W Bush Inc MUST Go

Get Your Outrage On: WI Students Forced to Wear W Shirts

2004-11-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

We hate the phrase "Free Speech Zone" because that should describe the ENTIRE NATION, not some off the beaten path location that our fearless "leader" will never ever see (or realize exists.....)

King George Abuses 1st Amendment at Wisconsin High School - Students Told to Wear Bush Shirts

John Nichols: "Tom Jefferson argued that the rebellion against King George III was unfinished business. (He) went so far as to suggest that the tree of liberty would need to be watered every 20 years or so with the blood of patriots.

When another King George brought his royal tour to southwestern Wisconsin Tuesday, high school students in Richland Center got a powerful lesson regarding the difficulty of stamping out the regal impulse in the lesser leaders of our age. The Bush campaign rented the local high school and applied the divine right of kings - or at least one ill-prepared and inarticulate boy king - to a public school.

Richland Center students were informed that they could attend the audience with His Highness only if they donned a Bush for President T-shirt or so-called 'neutral clothing.'

What they could not wear was any clothing that promoted the cause of any dissenter to the rule of King George. If they showed up dressed inappropriately they would be removed..."

http://madison.com/tct/opinion/column/nichols/index.php?ntid=14873

So.... are you pissed yet? Good, let's cure this kind of crap tomorrow please.

Cheneyburton Comes Alive! Plays Budokan or Abu Graib?

2004-11-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

1st thing 1st: VOTE! Then say "Goodnight Dick"

It's so hard to ignore something so sleazy and cozy at our collective expense:

CHENEY MISLEADS ON HALLIBURTON (try to be surprised)
Vice President Dick Cheney has insisted that criticism of his former company Halliburton is unwarranted and politically motivated. On October 5th, at the vice-presidential debate, Cheney said, "the reason they keep mentioning Halliburton is because they're trying to throw up a smokescreen. They know the charges are false...there's no substance to the charges."[1]

The FBI isn't so sure. It was revealed Thursday that "the FBI has expanded its investigation of Halliburton's work in Iraq to determine if the Pentagon improperly awarded no-bid contracts."[2] In June it was reported that, according to an Army Corps of Engineer's email, a multi-billion dollar no-bid contract for Halliburton "had been 'coordinated' with the office of Vice President Cheney."[3]

Sources: 1. "The Cheney-Edwards Vice Presidential Debate," Commission on Presidential Debates, 10/05/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=66122.
2. "FBI expands Halliburton probe - report," CBS, 10/28/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=66123.
3. "E-Mail Links Cheney's Office, Contract," Washington Post, 6/2/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=66124.

9/11 Gave Him Balls to Get Out of Daddy's Shadow

2004-10-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

pre-9/11 background where it all began; weapons were nothing compared to Bush41's shadow

According to Herskowitz, "two years before the September 11 attacks, presidential candidate George W. Bush was already talking privately about attacking Iraq."In 1999, Bush said to Herskowitz, "My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it. If I have a chance to invade.... if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency."

http://russbaker.com/Guerrilla%20News%20Network%20-%20Bush.htm

With Paul Wellstone Out of The Way

2004-10-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I generally shy away from articles like this but one fact caught my attention...

The FBI arrived on the crash scene one hour after the crash. Which means they left St. Paul at the SAME time the plane took off. Now how can this be?

http://www.freezerbox.com/archive/article.asp?id=309

"Mr. Cheney, it's for you..."

College Republicans Scam Elderly, Keep Cash

2004-10-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

This ought to make you sick (and utterly pissed) about these smart young leaders of tomorrow:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002075044_repubs28m.html

Those Smart Little Black 'W' Stickers are So.....

2004-10-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

By now you've noticed the quietly dignified little 'W The President' stickers on vehicles. There are a variety of possible interpretations, here's a few of mine:

1) "That's smug with a little 's'

2) "I'm above all that overt screaming stuff in color used by the commoners; it goes against my privledged upbringing"

3) "My head is so far up my ass, my tonsils obstruct the view of all critical news items"

They're in love with who they think Bush43 is; they dare not consider a single flaw because that could only lead to dozens more and then they'd (gasp) have to be honest with themselves about the monster they've adopted and encouraged as their own."

Hersh: How Fragile is This Democracy?

2004-10-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Read it and draw your own conclusions about the neo-cons ability to grab the reins...

