(Visit My Post-Election Page at www.wwmeli.org/PostElection)

Visit Post-Election 06 Archives www.wwmeli.org/PostElection/06

Visit Post-Election 05 Archives www.wwmeli.org/PostElection/05

2004-11-032004-11-03

From http://www.cnn.com/

The Morning After

As I watched the election results last night on CNN they kept talking about Ohio and have dismissed Florida as a win for Bush. Ohio will play itself out, but let’s go back to Florida and the question the CNN staff kept asking; If the exit polls were all showing Kerry with a lead, how could we have gotten the polls so wrong? In fact, the exit polls were so consistently for Kerry that even Tucker Carlson was saying it looks like a Kerry win while Robert Novak a Bush insider remained smug and confident. The question they should have been asking is; If the exit polls were all showing Kerry with a lead, why is the Florida official vote count just the opposite? Is there something wrong with the Florida vote count? Is the difference greater in areas that use electronic voting machines with no paper trail? Is the state, run by the president’s brother, doing something to alter the count and make the results contradict the exit polls? Why do we assume the polls are wrong? We should start asking some new questions before we or CNN assume the polls are incorrect.

http://www.counterbias.com/152.html

Will we learn from 2 elections in a row that had voting problems?

http://www.vindy.com/basic/news/281829446390855.php

11:00am Kerry concedes with many unresolved voting issues.

3:00pm Bush gives victory speech with no lump on his back. (see #252 below)

A Sad Day For America

KEEP UP THE FIGHT – PLEASE

(Visit My Post-Election Page at www.wwmeli.org/PostElection)

Below is the original page as it appeared before Election Day

The following, “103 Reasons”, was written by Chris Straub, and is very well written.

Any additions, reasons 104 and beyond are mine (Glen Sherman) & updates will be ongoing.

(Some figures may be out dated, but none are improving.)

Use links when available to learn more. (Always adding more) Some links may change and are out of my control.

103 reasons NOT to vote for George W. Bush

(I was going to come up with 100 but was getting carried away.)

1. 794 American soldiers dead in Iraq (and counting).

(UPDATE 2004-09-07 The count hits 1000 and Rumsfeld calls the death toll relatively small.)

http://www.wageslave.org/deathcount/

2. Bush has not attended a single one of their funerals.

(No sites on this – he wasn’t there)

Photo from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001906489_kuwait18m.html

3. In fact, his administration has tried to keep us from seeing any visual documentation of these tragic deaths.

http://www.alternet.org/story/18030

4. Saddam Hussein did not seek uranium from Niger and Bush (or his subordinates) knew it.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33669

5. Valerie Plame’s cover was blown by someone in the administration, putting other CIA agents’ lives at risk.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20030714.shtml

6. One canister of Sarin gas? This is your weapon of mass destruction? This is why we went to war?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33082-2004May17.html

7. Or was it Saddam “gassing his own people” back when we supported him against Iran?

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you’re a conservative radio host.

Then it’s an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

8. Or was it those rape rooms that are now under new management?

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/05/287752.shtml

9. The patriot act’s “sneak and peek” provisions.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2087984/

10. Outsourcing is “ultimately a good thing”

????? http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04041/271362.stm ?????
11. If we continue to rack up deficits at this rate it will be all we can do to make interest payments.

http://democrats.house.gov/issues/fiscal_responsibility/hot_topic.cfm?topic_id=18

12. Bush sat in a classroom for 14 minutes after the first plane hit the Trade Center and read “My Pet Goat”. Couldn’t he have called NORAD or something?

Correction: He sat for 7 minutes after learning that the 2^nd plane hit. (I didn’t write the original.)

http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/bush-911.htm

Photo from http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/main/essayaninterestingday.html

13. “Bring it on!”; Well, they did. Are you happy now?

http://www.bushin30seconds.org/150/view.html?ad_id=2472

14. After September 11th we had the support of virtually the entire world. Now they seem to either fear of hate us.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2070777/

15. Invading Iraq was a better terrorist recruiting tool than anything al Qaeda could have come up with.

http://pages.zdnet.com/trimb/id61.html

16. Why did we pay $300,000 monthly to Achmed Chalabi only to be fed wrong information and have him pass secrets to Iran?

http://www.opednews.com/kall052204_bush_suckered_by_Iran.htm

17. There still seems to be no evidence tying Saddam to al Qaeda.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0303-01.htm

18. Whatever happened to Bin-Laden anyway?

(See #129)

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

The United States should get out of the United Nations,

and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

19. Why were Saudi royals and Bin-Laden’s relatives flown out of the country after September 11th while the rest of us were stuck on the ground?

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/flight.htm

20. The Department of Homeland Security was Lieberman’s idea and Bush initially opposed it. (Flip-Flop?)

http://www.house.gov/honda/InCongress/HomelandSecurity_09.02.03.html

21. He also opposed the creation of the 9/11 commission. (flip-flop)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/05/15/attack/main509096.shtml

22. And, tried to put Kissinger in charge of it over the objections of the victims’ families.

http://slate.msn.com/?id=2074678

23. Plus, he couldn’t testify alone.

http://www.yuricareport.com/911/BushTestifiesOnlyWithCheney.html

24. or under oath.
25. Freedom Fries

http://www.yuricareport.com/911/BushTestifiesOnlyWithCheney.html

Photo from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2842493.stm

26. NUCLEAR not NEW-KEW-LER. It was also wrong when Carter said it.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/pron/N0184900.wav

27. Mission to Mars????? Any news on that lately? (flip-flop?)
28. Having family members pull strings to get him into the Texas Air Guard while those with less influence saw actual fighting.

(Update: Many questions have come up about Bush’s service and a gap in that service when he transferred from Texas to Alabama. Records were reported lost or destroyed & months later found. The found records however have not settled any questions and in fact may have raised additional questions.)

http://www.changeforamerica.com/community/node/view/852

(Also see number 194 below)

29. Nitpicking about how severe Kerry¹s injuries were is pretty low. How many Purple Hearts does Bush have?
30. The No Child Left Behind Act is chronically underfunded.

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money

but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain of illness.

31. It also promotes teaching to the test.
32. It also punishes underperforming schools rather than trying to fix them. Don’t they probably need MORE money rather than LESS?

http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0305/cover.html

33. As governor of Texas he allowed the execution of retarded men. Hell, he allowed execution in the first place!

http://www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/08/09/texas.double.execution.03/

34. The Clear Skies Initiative allows pollution to increase.

http://www.sierraclub.org/cleanair/clear_skies.asp

35. Just what is the status of those people at Guantanamo?

Photo from http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/22/gitmo.trials.ap/

36. Shouldn¹t people at least be ACCUSED of something before they are locked up?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/30/terror/main586001.shtml

37. “You are either with us or against us” is an insultingly simplistic view of the world.

http://www.suntimes.com/terror/stories/cst-nws-main21.html

38. In his first year of the presidency he took more vacation than any previous president in their first year.

(Just true – nothing to read.)
39. What was the name of that August 6th presidential daily briefing again?

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0409041pdb1.html

40. Remember how the social security surplus was not going to be touched? Now Greenspan is warning us that social security benefits themselves may have to be changed.

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

“Standing Tall for America” means firing your workers and moving their jobs to India.

41. He said we should “jawbone” oil producing nations into keeping oil prices low? What does that mean? Where is the jawbone now?

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/04/05/con04235.html

42. Closed-door energy task force meetings with virtually no input from environmental groups, but plenty from Enron.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/27/enron/

43. Those ties to Enron are pretty fishy, aren’t they?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x573127

44. CEO of Diebold, manufacturer of voting machines, says they will “deliver the vote for George W. Bush”

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html

45. Gore had more votes, period.

http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm

EXTRA:

OXYMORON: A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined.

Jumbo Shrimp

Deafening Silence

Pretty Ugly

Boneless Ribs

Legally Drunk

Fox News

Compassionate Conservatism

Just War

46. Gore even had more votes in Florida, but the Supreme Court rushed us into a decision.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/09/president.election/

46a. Gore might have had even more votes in Florida, but the Supreme Court issued an INJUNCTION against COUNTING them.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884144.html

47. Gore would have had even more votes, but voter rolls were purged of “felons”, a great many of whom were simply not felons, had names similar to those of felons, or had been convicted in other states, but were still legal to vote in Florida. (see The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452283914/qid=1091555920/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-8749731-7083323?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

48. Does Bush favor free trade or protective tariffs for the steel industry (Flip-flop?)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/03/13_trade.html

49. The factory in Ohio visited by Bush a little while back has just announced it is closing.

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?noframes;read=49047

50. There have been an awful lot of jobs lost, haven’t there.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=jobs+lost

(Pick any of the over 8,000,000 sites that come up on this list.)

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

A woman can’t be trusted with decisions about her own body,

but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

51. The tax cuts have been heavily weighted towards the extremely rich who need them the least.
52. Some of the poorest actually paid more?!?!
53. 60% of American corporations paid NOTHING in taxes????!!!!!

http://www.ctj.org/

54. Taxes have never before been cut during war-time. Anywhere. Ever.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/jackkemp/printjk20030401.shtml

55. After September 11th many Americans were eager to make personal sacrifices to help out. We were told to go shopping. SHOPPING?!?!?!?

http://www.perrspectives.com/articles/art_warpres01.htm

Image from http://www.cafepress.com/irregulargoods.9669222

56. My taxes have actually gone up since local and state taxes have had to increase to make up for lower federal funding.
57. Bush doesn’t read. He likes his memos to be a single page.

