to be real. Unfortunately, it isn't. It's happening now, today.
One after another, the men and women who have stepped forward to report corruption in the massive effort to rebuild Iraq have been vilified, fired and demoted.
Or worse.
For daring to report illegal arms sales, Navy veteran Donald Vance says he was imprisoned by the American military in a security compound outside Baghdad and subjected to harsh interrogation methods.
There were times, huddled on the floor in solitary confinement with that head-banging music blaring dawn to dusk and interrogators yelling the same questions over and over, that Vance began to wish he had just kept his mouth shut.
He had thought he was doing a good and noble thing when he started telling the FBI about the guns and the land mines and the rocket-launchers — all of them being sold for cash, no receipts necessary, he said. He told a federal agent the buyers were Iraqi insurgents, American soldiers, State Department workers, and Iraqi embassy and ministry employees.
The seller, he claimed, was the Iraqi-owned company he worked for, Shield Group Security Co.
“It was a Wal-Mart for guns,” he says. “It was all illegal and everyone knew it.”
So Vance says he blew the whistle, supplying photos and documents and other intelligence to an FBI agent in his hometown of Chicago because he didn’t know whom to trust in Iraq.
For his trouble, he says, he got 97 days in Camp Cropper, an American military prison outside Baghdad that once held Saddam Hussein, and he was classified a security detainee.
Also held was colleague Nathan Ertel, who helped Vance gather evidence documenting the sales, according to a federal lawsuit both have filed in Chicago, alleging they were illegally imprisoned and subjected to physical and mental interrogation tactics “reserved for terrorists and so-called enemy combatants.”
Why isn't this on the headline of every news station, every paper? Oh, that's right! We are living in the land of Bushco where reality does not exist. Where fear and domination reign. A kingdom that does not recognize human rights or human suffering.
The madness of King George, unfortunately, lives on.
If you saw a robbery, would you report it?
What if, in reporting that robbery, you were detained and tortured?
I know, this sounds a little too sci-fi to be real. Unfortunately, it isn't. It's happening now, today.
One after another, the men and women who have stepped forward to report corruption in the massive effort to rebuild Iraq have been vilified, fired and demoted.
Or worse.
For daring to report illegal arms sales, Navy veteran Donald Vance says he was imprisoned by the American military in a security compound outside Baghdad and subjected to harsh interrogation methods.
There were times, huddled on the floor in solitary confinement with that head-banging music blaring dawn to dusk and interrogators yelling the same questions over and over, that Vance began to wish he had just kept his mouth shut.
He had thought he was doing a good and noble thing when he started telling the FBI about the guns and the land mines and the rocket-launchers — all of them being sold for cash, no receipts necessary, he said. He told a federal agent the buyers were Iraqi insurgents, American soldiers, State Department workers, and Iraqi embassy and ministry employees.
The seller, he claimed, was the Iraqi-owned company he worked for, Shield Group Security Co.
“It was a Wal-Mart for guns,” he says. “It was all illegal and everyone knew it.”
So Vance says he blew the whistle, supplying photos and documents and other intelligence to an FBI agent in his hometown of Chicago because he didn’t know whom to trust in Iraq.
For his trouble, he says, he got 97 days in Camp Cropper, an American military prison outside Baghdad that once held Saddam Hussein, and he was classified a security detainee.
Also held was colleague Nathan Ertel, who helped Vance gather evidence documenting the sales, according to a federal lawsuit both have filed in Chicago, alleging they were illegally imprisoned and subjected to physical and mental interrogation tactics “reserved for terrorists and so-called enemy combatants.”
Why isn't this on the headline of every news station, every paper? Oh, that's right! We are living in the land of Bushco where reality does not exist. Where fear and domination reign. A kingdom that does not recognize human rights or human suffering.
The madness of King George, unfortunately, lives on.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom??
The chance that an Iraqi child will live beyond age 5 has plummeted faster than anywhere else in the world since 1990, according to a report released Tuesday, which placed the country last in its child survival rankings.
One in eight Iraqi children died of disease or violence before reaching their fifth birthday in 2005, according to the report by Save the Children, which said Iraq ranked last because it had made the least progress toward improving child survival rates.
Would we find this acceptable in this country?
Yet, Mr "Stay the course" does not seem to care about the well being of the Iraqi's any more than he cares about ours. One of his reasons for vetoing the "deadline" bill was that billions of non-emergency dollars were to go elsewhere, rather than his wars.
In Iraq, the people have only bouts of power. Doctors have fled the country. The water is contaminated, the air is heavily polluted. They live with daily violence and fear. Morgues are overflowing - and remember, there's only a few hours of power per day. Any guesses on how contaminated that air is?
