"In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity about our government and its policies, we should remember Tony Blair's words to his own people.

"During a recent interview, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain was quoted giving the following answer to one of his parliament members as to why he believes so much in America and its President. And does he think they are on the right track?

"Blair's reply -- 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at.....how many want in... and how many want out'."

While I couldn't agree more with Mr. Blair, I would take issue with the first line of your offering...

Our forefathers fought a war (with Mr. Blair's country, I might add) to gain, and even ensure that Americans would have the opportunity... indeed, the *right and obligation*, to speak out against our leaders/government regarding issues on which they disagree. I could give you quote after quote, made by prominent leaders down through the ages of our country's history, that instruct us that unchecked leadership is a bad thing, and it is incumbent on it's citizens to speak out! Even if you disagree with one quote, there is another from the other side who has instructed us regarding the same thing.

Mr Bush has never realized that he works for "We, the people...", and this is evident in his remarks that he doesn't feel the need to have to answer questions... he doesn't have to explain why he does *anything*. Mr. V.P. shows us that he also doesn't understand our American Way when he says that he doesn't owe answers to anyone, because it's none of (your's and my) business what he does in his office... in his duties as V.P. This is in spite of the fact that he wouldn't have his job were it not due to those who thought he was honestly interested in our American Way. He has, sadly, proved that he is *not*! He seems more ready to serve himself and those who are in his "class" before even giving thought to "We, the people".

Sorry Phillip, but with all their rhetoric, they care nothing for you, me, or anyone else outside their circle of friends (and that is mostly who Mr. Bush referred to, at a $2000/plate dinner). He called those folks "...my Base" I wasn't there, Phillip. I don't move in that circle of friends. Were you there? Did you get an invitation? Even if you were invited to the White House, which you certainly deserve, having served in Mr. Bush's War, your presence would not be for your benefit, Phillip. You would be there because you served some purpose for *them*! It would be a photo-op for *them*!

You see, I understand, Phillip. We have been where you are now ... only we were AF. We also believed in our leaders... we didn't speak out... we wanted to believe that our leaders were correct and all those thousands upon thousands who were speaking out were in error. We were wrong, Phillip. Now we must ask ourselves, "How many more GIs would have lived to realize their hopes and dreams had we listened to those (like Mr. Kerry) who *had* been there... those who had first-hand knowledge of what the truth really was"? Instead, we just watched, many times with disgust at what they had to say, only to learn that they were the ones telling the truth... it was our leaders who weren't being honest. It was our leaders who were using our service personnel to fulfill their agenda. Mr. Johnson was wrong! Mr. Nixon was wrong. And their kind of lies end up killing people.

I hold your service in high regard... I know that if it weren't for those who've loved our ideals enough to "guard the ramparts", to protect those of us who can't... our Democracy depends on those like you and the thousands who have come before you, those of my family, dating back to the earliest times when we fought a Revolution with Mr. Blair's country for the right to hold our leaders accountable for their policies... a process which Mr. Bush doesn't appear to understand. They're *his* polices, not mine.. remember, he feels the need to give neither you or I any explanation of *his* policies. You see, he shows us that he thinks that anyone who disagrees with him is anti-American... he thinks anyone who disagrees with him is being negative about our government, when the real truth is that it has nothing to do with either. It has to do with those policies our leaders are sending around the world in our name. Every bomb that has been dropped on Iraq, every round spent from a soldier's rifle has my name on it... just as every stone turned in progress, every kind deed done by a soldier there also has my name on it.

If I believe that the idea of the upper 2% of Americans deserving to pay less than 10% in income taxes, while those like Bob and I, and many millions of other senior Americans pay well over that percentage, is not good policy and I don't' speak out, *that's* anti-American... that's negativity about our government and it's policies! Some things I can't ask you to do for me... I have the responsibility to do it myself. I do think Mr. Bush has had bad policies for America. I think he's pandered to those who he is indebted to... you see. He *should* be indebted to you. But he has given the money that should have rebuilt your schools, your national highways, your Veteran's Administration (I could go on) and all it's perks that should be your's for as long as you live, in recognition of your service to our great nation... he has given those monies to the 'upper crust'... the upper 2%... his "base". When he says that he's allocated more funds to the VA than his predecessor, he's right. He has. But what he doesn't say is that our Foreign Policy has also injected many thousands more veterans into that sad, groaning system...

Had Mr. Bush truly been "a uniter, not a divider", he would have taken more time to think... something that he seems woefully short on, he would have taken the time to consider every avenue... perhaps even been inventive, in his approach in dealing with the threats that he so easily throws at Americans to keep them in a constant state of fear. Even if you've not heard him do this himself, he has a whole staff who does throw fear at the American people on a regular basis.