(Adding a link here would make the page too long and Bush wouldn’t read it.)
58. He claims his favorite book as a child was the “Very Hungry Caterpillar”, which was published when he was in college. Either way that is scary.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0399226907/qid=1091551766/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-8749731-7083323?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

59. He was arrested for DWI after crashing his car into a hedge.
60. He was also arrested for unruly behavior at a football game. Just how unruly do you have to be for that to happen?

http://pearly-abraham.tripod.com/htmls/bush-arrests.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

61. He is against affirmative action but apparently has no problem with the affirmative action of LEGACIES which help you get into places like Yale.

http://www.detnews.com/2003/schools/0303/10/a01-104288.htm

62. That’s not a ranch in Crawford. It’s a farm. Ranches have animals.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010825-2.html

63. Almost all of his cabinet appointees have been major figures in the corporate management of huge companies in the fields that they are supposed to oversee. Conflict of interest anyone?

http://democrats.com/display.cfm?id=188

64. His war-related decisions are being made almost entirely by people who have never seen combat.

http://www.nhgazette.com/cgi-bin/NHGstore.cgi?user_action=list&category=%20NEWS%3B%20Chickenhawks%3BBureaucratic%20Battalion

65. Ever see that picture of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam from back in the 80’s?

Photo from http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/

66. Look at the complete list of countries in the “Coalition of the Willing”. You’ll either laugh or cry.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030320-11.html

(Be sure to look up what each country will contribute, for most – not much.)
67. Also look up Cheney’s explanation of why they did not go after Saddam in the early 90’s. He turned out to be pretty accurate about what might happen.

(Still looking for transcript, but here are some good links)

http://www.wildnesswithin.com/hypocrisy.html

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v2i4911reality.htm

68. Rumsfeld: looting is not the same thing as “letting off steam”, especially when the infrastructure of a country is being completely ruined.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-07-21-war-aftermath_x.htm (Search this link for the word “steam”.)

69. $700 million dollars taken from funds for Afghanistan and transferred to Iraq without the approval of congress. (This violates the Constitution.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/20/politics/20SPEN.html?ex=1091592000&en=eeb14bdc1ee0c6fc&ei=5070

70. The Democrats’ attempts to give unionization rights to the workers in the Department of Homeland Security were called obstructionist and unpatriotic. Is wanting job-security unpatriotic?

http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/ns11142002.cfm

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches

while slashing veterans’ benefits and combat pay.

71. Building a Big-Mac is not manufacturing.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2004/02/20_mpp.html

72. Afghanistan now produces more heroin than they did under the Taliban.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=119-06112004

73. Shouldn’t rebuilding and stabilizing Afghanistan have been accomplished before we started tearing apart Iraq?

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1126-10.htm

74. Wasn’t the “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq a year ago? That flight suit stunt was really pathetic.
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101031006/

75. The carrier he landed on had to stay out at sea and wait for him. Also it had to be positioned so that you couldn’t see San Diego on the news cameras. In other words, the fly-in stunt was transparent, ill-conceived publicity, totally unnecessary and even more embarrassing than the footage of Dukakis in the tank.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/08/politics/main552894.shtml

Photo from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/909566/posts

76. Bush never did answer those questions about past drug use. Clinton’s answer was a stupid one, but at least he answered.

http://www.progress.org/archive/drc12.htm

77. I am tired of ordinary Americans with differing opinions being called unpatriotic or compared to terrorists. In the last few months teachers unions and pro-choice activists have been compared to terrorists.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-23-paige-remarks_x.htm and

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/29/hughes.criticism/

78. Bush is unable to come up with any mistake that he has made since the invasion of Iraq. Think about this for a minute. This is his job. Something he does every day. If someone asked you if you had made a mistake on the job couldn’t you pretty quickly come up with something you regret doing that was not so horrible as to get you fired? This means that he either has no clue, is smug as hell, or knows that his mistakes have been SO severe that they cannot be admitted.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040413-20.html (Search this link for the words “biggest mistake”.)

79. Kerry is being accused of having voted against various provisions, including body armor, for our troops. This was a vote, made ten years ago, against a defense package that Dick Cheney, defense secretary at the time, said that he DID NOT WANT.

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=177 and

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=155 (The links refer mostly to more recent distortions.)

80. The word crusade was not an appropriate word to use publicly in a fight that could be mis-construed as an attack on Islam. Perhaps if he was better-read Bush would know this.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/Primetime/iraq_crusade030331.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins

unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.

81. When he attempts to be spontaneous, Bush comes across as rambling, confused, and totally inarticulate.

http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring01/004183.htm

82. He pauses and umms and ahhs at completely inappropriate times.

http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring01/004183.htm

83. The faith-based initiative is a dangerous violation of the separation of church and state.

http://www.au.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5191&abbr=pr&JServSessionIdr012=h8bvgcttx2.app1b&news_iv_ctrl=1363

84. Bush’s budget predictions inevitably ignore large expenses (i.e. a war) that everyone knows are coming and deliver meaningless predictions.

http://www.homeboundmortgage.com/Mortgage_Info/Mortgage02_13_04/News4.htm and

http://slate.msn.com/id/2094801/

85. The former head of the faith-based initiative referred to the Bush administration as the reign of the “Mayberry Machiavellis” and said that all policy is politically motivated.

http://www.rense.com/general32/shut.htm

EXTRA:

The Bush quiz. (Answers after reason #103.)

1. Where was George W. Bush born?

2. How many times has George W. Bush been arrested?

3. What does the “W” stand for?

4. Where are the Texas gubernatorial records of George W. Bush?

5. After hearing both towers were hit and we were under attack, what did George W. Bush do?

6. When was the Bush’s Crawford Texas “ranch” purchased and the house completed?

86. Paul O’Neill has said that Bush is disconnected during meetings.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36558

87. He has also said that Bush does not ask questions, comparing him unfavorably to Ford in this respect.
88. Bush refused to go along with O”Neills request for “triggers” that would make elements of the tax cuts contingent on the maintenance of several indicators of a healthy economy.

http://newyorker.com/talk/content/?040126ta_talk_cassidy

89. Why did it take Clark’s apology (2.5 years after the event) for someone to finally offer some sort of apology for not thwarting or at least giving any warning of 9/11?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/02/opinion/meyer/main610106.shtml

90. Why weren’t fighter jets in the air in time for even the FOURTH plane?

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_4691.shtml and many more sites!

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won’t have sex.

91. Why are our container ports still not fully secured?

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/Primetime/sept11_uranium030910.html

92. Why did Bush oppose making the baggage inspectors federal employees?

http://democrats.senate.gov/~dpc/pubs/107-1-316.html

93. Why can’t records of gun purchases be used to combat terrorism while records of library books checked out can?

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/libraries/topic.aspx?topic=patriot_act

94. What is the use of the color coded terror alerts other than to keep us in perpetual fear?

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=29 and

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/89/100345.htm

95. Duct tape and plastic really weren’t very useful.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=14&content=462

Image from http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/DHS/

96. Whatever happened to the Anthrax attack investigation?

http://www.fbi.gov/anthrax/amerithraxlinks.htm

97. Senior citizens should not have to buy medicines from Canada.

http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/medicare/ns07202004.cfm

98. A country as rich as ours CAN afford to provide health care for the poor and even the middle class. Ultimately we will pay for it one way or another when those who can’t afford it need emergency care. It is cheaper to prevent health problems than to wait for them to become emergencies. For children not to be covered is simply criminal.

http://southflorida.sun-sentinel.com/careers/vitalsigns/partfolder/xiv02imper.htm

99. The gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow drastically.

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/releases/20031001190615.asp

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies,

then demand their cooperation and money.

100. The possibility of the draft.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/

101. Troops are going to be pulled out of the Korean DMZ to be shifted to Iraq. Isn’t Korea the “axis of evil” member that flat-out TOLD us they had WMD’s?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3720029.stm

102. “Axis of evil” is the kind of rhetoric that is designed to inflame and taunt and is a good way to encourage problems to develop.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020129-11.html

103. The buck stops NOWHERE.

EXTRA:

The Bush quiz answers.

1. New Haven, Connecticut.

2. Three times that we know of, not all records are available.

3. Walker, the last name of his grandfather who was accused of aiding the Nazis.

4. In his father’s presidential library which violates Texas law and restricts public access.

5. Nothing, he continued reading a book with a class of elementary school children.

6. Purchased in 1999 and completed in 2000 just in time to be a good set for photo ops.

(Ranch: a large farm specializing in a kind of crop or animal)

6a. No crops or animals are raised on this “ranch”.

GLEN’S ADDITIONS

Photo from http://cbsnewyork.com/topstories/topstoriesny_story_239101008.html

104. Anyone who questions the decisions of the president is unpatriotic. Isn’t the right to question the decisions and motives of the government the most American thing we can do, and what makes us different from other countries?

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/news/stories/20030330/opinion/20452.html

105. In an effort to deal with the prisoner abuse scandal Rumsfeld issues a ban on camcorders, cameras and camera-phones in military compounds in Iraq, and will try to expand it throughout the military. Does this fix the problem, or just keep us from finding out about it?

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/23/1085250870873.html?oneclick=true

106. The Republican Party hires a Washington telemarketer to raise campaign money, and the telemarketer outsourced the work to a company in India. Do we see a pattern here?

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/08/270817.shtml

107. Iraq's natural resources (oil) would largely fund reconstruction. This just isn’t happening, not even close.

http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/apr/03iraq.htm

108. We’re not taking full advantage of the work force in Iraq, who would be happy to participate in rebuilding their country. Using Iraqi workers cuts into the profits of those connected U.S. contractors.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_iraq/index.asp and

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/default.aspx

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

HMOs and insurance companies have the interest of the public at heart.