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/10/11_hersh.shtml

Rove MO: None of This Should Be a Surprise

2004-10-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Spin, re-invent, re-tool, re-focus, exploit media weaknesses, you know the drill....

http://www.newdonkey.com/2004/10/rove-mo.html

Salute From the Commander In Chief

2004-10-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Perhaps a precursor to the moring of Nov 3rd, Bush43 wows the camera with his subtle sense of perceived superiority

http://static.vidvote.com/movies/bushuncensored.mov

Iraq Ammo Dumps - #1 Issue of the Moment?

2004-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Who says embedded journalism doesn't pay off? Me, usually. Check this related news story from reporters who were in the area and may have footage of the ammo AFTER the war started. This is not conclusive as yet, but worth a look.....

http://kstp.dayport.com/viewer/viewerpage.php?Art_ID=159660/

NOTE: There is about 10 seconds of a commercial and then story commences...

Eminem "Mosh" video worth a look

2004-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of Eminem, but his latest video is very much worth a look. It invokes a powerful feeling and is a call to action to voters everywhere.

See the video here.

Strong Bush Defender Now Endorses Kerry

2004-10-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Prominent Conservative Andrew Sullivan Endorses Kerry
Yesterday, Andrew Sullivan, the highly influential conservative commentator and blogger, endorsed John Kerry for president. Sullivan rejected George Bush's leadership after endorsing him in 2000 and vociferously defending his early administration. When opinion leaders on the right like Sullivan start pulling for Kerry, it's clear that the tide is turning in our favor.

Excerpts: "Domestically, Kerry is clearly Bush's fiscal superior. At least he acknowledges the existence of a fiscal problem, which this president cannot. In terms of the Supreme Court, I have far more confidence in Kerry's picks than Bush's. In 2000, Bush promised moderate, able judges; for the last four years, he has often selected rigid, ideological mediocrities." "Kerry has endorsed democracy as a goal in Iraq and Afghanistan; he has a better grasp of the dangers of nuclear proliferation than Bush; he is tougher on the Saudis; his very election would transform the international atmosphere." Read the whole endorsement here:

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=qFFINfAm4eR7PMnY1tkQ2m%3D%3D

Religious Right: Execution for Gays is Okay

2004-10-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Not a warm fuzzy for any gay or bisexual persons; first of all you don't exist! Just watch this State Senate candidate on local TV in Hawaii....

http://mikegabbard.info/rob_finberg.htm

Allawi: Sock Puppet Strikes Back

2004-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

He certainly didn't get coaching on this and didn't take advice dispensed by Bush/Cheney when they criticized candidate John Kerry about keeping tight with your allies:

Ayad Allawi, Iraq's interim prime minister, blamed U.S.-led coalition forces Tuesday for "great negligence" in the ambush that killed about 50 American-trained soldiers. Allawi blamed the coalition for poor security in Saturday's ambush about 95 miles east of Baghdad. "It was a heinous crime where a group of National Guards were targeted," Allawi said. "There was great negligence on the part of some coalition forces. It seems there was sort of determination on doing Iraq and Iraqi people harm."

Does Confidence DOWN = OUT for Bush43?

2004-10-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

For the third straight month consumers are signalling their unease:

The confidence index fell to 92.8 from a revised 96.7 reading in September. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast the index to fall to 94.0 in the latest survey. The latest number is the worst reading since March, when the index stood at 88.5.

The decline is a potentially troubling sign for President Bush, seeking re-election next week. Since the 1968 election, a Conference Board index reading below 100 generally indicates a loss for the incumbent's party.

As a Voter To Be Set Free on Nov 2

2004-10-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Man, did you even remotely think it would turn out like this?

Just about anything could happen now, but I feel a surge of common sense returning in absence of a fact-based discourse with the citizens of this country.

Kudos to Jon Stewart for going after the Fool's Brigade; where the pay is great and the credibility is mighty thin. Just until the real news wakes up or maybe much more?

I'm finding that the one thing more frightening that the prospect of a Dubya encore is the people who are blindly still supporting him at this stage of the game, with what is taken as fact now. Just what kind of country are THEY yearning for? Throw another undecided on the BBQ...

Would Cheney fake a heart attack if it looked like they were going to lose? In a heartbeat. They would never relinquish power like this voluntarily without a good fight. That can give you a greater sense of the desparation and unsettling feelings about current quasi-leaders.

Rooting for common sense to take the cause across the land now, good votes and all counted......

W Posse as Sears Catalog Full Irony Applied

2004-10-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hats off to Jest for this one:

http://www.jestmag.com/3-5/banana.html

Flash: The Larger Scheme Beyond Iraq

2004-10-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Have a look at this exceptional Flash movie about the New American Century and the fools behind it.

http://www.knife-party.net/flash/barry.html

How Many Bush Administration Members To Replace Lightbulb?