Now, let's pretend the U.S. pulled the majority of it's troops out of Iraq. We tell the elected Iraqi government to step up and take control or hold a no-confidence re-election. Take the billions we wanted to bomb them with and turn that into electric companies, wind power, solar power. We build hospitals and schools and bring back the doctors. Clean the messes that we have made, rebuild with Iraqi construction companies, not a no-bid-no-brainer like Halliburton. Employ the poor, shelter the now homeless. Hope, confidence in their government, a clean environment, safety, THAT is Iraqi Freedom Not what they are getting.
They did not deserve this. They certainly don't deserve more of it.
Our troops deserve to have a plan and an exit strategy. They deserve to be told the truth, they deserve to know who and what it is they are fighting and why. Not the lies and the set-up to fail BS that they received.
The Bush administration has steam-rolled its way over everyone and every thing in it's path. It has refused to listen and see. Despite all of the evidence, they still see themselves as heros and saviors. They have defiled a constitution, three countries, stood by while funds to rebuild after Katrina criminally disappeared. An administration who appoints a horse expert to the head of FEMA cares not for his people.
Look around. This administration has left nothing but pain and suffering and devastation in it's wake. It's no wonder we are hated.
My only question is this, how much longer can we afford to let this continue? I know the Iraqi people can't last much longer, our tired troops can't. So, what now?
One in eight Iraqi children died of disease or violence before reaching their fifth birthday in 2005, according to the report by Save the Children, which said Iraq ranked last because it had made the least progress toward improving child survival rates.
Would we find this acceptable in this country?
Yet, Mr "Stay the course" does not seem to care about the well being of the Iraqi's any more than he cares about ours. One of his reasons for vetoing the "deadline" bill was that billions of non-emergency dollars were to go elsewhere, rather than his wars.
In Iraq, the people have only bouts of power. Doctors have fled the country. The water is contaminated, the air is heavily polluted. They live with daily violence and fear. Morgues are overflowing - and remember, there's only a few hours of power per day. Any guesses on how contaminated that air is?
Now, let's pretend the U.S. pulled the majority of it's troops out of Iraq. We tell the elected Iraqi government to step up and take control or hold a no-confidence re-election. Take the billions we wanted to bomb them with and turn that into electric companies, wind power, solar power. We build hospitals and schools and bring back the doctors. Clean the messes that we have made, rebuild with Iraqi construction companies, not a no-bid-no-brainer like Halliburton. Employ the poor, shelter the now homeless. Hope, confidence in their government, a clean environment, safety, THAT is Iraqi Freedom Not what they are getting.
They did not deserve this. They certainly don't deserve more of it.
Our troops deserve to have a plan and an exit strategy. They deserve to be told the truth, they deserve to know who and what it is they are fighting and why. Not the lies and the set-up to fail BS that they received.
The Bush administration has steam-rolled its way over everyone and every thing in it's path. It has refused to listen and see. Despite all of the evidence, they still see themselves as heros and saviors. They have defiled a constitution, three countries, stood by while funds to rebuild after Katrina criminally disappeared. An administration who appoints a horse expert to the head of FEMA cares not for his people.
Look around. This administration has left nothing but pain and suffering and devastation in it's wake. It's no wonder we are hated.
My only question is this, how much longer can we afford to let this continue? I know the Iraqi people can't last much longer, our tired troops can't. So, what now?
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Meltdown of the GOP
It’s hard to say which is worse news for Republicans: that George W. Bush now has the worst approval rating of an American president in a generation, or that he seems to be dragging every ’08 Republican presidential candidate down with him.
The public’s approval of Bush has sunk to 28 percent, an all-time low for this president in our poll, and a point lower than Gallup recorded for his father at Bush Sr.’s nadir. The last president to be this unpopular was Jimmy Carter who also scored a 28 percent approval in 1979. This remarkably low rating seems to be casting a dark shadow over the GOP’s chances for victory in ’08. The NEWSWEEK Poll finds each of the leading Democratic contenders beating the Republican frontrunners in head-to-head matchups.
(snip)
A majority of Americans believe Bush is not politically courageous: 55 percent vs. 40 percent. And nearly two out of three Americans (62 percent) believe his recent actions in Iraq show he is “stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes,” compared to 30 percent who say Bush’s actions demonstrate that he is “willing to take political risks to do what’s right.”
For the GOP meltdown, we need to thank Mr Bush and his minions. Without them, without his stubborn arrogance, we wouldn't be looking at such pretty blue numbers.
