Bush's flip flops
by kos
Sun Mar 7th, 2004 at 21:37:53 GMT

So Bush has a site somewhere that tracks Kerry's "flip-flops". Reader TK probably spent three seconds coming up with this list of Bush flip flops. It's not like they're hard to find:
  • Bush is against campaign finance reform; then he's for it.
  • Bush is against a Homeland Security Department; then he's for it.
  • Bush is against a 9/11 commission; then he's for it.
  • Bush is against an Iraq WMD investigation; then he's for it.
  • Bush is against nation building; then he's for it.
  • Bush is against deficits; then he's for them.
  • Bush is for free trade; then he's for tariffs on steel; then he's against them again.
  • Bush is against the U.S. taking a role in the Israeli Palestinian conflict; then he pushes for a "road map" and a Palestinian State.
  • Bush is for states right to decide on gay marriage, then he is for changing the constitution.
  • Bush first says he'll provide money for first responders (fire, police, emergency), then he doesn't.
  • Bush first says that 'help is on the way' to the military ... then he cuts benefits
  • Bush-"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. Bush-"I don't know where he is. I have no idea and I really don't care.
  • Bush claims to be in favor of the environment and then secretly starts drilling on Padre Island.
  • Bush talks about helping education and increases mandates while cutting funding.
  • Bush first says the U.S. won't negotiate with North Korea. Now he will
  • Bush goes to Bob Jones University. Then say's he shouldn't have.
  • Bush said he would demand a U.N. Security Council vote on whether to sanction military action against Iraq. Later Bush announced he would not call for a vote
  • Bush said the "mission accomplished" banner was put up by the sailors.  Bush later admits it was his advance team.
  • Bush was for fingerprinting and photographing Mexicans who enter the US. Bush after meeting with Pres. Fox, he's against it.
  • You guys want to add to the list?

    Bush Administration ::


    Display:
    Bush's flip flops | 136 comments (136 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
    Bush never met Ken Lay before 1994 (4.00 / 4)

    then it turns out he wrote lots of letters to him throughout the '90s............

    Maybe thats not a flip flop though, maybe thats just a lie.

    "Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." AuH20


    Well, now (none / 0)

    ...we're just getting into outright lies, not flip-flops. That's a different commercial.

    Veterans benefits wouldn't be a problem if the GOP didn't keep making so many veterans.

    "Show us your cards!" (none / 0)

    You might wanna add Bush's quote when he called for the UN vote that he later reneged on: "Show us your cards!"


    from Campaign 2000 (none / 0)

    In the primary, Bush portrays everything McCain says as liberal crazy talk. In the general election, Bush adopts everything McCain had been saying from the beginning. After being elected, Bush goes right back to the right wing insanity


    Bush is for stem cell research (none / 1)

    but only if the cell lines don't exist.

    "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho Marx

    AWOL records (none / 0)

    Bush told Pumpkinhead he would release all his National Guard records.  He has not, his final discharge paper (Form DD214) is missing.


    He hasn't released a thing (none / 0)

    There is a very good article over at Orcinus today about Bush's ANG records and how the press is "dealing with the issue."  Excellent reading, nothing everyone here likely hasn't figured out, but worthwhile anyway.

    William Goldman was right when he said the three rules of Hollywierd are "1) Nobody, 2) knows, 3) anything." Works in the real world, too.

    Talking with North Korea (none / 0)

    Disengage, then engage, then disengage.

    Um, I think they're still trying to work it out.


    Devastating critique of Kerry (1.30 / 13)

    I just read a devastating critiques of John Kerry in today's Washington Post.  Liberal columnist Majorie Williams wrote a piece entitled "Win One for the Flipper"  Check out this quote:

    "And I've labored to turn my eyes from his career-long opportunism, the knowledge that Bay State political junkies trade their favorite Kerry flip-flops like baseball cards. Bush is already having fun with Kerry's zigzags of the past three years alone: Kerry voted for so many of Bush's major initiatives that in order to disown them now he can only argue that they were wrongly or dishonestly "implemented." This amounts to a confession that his opponent made a chump of him for the past three years. In fact, one might argue that Kerry is a poster boy for all the ways in which congressional Democrats have allowed themselves to be rolled by the Bush administration."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37038-2004Mar6.html?nav=headlines

    The entire column is brutal.  It reads like it could have been written by Bush's campaign.  One can only imagine what the Bush commericials will look like.