Do we have things to be concerned about? You bet we do! And the Foreign Policy that he delivers around the world is perhaps one of the most serious. I will speak out every time I disagree with things being done in my name. If that's thought of as anti-American, if that's thought of as negativity toward our government, then so be it. At least I know the difference. And I will speak out with the intent to honor the costly price paid by my forefathers who fought the English, the French, the Indians, and even one another (in the War Between the States!),for I even have forebears who fought one another in the Revolution. They will understand that I'm speaking out in honor of the gift that they gave you and me... the obligation to hold our leaders accountable for those policies they serve up to the world, in my name, in your name, in America's name!

As always, Phillip, I love you and appreciate your service as well as that of those many thousands who serve with you. I also realize that in the capacity to which you serve, you are discouraged from thinking for yourself. I realize that there are limits to what you can comfortably say and do. When you took the oath to serve, it wasn't to protect and preserve our leaders and their policies... that oath was to protect and preserve our Constitution, wasn't it? It was when Bob took it. There is a huge difference in these two. It is common knowledge how difficult it is for a soldier to step up and say, "I disagree...!". It seldom happens, as the price is so very costly.

Thanks again for sharing...thanks again for serving, and for being my friend... ----

What a girl!! Now you know why I married her some 41 years ago. Send her a comment

---

---

---

By Greg Palast Reporting for BBC's Newsnight (10-26-04)

A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt voting in the state's African-American voting districts, a BBC Newsnight investigation reveals.

Election supervisor Ion Sancho believes some voters are being intimidated Two e-mails, prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in Florida and the campaign's national research director in Washington DC, contain a 15-page so-called "caging list".

It lists 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Florida.

An elections supervisor in Tallahassee, when shown the list, told Newsnight: "The only possible reason why they would keep such a thing is to challenge voters on election day."

Link to story

From the Washington Post:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's campaign, using powerful imagery of prowling wolves, suggests in a new TV ad that the country under John Kerry would be vulnerable to terrorists because ``weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.''
...

"Weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm."

It would do the American people well to note who was in charge on both 09-10-01 and 09-11-01.

Enough said.

I recently made a comment about Bush's reference to "the internets" in the last debate and a rabid Bush supporter corrected me by pointing out that there are, indeed, many "internets" and Bush was merely showing his awareness of the fact.

Laying aside, for the moment, that incurious George even knows or has ever used the international communications system known as "The Internet" does anyone seriously believe that he has any knowledge of the many alternative networks setup between various universities, defense agencies, military bases and the like?

Does anyone seriously believe that Bush has the first clue as to what the World Wide Web is? A browser? FTP? The lengths to which the supporters of this presidential disaster known as George W. Bush will go to cover for his obvious gaffes and lack of knowledge about virtually any subject save that being preznit is hard work is, in the words of Casey Stengel, "Simply amazing."

Compared to the Bush supporters, the followers of Jim Jones were slackers. One would have to look to 1933 Germany to find examples of such a mind clouded citizenry. That means America is in deep trouble for it will not be Democrats and independents who will bring the nation back to the principles of the Founders. Rather, it will be up to the vast majority of the Republican Party, those who remember the principled partisanship of Eisenhower, Goldwater and Rockefeller, etc. to tell the extremists of their party, enough is enough.

One can only hope that it's not too long in coming for I fear that the sun has already set and America is in the twilight of her democracy.

Bush looked as if his face would break from holding the phoney half smile, half smirk. Once again he showed how ill prepared he is for a discussion of facts, let alone the presidency with his answers of "hard work", "freedom", and tossing inanities and lies about.

Short and sweet, Kerry by three lengths and pulling away at the end. George W. Bush is an unprepared college frat boy who seemingly, has never matured beyond his prankster days at Yale.

Wesley Clark paraphrasing J. Kerry on the Iraq War, "We're not criticizing Bush for going after terrorists, we're criticizing him for NOT going after terrorists."

Bush looked like he was on an overdose of meds during the first 30 minutes, hyperactive to the extreme. Kerry was, well Kerry, calm, cool and collected. I thought he failed to answer the question put to him at times as did Bush. I also thought that Bush failed to answer most of the questions put to him.

Kerry buried him with the Canada drug importation inquiry. Kerry continued to bury him with the conduct of the war in Iraq as well as the aftermath. Bush even managed to screw up an out in right field explanation of the Dred Scott decision. And of course when pressed to note three mistakes he made, he came up short. The man is an absolute phoney.