2004-10-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Authorship unknown; grateful internet users rejoice.

How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a light bulb?

The Answer is TEN:
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing the light bulb or for darkness
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new light bulb
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner "Light bulb Change Accomplished"
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark"
8. One to viciously smear #7
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light bulb-changing policy all along
10. And finally one to dissemble to the public about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
And one bonus:
11. One to sign up for light bulb training, get a note from his daddy and not show up, attend every light bulb changing convention he can, and then claim he's a veteran of light bulb changing.

Wow

2004-10-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

Wow. If tonight's debate isn't a 'knockout punch" for Kerry, I don't know what it will take. Kerry was clear, concise, thoughtful, and "Presidential" and George was, uh, George. The stakes couldn't be higher and the choice couldn't be clearer.

W the Fool: Ode to Ignorance in His Own Words

2004-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to the debate tonight; I smell Texas BBQ...

This is a poem made up entirely of actual quotations from George W.Bush, arranged for aesthetic purposes by Washington Post writer RichardThompson. Try not to get too choked up...

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet
Become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pit bull on the pant leg of opportunity.
I know that the human being
And the fish can coexist.

Families is where our nation finds hope,
Where our wings take dream.
Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!
Make the pie higher!

W's Deadliest: Mother of All Flip-Flops

2004-10-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Flip Flopper in Chief’s Flip Flop of the Day:
"What’s My Justification for War in Iraq???"
1. Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. "If we know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons today -- and we do -- does it make any sense for the world to wait to confront him as he grows stronger and develops even more dangerous weapons?" - George W. Bush, 10/2/02

But then it turned out Iraq didn’t have any weapons of mass destruction, so how about:
2. The war in Iraq will bring stability and democracy to the Middle East. "Iraq as a dictatorship had great power to destabilize the Middle East; Iraq as a democracy will have great power to inspire the Middle East." - George W. Bush, 9/23/2003

But then Bush’s failure to plan led to Iraq degenerating into chaos, so let’s go with:
3. Saddam might at some point have decided to give weapons of mass destruction (which he didn’t have) to terrorists (to whom he didn’t have close ties). "We could not take the risk of Saddam Hussein passing information and weapons to a terrorist network. That’s a risk the United States could not afford to take." - George W. Bush, 10/06/04

Now that’s some impressive flip flopping.

10 Questions for Jon Stewart

2004-10-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart on writing a book (Time Magazine 9/27):

Q. Writing a Book is so Retro. Shouldn't you be Blogging or Something?

A. I can't. It's too hip. Then I'd have to get a BlackBerry, and I'm wired in, and the next thing you know, I'm at a Black-Eyed Peas concert with a crack problem. I just can't go down that road.

Dear CNN, Where'd that 90% Edwards poll go?

2004-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

email sent to CNN this evening:

I was amazed as I kept checking the CNN post-debate poll. The last time I saw the original question results, it was going 90% Edwards and 10% Cheney. SUDDENLY, that direct poll question disappears and a different question is posed in it's place. WHY did this happen?

W Lives on Hand Picked Crowds Fake Swooning

2004-10-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Bush is getting more pathetic by the day!

He now only feels secure in front of completely hand-picked crowds, like the invitation-only bunch in Wilkes-Barre, PA on Wed. Some of the people were apparently "trucked in" from as far away as Wyoming. Is this sad or what? The latest scripted "candid audience member" statement being made at these staged events (we have spotted the identical nausea-inducing, highly unbelievable line quoted at two different events) is: "He's our greatest president we ever had!" Gag us with a silver spoon!

http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=2395167

W: Flip-Flop - Gas Prices & What Prez Should Do

2004-10-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Flip Flopper in Chief's Flip Flop of the Day

THEN: Bush promises to force OPEC to lower prices."What I think the president ought to do [when gas prices spike] is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots...And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price." – George Bush, 1/26/00

NOW: Bush refuses to pressure OPEC leaders to lower prices.With gas prices soaring in the United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds." – Miami Herald, 4/1/04

Rumsfeld; Get Your Story Straight on Terrorist Ties

2004-10-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday conceded that U.S. intelligence was wrong in its conclusions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

"Why the intelligence proved wrong (on WMDs), I'm not in a position to say," Rumsfeld said in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "I simply don't know." When asked about any connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda, Rumsfeld said, "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."