    A "liberal" columnist? (3.50 / 2)

    Marjorie Williams is the absolute worst, one of the Kool Kids who did in Al Gore. She is no more liberal than Maureen Dowd. She says she's an ABB Democrat, then she turns around and writes this crap. She wrote a vicious piece on Howard Dean and how she hated Dean because he was a doctor. How's THAT for incisive political analysis?

    "I'm a Frank Capra Democrat."

    Attack on Dean (1.00 / 4)

    I think your confusing Majorie Williams with another female Washington Post columnist.  It was a different columnist who wrote the attack on Dean and "doctors being arrogant".  I forget this woman's name, but she's just recovered from cancer, and obviously did not have very good experiences with doctors.


    Marjorie Williams (none / 0)

    Same person


    Oops (none / 0)

    Someone already posted this. Sorry!


    Gamah pulls another one out (none / 0)

    Kos calls it "making shit up."  Congratulations for talking out of the wrong end of your ass again.


    Frank Capra? (none / 0)

    I'm a Preston Sturges Democrat.

    Revolution in our lifetime

    To be devastating... (4.00 / 2)

    it really should be "true", as well.  This piece is a hit piece, and it reads like it.

    I wrote about this here (the Lying Socialist Weasels' new group blog).  For a much better (and far more thorough) overview, check out this story, also in today's Washington Post.

    The comparison between the two stories is stark, and I predict the latter's detail and even-handedness will more than cancel out Ms. Williams' drivel.


    Channeling the RNC (none / 1)

    As I remarked in my own blog, it did seem like Williams was channeling for the Rethugs. Good to learn that she's got a history of that sort of thing.

    I did look at the other WaPo story (and I'm going to be updating my piece to include a reference to it). The potential problem there is that it's five times as long as Williams' op-ed, and you actually have to read it all to get the full impact. Williams makes bullet points that stick in the mind.

    While I think it's great that there's a serious candidate in the race for the White House, somebody that is willing to take the time to make sure he uses the right word in a policy speech (I'm sure I'm not the only one who winced when Bush described his embryonic "war on terrr" as a "crusade") that doesn't mean I want a white paper every time the RNC throws out a little oppo research. Even the quintessential wonk himself knew that you couldn't be all-wonk, all the time. When your opponents hit you with sound bytes, you have to give a response that fits the same format, even if you expand on it later or in other forums.

    Michael - "I have lived too long among a people that hates peace" (Psalm 120:6)


    Bullet points (3.50 / 2)

    I absolutely agree with you.  Fortunately, Kerry has impressed me lately with his ability to come out with simple, but effective, points of his own.

    I think Kerry will get an awful lot of mileage out of the simple notion that several of his votes in the Senate were the result of Bush misleading Congress, just like he misled most of America.  We have to remember that most Americans were in favor of the Iraq War, for example, yet are now having doubts.  They believed Bush, too, so Kerry can position himself as representing a majority.  He's actually in a strong position of guiding the nation from trusting to not trusting Bush.

    Combined with Bush's own blatantly political lying and flip-flopping, I think Kerry's in a pretty good spot.

    Although I was a Dean supporter, I was always a tad worried that his position, while powerful, could be too easily taken as an "I told you so".  Kerry won't have that problem, at least in this area.


    Stop spreading this lie (none / 1)

    We have to remember that most Americans were in favor of the Iraq War

    Americans were NOT for the war.  Once the troops went in, suddenly they were for it.  Not a moment before (well, maybe when Colin Powell lied about it, right before the troops went in).  Now Americans are too stupid to remember they opposed the war until the troops were on the ground (and then they had to rally for the troops--what a crock!).  

    Kerry Express 2004- Bridge Out Ahead!


    Unfortunately... (none / 0)

    According to polls, most Americans were, indeed, for the war.  Much of it was due to a "rally around the flag" effect once the war became inevitable, but the support was there, at least superficially.

    I'm not saying that most thought it was a great idea, especially without the UN.  But enough believed what Bush was saying, and believed they should give a show of support, that Kerry could use it to his advantage.


    Nope (none / 1)

    Polls prior to the war only show support for it if the UN approved and assisted.

    "How do you ask a man to be the last to die for a mistake?" -John Kerry, 1971

    No Americans were against war 2-1 (none / 1)

    We've been over this before.  Up until the very day we attacked, Americans were 66% against the war without a UN vote.  Remember, the vote where Bush said, "show us your cards!"?  That vote?  That was the vote that, if passed, the majority of Americans would then have favored the war. Americans wanted that UN vote.   Without it, they were against the war.  Bush called off that vote like the coward he is and went in on his own.


    that's one poll (none / 0)

    and the same one would show that 80% of Americans think the UN is a front for Satan.