My take, again as a horse race? They were neck and neck out of the gate, with Kerry inching ahead at the first pole. He widened his lead along the backstretch and held it through the final turn. Coming down the homestretch, Bush once again faltered with whining, off topic responses including the "hard work" refrain made popular in Debate #1 and Kerry increased his lead to a length and a half at the finish line after fighting off a furious burst of lies and innuendo from Bush.

Again, Cheney held his own, even lead the exercise in the first 30 minutes and tired badly in the remaining 60 minutes. He resorted to falling back on half truths, misdirections and outright lies and looking for all the world as the tired older than his years, man that he is. While Edwards remained calm, collected and more importantly, coherent throughout.

Cheney denied ever connecting 9/11 and Saddam, afterwards the clip from Meet The Press wherin he made such a claim was shown proving, once and for all that Mr. Cheney is a liar and when his claim of never having met Edwards in the senate was also proven false, he was confirmed as a conigenital liar.

Edwards gave a litany of items that Cheney had voted against as well as the lies that regarding Iraq that have become a staple of the Bush administration. As Edwards' voice became stronger that of the Vice-President became weaker, as Edwards rose to meet the challenge with facts, Cheney fell back on innuendo, misstatements and lies. It was not pretty.

Again, scoring as a horse race, Edwards by a head, and pulling away.

Bush held his own in the first 30 minutes. The remaining 60 minutes he was an embarrassment, looking for all the world like he wished he was anywhere but on that stage with Kerry.

As Joe Scarborough put it on MSNBC after the debate, John Kerry did the job while Bush seemed to have lost interest. He noted that often, after asking for the 30 second rebuttal time, Bush had nothing to say.

What of your attempted point about Poland, Mr. Bush? Here is what President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland thinks of the coalition today: "They deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride."

Scoring this as a horserace, Kerry by three lengths. Oh yes, the split screen on CSPAN was priceless. The fidgeting and facial contortions exhibited by Bush, while Kerry was speaking, showed just how childish and immature our fearless leader is.

As I said, priceless.

After this from MSNBC can there be any doubt about the Swiftboat Liars for Bush? Journalist comes out in support of Kerry

The Swift Boat group also was being challenged by a Chicago Tribune editor who was on the Feb. 28, 1969, mission for which Kerry received the Silver Star. William Rood, 61, said he decided to break his silence about the mission because recent reports of Kerry’s actions in that battle are incorrect and darken the reputations of veterans who served with Kerry.

“The critics have taken pains to say they’re not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us,” Rood said in a 1,700-word first-person account published in Sunday’s edition of the Tribune. “It’s gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there.”

Rood said the allegations that Kerry’s accomplishments were overblown are untrue and that Kerry came up with an attack strategy that was praised by their superiors. According to the Tribune, Rood’s recollection of what happened that day in South Vietnam was backed by military documents.

Make no mistake, this is no independent group, no more than the group that trashed John McCain in 2000 or Michael Dukakis in 1988 or tried to defame Bill Clinton in both 1992 and 1996. In fact, the instigators of all those efforts are indeed the same well-heeled, Texas cadre of Bush family supporters who will stop at nothing to promote the Bush family.

Anyone who remembers or reads the transcript of John Kerry's testimony before the congress in 1971 knows, knows, that when he spoke of atrocities and war crimes he was relating testimony from some 150 veterans and not, I repeat not, detailing acts committed by everyone in Vietnam and certainly not his crewmates. He prefaced his remarks regarding such crimes and atrocities by signifying that he was reporting on the testimony of those who said they had committed such acts.

The Swiftboat Liars for Bush, on the other hand, say that he was tarring them with his brush when in fact, they are tarring his reputation with their lies on behalf of a coward, George W. Bush.

The Swiftboat Liars for Bush, like the man they support, are but stains on the nation's cloak of honor woven by John Kerry and other honorable veterans. The sooner we, as a nation, are rid of them the better!

"When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it makes my blood boil," Harkin said. "Those of us who served and those of us who went in the military don't like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and he wants to be tough. Yeah, he'll be tough. He'll be tough with somebody else's blood, somebody else's kids. But not when it was his turn to go." --- Senator Tom Harken (D-IA)

Bravo Senator, bravo, indeed! It is past time for honest people everywhere to call Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, et al for the cowards they are, and to make matters worse, they absolutely hold in contempt those of us who did our duty when it was our turn to serve. They think we were the most ignorant of the ignorant, the most foolish of the fools, in short they think we who served and those who still serve to be saps.

And yet veterans and GIs love these guys" Simply amazing!