But a short time later, Rumsfeld released a statement: "A question I answered today at an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) regarding ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq regrettably was misunderstood. [????]

"I have acknowledged since September 2002 that there were ties between Al Qaeda and Iraq."

More Kool-Aid for Rumsfeld and hurry.....

VP Cheneyburton's 1992 Iraq Amnesia

2004-10-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Joel Connelly writes, "The words of our future vice president -- defending the decision to end Gulf War I without occupying Iraq -- eerily foretell today's morass.

Here is what Cheney said in '92:

'I would guess if we had gone in there, I would still have forces in Baghdad today. We'd be running the country. We would not have been able to get everybody out and bring everybody home... And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam (Hussein) worth? And the answer is not that damned many.'

How -- given what he said then -- does Cheney get off challenging the judgment and strength of those who argue that we are bogged down and shedding blood today? Is Saddam worth the lives of 1,046 (at last count) dead Americans, and 7,000 injured Americans?"

W(orst)'s FLIP-FLOP on Homeland Security No then Yes

2004-09-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

"C'mon you know this one, sing it with me...."

THEN: Bush Opposes Creating the Department of Homeland Security: "So, creating a Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." – White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02

NOW: Bush Supports the Department of Homeland Security: "So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people." – President Bush, Address to the Nation, 6/6/02

Is that so? What a sorry-ass true (yet amazingly undetectable) FLIP-FLOP from the W (Worst)

Osama who? You Know This One, Memorize It!

2004-09-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

THEN: Finding Osama bin Laden is our #1 priority: "...The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." – George Bush, September 13, 2001

NOW: Osama who?: "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." – George Bush, March 13, 2002

Do Bush43EvilCheney supporters need physical exams to determine how and why they defend this horrific flip-flop. People die over this kind of shit...

Bush Tax Cuts; What-Me-Worry?

2004-09-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Flip Flopper in Chief’s Flip Flop of the Day

THEN: Bush predicts tax givebacks to the wealthy won’t lead to budget deficits. “Tax relief is central to my plan to encourage economic growth, and we can proceed with tax relief without fear of budget deficits, even if the economy softens. Projections for the surplus in my budget are cautious and conservative. They already assume an economic slowdown in the year 2001." – George Bush, March 27, 2001

NOW: Bush budget deficit hits a record $420 billion.

What's up with the Pink Ties???

2004-09-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

How come every time I see Kerry on TV, he's wearing a pink tie? It seems like he is playing right into the Bush caricature of the effete European liberal/socialist. I just hope he doesn't show up to the debates with a pink carnation pinned on his lapel. There's got to be a better way to draw the distinction between himself and Bush/Cheney (power red/blue tie always).

It can't be playing well in Peoria.

Bush Hypocrisy is Consistent or Increasing?

2004-09-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

BUSH ATTACKS KERRY WHILE COZYING UP TO DICTATORS
President Bush earlier this week attacked his opponent, saying "It's hard to imagine a candidate running for President prefers the stability of a dictatorship to the hope and security of democracy."[1] Yet, it is President Bush who regularly declares his personal friendship and gratitude to some of the world's most oppressive dictators, often wining and dining them at hisranch in Texas.In June of 2004, Bush referred to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as "my friend,"[2] even though the Saudi Arabian government has been investigated for its financial ties to the 9/11 terrorists[3] and is listed by the U.S. State Department as one of the world's most oppressive regimes on the planet.[4]In April, he referred to the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as "my friend" and welcomed him to the Crawford ranch by saying "I always look forward to visiting with him."[5] Bush gave this praise to a dictator, even though Human Rights Watch notes that government "torture in Egypt is widespread and systemic"[6] and the State Department says Mubarak has passed a Constitution in which the electorate is barred from being "presented with a choice among competing presidential candidates."[7]In 2002, it was Bush who said "I want to welcome the President of China to our ranch, and to Texas."[8] Bush was inviting into his home a dictator who, according to the U.S. State Department, presides over a government that regularly engages in the "arbitrary or unlawful" murder of its own citizens, kidnappings of political dissidents, and repression of religious minorities.[9]Sources:1. "President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in New York City," The White House, 9/20/04,http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57525.2. "President Bush Holds Press Conference Following the G8 Summit," The White House, 6/10/04,http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57526.3. "Saudi Government Provided Aid to 9/11 Hijackers, Sources Say," Truthout.org, 8/02/03, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57527.4. "Saudi Arabia: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003," U.S. Department of State, 2/25/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57528.5. "President Bush, Egyptian President Mubarak Meet with Reporters," The White House, 4/12/04,http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57529.6. "Egypt: Human Rights Background," Human Rights Watch, 10/2001,http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57530.7. "Egypt: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003," U.S. Department of State, 2/25/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57531.8. "President Bush, Chinese President Jiang Zemin Discuss Iraq, N. Korea," The White House, 10/25/02, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57532.9. "China: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003," U.S. Department of State, 2/25/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=57533.Visit http://www.misleader.org/ for more about Bush Administration distortion. »

What if we had to live like Iraq?