    The country supported the war, although it was close, and it was only close because they were mislead.  

    Seriously, I remember reading all those polls.  It did come down to about a 2/3 majority in favor.  Heck, I even satired it, strangely enough.

    -- QP or kewpie


    another case of the big lie (none / 0)

    don't you remember when the biggest "focus groups" in history were protesting all over the world?


    Williams is no Democrat (none / 0)

    Her December hack job on Howard Dean when he seemed the likely nominee should make that clear. She drops the occasional criticism of the Republicans, but saves her ire for the Democrats who are never pure enough.



    Hmmm (none / 0)

    Wonder if she's voting for Nader then.

    President Bush: Times of change, instead of leadership.

    all right: (none / 0)

    i don't like the column any more than anyone else.  This is pretty much on par with the trash that peggy noonan posted up on OpinionJournal

    we should be happy that our side is paying attention and is bringing this to our notice.  This is an opportunity to respond back and nip this shit in the bud.

    but why shoot the messenger by troll rating the post?

    cynic


    Marjorie Williams - a sad case (none / 0)

    It's rather sad what has happened to the Post since the halcyon days when Martha Graham was in charge and Ben Bradlee was managing editor. Hiring Marjorie Williams makes sense only as a random act of kindness or the same kind of willful distortion of meaning that allows Faux-TV to call the second half of HANNITY AND colms a liberal.  

    Lacking the intellect to do otherwise, Williams merely 'feels' her way through every column about politicians and political people without regard to facts or critical reasoning. Neither liberal nor conservative, her political leanings can only be described as egocentric. If there were a Narcissists Party, she'd be a founding member.

    Does this look like a genuine liberal to you?


    Nit to pick (none / 0)

    Katherine Graham... Martha Graham's the dancer.


    Yes (none / 0)

    Which was Dean's point from the beginning and why I supported him back in August 2003.


    Bush vs. Bush (4.00 / 5)

    John Stewart did a thing on this a while ago. Its hillarious. Look for the clip with the same title as this post (third row, on the right)

    http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/videos_corr.jhtml?startIndex=13& ;p=stewart

    Ralph Nader is in bed with a fascist anti-semitic cult leader.


    Move On (3.50 / 2)

    MoveOn should just pay for this bit and start running it as an ad.  Heck, there are so many opportunities here, it could be a series.

    We need to hang the big King of Flip Flops sign on Bush to defuse any attempts to do the same to Kerry.


    Which would you rather have for president (none / 0)

    A guy who changes his mind, based on new information, or a serial liar?

    This is one of the reasons I think MoveOn's MisLeader ads are so good. I really think Kerry's speechwriters should start working some of the language from the MoveOn ads into his speeches.

    Reinforcement. It's not just good for concrete anymore.


    Bush was for CO2 limits during the campaign (none / 1)

    and then he was against it

    Afterward, he was against Arsenic limits in drinking water - but then he was for them after he got called on it.

    "Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." AuH20


    This was a big one (none / 1)

    He had specifically promised to lower CO2 concentrations in the campaign, and promptly and blatantly broke that promise upon coming into office, saying the "science had changed" (sure, George, sure).

    Check out the Wage Slave Journal's timeline of the Bush Administration.  It lists a lot of Bush's flip-flops.


    Bush said he... (4.00 / 14)

    wasn't a moron.  Then, he was.


    Nice (none / 0)

    That got me laughing out loud :)


    That one doesn't count (none / 0)

    Bush saying he wasn't a moron is just further evidence that he is one.


    Additional "ouch" quotes (1.25 / 12)

    Other Kerry zingers from Majorie Williams in today's Washington Post (isn't she a lefty?):

    On Kerry's stand(s) on the Gulf & Iraq Wars:

    "But surely it's a coincidence that all of his war-related votes, going back to his vote against Bush pere's 1991 resolution for the Persian Gulf War, found him on the side of short-term political expedience?"

    On Kerry 's stand(s) on gay marriage:
    "To watch Kerry floundering in the impossible contradictions of this issue is to see starkly how little he is guided by core principle."


    To read this piece (none / 1)

    is to see starkly how little effort Ms. Williams put into being truthful.  Even a little bit of time spent on Kerry's positions would have informed her that the alleged "contradictions" were hardly "impossible".

    There really wasn't much to the piece besides an attempt at mainstreaming GOP baloney.


    troll alert (none / 1)

    Folks,

    Gamah is here at Kos for one reason--to bury Kerry.  Don't take my word for it, check his/her other comments.  This is not constructive posting from someone who shares our agenda, so do yourselves a favor and stop responding to the spam.