Today I saw Michael Moore's latest film. To say that I was impressed would be as much of an understatement as saying Bush/Cheney are as despicable as any who have held the two highest offices in our land.

I can also understand why the film has an R rating, it wouldn't do for our 14-16 year olds, the canon fodder for future Bush wars, to see the liars and connivers that currently sit in power. A woman who was sitting near my son-in-law and I asked, after it had ended, why was it rated R? Anyone who has seen any number of the blood and guts movies of today, rated PG-13, would ask the same question. We told her it was to keep the kids of today ignorant about what C plus Augustus has in store for them.

Was the film factual? Yes it was for despite what the Bush water carriers in the major media would like you to believe, virtually every point made by Mr. Moore can be fact checked and verified. One only needs an internet connection, a decent web browser and a search engine such as google.com to find out even more truth about the fascists who are running our nation into the ground.

This documentary, filmed opinion piece, visual op ed, whatever you wish to call it, is to the illegitimate Bush regime what sunlight is to a vampire, or garlic to werewolf. It is, in short, a weapon (knowledge is always a weapon) to be used against the fascists in the upcoming election.

Discuss it with your family, your friends, your neighbors and remember that for the first time in our nations history, there is no left/right or democrat/republican, there are only those patriots who know that another four years of the Bush regime would be the end of the America of our fathers.

Remember that staying at home and not voting is not an option for an uncast vote is really a vote for Bush. Don't judge the Bush regime on their propaganda, judge them on the facts and on their actions. They are first and foremost concerned with their own well being, Dick Cheney lining his pockets from Haliburton profits while awarding them contracts in essence to loot Iraq, is a prime example.

The fascists would like for you to be immersed in the so-called UN Oil For Food scandal, while they do everything in their power to conceal the growing scandal involving the missing $20 billion in Iraqi oil revenues by the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority). I could go on but you get the idea.

See the movie and if you are as disgusted and incensed by what it shows as I am, do something about it. Get involved, support John Kerry (not my first choice) and do everything you can to ensure that the fascists are driven from power.

The future of America depends on all of us. Think of your children and grandchildren and remember, ANYBODY BUT BUSH!!!

Former General Tommy Franks has noted, according to newsmax.com that if there is another attack on the US, an attack involving WMD and massive loss of life, the likely result would be the "scrapping of the constitution" for some form of martial law.

Isn't that an eye opener! He didn't say that such a step would be wrong and resisted by the military as well as right thinking citizens nationwide, in fact he seemed to think the citizenry would demand such a military take over.

Where in God's name do we find such men? Every person in the military, enlisted and officer, takes a solemn oath to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. So how does that square with the good general's remarks? Read further and he also notes that George Bush is a man of homor and good character. With such powers of observation perhaps his shocking words are not a surprise after all nor is it any surprise that there seemed not to be a plan for the post war period, other than protect the Iraqi oil assets for the likes of Haliburton. Is it any real wonder that, with such a mind in charge, we have yet to find Saddam, although the good Gerneral insists that it will happen. Eventually, sometime, perhaps when pig's fly?

The big question from all of this is how much of a trial balloon are the comments of the good general? How many of the traitors in positions of national leadership today are waiting for such an event? How many are wishing for such an event?

Another question is why haven't we heard any news of the repugnant remarks of General Franks? Perhaps it was only meant for the extreme right wing web sites, those frequented by the ultra patriots, those who proclaim a love for this country and the constitution yet by their continuing actions, show such proclamations to be lies.

Meanwhile ever more of our soldiers are paying the price in blood for the actions of the miscreant installed in the White House. At what point do we say enough? At what point do we, as a nation, rise up against the criminals and misfits who are currently destroying our nation? The time has come, no, the time has long since passed to turn these unamerican traitors out of office.

Pray that 2004 will, indeed, bring an election, that it will not be postponed or cancelled, but we must also be prepared to get out and do our duty as patriotic Americans to oppose any such move as described by General Franks.

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy -- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made”

--The Great Gatsby

General Clark on Giuliani Comments: "Insulting and Cowardly"

General Wesley Clark issued the following statement today about Rudolph Giuliani's comments about the responsibility of U.S. troops for the missing explosives in Iraq:

“For President Bush to send Rudolph Giuliani out on television to say that the 'actual responsibility' for the failure to secure explosives lies with the troops is insulting and cowardly.

“The President approved the mission and the priorities. Civilian leaders tell military leaders what to do. The military follows those orders and gets the job done. This was a failure of civilian leadership, first in not telling the troops to secure explosives and other dangerous materials, and second for not providing sufficient troops and sufficient equipment for troops to do the job.