In an effort to separate themselves from "The Commander Guy", during the first GOP debates, Reagan was mentioned 17 times, Bush, only once.
The public’s approval of Bush has sunk to 28 percent, an all-time low for this president in our poll, and a point lower than Gallup recorded for his father at Bush Sr.’s nadir. The last president to be this unpopular was Jimmy Carter who also scored a 28 percent approval in 1979. This remarkably low rating seems to be casting a dark shadow over the GOP’s chances for victory in ’08. The NEWSWEEK Poll finds each of the leading Democratic contenders beating the Republican frontrunners in head-to-head matchups.
(snip)
A majority of Americans believe Bush is not politically courageous: 55 percent vs. 40 percent. And nearly two out of three Americans (62 percent) believe his recent actions in Iraq show he is “stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes,” compared to 30 percent who say Bush’s actions demonstrate that he is “willing to take political risks to do what’s right.”
For the GOP meltdown, we need to thank Mr Bush and his minions. Without them, without his stubborn arrogance, we wouldn't be looking at such pretty blue numbers.
In an effort to separate themselves from "The Commander Guy", during the first GOP debates, Reagan was mentioned 17 times, Bush, only once.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
A High Five to Murtha!
It looks like our impeachment efforts are making a real difference. On CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, Rep. John Murtha raised the possibility of impeaching the president.
"We've already compromised," Murtha said. "And we need to make this president understand, Mr. President, the public has spoken. There's three ways or four ways to influence a president. One is popular opinion, the election, third is impeachment, and fourth is the purse." Host Bob Schieffer followed up, pressing him on whether impeachment was a serious option on the table. Murtha responded, "I'm just saying that's one way to influence a president."
Murtha no doubt cleared his comments with Speaker Nancy Pelosi before his appearance, which would indicate that impeachment is back "on the table" where it belongs. But Murtha is going to get a lot of heat for speaking truth to power, and his staff will be inclined to back off. Murtha needs to hear our support and encouragement immediately.
Call Jack Murtha to thank him and ask him to sign onto Dennis Kucinich's bill to begin impeachment proceedings against Vice President Cheney: (202) 225-2065.
___________________
Tell the Pollsters: No More Excuses
There is no longer any possible excuse for polling companies' refusal to ask Americans whether they support the impeachment of Cheney or Bush. Articles of impeachment have been introduced in Congress. Prominent Congress Members are discussing the topic on television talk shows. Please go here to ask all the polling companies to start asking the question.
On Saturday, April 28th, impeachment events were held in 43 states and several foreign countries. George W. Bush met a major protest in Miami, Fla. The California Democratic Party passed a resolution demanding impeachment at a convention in San Diego hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Citizens on both coasts spelled I-M-P-E-A-C-H with their bodies on numerous beaches. Rallies and town forums gathered crowds and made the news everywhere.
Together, our one voice has brought us this far. Did you really think we would be seeing this two years ago? We did this. We can finish this. Then... We celebrate! then... we work together to rebuild this great nation to all that we know it can be, that it should be, that it once was and shall be again!
Freedom of Speech??
I find this a bit interesting. Mr. Veto stamp wielding Bush has set his rubber sights on yet another piece of legislation. This one being the hate crime bill.
This bill was revised to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.
Think about this. The same man who defies the constitutional rights of many Americans with his warrantless wiretapping and "no-fly" list, is saying that this is an infringement of freedom of speech.
The White House, in a statement, said state and local criminal laws already provide penalties for the crimes defined by the bill and “there has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement.”
It also questioned the constitutionality of federalizing the acts of violence barred by the bill and said that if it reaches the president's desk “his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.”
The White House also noted that the bill would leave out other classes such as the elderly, members of the military or police officers.
Hate crimes under current federal law apply to acts of violence against individuals on the basis of race, religion, color, or national original. Federal prosecutors have jurisdiction only if the victim is engaged in a specific federally protected activity such as enrolling in school, voting or traveling between states.
So, hate crimes against homosexuals fall under freedom of speech? I don't know what state you live in and what your laws are, but in New York and Arizona, the killing of a police officer warrants the death penalty. So why add them?
Is it just me or does the right seem to think it possesses a high moral ground? Do they truly believe this? Why would a leader of a country that is supposedly working for all of the people of his country veto this bill? Why would a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, friend of any homosexual vote for such a party?
This bill was revised to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.
Think about this. The same man who defies the constitutional rights of many Americans with his warrantless wiretapping and "no-fly" list, is saying that this is an infringement of freedom of speech.