    Beating Bush is all that matters. The rest is details.


    Good advice (none / 0)

    I was getting that impression, but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Thanks.


    Say what? (1.66 / 6)

    So I quote an article by a liberal columnist for the Washington Post, and I'm designated as a troll.  I'm just one of many people who reads this site that is not enthusiatic about Sen. Kerry.  With Howard Dean, Democrats had a candidate who stood up for what he believed in even if he took some short-term political heat.  With Kerry it's exactly the opposite.  He takes the short-term politically expedient position (Gulf War, Iraq War, Patriot Act, "No Child Left Behind" Act, endorses MA anti-gay marriage amendment, etc., etc.) only to have to backtrack when his initial position is no longer politically popular.  No where is this more evident than on his many positions on the Iraq War. Kerry voted to authorize the war; was silent when the war began; attacked the war when he became a presidential candidate; attacked Howard Dean when Saddam was captured; after backing the war, voted against appropriating funds to pay for it; and then yesterday attacks Bush for not supporting the troops.  All these flip-flops on just ONE issue!!  

    Kerry won the Democratic nomination because voters decided he was "electable".  This is the worst reason to vote for a candidate because the public's view of electability can quickly change (see Howard Dean).  I'm worried because I think that voters hate most of all a politician who is politically expedient, and as Marjorie Williams pointed out today, Sen. Kerry is exactly that kind of politician.


    Sounds like GOP spin to me. (none / 0)

    So I quote an article by a liberal columnist for the Washington Post

    How many times have we heard the phrase "even liberal writter, website, newspaper or columnist says x?"

    Enjoy your short term fun. We will be laughing in your face come November.


    no, you're a troll (none / 0)

    because:
    a) you're off topic
    b) all you've done at daily kos is attack kerry
    c) you don't know the difference between you're and your (ok, maybe that's just justification for me)
    d) you think that if a columnist sounds like she's from the bush campaign, she's "brutal" "devastating" and truthful.  
    e) you've posted essentially the same thing on this thread twice.  
    f) you agree with Williams that it's contradictory to oppose something at the federal level because you think it should be decided at the state level, and then support it at the state level.
    g) you're a poopy-head.  


    I rated this comment a 2 to un-hide it (none / 0)

    The reason I did it is that, even though it is in my view too harsh on Kerry, it's a legitimate argument that offers facts to back it up.  It's not appropriate to rate such things as zero.



    your shit is weak (none / 0)

    and your writing sounds canned. are you a bot?


    So many to add... (none / 1)

    For NCLB, then completely underfunds it...

    For $10b in AIDS funding in Africa, then no $

    For his office's own rosy employment projections, then against "not a statistician"

    For inital lower projection of Medicare's costs, then against

    For not allowing the U.N. to be involved in Iraq, then after screwing it up, anxious to have the U.N. take over...

    For smaller government, now against...

    Jae


    asdf (none / 0)

    Candidate Bush was against Nation Building.

    President Bush is for keeping troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Haiti until the governments are up and running.


    CO2 (none / 1)

    Bush says he's in favor of adding carbon dioxide as a regulated greenhouse gas.  Then Bush said it would not be included.

    The Democratic Party is so afraid to lose they're willing to say whatever it takes to win. Once you're willing to say whatever it takes to win, you lose. ~Dean

    The Great Divider (4.00 / 2)

    Bush repeated ad nauseum on the 2000 campaign trail, "I'm a uniter, not a divider." In truth, he's the most polarizing President in at least the history of sophisticated polling, probably in the history of the United States.

    http://www.underthegunn.com

    Not quite the right thread (none / 0)

    ... but I thought this should be posted.  

    I just received the following email:

    There's a poll on the lower right hand side of today's Fox News
    website that allows you to express your opinion on the Chimp's
    wretched exploitation of the victims of the WTC attack. Right now the
    results are favorable to Bush.  Let's turn it around and give Fox one
    less brick in their propaganda construction project.

    Let 'em know where YOU stand!

    http://www.foxnews.com



    Yikes!!! (none / 0)

    74 frickin' percent think it's a good thing to use the commercial.

    Further proof there are too many "homo saps" and not enough "homo sapiens".

    William Goldman was right when he said the three rules of Hollywierd are "1) Nobody, 2) knows, 3) anything." Works in the real world, too.


    If everyone reading this (none / 0)

    took their favorite flip-flops and put them in a letter to the editor of their local paper, and to Newseek, Time and US News, etc., the Kerry flip-flop meme might get turned on its head-- or at least neutralized.  Let's get to work.