“President Bush sent our troops to war without sufficient body armor, without a sound plan and without sufficient forces to accomplish the mission. Our troops are performing a difficult mission with skill, bravery and determination. They deserve a commander in chief who supports them and understands that the buck stops in the Oval Office, not one who gets weak knees and shifts blame for his mistakes.”

Washington, DC – Kerry-Edwards Senior Advisor Joe Lockhart issued the following statement on reports of missing explosives in Iraq:

“Today, the Bush administration must answer for what may be the most grave and catastrophic mistake in a tragic series of blunders in Iraq. How did they fail to secure nearly 380 tons of known, deadly explosives despite clear warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so? And why was this information unearthed by reporters -- and was it covered up by our national security officials?

“These explosives can be used to blow up airplanes, level buildings, attack our troops and detonate nuclear weapons. The Bush administration knew where this stockpile was, but took no action to secure the site. They were urgently and specifically informed that terrorists could be helping themselves to the most dangerous explosives bonanza in history, but nothing was done to prevent it from happening.

“This material was monitored and controlled by UN inspectors before the invasion of Iraq. Thanks to the stunning incompetence of the Bush administration, we now have no idea where it is.

“We need to know what the administration knew about this and when. We need to know why they failed to safeguard these explosives and keep them out of the hands of our enemies. The National Security Advisor should be at her desk in Washington tomorrow to work this problem and answer these questions, instead of giving speeches in battleground states.”

Has there ever been a more incompetent group than the criminals, political hacks and fools of the Bush maladministration?

Democrats

* Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
* David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
* Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
* Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.
* Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
* Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
* John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Hearts.
* Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
* Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.
* Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.
* Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
* Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
* Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
* Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal.
* Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
* Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
* Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.
* Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
* Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
* Chuck Robb: Vietnam
* Howell Heflin: Silver Star
* George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
* Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received #311.
* Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.
* Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
* John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
* Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

Republicans

* Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
* Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
* Tom Delay: did not serve.
* Roy Blunt: did not serve.
* Bill Frist: did not serve.
* Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
* Rick Santorum: did not serve.
* Trent Lott: did not serve.
* John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
* Jeb Bush: did not serve.
* Karl Rove: did not serve.
* Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
* Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
* Vin Weber: did not serve.
* Richard Perle: did not serve.
* Douglas Feith: did not serve.
* Eliot Abrams: did not serve
* Richard Shelby: did not serve.
* Jon! Kyl: did not serve
* Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
* Christopher Cox: did not serve.
* Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
* Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.
* George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year National Guard; got assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate; failed to show up for required medical exam, disappeared from duty.
* Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.
* B-1 Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm: did not serve.
* John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.
* Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.
* John M. McHugh: did not serve.
* JC Watts: did not serve.
* Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem," although continued in NFL for 8 years.
* Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.
* Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
* George Pataki: did not serve.
* Spencer Abraham: did not serve.
* John Engler: did not serve.
* Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
* Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.

Pundits & Preachers

* Sean Hannity: did not serve.
* Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
* Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
* Michael Savage: did not serve.
* George Will: did not serve
* Chris Matthews: did not serve.
* Paul Gigot: did not serve.
* Bill Bennett: did not serve.
* Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
* John Wayne: did not serve.
* Bill Kristol: did not serve.
* Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
* Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
* Clarence Thomas: did not serve.
* Ralph Reed: did not serve.
* Michael Medved: did not serve.
* Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
* Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don't shoot back.)

President Bush: Flip-Flopper-In-Chief (From: http://www.americanprogress.org)

From the beginning, George W. Bush has made his own credibility a central issue. On 10/11/00, then Governor Bush said: "I think credibility is important. It is going to be important for the president to be credible with Congress, important for the president to be credible with foreign nations." But President Bush's serial flip-flopping raises serious questions about whether Congress and foreign leaders can rely on what he says.

1. Department of Homeland Security

BUSH OPPOSES 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]

...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]

2. Weapons of Mass Destruction

BUSH SAYS WE FOUND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION..."We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories, for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." [President Bush, Interview in Poland, 5/29/03]

...BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION "David Kay has found the capacity to produce weapons.  And when David Kay goes in and says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out." [President Bush, Meet the Press, 2/7/04]

3. Free Trade

BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE... "I believe strongly that if we promote trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of this issue." [President Bush in Peru, 3/23/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE "In a decision largely driven by his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states crucial for his reelection." [Washington Post, 9/19/03]

4. Osama Bin Laden

BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE... "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01]

...BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA "I don't know where he is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important." [President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]

5. The Environment

BUSH SUPPORTS MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE... "[If elected], Governor Bush will work to establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide." [Bush Environmental Plan, 9/29/00]

...BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE "I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act." [President Bush, Letter to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 3/13/03]

6. WMD Commission

BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE... "The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central Intelligence Agency." [NY Times, 1/29/04]

...BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE "Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission, chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." [President Bush, 2/6/04]

7. Creation of the 9/11 Commission

BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News, 5/23/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News, 09/20/02]

8. Time Extension for 9/11 Commission

BUSH OPPOSES TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post, 1/19/04]

...BUSH SUPPORTS TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION "The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN, 2/4/04]

9. One Hour Limit for 9/11 Commission Testimony

BUSH LIMITS TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF 9/11 COMMISSION TO ONE HOUR... "President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have placed strict limits on the private interviews they will grant to the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that they will meet only with the panel's top two officials and that Mr. Bush will submit to only a single hour of questioning, commission members said Wednesday." [NY Times, 2/26/04]

...BUSH SETS NO TIMELIMIT FOR TESTIMONY: "The president's going to answer all of the questions they want to raise. Nobody's watching the clock." [White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 3/10/04]

10. Gay Marriage

BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE... "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Larry King Live, 2/15/00]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE "Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]

11. Nation Building

BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING... "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road." [Gov. George W. Bush, 10/3/00]

...BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING "We will be changing the regime of Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." [President Bush, 3/6/03]

12. Saddam/al Qaeda Link

BUSH SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM... "You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02]

...BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03]

13. U.N. Resolution

BUSH VOWS TO HAVE A UN VOTE NO MATTER WHAT... "No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." [President Bush 3/6/03]

...BUSH WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR VOTE: "At a National Security Council meeting convened at the White House at 8:55 a.m., Bush finalized the decision to withdraw the resolution from consideration and prepared to deliver an address to the nation that had already been written." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]

14. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict

BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS... "Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the area." [President Bush, 04/05/02]

...BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS "If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East." [President Bush, 5/23/03]

15. Campaign Finance

BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD... "George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post, 3/28/2000]

...BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW "[T]his bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law." [President Bush, at the McCain-Feingold singing ceremony, 03/27/02]

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

Nevada: Dan Burdish, former director of the state's Republican Party, filed a complaint to remove 17,000 voters from the rolls because they had failed to file a change of address card. State law doesn't require it and, in fact, allows you to vote after moving. When asked why he did it Burdish told the press, "I am looking to take Democrats off the voter rolls."

Florida: Senior citizens in Democratic precincts are calling their election boards by the hundreds reporting that strangers claiming to be from the elections office are offering to "hand deliver" their absentee ballots for them, even though there is no such program.

Wyoming: Secretary of State Joseph Meyer interpreted the statutes there to outlaw voter registration drives, like the kind where a group sets up a card table at a mall or library. One of Meyer's oldest friends, a classmate in both high school and college, is Dick Cheney.

Philadelphia: Three weeks before the election, a white Republican alderman named Matt Robb requested that 63 polling stations in African American neighborhoods be relocated, thereby making it more confusing for 37,000 Democrat leaning voters.

Florida: Once again, as in the 2000 election, the state compiled a list of felons to be barred from voting. Throughout this election year, Governor Jeb Bush's administration struggled to keep this list secret. After a lawsuit forced it into the open, people quickly saw that, while some 23,000 Democrat leaning black felons were barred from voting, almost the same number of hispanic felons in Florida, who tend to vote Republican, were somehow not on the list.

Ohio: Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has ruled that anyone showing up in the wrong precinct will not be able to vote there, even by provisional ballot. Immediately afterward, people begain to report odd phone calls telling voters that their voting place had changed, sending them to the wrong precinct.

Arizona: Students at Arizona State University were told by a reporter at Fox News and the Republican county vote registrar that registering students was a federal crime unless students planned to stay in Arizona "indefinitely" after graduation. The Supreme Court of the United States long ago ruled otherwise.

Full story

Once again the Christians In Name Only are at it again, this time at channel 45 (WLCB) in Orlando, FL. They are broadcasting the Stolen Honor propaganda screed at noon and 10PM on Monday in the hope of persuading their weak minded viewers to vote for C-Plus Augustus.

One can only hope!

---

So the boy king has made us safer? 09-16-04

---

Bush's Legacy

---

From most respected to most detested
in three short years

As seen at Mahablog

---

---

From the White House to the Big House, visualize it and it will happen

---

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt

---

"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness."
- The late William O. Douglas, Supreme Court Justice, during the Watergate scandal and the FBI COINTELPRO operations.