The White House, in a statement, said state and local criminal laws already provide penalties for the crimes defined by the bill and “there has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement.”
It also questioned the constitutionality of federalizing the acts of violence barred by the bill and said that if it reaches the president's desk “his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.”
The White House also noted that the bill would leave out other classes such as the elderly, members of the military or police officers.
Hate crimes under current federal law apply to acts of violence against individuals on the basis of race, religion, color, or national original. Federal prosecutors have jurisdiction only if the victim is engaged in a specific federally protected activity such as enrolling in school, voting or traveling between states.
So, hate crimes against homosexuals fall under freedom of speech? I don't know what state you live in and what your laws are, but in New York and Arizona, the killing of a police officer warrants the death penalty. So why add them?
Is it just me or does the right seem to think it possesses a high moral ground? Do they truly believe this? Why would a leader of a country that is supposedly working for all of the people of his country veto this bill? Why would a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, friend of any homosexual vote for such a party?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Daddys Blame, Sons Game
October 13, 1993, Bush expressed concern that the humanitarian mission to Somalia that he had launched nearly a year earlier was being "messed up" by the Clinton administration. "If you're going to put somebody else's son or daughter into harm's way, into battle, you've got to know the answer to three questions," Bush told the students. He said the president has to know what the mission is, "how they are going to do it," and "how they're going to get out of there." Several news reports noted that Bush's comments appeared to violate his earlier pledge not to publicly criticize Clinton during his first year in office. [The New York Times, 10/14/93; The Boston Globe, 10/23/93]
That was George Sr. It does make one wonder what he thinks of his son, does it not?
While campaigning with Dole days before the 1996 presidential election, Bush suggested that Clinton had compromised the "integrity of the White House. "What matters to me now is the integrity of the White House," he said. "I believe in duty, honor, country," he continued. "I believe in service. I believe in keeping the White House above partisan politics, away from these puny, terrible disputes we're seeing." [Chicago Tribune, 11/1/96]
In a letter released on April 23, 1998, Bush "criticized the White House and its allies for their continuing public campaign to criticize [independent counsel Kenneth] Starr and undermine his investigation," according to a New York Times article published that day. In the letter, Bush professed to hold Starr -- who at the time was investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair -- "in high regard."
On the 4th anniversary of some bullshit "mission accomplished" speech, dickhead jr saw fit to veto a bill that gave him billions of dollars. All he had to do in return was save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. Thus, we enter the spin zone.
Welcome to the world of the great double standard. Sr bashed Clinton, jr commits the crimes. I say we agree with Sr. Impeach them all = ASAFP.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Howard Dean Says..
President Bush has hit a new low -- and I'm not talking about his 28% approval ratings.
Today, he ignored the majority of Americans and he defied the majority of Congress. And what's worst, he told our brave men and women in uniform that they will be the ones to pay the price.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: a Democratic president wouldn't veto that bill. We put forward a thoughtful plan and the President rejected it.
Here's what Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had to say about the Democratic plan to start bringing our troops home:
"The debate in Congress...has been helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited. The strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable has had a positive impact...in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment."
But President Bush's veto sends the opposite message. It refuses to allow the Iraqi people to stand up for their own country. It blatantly disregards the need for a political solution. Worst of all, it puts the lives of our troops right in the middle of it.
That's not a road to victory. It's a road to nowhere.
The Democratic Party is working overtime to stop this madness. We're doing all we can to change course in Iraq and to elect leaders who are accountable to the American people.
When President Bush rejects a troop withdrawal plan supported by nearly two-thirds of the country, he's not working for the American people -- he's working for himself.
The wave of support to end this war won't stop. The Democratic Party is ramping up the pressure on President Bush every day, and we're working hard to make sure that none of his Republican allies will continue his legacy.
This country has suffered through President Bush's failed policies for long enough.
One veto isn't enough to stop us. The Democratic Party brought change in 2006, and with your help we'll do it again in 2008.
Sincerely,
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Well said Howard!
Today, he ignored the majority of Americans and he defied the majority of Congress. And what's worst, he told our brave men and women in uniform that they will be the ones to pay the price.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: a Democratic president wouldn't veto that bill. We put forward a thoughtful plan and the President rejected it.
Here's what Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had to say about the Democratic plan to start bringing our troops home:
"The debate in Congress...has been helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited. The strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable has had a positive impact...in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment."
But President Bush's veto sends the opposite message. It refuses to allow the Iraqi people to stand up for their own country. It blatantly disregards the need for a political solution. Worst of all, it puts the lives of our troops right in the middle of it.