    Done (none / 1)

    Just did a cut-and-paste job, sent it to the NY Times.

    "The entire world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is not to be afraid at all" Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

    Don't cut and paste (none / 0)

    I don't recommend a simple cut-and-paste, as most editorial pages stipulate that contributions, including letters, must be original works.  If they see a couple with the exact some copy, they'll probably throw them both out.


    free trade and WMDs (none / 0)

    he is for free trade then slapped on steel tarriffs to help his election.

    and then of course the biggies in Iraq, like
    Iraq has WMDs to

    Iraq has WMD programs to

    Iraq was interested in a WMD program.


    What's the Difference (none / 0)

    Bush said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. When we couldn't find them, he said "what's the difference?"


    First (none / 0)

    First Iraq was about WMD and disarming Saddam

    Now it's about Iraqi liberashun and deposing Saddam, the evil doer.

    President Bush: Times of change, instead of leadership.


    and (none / 0)

    he took of the tarriffs when pressured by the EU


    Bush was for drinking. Now, he's against it. (3.66 / 6)

    Bush said he would appoint a czar to create manufacturing jobs. He never did it.

    Bush was against amnesty for illegal aliens. Now he's for it.

    Bush was against Presidents doing an end run around Congress to pack the courts. Then he did it.

    Bush gave million dollar Iraq contracts to Halliburton without making sure they wouldn't overcharge us. Now he's investigating them for overcharging.

    Bush told people global warming isn't a threat. Now his Defense Dept says it can end civilization in 25 years.

    Bush promised to end the tax cuts after a few years. Then he made them permanent.

    Bush said we shouldn't fight two wars at once. Then he sent troops to Haiti while Americans are dying in Iraq.

    Bush was for the rebels in Haiti trying to bring down Aristide. Now he's fighting the rebels.

    Bush was for pretzels/Segways/Spot. Now, he's against them.


    87 Billion (none / 1)

    Bush said the war would cost $3 billion. Then he asked for 87.

    (this one is big; right after this speech was when his numbers started dropping)


    Assault weapons ban (none / 0)

    Bush says he is for extending the assault weapons ban, but he has not put any pressure on congress to extend the ban before it sunsets in September.


    Bush flip-flop (none / 1)

    It is very important to hit him where he lives: the conservative Christian base, even if we don't agree:

    Bush was for the sanctity of life, then he allowed mad scientists to dismember helpless pre-born babies in his fetal stem cell research decision.

    Pick a side Mr. Bush; either you think fetal stem cell research is an abomination or you don't.


    Not a flip-flop (none / 0)

    He merely said that he was for further abominating thems that were already abominated.

    The Democratic Party is so afraid to lose they're willing to say whatever it takes to win. Once you're willing to say whatever it takes to win, you lose. ~Dean

    stem cell flip-flop (none / 0)

    No, that's not what he said, else we would have endless lines of new fetal stem cells to deal with. He said to continue experimenting on new lines was an abomination but that it was ok to do so to some pre-abominated lines. Still not very consistent.


    What's an abomination? (4.00 / 2)

    Okay, so let me see if I got this straight: when he ran for Congress in '78, Bush was not seeing any abominating going on with such things as human fetuses, and said that women should have the right to abominate them, or not, all they want.  

    Then he stopped drinking and found the Lord--er, Laura--and decided that messing with fetuses was an abomination, so he said, "I am the anti-abomination Gubner."

    Then he ran for President as a compassionate anti-abominator.  

    Then he found out that mad scientists were regularly abominating fetuses with odd experiments so that they can turn people into sheep, and while he figger'd there were already enough ways to do that, he believed that we already did enough abominating, so he said that these alchemists wanted gubamint monies they could only abominate pre-abominated fetuses.

    Is that the whole massacree?

    The Democratic Party is so afraid to lose they're willing to say whatever it takes to win. Once you're willing to say whatever it takes to win, you lose. ~Dean


    abomination (none / 0)

    Yup, except he said that the mad scientists could only abominate some pre-abominated fetuses. Any non-preznit identified pre-abominated fetuses were off limits. Moral clarity is important when you are preznit. Now pass the turkee.


    flip flops (none / 0)

    Said in the South Carolina primaries that "the states can do what they want to" in terms of gay marriage. Then he proposes a constitutional amendment banning it.

    "Existence in reality is greater than existence in the understanding" -Anselm

    Used to hate flightsuits. Now loves flightsuits. (4.00 / 5)

    Was crazy good-time cokehead uninterested in succeeding at anything. Is now personal agent of God himself, bringing righteousnous to evildoers everywhere.