---

Politics

So it is upatriotic to call for "regime change" in the US?  So it is unamerican to critize the president and his policies?  I would advise these right wingers, rabid conservative hypocrites all to visit history and see who was it that described FDR as an, "tired old man with a cabinet of tired old men" before getting on the high horse of McCarthyism.

In the midst of WW2, in a fight for our very existence, there was an election complete with campaigns and the words above uttered by Thomas E. Dewey the republican nominee.

So it would seem then that the true unamerican scum here is the republican right for it is they who would stifle dissent in the name of patriotism.  Could it be because their ideas and philosophy cannot stand in honest debate but must be masked by personal attacks and obfuscation, setting up one straw man after another to be knocked down, but never, ever debating what really counts, their failed policies and positions?

---

The smoking gun.

After reading the Presidential Daily Brief of August 6, 2001 can any reasonable person continue to claim that Ms Rice told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth while under oath at the 911 Commission hearings last week?

One thing is quite clear, however, and that is the rather simple construction of the PDB, something one would expect from the efforts of a high school student, rather than that of the best (or so we are told) intelligence system in the world. Could it be that it is written in such simple English so that even a teenager could understand the implications contained within? Could it be that even then, Mr. Bush did not understand the significance of the intelligence presented to him?

My God, did they expect to receive the exact manner, date, time and location of the attacks, along with the intended targets? Can these "adults" in charge of our nation be so truly clueless? The sad truth is evidentially so, for we all know the reults of their incompetence.

If any President ever deserved impeachment, Mr. Bush certainly does and more, he deserves to be put on trial for the dereliction of duty and depraved indifference that led to the destruction of the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon and the loss of so many lives on that fateful day.

This man, and I use that term biologically for he is not man enough to take responsibility for his actions and inactions, is a disgrace to everything America stands for. I for one am ashamed that this ignorant fool, a tool of the right wing cabalists of the republican party, sits in the White House.

This is one American who has had enough of the lies, doublespeak and unethical behavior of this band of fascists and I will do everything in my power to ensure thery are turned out of office come November.

---

What are they afraid of?

So the administration has been holding back on the 9/11 commission? Seems they are holding some 12,000 documents from the Clinton administration, the last legally elected and installed president of these United States, documents which President Clinton released to the committee. Well I know I am shocked!

When will the people finally understand that this group of miscreants and thugs in the White House have no more interest in getting to the bottom of what happened on that fateful day then they would swimming to the bottom of a cesspool. Wait, they are swimming at the bottom of a cesspool, a cesspool of lies in fact, lies by obfuscation, lies of omission, lies of every sort imaginable.

When will the people finally realise that this group of fascists are no more interested in democracy than is the Saud family. God please, please let John Kerry win the election so we can have a real independent investigation of the events of 9/11. Perhaps then we can mete out justice to the criminals of the Bush regime, starting with the unelected poseur himself.

Thank God for Richard Clarke, at last, an honest man, a man of courage. A true patriot!

---

Found in the Arizona Republic newspaper, 03-05-04. A popular reporter/columnist found this on his voice mail this week. The voice mail message. (Real Audio format) or Read the column (cached)

The hopelessness and the dispair over the plight of her family can be multiplied over a million times across this nation. All thanks to the policies of Bush and his gang of criminals.

More comments on the column.

---

Remember, YOU could be next in Bush's America, and much sooner than you think.

Be sure to vote in November, because your future really does depend on it.

** Vote Democrat **

---

Unpatriotic?

Perhaps the case was best made by a Republican president -- Theodore Roosevelt -- who said, "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official."

Roosevelt expanded on that theme when he wrote in an editorial for the "Kansas City Star" newspaper on May 7, 1918 -- while World War I raged -- that:

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile.

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.

Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

---

June 25, 2004

Dick Cheney curses out Senator Leahy on the floor of the Senate, using the holy grail of profanity, the "F" word.

The rules of the Senate prohibit profanity on the floor but the repugs contend that since the Senate wasn't technically in session, the senators were there for their group photo, the rules weren't in effect.

Seems to me that we can take three things away from this happening:

1. Cheney has no class or sense of honor. (But we already knew that, eh?)
2. Repugs parse words and conditions better than The Clinton ever thought about.
3. Both Cheney and the repugs are hypocrites of the first order. (But we already knew that as well.)

Have we ever seen the likes of such hypocritical, arrogant scum (outside of the Third Reich, of course) as dominates this criminal administration and the political party from whence they came?

---

One Year

It has been one year since since George Bush and his cohort of vandals unleashed the illegal invasion of Iraq, ostensibly to prevent Saddam Hussein from using his WMD on us.