109. Our company provided services for one of those Bush propaganda appearances. You know the type, speaking to the crew on the factory floor. Great event, now all we have to do is get paid. Yes, their account is past due. Maybe we should have named the company Halliburton.

(UPDATE: 30 day terms, they did finally transfer payment on day 70)

110. The E.P.A. was instructed to lie about the air quality in New York after 9/11. Thanks!

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0823-03.htm

http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2004-08-18.asp (Update)

111. Going to war is something you HAVE to do, not something you WANT to do. Why does Bush seem to enjoy it?

http://eces.org/articles/000032.php

112. Jessica Lynch, was there a problem with her telling the truth?

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Jessica_Lynch

113. 2000 pages of the Taguba report are suddenly missing!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4124045,00.html

Photo from http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=2444

114. Ashcroft and Mueller deliver new terror alert while Ridge is left on the sidelines. Isn’t Ridge the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security? Terror Alert or Political Alert?

(Also see “Glen on Terror Alerts” near the bottom of this page)

115. The creation of the “Office of Special Plans”. This intelligence agency doesn’t collect intelligence information and then recommend policy to deal with it, but instead makes policy and then searches for intelligence information to support it, while ignoring any information that does not support their policies.

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?030512fa_fact

116. We subsidize gas prices in Iraq, while we let the prices rise in the U.S.

http://wyden.senate.gov/media/2003/print/print_10172003_dorgan_wyden_iraq_cost.html

117. August 2002 memo to the White House; torturing al Qaeda terrorists in captivity abroad "may be justified". Is torture ever justified?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23373-2004Jun7.html

118. “Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change”: 26 (and counting) retired American diplomats and military officers angered by Bush administration policies that they contend endanger national security. Among the group are 20 ambassadors, appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents, other former State Department officials and military leaders whose careers span three decades. (Imagine, Democrats and Republicans who agree. Bush must go.)

http://www.diplomatsforchange.com/project/project.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy.

Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

119. Under Reagan ketchup became a vegetable, but now under Bush, frozen french-fries are now classified as a fresh vegetable.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0615-02.htm and

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44632-2004Jun15.html

120. June 15, 2000 Bush announces: “Coalition forces, including many brave Afghans, have brought America, Afghanistan and the free world its first victory in the war on terror. Afghanistan is no longer a terrorist factory sending thousands of killers into the world.” Who is he kidding?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/06/16/MNGH676P2J1.DTL

121. Bush nominates Griffith to federal judgeship and Griffith has been practicing law without a license.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56413-2004Jun20.html

122. “The Project for The New American Century”: The more you learn about this group, who is involved, what they say, etc., the more disturbing the Bush administration becomes.

http://www.newamericancentury.org

http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf (Pay close attention to pages 50 & 51)

123. “Fahrenheit911” The film is critical of the Bush administration and every possible step has been taken to block its release. The original company that agreed to finance the film backed out because of Republican pressure, Disney refuses to release the film because they fear Jeb Bush will destroy the tax advantages they enjoy in Florida, “Move America Forward” organization (a Republican PR group) tries to influence theatres not to show the film, theatre owners report receiving threats to be carried out if they show the film, Ray Bradbury (author of Fahrenheit 451) challenges the use of the films similar name, Bain Capitol (started by MA republican governor Mitt Romney), the Carlyle group (who’s list of directors, disinfopedia.org says reads like the invite list to George H.W. Bush’s inaugural ball) and Spectrum Equity Investors (no news on them yet) suddenly purchase Lowes Cineplex Entertainment (the largest theatre chain) in an effort to control what is shown (Update: They have not as yet pulled the film from theatres, so it seems if it’s going to be out there anyway they want a piece of the action), Opponents attempt to have advertisements for the film declared political commercials so they will burdened by all the additional rules that apply to political advertising and can have ads completely banned as the election approaches. What’s next from this machine, burning books?

Photo from http://www.fahrenheit911.com/

124. The hand over of Iraq: Two days early they become a sovereign nation, but we still have the power to control who can and can’t run in their “free” elections.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/Iraq/PostWar/Handover.asp

(Search the page this link takes you to for the word “candidates” to find this part of the story.)

125. Billions of our U.S. dollars are missing from the C.P.A. in Iraq just before the handover of power. Can anyone explain?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3844425.stm

126. Custody of Saddam Hussein transferred to Iraq, but only on paper. We still have him. This is just like the transfer of power, all show and no substance.

http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0406/29/nfcnn.01.html

127. Forget about Faith-Based Initiatives or the National Day of Prayer, as the Governor of Texas, Bush proclaims Jesus Day. Has this guy ever heard about the separation of church and state? Now he has an agenda which has churches turning over their membership lists to the republican party.

http://www.snopes.com/religion/jesusday.htm and

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/002191.html

128. July 8^th Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge issues a new terror warning, based on no new information, or anything specific. The Democrats announced this week that John Edwards would be the vice presidential candidate and the Republicans have had trouble keeping themselves in the news all week. When all else fails, issue a terror warning.

(Also see “Glen on Terror Alerts” near the bottom of this page)

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Global warming and tobacco’s link to cancer are junk science,

but creationism should be taught in schools.

129. Bush pressures Pakistan to capture Osama bin Laden before Election Day and hopes it can happen in time to announce the capture during the Democratic convention. It would be nice if he had any interest in this before it could be used as an campaign tool. Read the complete article breaking the story at http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040719&s=aaj071904

130. The day after CIA director Tenent leaves the senate releases a report saying that the CIA gave the administration faulty information before the war. This has the media putting the blame on the guy who just left, but the second half of the report which deals with how the administration managed or mismanaged the intelligence they received will not be available until after the election. Surprise!

http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/4869054.html

131. Bush administration is making plans to try and postpone the election in the event of a terrorist attack. Do they have plans or information that we don’t? If they wanted to discuss contingency plans for alternate polling places and extended hours to allow people to get to those relocated polling places in the event of an emergency, it would be much more acceptable than discussions about postponement.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/071204Y.shtml

*(If the election is postponed for any reason please join me on Election Day morning in front of the White House to let the President know that we don’t approve.)

132. A congresswoman from Florida calls for U.N. monitoring of the 2004 election and is removed from the floor of congress and her speech is removed from the official record. Why is it OK for the US to call for the U.N. to monitor elections in other countries, but we can’t even discuss the possibility of them monitoring our own election?

http://www.buzzflash.com/alerts/04/07/ale04016.html

133. OOPS! Maybe Iraq was a mistake, but even though the intelligence says Iran had nothing to do with September 11^th The Bush administration thinks they did. Do they want to attack Iran next?

“Over the long term, Iran may well prove as large a threat to U.S. interests in the Gulf as Iraq has.” This quote is from http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf , page 17, top of second column. This was in the plan all along!

134. Two people are arrested at a Bush rally for wearing anti-Bush T-shirts. Can you say freedom of speech?

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/static/stories/2004071346.html

135. Statements to the 9/11 commission by MR. MELENDEZ-PEREZ:

…one of my co-workers stated to me, "You're going to get into trouble because you're trying to refuse a Saudi."

…because you were dealing with a Saudi national, you were not certain by any means that your superiors would agree with your determination to deny entry.

http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing7/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-01-26.htm

http://www.9-11commission.gov/hearings/hearing7/witness_melendez.htm

136. We now have “Free Speech Zones”. Isn’t the entire country a free speech zone?

137. Sen. Richard Shelby is investigated for leaking intelligence information related to the attack on September 11^th. Specifically, the interception of two communications between Afghanistan & Saudi Arabia on Sept.10^th that contained the phrases “Tomorrow is Zero Hour” and “The Match Begins Tomorrow”. These were not translated until Sept. 12^th. The information was “leaked” in June of 2002 and the story ran on CNN June 20^th, 2002. The investigation started within days of the broadcast. SOUND INTERESTING? It does, but this is NOT the big story. Now go the 9/11 Commission web site http://www.9-11commission.gov/ and try to find any reference to this intelligence. How can the 9/11 Commission not know about this intelligence? They must know. If they know, how can it not be part of the investigation, testimony or the final report? It should be. What did the Commission actually do? Did they just put on a political show? How can we put any trust in their report? You decide!

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him,

a bad guy when Bush’s daddy made war on him,

a good guy when Cheney did business with him

and a bad guy when Bush needed a “we can’t find Bin Laden” diversion.

138. July 2002: White House staffers stop a process server from delivering court papers to Cheney and threaten to arrest the man for attempting to do his job.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/2221.shtml

139. Bush and his administration have avoided, repealed or dodged the Texas Public Information Act, Presidential Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=988 and

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20011128/ and

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0108-04.htm

140. Republicans handing out voter registration cards with the party affiliation box already checked, selecting the GOP.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/9220188.htm?1c

141. Remember the 2000 Florida election? To solve the problem, Florida has started to use new electronic voting machines. If you think 2000 was bad, search the web for the thousands of articles that describe how poorly the new machines are working out. Recount problems, files lost, counts wrong, elections in dispute and court challenges for accountability squashed all with the help of the presidents brother, Governor Jeb Bush.

142. Not a reason, just information: New terror alert 2004-08-01 based on specific information. What should we do? How should we change our activities? After the other alerts, should we believe it?