2004-09-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Juan Cole tries to help us understand life in Iraq by bringing it home..

"What would America look like if it were in Iraq's current situation? The population of the US is over 11 times that of Iraq, so a lot of statistics would have to be multiplied by that number.

Thus, violence killed 300 Iraqis last week, the equivalent proportionately of 3,300 Americans. What if 3,300 Americans had died in car bombings, grenade and rocket attacks, machine gun spray, and aerial bombardment in the last week? That is a number greater than the deaths on September 11, and if America were Iraq, it would be an ongoing, weekly or monthly toll."

Go read the whole thing. It's enlightening.

I guess the followup question would be "What if we had a news media that was actually informing the public?"

Bush Truth Slipped Out

2004-09-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

In response to a question about Iraq here, Bush misspeaks -- "I think the world would be better off if we did leave" -- but corrects himself quickly ("if we didn't").

Must concentrate; stay on message; I'm God's own candidate; I'm never wrong and I'll never say I'm sorry; I can sleep because I never worry about anybody but me or my leader Dick.

Kerry on Letterman Top 10 List: Bush Tax Proposals

2004-09-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

Kerry's "Top 10 Bush Tax Proposals" are:

10. No estate tax for families with at least two U.S. presidents.
9. W-2 Form is now Dubya-2 Form.
8. Under the simplified tax code, your refund check goes directly to Halliburton.
7. The reduced earned income tax credit is so unfair, it just makes me want to tear out my lustrous, finely groomed hair.
6. Attorney General (John) Ashcroft gets to write off the entire U.S. Constitution.
5. Texas Rangers can take a business loss for trading Sammy Sosa.
4. Eliminate all income taxes; just ask Teresa (Heinz Kerry) to cover the whole damn thing.
3. Cheney can claim Bush as a dependent.
2. Hundred-dollar penalty if you pronounce it "nuclear" instead of "nucular."
1. George W. Bush gets a deduction for mortgaging our entire future.

Bush Wanted Case for Saddam; People Get Killed

2004-09-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

In his effort to claim he is the strongest candidate on national security, President Bush has lately been speaking a lot about how he is doing everything possible to track down terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi[1] - the man thought to be responsible for escalating attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq.[2] But according to NBC News, it was Bush who in 2002 and 2003 rejected three plans to strike and neutralize Zarqawi because he believed a successful strike would undermine the public case for targeting Saddam Hussein.

As NBC News reported, "Long before the war, the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself - but never pulled the trigger." In June 2002, the Pentagon drafted plans to attack a camp Zarqawi was at with cruise missiles and airstrikes. The plan was killed by the White House. Four months later, as Zarqawi planned to use ricin in terrorist attacks in Europe, the Pentagon drew up a second strike plan, yet "the White House again killed it." In January 2003, the Pentagon drew up still another attack plan, and for the third time, the White House killed it.[3]According to NBC, "Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi's operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam."[4]Zarqawi is thought to be at least indirectly responsible for hundreds of U.S. casualties. Just yesterday, Zarqawi's terrorist group beheaded an American civilian in Baghdad.[5]Sources:1. "President's Remarks to the General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States," The White House, 9/14/04,http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=56809.2. "Going after Iraq's most wanted man," The Christian Science Monitor, 9/21/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=56810.3. "Avoiding attacking suspected terrorist mastermind," NBC News, 3/02/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=56811.4. Ibid, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=56811.5. "Zarqawi Group Beheads U.S. Hostage Armstrong," Reuters, 9/20/04,http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1227313&l=56812.Visit http://www.misleader.org/ for more about Bush Administration distortion. »

W: What a Fool Believes (jobs, taxes, et al)

2004-09-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Flip-Flopper in Chief's Flip Flop of the Day

PROMISE: "...My jobs and growth plan would reduce tax rates for everyone who pays income tax..." -- George W. Bush, President’s Radio Address, April 26, 2003

REALITY: About 8 million lower and middle-income taxpayers got no tax cuts at all.