Over the past year, while this maladministration has run up one lie after another regarding the reasons for going to war, one thing has remained constant, our finest, bravest men and women continue to be killed and horribly maimed. To say nothing of the thousands of innocent Iraqis who have suffered the same fate.

The truly sad thing about all of this is that there is no end in sight, the killing and maiming will continue unabated until we have left Iraq in the hands of the Iraqi people. Given that we seem not to have a plan or the inclination for leaving, the oil you know, it would seem that we shall be in for another dose of the Vietnam effect. To be sure, it is highly unlikely that we will lose some 50,000 dead in Iraq, but losing one, two or more soldiers a day is unacceptable, especially if those being lost are your loved ones.

This war was not about oil but has anyone seen an accounting of the oil that has been sold as of this date? Where has the money gone? Is it being used for the Iraqi people or is it being skimmed away by the criminal friends of our unelected squatter? We need to demand an accounting of the Iraqi oil sales, we need to demand an accounting of the monies given to Haliburton and the other friends of Bush-Cheney for their "work" in Iraq.

---

Thoughts on dissent.

To the disgraceful, unethical, amoral, right wingnut, ditto-monkeys who think that free speech only applies as long as it is in agreement with, or giving support to, the cowardly, vile, craven little man occupying the People's House in Washington, I offer the following:

"Beware of the leader, who strikes the war drum in order to transfer the citizens into patriotic glow, patriotism is indeed a double-sided sword. It makes the blood so boldly, like it constricts the intellect. And if the striking of the war drum reached a fiebrige height and the blood is cooking and hating, and the intellect is dismissed, the leader doesn't need to reject the citizens rights. The citizens, cought by anxiety and blinded through patriotism, will subordinate all their rights to the leader and this even with happy courage. Why do I know that? I know it, because this is, what I did. And I am Gajus Julius Caesar."

---

"Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive." Henry Steele Commager

---

"Here in America we are descended in spirit from revolutionaries and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine." Dwight D. Eisenhower

---

"How you can win the population for war: At first, the statesman will invent cheap lying, that impute the guilt of the attacked nation, and each person will be happy over this deceit, that calm the conscience. It will study it detailed and refuse to test arguments of the other opinion. So he will convince step for step even therefrom that the war is just and thank God, that he, after this process of grotesque even deceit, can sleep better." Mark Twain

---

---

GratisNet Links
Lifestyle Changes Support Group
Smith Machine & Grinding - The Inkwell

---

---

PLACES TO GO Links open in new window

*The Nether-Count*

Ain't No Bad Dude
Alas,a Blog
Alicublog
Altercation
American Leftist
Bad Things
Bartcop
The Blogging of the President
Bloggy
Body and Soul
BusyBusyBusy
Byzantium's Shores
CalPundit

Classless Warfare
Corrente
Counterspin Central
Crooked Timber
Cowboy Khalil
Cursor
Daily Howler
Daily Kos
Demagogue
David Ehrenstein
Democratic Underground
Democratic Veteran
Demosthenes
The Department of Louise
Elayne Riggs
Electrolite (Nielsen Hayden)
Eschaton (Atrios)
Failure Is Impossible
Fantastic Planet
Freewayblogger
GOTV
The Gropinator
Hackenblog
Hammerdown
Hullabaloo(Digby)
Interesting Times
Jesus' General
Juan Cole
Julius Civitatus
Just A Bump In The Beltway
Kicking Ass
Kimmitt
Lean Left
Left I On The News
Liberal Oasis
Margaret Cho
Mark Kleiman
MaxSpeak
Media Whores Online
Michael Berube
Nathan Newman
Needlenose
Needles on the Beach
Nitpicker
No More Mr. Nice Blog
Norbizness
Notes From Atlanta
Not Geniuses
Oh George
Oliver Willis
Open Source Politics
Opinions You Should Have
Orcinus
Pacific Views
Pandagon
Political Animal(K.Drum)
The Poorman
Rittenhouse Review
Riverbend
Roger Ailes
RubberNun
Ruminate This
Sadly, No
San Diego Soliloquies
See The Forest
Self Made Pundit
Sisyphus Shrugged
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Slacktivist
SlyBlog
Soundbitten
South Knox Bubba
Steve Gilliard
Suburban Guerilla
Suckful
Sullywatch
TalkLeft
The American Street
The Daily Harrumph
The Hamster
The Liquid List
The Road To Surfdom
The Sesquipedalian
The Sideshow
The Smirking Chimp
The Talking Dog
The Talent Show
The Tooney Bin
Tom Tomorrow
UggaBugga
Wampum
Very Very Happy
Whiskey Bar
Wonkette
World O'Crap

---