(Also see “Glen on Terror Alerts” near the bottom of this page)

Image from http://www.geekandproud.net/terror/

143. In 2004 the U.S. will have the largest budget deficit ever.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040730_1477.html

144. Bush is questioned at August 2^nd, 2004 press conference about Doctors without Boarders pulling out of Afghanistan because it is too dangerous. He replies “the Taliban still roam in part of Afghanistan”, but is this the same Bush who said on September 7^th, 2003 “America and a broad coalition acted first in Afghanistan, by destroying the training camps of terror, and removing the regime that harbored al Qaeda.”? So, are we making progress in this war on terror, and if so, how can Afghanistan be getting more dangerous?

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0907-10.htm

145. New statistics show the layoff rate is the highest since 1981-82 and those who are finding new jobs are receiving less pay. Bush says we are in a recovery and jobs are being created.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/02/business/02jobs.html and

http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/30/news/economy/displaced_workers/?cnn=yes

146. GOP requires attendees to sign a loyalty oath before they receive rally tickets. No Oath – No Tickets!

http://www.changeforamerica.com/community/node/view/852

147. The FAA and NORAD may have issued false reports and given false testimony. More federal agencies have lied about 9/11 and the Bush administration doesn’t seem to have a problem with this.

http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=369

(Also see what Allan Keislar Ph.D., one of my readers, wrote about this http://www.wwmeli.org/103reasons/AllanKeislar.htm )

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense.

A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

148. Condoleezza Rice was warned of an inevitable terrorist attack five days before September 11^th.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/story/0,11209,1188133,00.html

149. A 527 group called “Veterans for Truth” release a TV ad and later a book questioning Kerry’s military medals. This is NOT a Bush/GOP ad, but the donors who support this group are also GOP donors and there are other ties to the GOP. Of the men involved who say they “served with John Kerry”, none served on the same boat as Kerry and one wasn’t even in Viet Nam at the same time as Kerry. The doctor, who treated Kerry, is not on the record as treating him. The man who heads the group is the same man recruited by the Nixon administration to challenge Kerry 30 years ago when he spoke out against the Viet Nam war. One member of the group has already recanted his story. And finally, John McCain has called the ad “dishonest and dishonorable” and urged the White House to condemn it. (Of the men who actually served on the same boat as Kerry all but one made appearances at the DNC in support of Kerry, joined by the man Kerry pulled from the water. The one, who didn’t attend, could not because he is deceased.)

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/06/veteran_retracts_criticism_of_kerry/

150. In issuing a new terror alert Bush administration officials leak the name of an informant and actually damage our efforts in the war on terror.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5924648

(Also see “Glen on Terror Alerts” near the bottom of this page)

151. National Guard troops witness prisoner abuse by Iraqi soldiers after the transfer of power making Iraq a “Sovereign Nation” and are instructed stand down. I guess as long as we don’t get caught doing it, it’s OK.

http://www.oregonlive.com/special/oregonian/iraq/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1091880082213032.xml

152. Read the following Bush Quote paying attention to the bold print. “That's why you've got to be careful about this rhetoric, we're only going to tax the rich. You know who the -- the rich in America happen to be the small business owners. That's what that means. Just remember, when you're talking about, oh, we're just going to run up the taxes on a certain number of people -- first of all, real rich people figure out how to dodge taxes.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040809-3.html

Other frightening Bush quotes

Photo from http://www.staticfiends.com/bush/index.php

“They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”

http://www.willthomas.net/911/Bush/Bush-Never-Stops-Thinking.htm

“If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.”

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0012/18/nd.01.html

“We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile.”

http://www.dubyaspeak.com/audio.shtml

"It's great to be here with the haves and the have mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base."

http://www.thedubyareport.com/quotes.html

“Too many O-B-G-Y-N's aren't able to practice their, their love with women all across this country."

http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=2266960

"We actually misnamed the war on terror. It ought to be the struggle against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies and who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of the free world."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45340-2004Aug6_5.html

153. Bush nominates Porter Goss to be new CIA Director, then Michael Moore releases video of Porter Goss saying he is not qualified to work at the CIA.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=128 (Text)

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/goss.php (Video)

(UPDATE 2004-09-24 Goss is sworn in as new CIA Director.)

154. Healthy Forests Initiative, or should it be called No Tree Left Behind?

http://www.sierraclub.org/forests/fires/healthyforests_initiative.asp

155. What ever happened to the trial of Saddam?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/12/16/saddam_on_trial/index_np.html

156. Bush campaigns with promises of improvements in programs like homeland security and education while at the same time proposing a budget that cuts these programs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58762-2004May26.html

157. Bush plans major redeployment of US troops that many fear will weaken national security.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040817-011128-1749r.htm

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution,

which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

158. FBI investigates and questions potential DNC and RNC protesters to intimidate and discourage them.

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3855705

159. September 17^th, 2001 Wolfowitz was already pushing to tie Iraq to the September 11^th attacks and promote his plan for war on Iraq. In fact, according to Richard Clark, Wolfowitz was pressing for an Iraqi connection and justification to attack them immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the morning of September 11^th. He is still part of the administration and the president doesn’t seem to see this as a problem.

http://www.drudge.com/discuss/viewTopic.php/16435

160. Cheney is now under investigation for bribery that took place while he was C.E.O. of Halliburton.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1243393,00.html

(UPDATE) October 2004, FBI begins investigation of Halliburton “No-Bid” contracts.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002076103_halliburton29.html

161. A new “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” TV ad begins to air with misleading information by using quotes that are way out of context. Bob Dole joins the attack on Kerry’s record and this is now the major campaign issue, distracting the public from the real issues. (When pressed with hard questions, some members of “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” are beginning to jump ship.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0408/22/le.00.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5765243/

(Also see “Glen on Spin, Lies, 527s and Viet Nam” lower down on this page)

162. Bush uses Iraqi soccer team as political ploy in new ads.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3378141

Image from http://www.georgewbush.com/VideoAndAudio/

163. New overtime rules take effect with confusion and arguments over who is affected.

http://cbsnewyork.com/finance/finance_story_233090900.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/politics/23overtime.html

164. New attacks are launched on Kerry’s service record, yet parts of Bush’s service record are still missing. Freedom of information requests have still not been completely filled and in fact, the White House has banned military commanders from commenting on Bush’s record.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-08-23-bush-service_x.htm

165. The Bush economic recovery doesn’t seem to be reflected in the job numbers. What recovery?

http://www.jobwatch.org/

166. We call up the reservists, sent them to Iraq and now 95% of their paychecks are incorrect.

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-318287.php

167. “These failures of leadership helped to set the conditions which allowed the abusive practices to take place,” said Tillie Fowler, a former Republican congresswoman from Florida who served on the four-member commission looking into the Iraqi prison scandal. The new report makes some people once again call for Rumsfeld to resign.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5816887/

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

The public has a right to know about Hillary’s cattle trades,

but George Bush’s driving record is none of our business.

168. Audit shows 42% of Halliburton bills ($1,800,000,000 worth) can’t be justified.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30086-2004Aug24.html

169. New analysis show bush has spent over 40% of his presidency on vacation, ½ of that time at his Crawford ranch and ½ at other locations. Oh, and because of criticism about all this vacation time, the administration has decided not to call it a vacation, but to refer to it as “down time”.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/19/politics/main637059.shtml

170. New census numbers show the number of Americans living below the poverty level and the number of Americans without health care rose again! Bush says it’s getting better?

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=572339&section=news

171. Ten Nobel Prize-winning economists endorse Kerry saying the Bush administration had “embarked on a reckless and extreme course that endangers the long-term economic health of our nation.”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5818277/

172. Is the administration changes its position on global warming and the president doesn’t seem to know about it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/27/politics/campaign/bush_excerpts.html

From http://www.state.gov/www/global/global_issues/climate/index.html

173. "Had we to do it over again, we would look at the consequences of catastrophic success, being so successful so fast that an enemy that should have surrendered or been done in escaped and lived to fight another day," Bush said. What is a catastrophic success and shouldn’t it be on the oxymoron list above?

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200408%5CPOL20040830c.html

174. Political favors and profiteering so former Texas Lt. Governor Barnes would keep quiet about the Bush assignment to the Texas Air National Guard.

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=17565

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/08/60II/main642060.shtml

175. Bush campaigns using the “Ask President Bush” format so he will look like a regular guy answering questions from ordinary Americans. Carefully screened ordinary Americans asking lame questions or sometimes just offering praise for the president. The questions seem planted, Bush denies it and the inquiries continue.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1192822/posts

176. What are the republican priorities? The presidential podium for the RNC cost $2.49 million.

http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/media/61903times.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

You support states’ rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft

can tell states what local voter initiatives they have a right to adopt.

177. After 2 years of telling us we are winning the war on terrorism, Bush admits in an interview that the war on terrorism can’t be won. FLIP-FLOP

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/30/politics/main639576.shtml

178. How about this quote by Clinton LeSueur from the main stage on the opening morning of the RNC at about 11:40am. “The very foundation of this great nation is Christianity and the firm belief in Jesus Christ.” Additional confirmation that the GOP has never heard of the Separation of Church and State.

http://www.cspan.org/

179. Follow up to 178 above: After the speech cited above and then a closing benediction on the second night, where the speaker suggested that if Bush were president during Hitler’s regime the holocaust might not have happened, the GOP seems to be wrapping themselves in religion. Check out the subliminal cross motif in the design of the podium used for the convention. Pay special attention to the small stand next to the podium where the gavel sits.