    Used to have the goodwill of the world on his side. Now has 80% of world's population wanting to put foot in his ass.

    Used to be more of a bad joke. Now is more of a bad dream.


    Medical Marijuana flipflop (none / 1)

    During the 2000 South Carolina Primary, Bush took a States Rights Position on Medical Marijuana. As President, he's had Patients' cooperatives in California raided.

    I am not currently Licensed to Practice in this State.

    Flip flop (none / 0)

    This is a good one. Like the fetal stem cell flip flop it shows he is not consistent on core cultural issues. He has no principles.

    I am currently licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this state


    Kos, you are cruel . . . (none / 1)

    Unka Karl is depending on the collective amnesia of American Voters to get his boy back in.

    Either that, or mass hypnosis: You are getting sleepy, very sleepy. George "Hero of 9/11" Bush has always been presnit -- you should make him preznit for life; or at least until Jebby is ready to take over.

    It's downright mean to remind voters of all this stuff that Karl wants them to forget.


    Flop flop. (4.00 / 8)


    I think the issues where he doesn't change his position even when the facts change are more damning, frankly.  Perhaps these might be termed "flop flops"...

    Bush is in favor of tax cuts because the economy is strong, then he's in favor of tax cuts because the economy is weak.

    Bush is in favor of tax cuts because they'll help the economy recover, then he's in favor of tax cuts because they haven't helped the economy recover yet.

    Bush is in favor of invading Iraq because they have WMDs, then he's in favor of invading Iraq because they don't have WMDs (but Saddam is a bad person).


    Here's a clear one... (none / 0)

    carbon dioxide emissions limits for power plants. As a candidate, he was all for them. After all, it was a way to neutralize Al Gore on the environment. In office, in March 2001, Haley Barbour pointed out to Bush that this environmental concern prevented the GOP from providing its coal and power contributors with a proper rimjob. Buch yanked the rug out from under the EPA and flopped. Big time. Clear campaign promise breach. The United States would draw back from the pending CO2 regulations.

    We could go to free trade, too. I think that Commondreams has a whole list of these flops.


    more flip flops (none / 0)

    1. I don't remember the exact numbers on this, but the proposed spending increase for AIDS relief in Africa was touted as an example of compassionate conservativism.  And then, after the publicity, most, if not all, of the increase was taken away.
    2. And for a flip-flop waiting to hit the press: how about Bush's (supposed) insistence on getting to the bottom of the CIA operative leak?


    machopicasso

    AIDS $ to Africa (none / 0)

    My memory tells me that 1/3 of this money was earmarked for ABSTINENCE education--in AFRICA. It is difficult to think of a bigger waste of money than that, but I'm pretty skeptical anyway.

    I also remember reading that the whole deal revolved around each nation getting money also accepting GMF--genetically modified food, from Monsanto--which most Africans, superstitious or not, regard as POISON.

    The entire AIDS $ for Africa idea had so many unseen and unreported strings attached, there's no wonder most people still think of it as compassionate conservatism, when in reality it was forcing Monsanto products into markets that never wanted them in the first place, and Christian religious insanity.

    Later.

    Later,


    cc'd to Kerry Campaign? (none / 0)

    Make sure the Kerry folks see this.


    Abortion (none / 0)

    Bush ran as a pro-choice candidate for congress in 1978 but now he says he is pro-life.


    Bush and Eugenics (none / 0)

    That's interesting -- Prescott Bush got dragged down (in part) during his first Senate bid, because of his ties to the Eugenics Movement -- and / or Planned Parenthood.

    It's good to know that GWB has been so flexible on this issue -- but I guess he has to be, to tie himself in pretzel knots for the wing nut fundies.


    I like that (none / 1)

    Instead of flip-flopping, bush ties himself in pretzel-knots and chokes himself.  he he.  

    Flip:
    guarantee future surpluses through simplifying tax code.  

    Flop:
    surplus?  deficit?  whassa difference?


    bush and abortion (none / 1)

    How about something more recent?
    In the 2000 election, bush said that he was anti-choice but he that wouldn't use the federal government to inflict his views on the country("compassionate" conservatism.) In fact, on his first day in office he cut off funding for international groups that help women

    Rant du Jour

    Workin' in a coal mine. (3.50 / 2)

    Perhaps not quite a flip-flop, but after praising the heroism and tenacity of the nine trapped coal miners in Pennslyvania, Our Hero turned right around and continued his systematic dismantling of mine safety infrastructure.