Bigger Flip Flops Required for W

2004-09-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Flip-Flopper In Chief's Flip Flop of the Day

Then: BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS: "We're going to keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding the Social Security surplus." [President Bush, 3/3/01]

Now: BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS: The New York Times reported that "the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay or other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than $1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." [The New York Times, 2/6/02]

Use This When FlipFlop Talk Starts

2004-09-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Flip-Flopper in Chief's Flip Flop of the Day"

In 2000, Bush argued against new military entanglements and nation-building. He's done both in Iraq."

- The Associated Press, Sept. 13, 2004

And W Sincerely Means Every Word of It

2004-09-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Bushism of the Day

"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe." — George W. Bush

The feeling of ick

2004-09-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

A Canadian shares his thought on the mood of America...

"America has just stopped caring. It's not only become a 'me first' country, it has become a 'me only' country. From where I am, America has decided that it is not a citizen of the world, but rather that the world belongs to it, and that the rest of us are damned furriners, who should be grateful they let us mow their lawns and wash their toilets. You break treaties with impunity. You torture. You kill civilians and give it (as Bob above writes), 4 sentences in your news. Devout, evangelical Christians tacitly support this by aligning themselves with an administration whose actions belie any credible interpretation that they attempt to follow the teachings of God and his Son."

...there's much more.

Neither the Best or Brightest

2004-09-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Bushism of the Day

"I hope you leave here and walk out and say, 'What did he say?'"
— George W. Bush, Beaverton, Oregon, Aug. 13, 2004

WWJD

2004-09-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Spin: Did Kerry say that? No, it's all Spin

2004-09-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

What WAS said:

"Every performer tonight in their own way, either verbally or through their music, through their lyrics, have conveyed to you the heart and soul of our country."
-- Kerry, July 8

What was NOT said:

"The other day, my opponent said he thought you could find the heart and soul of America in Hollywood."
-- Bush, Aug. 18

Kitty Kelley's Shocking Revelations

2004-09-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

From The Poor Man:

"Everybody is talking about Kitty Kelley's new book "The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty". The scandal-hungry press is already salivating over rumors that the book will reveal George W. Bush's use of cocaine through the 1980's, the true story of his time in the National Guard, and the shocking details of the illegal abortion he procured for an ex-girlfriend. But the press doesn't know the half of it! I have obtained an advance copy of the book, and will now share the even more shocking revelations contained within!"...

What follows would be funny if it wasn't so true.

The Bush AWOL memos

2004-09-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've heard about the gaps in Bush's military records while he served in the Guard. The White House has been repeatedly saying that they've released everything there is to know months ago, but here's some of what they were trying to hide...

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/BushGuardmay4.pdf

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/BushGuardmay19.pdf

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/BushGuardaugust1.pdf

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/BushGuardaugust18.pdf

The only relevance this has today, of course, is to compare and contrast the character's of Bush and Kerry during the last major war in which America was involved (not including the last Gulf War). Some people say it was so long ago that it doesn't matter, but the difference in basic character between the two men is so stark and so obvious it weakens my faith in democracy to think Bush could be re-elected.

W: Over 1000 Soldiers Dead

2004-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

A lot is being made of this number and it is not insignifigant; each and every loss is signifigant. If this was the fallout of the true cause of danger and insecurity for our country I would have to accept the fact that this was necessary. I look at the picture below and I CANNOT.

Some Interesting Statistics

2004-09-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

Check out British Author Graydon Crayton's "Bush by numbers, four years of double standards" http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=557746. Some interesting facts concerning four years of Bush, including his record vacation time, his persistent obsessing over Iraq (vs. other more immediate threats), and the sorry state of American education.

SWIFT BOAT VET GOT $40M CONTRACT FROM BUSH

2004-09-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Bush White House has denied any connection to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth - the group that has been airing factually unsupportable smear ads against Sen. John Kerry's war record. But a new report today shows that one of the key accusers in the smear ads was a lobbyist for a company that recently received a massive federal contract from the Bush administration. As the Washington Post reports, Rear Admiral William L. Schachte Jr., the man who claims Kerry was not under fire when he received his first PurpleHeart, is a top lobbyist for a defense contractor that recently won a $40million grant from the Bush administration. According to a March 18 legalfiling by Schachte's firm, Blank Rome, Schachte was one of the lobbyists working for FastShip's effort to secure federal contracts. On Feb. 2, FastShip announced the Bush administration had awarded it $40 million.

Get the whole story here: THE DAILY MIS-LEAD< http://www.misleader.org/

Dems Ticket Conflicted?