From http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/photos/nyc-1nycgallery0830,0,4180768.photogallery?coll=nyc-photos-features&index=81

180. Yes, 2 photo reasons in a row. After weeks of attacks on John Kerry’s service record and questions about the medals he was awarded, a photo surfaces from the Bush military record, where he is wearing a military award that he did not earn. This follows a long standing Bush tradition of accusing anyone who challenges him, of doing exactly what Bush himself is guilty of doing.

From http://www.bluelemur.com/

181. Speaking of military records, here is a January 2002 quote from George W. Bush: "I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war." When did he go to war?????

http://web.archive.org/web/20020129234155/http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/27/bush.twins.ap/index.html

182. Cheney accepts nomination as Vice-President on the 3^rd night of the RNC and then is joined on stage by his family. Well, most of his family. His homosexual daughter Mary remained in the audience with her partner and out of the spotlight while dad vows to lead the GOP and their platform that doesn’t support her rights.

http://www.azcentral.com/families/articles/0901cheney-daughter-ON.html

183. Zell Miller & Dick Cheney attack Kerry in speeches at the RNC. Take each line, look up the facts, the past speeches (by Miller, Cheney and Bush), the voting records, the recommendations of Cheney as Secretary of Defense, compare Kerry’s record to Cheney’s, compare Kerry’s record to Bush’s and the arguments just don’t hold up. The links required to respond would fill this entire page – you’re on your own. If I were making this speech, I would have checked my facts first.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57627-2004Sep2.html (OK, I had to put 1 link)

183a. Also on the subject of speeches, that nice story Schwarzenegger tells from time to time and referred to in is speech at the RNC, where he was inspired by Nixon while listening to him debate Humphrey. There never was a debate between Nixon and Humphrey!

184. NY governor Pataki in his RNC speech suggests the GOP should win one for the Gipper. Here is their best and most misguided reason to support Bush. Vote for Bush because you like Ronald Reagan. Is there any logic to this?

http://www.cspan.org

185. In their speeches both Pataki and Bush claim that the Bush administration inherited a spiraling recession. In Fantasyland that would be true, but here in the US, the sharp turn in the economy happened during the summer of 2001. That’s right, when Bush was president and before September 11^th, so Bush can’t blame it on the attacks either.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2002/02/art1full.pdf

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest,

but what Bush did in the ’80s is irrelevant.

186. The day after the RNC ends and Bush tells us about improvements in health care and the economy, Medicare premiums are scheduled to be raised by 17%. Thanks again!

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=8814&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

187. Revised numbers show this year’s federal deficit will be the highest ever. Is that being finically conservative?

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040907_462.html

188. Can anyone find a non-Christian religious group that receives funding from the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives? I can’t.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/

189. Kerry is attacked by Bush for saying, he disagrees with the war in Iraq, but would still have voted to approve the resolution to use military force. Has anyone in America read this resolution? Kerry has. Use the link below to read it, and pay attention to the lower part of the page (the actual resolution). The resolution requires working through the UN, reporting to congress and actions only to enforce UN resolutions and insure national security. The way this resolution is set up, Bush has not complied with it and should be held accountable.

http://www.yourcongress.com/ViewArticle.asp?article_id=2686

190. Cheney brings the campaign to a new low, saying that electing Kerry will bring on new terror attacks. Didn’t electing Bush and Cheney bring on a terror attack in 2001?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-09-07-cheney-terror_x.htm

From http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-09-07-cheney-terror_x.htm

191. The Log Cabin Republicans decide NOT to support the Bush re-election.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5941189/

192. Bush wants to back out of the second of the 3 proposed debates. The audience becomes part of this debate’s town meeting format and unlike his carefully screened audiences for campaign appearances, he will not be able to control who is in this crowd.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3586-2004Sep7.html

(UPDATE 2004-09-20 It looks like Bush will participate in all 3 debates after all.)

193. The “Texas Miracle” that is used as the model for “No Child Left Behind” is not a miracle at all but a fraud.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/06/60II/main591676.shtml

194. After telling the public several times that all of the president’s military records have been released, and then more records surface, it has happened again. New records/memos from the Texas Air National Guard appear that question Bush’s service, use of influence, and ultimately honesty about his past.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/08/60II/main641984.shtml

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

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

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

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

http://69.59.167.160/tft/AWOL_Small.mov (Texans for Truth ad)

(UPDATE 2004-09-20 Many questions have been raised about the authenticity of the documents linked above and even CBS who broke the story believes they may be forged. The contents of the memos however, have never been questioned by anyone. Presidential spokesman Dan Bartlett responds to the memos during an NBC interview saying: “They play dirty down in Texas”. He should know, he works for the Texan who is the dirtiest player of them all, George W. Bush. With all the investigations into these documents, there has still never been an investigation into the origin of that forged document Cheney had saying Niger was selling nuclear material to Iraq. [See #4 above])

(Update 2004-09-27 After telling us all of the Bush records have been released, the pentagon releases additional records on 2004-09-17, and then more on 2004-09-24. They still don’t fill in the blanks in the Bush record.)

195. After years of investigations saying just the opposite, Cheney is still insisting that Iraq, al Qaeda and 9/11 are all connected. (If I already used this reason, it’s here again because he is still saying it.)

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=22&art_id=qw1094787903948B251

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist,

but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

196. Cheney says the economy isn’t as bad as the statistics say it is, because the numbers don’t include the money people are making on ebay. He wasn’t joking.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-cheney-ebay,0,7988861.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

197. The final report is in; Iraq had NO weapons of mass destruction.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,1301434,00.html

198. Under pressure from the NRA, the Republicans in congress are letting the assault weapons ban expire and the White House is doing nothing to stop it.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2004/09/10/rearming_wrongdoers/

199. The Secret Service is getting involved in the campaign and now protects the president from unfavorable press coverage.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9703-2004Sep9.html

200. Terrorism has INCREASED during the presidents “War on Terror”.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5889435/

Recruiting posters from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/09/attack/main511592.shtml

201. Al Qaeda released a new video tape predicting US defeat and showing our efforts have not discouraged them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10420-2004Sep9.html

202. North Korea wants to develop and test nuclear weapons, so after a mushroom cloud appears in a remote region of North Korea, the Bush administration doesn’t seem interested and Condi Rice says in an interview that the smoke must be from a forest fire.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/13/MNGBO8O1RU1.DTL

203. How will we ever get correct information when the Bush administration has so much of the media brainwashed? Sounds extreme? Here’s an example; On the September 12^th (Sunday morning) Chris Matthews show on NBC, the panel of journalists declared Bush the winner of the first presidential debate. The only problem with this is the debate hasn’t happened yet.

(NO TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE YET)

204. To celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the “Wilderness Act” the Bureau of Land Management auctions off 360,000 acres of wilderness to the oil and gas industry.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0908-11.htm

205. In an effort to pull votes away from Kerry, Florida republican officials seem more interested in keeping Nader on the ballot than Nader himself.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/09/14/fla_official_allows_nader_onto_ballot/

(UPDATE 2004-09-20 After yet another court ruling, Nader is on the ballot.)

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

No matter how ridiculous it is, if you say it enough times it becomes true.

206. Even the republicans are beginning to question Bush on Iraq and admit mistakes that Bush won’t admit.

Senator Chuck Hagel (NE) “The fact is we're in trouble, we're in deep trouble in Iraq.”

Senator John McCain (AZ) “We made serious mistakes”

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6279738

Senator Lincoln Chaffee (RI) "I said I would vote Republican. Write-in counts. I’m voting for my party, not necessarily for Bush,"

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12966663&BRD=1710&PAG=461&dept_id=377222&rfi=6

207. Rumsfeld appears to be misleading us about the size and preparedness of Iraqi security forces.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/12/biden.iraq/

208. Bush is even getting his right wing influence into public PBS. Aren’t they the alternative?

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0917-05.htm

209. In yet another assault on freedom of information and the press, U.S. Marshals force a reporter to erase a tape of a speech by Justice Scailia. Under the Bush administration virtually every federal agency or department has in some way, held back information in an effort to control the press. Are they following the example of their leaders?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/09/14/scalia.recording.ap/

210. Rumsfeld served on the board of a company that sold nuclear reactors to North Korea in 2000. Is this a man you would want in your administration?

http://www.utne.com/web_special/web_specials_2003-05/articles/10549-1.html

Kerry’s “Top 10 Bush Tax Proposals”

from the Letterman show 2004-09-20

10. No estate tax for families with at least 2 U.S. presidents.

9. W-2 Form is now Dubya-2 Form

8. Under the simplified tax code, your refund check goes directly to Halliburton.

7. The reduced earned income tax credit is so unfair; it just makes me want to tear out my lustrous, finely groomed hair.

6. Attorney General Ashcroft gets to write off the entire U.S. Constitution.

5. Texas Rangers can take a business loss for trading Sammy Sosa.

4. Eliminate all income taxes; just ask Theresa to cover the whole damn thing.

3. Cheney can claim Bush as a dependent.

2. Hundred-dollar penalty if you pronounce it “nuclear” instead of “nucular”.

1. George W. Bush gets a deduction for mortgaging our entire future.

211. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan say the war in Iraq is “illegal”.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=562237

212. Bush says the CIA’s outlook on Iraq was just a guess and this doesn’t seem to concern him.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2333528

213. Yusuf Islam formerly known as Cat Stevens, a peace activist, was interrogated after his plane was diverted while trying to enter the U.S. I guess a peace activist is the last thing Bush wants here in the U.S.

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14980,00.html?tnews

214. Without telling anyone the pentagon restricted access to their voter registration web site for Americans abroad.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2004-09-21-voterreg-block_x.htm

(UPDATE 2004-09-23 Under pressure, after this story broke, the Pentagon has removed restrictions.)