    Speech:
    http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20020806bushtextp9.asp

    Comments:
    http://www.inthesetimes.com/issue/26/21/news3.shtml

    "There are only two seasons - winter and baseball." -Bill Veeck


    Bush on 9/11 (none / 1)

    This is not a "flip-flop" per se, but it is one of the biggest vulnerabilities that Bush has: leadership, or more specifically, lack thereof.

    He needs to use images of the WTC in his campaign ads? Fine. But then somone needs to speak the truth about his "leadership" that day.

    The "leadership" he displayed that day was dispiriting to an entire nation. If Giuliani wanted to use images like that in a campaign ad, you'd almost have to let him. He was a true and inspiring leader. Bush was a frightened, incompetent coward. Exactly the opposite of what he seeks to portray himself as.

    This discussion has got me thinking that Nader may yet play a useful role in this race. He alone will be able to go after Bush full-throttle on issues like this that Kerry will only gingerly approach, if not avoid like the third rail.

    Kerry Cabinetmaker: vote for the shadow cabinet week by week until the convention.


    More flip flops (none / 0)

    A couple months ago daily show ran a segment called president bush vs. presidential hopeful bush showing clips of contradictory things bush said in campaign versus state of the union ect ect. I say we do to bush what the deanies did to Kerry, send him a pair of flip flops.

    thechosenone021

    to add on to myself (none / 0)

    another flip flop
    I won't rest until everyone who wants a job has one. And every august, bush goes to texas. yet people don't have jobs............................ (periods from here to eternity)

    thechosenone021

    Every August?? (none / 1)

    Every bloody weekend!  He's there right now, I just saw him on the news.  

    Bush has so far spent one third of his time as president on holiday - by last August he had taken more holiday time in three years than Clinton had in eight.


    Humilty (none / 0)

    Governor Bush said he would have a humble foreign policy, because we shouldn't be alienating allies.

    President Bush's practices an arrogant, stubborn foreign policy that can be summed up as:  "Full speed ahead, damn the facts."

    President Bush: Times of change, instead of leadership.


    A spoiled shirker (3.50 / 2)

    In the first episode of K street James Carville advised Howard Dean to be what the other guy isn't and can't be. Apathetic voters can rationalize "they all do it" about flip flopping and taking money from lobbyists. What "distinguishes" Bush from other Presidents is that he never accepts responsibility for his failures and false promises and that this is a facet of his ideology that he and his cronies are above the law. People criticize him one instance at a time but aren't showing the pattern of:
    Promise -> Break Promise -> Blame Scapegoat

    A competent well meaning President can afford to accept blame sometimes because they have already proven themselves. Bush and his mouthpieces know he is a house of cards and have to intimidate critics or risk collapse. We need to frame this as the moral weakness of a spoiled shirker.

    The big picture is an ideology that he and his cronies truly believe they are the natural aristocracy and deserve to be above the law. I would go to prison if I gave you mercury poisoning, his cronies get tax breaks.  The tax breaks, pollution loop holes, worker safety waivers, consumer fraud are crimes for one America but for the other America,  crime pays.

    We need a list of:
    Go to prison if I do it vs. Rewarded when Bush crony does it.


    Mars? (none / 1)

    We're still going to Mars (I guess), but it sure doesn't seem like he's interested anymore.


    this just in (none / 0)

    Kerry Says Bush 'Stonewalling' 9/11 Probe    
    1 hour, 26 minutes ago  

    By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer

    JACKSON, Miss. - John Kerry (news - web sites) on Sunday accused President Bush (news - web sites) of "stonewalling" separate inquiries into the events leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks, as well as into the intelligence that suggested Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was hiding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (news - web sites).

    Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, parried complaints by members of a federal commission investigating the attacks that Bush was resisting their efforts to get documents and question witnesses.

    "Why is this administration stonewalling and resisting the investigation into what happened and why we had the greatest security failure in the history of our country?" Kerry said at a hastily arranged news conference.

    "The American people deserve an answer now," Kerry said. "The immediate instinct of the Republicans and this administration was to shut it down."

    Telephone calls for comment from the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign were not immediately returned.

    Bush has made clear that he will use his leadership after the attacks in arguing his case for a second term. He began running campaign commercials last week that include images of the destruction at the World Trade Center.

    Kerry, who is moving to challenge Bush on that front, said the public deserves an answer as soon as possible about what went wrong leading up to the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

    "Nothing could be more important to the American people at this moment," he said. "They need to know why we had such a failure of intelligence."

    He also argued that Bush has pushed a report on potential intelligence failures back until 2005, "which just happens coincidentally to not be an election year."