That's not a road to victory. It's a road to nowhere.
The Democratic Party is working overtime to stop this madness. We're doing all we can to change course in Iraq and to elect leaders who are accountable to the American people.
When President Bush rejects a troop withdrawal plan supported by nearly two-thirds of the country, he's not working for the American people -- he's working for himself.
The wave of support to end this war won't stop. The Democratic Party is ramping up the pressure on President Bush every day, and we're working hard to make sure that none of his Republican allies will continue his legacy.
This country has suffered through President Bush's failed policies for long enough.
One veto isn't enough to stop us. The Democratic Party brought change in 2006, and with your help we'll do it again in 2008.
Sincerely,
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Well said Howard!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wiretapping Terrorists?
Would you be shocked if you found out that this administration was spying on anti-war groups? Would it shock you that this is, in part, part of the terrorist watch program, the one with all of the warrantless wire tapping? No? Me either.
If Bush is refusing to get a warrant to tap your phone, then it can't be for a "real reason." Similar to his refusal to go under oath, he won't because he most certainly isn't going to tell the truth.
The Pentagon's new intelligence undersecretary is recommending the Defense Department shut down a controversial classified database that has been criticized for improperly collecting information on anti-war groups and citizens.
Recommending?
The database has been under critical review since it was publicly disclosed in December 2005.
Anti-war groups and other organizations, including a Quaker group — the American Friends Service Committee — protested after it was revealed that the military had monitored anti-war activities, organizations and individuals who attended peace rallies.
Pentagon officials last year said the program was productive and had detected international terrorist interests in specific military bases. But they also acknowledged that some workers may not have been using the system properly.
So, peaceful anti-war protesters are actually terrorists in disguise?
Why are we so eager to lay down our civil liberties? Why isn't the public storming the castle over this? Why do we not care? Are we that afraid? Or, do we just not care?
A wise friend told me (I don't actually know how accurate this is, but...) the attacks of 9/11 took ten years from planning to execution. With a grin, he remarked it was "Bush to Bush". He also, in his infinite wisdom, declared that if this warrantless wiretapping was working here.... maybe we should try that in Iraq, rather than this so-called "surge". I think he may have a point.
The TALON reports — collected by an array of Defense Department agencies including law enforcement, intelligence, counterintelligence and security — are compiled in a large database and analyzed by an obscure Pentagon agency, the Counterintelligence Field Activity. CIFA is a three-year-old outfit whose size and budget are secret.
Last year, a Pentagon review found that as many as 260 reports in the database were improperly collected or kept there. At the time, the Pentagon said there were about 13,000 entries in the database, and that less than 2 percent either were wrongly added or were not purged later when they were determined not to involve real threats.
Pissed off yet?
If Bush is refusing to get a warrant to tap your phone, then it can't be for a "real reason." Similar to his refusal to go under oath, he won't because he most certainly isn't going to tell the truth.
The Pentagon's new intelligence undersecretary is recommending the Defense Department shut down a controversial classified database that has been criticized for improperly collecting information on anti-war groups and citizens.
Recommending?
The database has been under critical review since it was publicly disclosed in December 2005.
Anti-war groups and other organizations, including a Quaker group — the American Friends Service Committee — protested after it was revealed that the military had monitored anti-war activities, organizations and individuals who attended peace rallies.
Pentagon officials last year said the program was productive and had detected international terrorist interests in specific military bases. But they also acknowledged that some workers may not have been using the system properly.
So, peaceful anti-war protesters are actually terrorists in disguise?
Why are we so eager to lay down our civil liberties? Why isn't the public storming the castle over this? Why do we not care? Are we that afraid? Or, do we just not care?
A wise friend told me (I don't actually know how accurate this is, but...) the attacks of 9/11 took ten years from planning to execution. With a grin, he remarked it was "Bush to Bush". He also, in his infinite wisdom, declared that if this warrantless wiretapping was working here.... maybe we should try that in Iraq, rather than this so-called "surge". I think he may have a point.
The TALON reports — collected by an array of Defense Department agencies including law enforcement, intelligence, counterintelligence and security — are compiled in a large database and analyzed by an obscure Pentagon agency, the Counterintelligence Field Activity. CIFA is a three-year-old outfit whose size and budget are secret.
Last year, a Pentagon review found that as many as 260 reports in the database were improperly collected or kept there. At the time, the Pentagon said there were about 13,000 entries in the database, and that less than 2 percent either were wrongly added or were not purged later when they were determined not to involve real threats.
Pissed off yet?
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