215. September 22^nd; with the highest deficits in history, tax cut extensions pass in the Senate. Should we consider this irresponsible, or is it just pre-election vote buying?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/23/politics/23tax.html

(Also see “Glen on Taxes” lower down on this page)

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

Lowering taxes on the rich will help the poor and middle class.

216. Maybe they did have a plan going into Iraq, even if it was a plan that couldn’t possibly work and was designed to benefit only large corporations and investors at the expense of Iraq and the United States.

Use the link below to read the best article I have found so far to explain what’s going on with this occupation and reconstruction in Iraq.

http://www.harpers.org/BaghdadYearZero.html

217. A division of the Department of Labor distributes promotional items encouraging companies to take advantage of grants offered for hiring workers with disabilities. In there effort to promote jobs here in the U.S., these promotional items were manufactured in China.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52545-2004Sep26.html

218. In an effort to get re-elected, Bush is making claims about Iraq that just aren’t true. In fact some of the claims a disputed by the pentagons own documents.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=590914&section=news

219. General Abizaid appears on Meet the Press, 2004-09-26, to answer question about the war in Iraq. You can read the transcript using the link below, but after watching the show it appears that the questions were submitted in advance, and Abizaid seems to be reading the prepared answers from a teleprompter. If this is true, what we are seeing is not an interview at all, but a veiled political speech given by a surrogate. The press does not serve the public if they allow this type of charade and offers the Bush administration yet another technique for deceiving us.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6106292/

220. The RNC used a company in India to create its voter database. Outsourcing is their way to show how concerned they are for American workers.

http://iwsun4.infoworld.com/article/04/09/10/37OPcringely_1.html

From http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/23/60minutes/main590004.shtml

221. Transcript from Bill O’Reilly’s interview with George W. Bush 2004-09-27 talking about Iraq.

O’REILLY: But can they vote when people are being blown up ...

BUSH: Yes

O’REILLY: ... and these guys are threatening them?

BUSH: That's when you're supposed to vote.

You've got to stand tough with these terrorists.

You cannot allow the terrorists to dictate

whether or not a society can be free or not.

Does this come from the same administration that discussed postponing the U.S. elections if we are attacked?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,133712,00.html

222. Even as the Bush administration tells us that the war on terror and the intelligence gathering that goes with it are the top priority, over 120,000 hours of recordings are waiting to be translated and many recording not yet translated have been erased.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/politics/28fbi.html?hp

223. The Crawford, TX “hometown newspaper of George W. Bush” endorsed John Kerry for president.

http://news.iconoclast-texas.com/web/Columns/Editorial/editorial39.htm

(UPDATE 2004-10-08) After taking this stand local pressure is put on to run the paper out of business. Subscriptions and ads drop by 50% and some workers are prevented or delayed in the efforts to report to work. Can you say “Freedom of the Press”?

224. The beheadings just keep comings, a sure sign that we have control of Iraq.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2804776

225. Bush says: “And as a result of the United States military, Taliban no longer is in existence.” This proves once again that the president lives in Fantasyland, not the real world with the rest of us.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040927-4.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

Anything bad that happens on your watch you inherited,

but anything good you created.

226. Have you seen the rules for the debates?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/images/09/20/debate.memo.pdf

227. An active Army reserve officer writes an article criticizing our actions in Iraq and is threatened with a charge of disloyalty and its potential 20 year sentence. Can you say “Freedom of Speech”?

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/lorentz1.html

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0929-20.htm

228. A group of 36 influential pediatricians and social workers say Bush policies will leave children without health care.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6366659

229. Transcript from Bill O’Reilly’s interview with George W. Bush 2004-09-28 proving that both O’Reilly and Bush don’t understand the difference between the DEBT and the DEFICIT. I won’t explain, look it up.

O’REILLY: How will the federal government ever pay off

the federal deficit, in your opinion?

BUSH: By being fiscally wise and growing our economy.

O’REILLY: Do you think it can be paid off in our lifetime, though?

BUSH: The deficit, yeah. You mean, for, - have the revenues

exceed the expenses in the budget?

O’REILLY: See, we have a big deficit here...

BUSH: You’re talking about the debt or the deficit?

O’REILLY: The deficit

BUSH: Yeah

230. In 1992 after the 1^st gulf war Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney said "And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam (Hussein) worth? And the answer is not that damned many”. Given the administration policies under Bush and now vice-president Cheney, could this be considered a Flip-Flop?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/192828_joel29.html

From http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/vpbio.html

231. The Bush administration supports part of the proposed intelligence bill that would allow foreigners with suspected links to terrorists to be deported to countries that may torture. This violates an international law that we (the U.S.) signed 20 years ago.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002049872_intel30.html

232. Post debate rap up: Presidential Debate #1 was on 2004-09-30, here are my notes.

a) Bush makes immediate attempt to look aggressive by rushing across the stage to greet Kerry on Kerry’s side of the stage.

b) Split screen format that was used makes it easy to see the reactions of each while the other is talking. The lighting is better on Bush, but that only makes is easier to see that famous smirk on his face when Kerry is speaking. Bush appears as if he would rather be somewhere else.

c) As an audio engineer myself, my heart goes out to the engineer who mixing this event. Mr. Bush, please stop banging on the podium.

d) Remember all those debate rules? (see #226 above) “Thereafter the moderator in his discretion may extend the discussion” Yes that’s right, the moderator decides to extend the discussion, not the candidates. Bush broke this rule immediately and continued to do so throughout the debate. In response to Bush’s actions Kerry did break the rule 1 time and making mention of the departure from the rules when he did.

e) Did Bush look presidential? I don’t think so.

f) Mixed messages, mixed signals, he voted for the war but is against the war, what kind of message does that send, and others were used endlessly by Bush in almost every statement and response to try and hammer home his Kerry flip-flop message. When you have little or nothing to support your position or record, continue the attack on your opponent. We need better!

g) “Hard work”, “working hard”, Bush reminded us 22 times how hard he and his administration he are working, but offered nothing to show the results of this work.

h) Bush – focused, flustered, distracted, confrontational, he was all over the road

Kerry – strong and consistent throughout

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004a.html (transcript)

From http://www.newsday.com/

233. Rumsfeld, on the connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda: "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two". I’m confused, didn’t they tell us one of the reasons we attacked Iraq was because of their link to terrorism and September 11^th?

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6409869

234. The interrogations of the prisoners at Gitmo have not provided any information that would stop terrorist attacks, even with illegal the gloves off approach promoted by the Bush administration.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1318477,00.html

235. The general in charge said operations in Iraq would require more troops that the administration was willing to allow, and now even L. Paul Bremer admits the U.S. force was too small.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/183985-4208-010.html

236. Although none of the claims attacking Kerry made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have ever been substantiated, they suddenly receive $3 million in new funding from 2 Texas businessmen. Unlike many of the grass roots organizations supporting Kerry, this is another example of a few wealthy individuals trying insure they keep a billionaire friendly president in the White House.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2830631

237. After congress raised the ceiling on the national debt in May 2003, it appears that we will reach the new limit in October 2004. The Bush administration is asking that the limit be raised again. Is this the Republican Fiscal Responsibility we’ve heard so much about?

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-debt-limit,0,3632418.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

U.N. Election inspectors are necessary for democracies around the world,

but here in the U.S., we could never have a problem with an election.

238. Post debate rap up: The Vice-Presidential Debate was on 2004-10-05,

John Edwards vs. Dick Cheney or you might call it Richie Cunningham vs. Darth Vader,

here are my notes.

a) Cheney says; “You probably weren’t there”, in a blatant attempt to piss Edwards off and continues with “your facts are just wrong” and “so many inaccuracies”.

b) Cheney does begin to rattle Edwards, but he quickly recovers.

c) Cheney attacks Edwards attendance at intelligence meetings, but only public meeting records should be available. Attendance at closed door meetings is classified and if the vice-president is quoting statistics from these meetings, he is breaking the law.

d) Edwards asks; “your question was about jobs?” in response to Cheney’s answer witch did not talk about jobs at all.

e) “A long resume does not equal good judgment”, good line, score one for Edwards.

f) Another audio note and sympathy for the engineer mixing the debate; Cheney must not slump over and learn to keep the microphone from slipping inside his jacket. This makes his already grumbled voice sound more muffled and unintelligible.

g) Edwards says “we’ve taken 90% of the coalition casualties”. Cheney responds “Well, Gwen, the 90 percent figure is just dead wrong. When you include the Iraqi security forces that have suffered casualties, as well as the allies, they've taken almost 50 percent of the casualties in operations in Iraq, which leaves the U.S. with 50 percent, not 90 percent.” When did Iraq join the coalition that attacked their own country? I’ve seen a list of countries in the coalition and Iraq isn’t on it.

h) Edwards again; “They’re (Halliburton) now under investigation for having bribed foreign officials during that period of time (when Cheney was C.E.O.). Yes this is true, see #160 above.

i) Edwards one more time; “Listen carefully to what the vice president is saying. Because, there is no connection between Saddam Hussein and the attacks of September 11th -- period.” Study, read, learn and admit that this statement is true, because the president never will. He has personal reasons for attacking Iraq and continues to promote this connection to justify his actions.

j) Edwards breaks the special rule for the last question. He may be distracted because Cheney’s response drifts way off the topic and Edwards appears to have forgotten the question. Score one for Cheney.

k) Cheney says about Edwards; “The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.” Cheney has met Edwards at least three times prior to this debate.

l) Too close to call this one, let’s say it’s a draw. Cheney is strong and focused, but Edwards makes some great points.