2004-09-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has the Kerry/Edwards campaign got to stop playing it so MOR (middle of the road)?

On the one hand we should appear as rational people who diagree with this administration's direction for the country (not to mention the mistakes and under handedness we see fresh examples of every day), but we must also have the forceful message that the Democratic ticket differs GREATLY from BC04.

I for one hope there is an October Surprise and a September Surprise in front of that one!

W: Flip-Flop of the Week - Winning War on Terror

2004-08-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

When you want to see a real flip-flop go with the master, accept no imitations!

President Bush said repeatedly on Tuesday that the United States will win its war against terrorism, trying to contain political damage from the doubt he expressed a day earlier. "We may never sit down at a peace table, but make no mistake about it, we are winning and we will win," Bush told 6,500 veterans at an American Legion convention.
"We will win by staying on the offensive, we will win by spreading liberty," Bush told the veterans.
The president was trying to douse the criticism he touched off Monday when NBC aired an interview in which he was asked if the United States could win the war on terror and he answered, "I don't think you can win it."

Amazingly, The War at Home Rages On

2004-08-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

The battle of who could care less (apologies to Ben Folds Five already)

"The whole idea of conservative doctrine is that some people are better than others, that some people deserve more. To conservatives, if you'repoor it's because you deserve it, you're not disciplined enough to getahead. Conservative doctrine requires that there be an elite: thepeople who thrive in the free market have more money, and they should.Progressives say, "No, that's not fair. Maybe some should have moremoney, but no one should live in poverty. Everybody who works deservesto have a reasonable standard of living for their work." These areideas that are progressive or liberal ideas, and progressives aren'tgetting them out there enough."

DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/08/25_lakoff.shtml

Would Jesus give out YOUR PHONE NUMBER???

2004-08-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

A "pissed off moderate" emailed me this article from the Washington Post. It seems that the Bush campaign has been solicitating membership directories and other support from Evangelical Christian Churches (story below). Perhaps the Churches that participated felt that Jesus wanted them to give out members phone numbers. Perhaps they just weren't thinking.

It did get me thinking, "hmm, Republican campaign groups have called me over the past couple of weeks on both my personal and business line, both listed in my[ evangelical Christian] Church's directory." This, even though my phone lines are registered on the "no solicitation" lists and I seldom get calls from telemarketers any more.

Coincidence??? I hope so.

Pastors Issue Directive in Response to Reelection Tactic
By Alan Cooperman

Ten teachers of Christian ethics at leading seminaries and universities have written a letter to President Bush criticizing his campaign's outreach to churches, particularly its effort to gather church membership directories.

The Aug. 12 letter asked Bush to "repudiate the actions of your re-election campaign, which violated a fundamental principle of our democracy." It also urged both presidential candidates to "respect the integrity of all houses of worship."

The letter's signers included evangelical Christians who teach at generally conservative institutions, such as the Rev. George G. Hunter III of Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky and Richard V. Pierard of Gordon College in Massachusetts. Other signers included the Revs. Paul Raushenbush of Princeton University, Walter B. Shurden of Mercer University in Georgia, James M. Dunn of Wake Forest Divinity School in North Carolina and Ronald B. Flowers of Texas Christian University.

"When certain church leaders acceded to the request of the Bush/Cheney campaign to hand over the names and addresses of their congregants, they crossed a line," the letter said. "It is proper for church leaders to address social issues, but it is improper, and even illegal, for them to get their churches to endorse candidates or align their churches with a specific political party."

The Bush-Cheney campaign has defended its outreach as a "peer-to-peer" effort rather than an attempt to enlist churches in partisan electioneering, which would violate Internal Revenue Service rules. Bush supporters also charge that some African American churches routinely support Democratic candidates.

The campaign has come under growing criticism since The Washington Post reported July 1 on an instruction sheet for Bush's religious "coalition coordinators." It listed 22 duties, beginning with: "Send your Church Directory to your State Bush-Cheney '04 Headquarters" and "Identify another conservative church in your community who we can organize for Bush."

The ethicists' letter said that "Christians, individually, should prayerfully seek God's direction when voting, but when any church leaders contend that they speak for God and have the right to tell congregants how to vote, such leaders have assumed prerogatives to which they have no right."

Liars and Damned Liars...

2004-08-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

There are three (3) types of liars in this world...

1. Liars
2. Damned Liars
3. The Swift Boat Commanders

What a bunch of conniving, vindictive, lying pricks these guys are...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13267-2004Aug18.html?