    Last month, Bush named a commission to "figure out why" inspectors haven't found the weapons that intelligence experts said Saddam was hiding in Iraq. He told the panel to report back by the end of March 2005.

    By blocking access to information needed for one investigation and delaying the results of another, Kerry said Bush was trying to cover for political purposes any potential failures by his administration.

    "They want to get it out of the way as fast as they can so the memory of Americans might be shorter," said Kerry.

    At the news conference, Kerry also said he had spoken and planned to meet with vanquished presidential rivals John Edwards (news - web sites) and Howard Dean (news - web sites). Aides said they anticipated arranging a session with Dean this week, likely in Washington.

    "I look forward to meeting with him," Kerry said. "We're going to discuss winning the presidency of the United States."

    The meeting is potentially important because the former Vermont governor built a large fund-raising network on the Internet, and his list of potential donors could be very valuable as Kerry seeks to match Bush's fund-raising prowess.

    In addition, Kerry said he will ask advisers and allies to travel to Iraq to prepare an independent assessment of the situation there. Kerry said he hadn't ruled out going himself, but "that's not on the front burner."

    "I don't want any sense of politicization in that regard," said Kerry.

    Kerry spoke during a four-day campaign swing through the South, and compared his campaign struggles to those of the civil rights movement on an important anniversary.

    At a predominantly black church, he told supporters to brace for a wave of criticism from Bush's well-funded re-election campaign, much as civil rights marchers fought against entrenched opposition.

    Kerry spoke on the 39th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" clash in Selma, Ala., when state troopers used tear gas and billy clubs against activists marching over the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Scenes from that episode galvanized the civil rights movement and within five months the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed.


    if ron reagan dyed his hair, and i'm not sayin' he did, it was only to show his strength to the communists - hank hill


    Damn (none / 0)

    Do we have the ear of the media, or what?

    Under these conditions, Bush's vast campaign war chest won't add up to squat in terms of impact...


    Does it really make sense... (4.00 / 4)

    to fight the 'flip-flop' claims being thrown at Kerry by saying that the other guy flip-flops more?  

    Bush is a liar.  He doesn't flip-flop.  He lies.  This should be the rebuttal to the Kerry flip-flop claims.  

    So you want to be a science teacher...


    Have to agree (none / 0)

    and when it comes to lying through his teeth, Bush is steadfast and true.


    Some good can come of it (none / 0)

    First, if we can propagate the meme that Bush is a two-faced liar/flipflopper, that'll make him look bad. It won't make Kerry look better, but that's politics.

    Second, present this list to anybody claiming Kerry is a flipflopper. I don't doubt they'll respond to at least one of the points (probably more) by saying, "Well, sure he switched positions, but he had good reasons for doing so: blah, blah, and blah." Then you can look at them pointedly and say, "Oh, really?" This does indeed work to discredit the "flipflop" criticism, which is, in general, asinine.

    Confusion to the enemy!


    You need to try a different perspective. (4.00 / 3)

    Scratch a Republican and -- irony of ironies if you like etymology -- you will find a monarchist.

    Only a monarchist would buy the argument laid out 25 years ago by Nixon in his conversation with David Frost:

    NIXON: Well, when the president does it that means that it is not illegal.

    FROST: By definition.

    NIXON: Exactly. Exactly. ...

    Well, that's Republican, or Monarchical, ethics in a nutshell.

    The same principle holds for epistemology as well.

    While the Monarch can be misinformed by corrupt, incompetent or venal ministers, and the King-as-man, acting in his Own Person, can make mistakes, the King-in-His-Majesty can do no wrong.

    If the King-in-His-Majesty says something that is contradicted by the facts, either the contradiction is only an apparent one, or the facts are in error.

    In this view of the world, the President cannot contradict himself -- he changes the reality each time he speaks. And so, when he answers the questions of the 9/11 commission, what he says happens becomes what happened, rather than what actually occurred.

    This is why it is irrelevant whether he is under oath when he answers questions put to him by the Kean commission.

    A King cannot commit perjury.

    It is an easy step from accepting an epistemology based on "The Bible Said It -- I Believe It -- That Settles It" to one based on "The King Said It -- I Believe It -- That Settles It".

    One instrument for the revelation of the Divine Will is easily subsitituted for another.

    Karl Rove may talk Mark Hanna, but he plays Bossuet.

    Patria est ubicumque bene. "Their 'Homeland' is wherever they can turn a buck." Cicero, Tusculan Disputations.


    Bossuet? (none / 0)

    So L'Etat C'est Bush?

    LOLOL!

    And Gay Marriage is his revocation of the Edict of Nantes.......

    "Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice. Mode