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004b.html (transcript)

Compiled from various sources.

239. In the war on terror, we interview suspects, we have thousands of detainees, but we seem to have a problem with convictions.

http://www.antiwar.com/ips/fisher.php?articleid=3707

240. Weapons inspector Charles Duelfer gives his final report and says THERE WERE NO WEAPONS.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6430642

240a. The preparation of the Duelfer report involved 1,625 inspectors over 2 years at a total cost of $1,000,000,000.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/101204A.shtml

241. After his speech in the U.S. only 2 weeks earlier which painted a rosy picture of progress in Iraq, Allawi speaks to the interim assembly in Iraq and tells a different story.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/184226-1255-010.html

242. In another Bush deception, the White House announces that Bush will deliver a “major policy address” in PA on October 6^th. The media are tricked into promoting and the devoting air time to a stump speech written in the style of a state of the union address, to an obedient crowd that cheers after every line. NO NEW POLICY was offered, just recycled attacks on Kerry and deceptive stump claims.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2107847/

(UPDATE 2004-10-21) After the success of the deception above, the Bush team continues promoting upcoming speeches as a “major policy address”, with each one on a specific topic. Again, each one turns out to be an ordinary political stump speech.

243. After the Duelfer report (see #240 above) Bush changes the reason we went to war again. The new reason is not WMDs or abuse of the Iraqi people, it’s because Saddam was skimming off the U.N. Oil for Food program.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/9866939.htm

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

Freedom of speech is a basic undeniable democratic right,

as long as what they are saying supports your political position and religious beliefs.

244. A terror alert was issued to schools as a distraction from the final Duelfer report (see #240 above) and is based on month old data found in Iraq, all of which can be easily found on the internet.

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw105367_20041008.htm

(Also see “Glen on Terror Alerts” near the bottom of this page)

245. NY Times reporter Judith Miller is charged with contempt for not revealing the source of the Valerie Plame leak (see #5 above). Miller didn’t run the story, but Robert Novak who is sympathetic to the Bush administration and did run the story has not been charged. I’m confused.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-leak08.html

246. Post debate rap up: Presidential Debate #2 was on 2004-10-08, here are my notes.

a) Kerry tries to squeeze too much into his first answer, he drifts and scores 1 for Bush.

b) Bush says; “That's why we're bringing al Qaeda to justice. Seventy five percent of them have been brought to justice.” If we don’t have an accurate account of how many people are part of the al Qaeda network, how can he say 75% of them have been brought to justice? This is ridiculous.

c) Bush appears pressured on Iraq questions, becomes defensive, even angry, and it continues for the 1^st half of the debate. As Kerry speaks during the 4^th question he even wrestles on a fake smile to avoid the smirk that hurt him in the 1^st debate.

d) Remember all those debate rules? (see #226 above) “Thereafter the moderator in his discretion may extend the discussion” Yes that’s right, the moderator decides to extend the discussion, not the candidates. This is the same as “d” from #232 above which has notes from the first debate. Bush broke this rule AGAIN and continued to do so throughout the debate. At one point Bush even argued with the moderator as he insisted the discussion be extended so he would have additional time to respond. Gibson, the moderator breaks the rules for this debate extending the discussion, by posing an altered version of the question or a totally new question. In this debate, the audience asks the questions, not the moderator. Gibson does this several times and even appears to be asking leading questions that favor Bush.

e) Kerry drifts on Iran question and the trial lawyer question, but scores with “This president chose a tax cut over homeland security” and “Mr. President, you're batting 0 for 2”.

f) Bush tries to score with “We're not going to have a draft, period” but Kerry counters with “You've got a back-door draft right now”.

g) Bush tries to joke about his facial expressions and later about the “Hard Work” phrase from the first debate, yet uses a version “Working Hard” in this debate.

h) Bush make new attempts to promote the false claim that he inherited a recession and to promote “Trickle Down Economics”, but disguises it with new phrases like “the bubble of the 1990s popped” and “when people have more money in their pocket … , it increases demand or investment”.

i) Kerry missed an easy slam dunk on the environment when Bush mentioned the Clear Skies and Health Forests initiatives.

j) Bush says; “I don't think the Patriot Act abridges your rights at all”, then fumbles on supreme court question with an answer designed to pander to the religious right, while Kerry delicately makes his case on stem cell research and the abortion question. The exchange goes to Kerry.

k) After looking like a deer in the headlights and freezing when asked at a press conference about mistakes he had made, Bush is asked in the debate about mistakes and talks all around the question. He never actually answers and certainly never admits a mistake. In a huge score for Kerry, Bush confirms once again that no matter how bad it’s going, he will never try to alter course to make a correction, because that would be admitting a mistake. This is something he is just not capable of doing.

l) No blowout, but in a split decision, this debate goes to Kerry.

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html (transcript)

From http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-usdeba1009m,0,3928376.photo

247. The media quote of the week comes from Eleanor Clift on The McLaughlin Group Sunday October 10^th, 2004 talking about Bush; “He’s the only president we grade on a curve.”

http://www.mclaughlin.com/index.asp

248. Are 11 al Qaeda suspects missing from U.S. custody? Possibly moved to a location where they can be questioned using methods that violate international treaties? Isn’t the U.S. the country that should be setting an example for the rest of the world?

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a6PfldnLWu_8&refer=us

249. Finding Bin Laden is not important anymore. Why, because we can’t find him?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-524-1302365,00.html

250. Is a broadcaster with 62 TV stations, who is a supporter of Bush and the GOP, using their media power and money to support Bush by airing a commercial free prime time show critical of Kerry? You decide.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/10/12/news/newsmakers/sinclair_kerry/

(UPDATE 2004-10-19) An executive at Sinclair broadcasting (above) speaks out against the plan to air the anti-Kerry program and is fired. Also, in a partial success, under pressure Sinclair alters their plan, but does not abandon it completely.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43681-2004Oct18.html

251. A “private” voter registration company takes completed registration forms from potential voters and submits the ones marked republican, but send any marked democrat to the trash. We need the U.N. election inspectors here.

http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2421595&nav=168XRvNe

(Also see #132 above)

(UPDATE 2004-10-15) The America Votes campaign was actually run by Sproul & Associates, Inc. which in turn is run by Nathan Sproul who is the former head of the Arizona Republican Party. This registration fraus appears to be in at least 5 states and there is now an FBI investigation in one and a state attorney general investigation in another.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1015sproul15.html

252. Is George W. Bush wearing an I.F.B. (listening device) during the debates, so someone can feed him answers? What is that lump on his back? Is it a tracking device? Is it a communication device? Forty minutes into the 1^st debate he says “let me finish” as if he was interrupted, but no one was interrupting him.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/13/transmitter/print.html

From http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/13/transmitter/print.html

(UPDATE 2004-10-19) Another lump on the back theory is that Bush may be hiding a medical condition and using a wearable defibrillator.

From http://www.lifecor.com/index.asp

(UPDATE 2004-10-26) Bush says in an interview on Good Morning America that the lump was a “poorly tailored shirt”. If that’s true, it would be the most poorly tailored shirt in history.

253. Post debate rap up: Presidential Debate #3 was on 2004-10-13, here are my notes.

a) First the pre-debate: Is Bob Schieffer, who is a personal friend of the president, a good choice as moderator? With the debate topic set as domestic affairs, Schieffer begins with a question about national security, playing into what the GOP sees as Bush’s strength. The best pre-debate quote comes from Ralph Nader on CNN; “Kerry can score big against the corporation in the White House disguised as a person, George W. Bush”.

b) Bush sticks to same confusing “3/4s of al Qaeda” line, Kerry quotes Bush on Bin Laden "I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned.", Bush returns smugly “It's kind of one of those exaggerations”. Kerry’s Bush quote is correct – score big for Kerry.

c) Flu Vaccine? Bush; If you don’t think you need it, don’t take it. Kerry; quotes lots of statistics, then bush starts on the attack; “It's an empty promise. It's called bait and switch”. Kerry sticks to statistics in next question and Bush keeps the attack going with “PAYGO”. What’s PAYGO? Sounds like a game. Kerry wants to extend, but the Bush friendly moderator won’t let him. In the last 2 debates, when Bush wanted to extend, the moderator gave in. Now that Kerry wants to do it, Schieffer says; “Senator Kerry, a new question”.

d) Bush is stretching to fill his time on the outsourcing question until Kerry scores big with; “Being lectured by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country”. Kerry drifts a bit & then scores again in the follow up question while Bush tries to counter with an “encourage marriage” pander to the right and more attacks on Kerry with distorted statistics. Kerry wins the exchange.

e) Homosexuality? Bush; “I don’t know”. Kerry follows with polite talk about rights and Cheney’s daughter. He doesn’t deserve it, but he will be attacked by the press for this.

f) Kerry takes the opportunity of the abortion question to be very clear and even quotes the bible in an effort to attract some of the Bush evangelical supporters. Bush fails badly by offering a “culture of life” approach. Thus sayeth the Texacutioner in one of the greatest political contradictions in history.

g) How do we get Bush to stop that smug, fake, I have nothing good to say laugh? “Buggy and Horse”? Kerry gives us some health care details, that he didn’t give us in the first 2 debates and takes a stand saying “the president’s wrong”. Bush fails with a bad joke. Advantage, Kerry.

h) With a he said, she said, stalemate discussion on social security, Bush falls back on the old I inherited a recession story. The madness continues with more he said, she said on immigration. No clear winner.

i) Time to talk about the minimum wage, or at least Kerry will. Bush completely avoids the question and uses the time to give a speech about “no child left behind” with no attempt to paint any solid connection to the question.

j) In a debate first, Bush doesn’t use up his 2 minutes on the Roe v. Wade question. With an exchange that reinforces the existing polarization, anyone who votes based on this 1 issue will not be swayed.

k) How about some good faith based softball questions to play into the Bush religious right appeal? Mr. Bush, what are “armies of compassion”? Kerry points out that the uniter (Bush), has divided us. Bush reminds us that Washington is a tough town, then after Kerry mentions John McCain, Bush tries to score big by reminding us that McCain supports him. Tough call, but Bush may have won this exchange.

l) On the subject of strong women, Bush offers a bad joke and Kerry a good one. Then Kerry closes with a typical political speech and Bush tells us a nice story about a painting. What?

m) After a week of speculation about the lump on Bush’s back, the best moment of the debate comes at the end. Kerry walks to center stage and extends his right hand to shake Bush’s while reaching around with his left to pat or possibly examine Bush’s back. Overall score, another Kerry win.