A More "Sensitive" War on Terror

2004-08-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

You've got to hand it to Bush and Cheney... these guys have some brass balls to criticise (totally out of context) Kerry's statement that he'd fight a more 'sensitive' war on terror. What do a draft dodger (Cheney) and a draft dodger/deserter (Bush) know about war? Enough to get us into a bad one, but not enough to win.

I'll put my money on the guy who wasn't afraid to get into the fight, not guys who talk tough and send our kids to do the dirty work.

Those Cheneys on Campaign Trail 2004

2004-08-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Oh those lovey-dovey Cheneys are out on the campaign trail...

When criticizing a Kerry vote on defense funding back in 1994(?), Dick tagged it with.....wait for it.....

"That was the first strike against the World Trade towers"

Oh-my-*&^%$#@!

That would be like Kerry saying:

"Dick, your daughter's a lesbian and therefore a second rate citizen directly because of you and your wife"

And it's going to get worse if that's even possible...

Haunted by the Past

2004-08-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Kerry will have to explain every detail of his past to the motives of each nanosecond; meanwhile Bush 43 is scott-free. Imagine that.....

George W. Bush sucker-punches a rugby opponent at Yale [see yearbook photo]

http://www.thismodernworld.com/weblog/mtarchives/week_2004_08_08.html#001686

W: Just too easy of a target?

2004-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

"You can't read a newspaper if you can't read," the President said at one point when he spoke about the success his administration has had in teaching children how to read. When responding to a question posed by a Native American journalist on what he thought about the sovereignty of the Indian tribes in the U.S., Bush could only respond with something like "sovereignty is well ... sovereignty, and if you have sovereignty you are sovereign." Say what?

Oh the flubs ahead........

Okay who's listening?

2004-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to wish it was over. Another 4 years of being so divided is not good. When I consider the "best & brightest" this is surely not the best we can do. The entire process is infested with money, hard, soft or otherwise.

In any event, I will focus my efforts on the undecided; there is no way to melt the ice of opposition with the hardcore.

Check out http://www.undecided.com/

Great Bumper Sticker Seen Today

2004-08-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

My wife reported that among the usual bumper stickers seen on the road, one really stood out:

I don't have to like Bush to love my country

Can you dig it? Powerful and profound....

Makes me feel better after complaining aloud about a Republican site's hawking of some "crybaby" Official Seal of the Democratic Party coffee cups ticked me off....

Rock on and vote out the W

The Dumbing Down of America is NOT Complete

2004-08-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

Vigilance doesn't cover it completely; you have to be a walking encyclodia of factoids to hurl around as election year projectiles in lieu of civil discussion with the other side. Which is news and which is talking point turned into news; in lieu of news, in lieu of answers, is this milieu.

That radio screech portrays any opposition as un-patriotic; do they even have a remote notion what this country was built on and what we fight for? The right to say what you think freely is central to our way of life. It's also checks & balances for the whack jobs who want to run the place. (potentially into the ground)

Urge everyone to vote; even the most unlikely people.

I re-distribute political emails and blog nearly each day; like 1972, I feel part of the process. I don't think it's an option this time. We must prove that we're average people, save for the fact we're really angry about our country being in a ditch without so much as a stammered explanation from the mis-leader. In fact we deny the ditch is there....

Now we're safer? Don't give me elevated yellow and call it rain, and don't ever sing on camera again; the dead guy was better looking too.

rock on and vote out the W

Lying: an article about our times

2004-08-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

This is a great article; if you're resistent because of the source, get over it. If you resist because of the author's name (not Michael Moore), get over that too. It's a very well written insightful article now available in Esquire magazine.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=124

Last Night

2004-07-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Missed Kerry's speech last night; was it good? does it matter?

The RNC spin machine is so busy and they have a finished product going out as soon as it ended I'm sure. That Ralph Reed is the smarma-type of that operation; crush your hopes and keep you on the run mentally, afraid to consoder anyone but their Sphere-less Lead-Or...

How can anyone defend George W. Bush? All those things he did/does may not matter UNLESS you run for president; AWOLcocaineDUIcutbenefitsHALLIBURTONhugedeficitsENRONopenforeststodevelopmentBIGOIL

If the worst happens and they were somehow (drop Cheney) re-elected, I can't see them making it to the end of that term. There's too much out in the open now.

The spin machines must capture the imaginations of all those who choose not to pay attention. These people will simply make their decision as if it were simply detergents making contradictory claims as to who has the better product.

If we're so much safer now, why doesn't the so-called terror alert system reflect this and stand down to a safe reading?