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004d.html (transcript)

Just what we need, Schieffer giving someone the finger.

From http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-usdeba1014h,0,3141935.photo

254. The press is dominated by criticism about Kerry’s mention of Cheney’s lesbian daughter in the debate. "You saw a man who will do and say anything to get elected," Cheney told a rally in Florida. "And I am not just speaking as a father here, although I am a pretty angry father." Is this the pot calling the kettle black? Keep in mind that Cheney’s daughter was mentioned in the vice-presidential debate and Cheney himself spoke about his daughter in a campaign appearance several months before the debate.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-uschen154006996oct15,0,6880294.story?coll=ny-lipolitics-print

254a. With Karl Rove in the Bush’s corner, isn’t it a guarantee that under Rove’s direction the Bush will be the one to say or do anything to get re-elected? Use the link to read about Rove.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200411/green

255. "We judge that the current American policy centered around the war in Iraq is the most misguided one since the Vietnam period," say 650 foreign affairs experts in an open letter.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1326168,00.html

256. Al-Zarqawi has joined forces with Bin Laden and when Bush has a chance to get him (3 times) he chose not to. Is this Bush making us safer?

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=9069&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/18/international/middleeast/18zarqawi.html

257. Soldiers refuse to take part in a supply mission with charges of not being properly equipped and being asked to deliver contaminated fuel. More information also surfaces about the support of out troops or the lack there of.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/18/national/18guard.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4558798,00.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

Fair elections in countries that just became democracies

are elections where we can select the candidates or control who wins.

258. Bush accuses Kerry of using scare tactics to get elected. It’s another case of the pot calling the kettle black. See #190 above for an example or the Bush administrations use of terror alerts.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=175452

259. Early voting begins in Florida on October 18^th and the list of problems is evidence that election officials in Florida have not learned any lessons from 2000, or don’t care about fair elections.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/19/politics/campaign/19vote.html

260. Yes, it’s true, Iran endorses Bush for president.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/0/187838-8290-010.html

260a. Then Iran test fires a new long range missile.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/10/20/iran_missiletest041020.html

261. According to the Institute for Strategic Studies the invasion of Iraq has made al-Qaeda stronger.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1331362,00.html

262. The National Park Service starts selling a biblical book about the Grand Canyon. This could only happen under an administration that has proven time and again that they don’t understand the “Separation of Church and State”.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40987

263. As the election draws closer to words fly harder and faster. After Bush accusing Kerry of using scare tactics (See # 258 above), this time Cheney give us an example of the pot calling the kettle black in a speech give in Ohio. “… the biggest threat we face now as a nation is the possibility of terrorists ending up in the middle of one of our cities with deadlier weapons than have ever been used against us, with a biological agent, or a nuclear weapon, or a chemical weapon of some kind, able to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, not just 3,000.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/10/20041019-19.html

264. In a break from tradition, National Security Advisor Rice tours the U.S. to “explain the actions we are taking”. The Administration says this is not campaigning and these are not stump speeches, but the appearances seem to all be in “swing states”. You decide.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/20/rice.speeches.ap/

265. Before the start of the Iraq war, the president’s friend Pat Robertson says Bush told him “we're not going to have any casualties”. Invasion, war, military action, in the real world these words are always followed by the word casualties. The president should come visit us here in the real world.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/19/robertson.bush.iraq/

266. After allegations of voter registration fraud and dirty tricks running wild, in a new effort to scare people away from the polls, some areas are told that polling places may be terrorist targets.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2004/10/19/local.20041019-sbt-LOCL-A1-Police_to_secure_pol.sto

267. How bad has Bush been? It has happened only 10 times before, but this year an elector (delegate to the Electoral College) says if Bush wins his state, he may not vote for him even though he is pledged to do so.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002069699_cdig22.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

If you don’t admit a mistake, then you never actually made one.

268. Former CIA Director George Tenet starts to admit errors. (Bush never will)

http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2004/10/21/news/news1.txt

269. American Muslim groups endorse Kerry.

http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/10/22/4178e1db4effa

270. October 22^nd, Bush signs another giant corporate tax cut. Didn’t anyone tell him about the deficit?

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/296/wash/Bush_signs_136_billion_tax_cut:.shtml

271. Even some of Bush’s own relatives won’t support him. Use the link below to visit their web site. Their motto is; Because Blood is Thinner than Oil !

http://www.bushrelativesforkerry.com/

272. Is this politics, or is it about personal and family power? In a tough campaign, where many things are said about all the candidates, here is what George H.W. Bush said after former 1^st lady Barbara Bush heard some less than flattering remarks about his son the president. “The constant attacks on our son have really gotten her steamed up. And it's not good to get her steamed. I don't know who's going to blow first, Barbara or Mount St. Helens. I know this: if Barbara ever gets her hands on Senator Kerry, he's going to need another Purple Heart.”

Count the criminals. If you can’t find any, you need to follow the news more closely.

From http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/exhibits/barbara_bush_images.php?file=609206_thumb.jpg

273. Can you believe a president who is running around to all these “swing states” saying America is strong and we are creating new jobs, while these same states are still showing job loses?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/business/23econ.html

274. Weapons missing in Iraq? I thought we were in control there.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/196686_iraq25.html

(UPDATE) 2004-10-29 The pentagon produces a photo to justify their claim that the weapons were gone before the war, but a news crew has video of the site with weapons 9 days after the invasion.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/28/iraq.explosives/

(UODATE) 2004-10-29 The pentagon says they may have destroyed 250 tons of the missing weapons, but they’re not sure.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6323933/

275. The quote of the week goes to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell on the October 24^th McLaughlin Group show, where he did what other journalists have been afraid to do. He used the “L” word saying; “The Vice-President is LYING”.

(No transcript available yet http://www.mclaughlin.com/bb/bb.asp?topicid=1393)

276. A University of Maryland study finds that Bush supporters are either uninformed or unable to accept factual information when it does not agree with their perception of the president. Are you a Bush supporter in denial?

http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Pres_Election_04/html/new_10_21_04.html#1

277. It must be nice to be able to use Marine 1, the presidential helicopter, as a campaign prop like Bush did in Florida.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/24/1098556291130.html?oneclick=true

From http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1255007/posts

278. Bush & Giuliani attack Kerry at a rally in Colorado. Bush says; “Will America return to the defensive, reactive mind set that sought to manage the dangers to our country or will we fight a real war with a goal of victory?" and Giuliani adds; “We can take a chance in going back to where we were before September 11, 2001, with someone who can't seem to make up his mind whether terrorism is serious or a nuisance".

Who was president on September 11^th, 2001?

Who ignored intelligence information prior to September 11^th, 2001?

Who was briefed by his predecessor about terror threats and dismissed them?

Who’s predecessor was tracking bin Laden, but he did not continue the effort during his term?

Answers: BUSH, BUSH, BUSH, BUSH

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3076425a12277,00.html

279. The New Yorker Magazine gave its 1^st political endorsement ever to John Kerry. Here’s what they say about the Bush administration’s record; "one of failure, arrogance, and . . . incompetence"

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--newyorker-endorse1025oct25,0,181940.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

280. Bush wants $70,000,000,000.00 more for Iraq.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1336695,00.html

281. Fair voting, I think not. We have more problems than ever.

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20041101&fname=Election+(F)&sid=1

281a. 58,000 absentee ballots are missing in Florida, are you surprised?

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/10023659.htm

282. In another Bush “flip-flop” he said; “I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what a state chooses to do."

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778767119

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today – ADDITIONS.

If we say it about them it’s the truth,

if they say it about us it’s an attack ad.

283. Executions of Iraqi National Guard members, Iraqi police involvement, increased insurgency, and the Bush administration wants us to believe all is well in Iraq.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20041027-121029-2825r.htm

http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/189762-6913-010.html

284. In response Kerry attacks on the missing weapons in Iraq (see #274 above), Bush says; “a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your commander in chief”. In another case of the pot calling the kettle black, is this the George W. Bush who jumped to conclusions about weapons of mass destruction without knowing the facts? If he did know all the facts and still told us they existed, was he just lying to us? Bad either way, you choose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/27/politics/campaign/27CND-CAMP.html

285. Remember before the Iraq war when they told us there were no plans for war on Iraq? Now during testimony in a British court martial hearing we find out that plans for the Iraq invasion were shared with the British military almost 6 months before the war. Time to use the “L” word; Caught in another lie.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/27/nirq27.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/10/27/ixhome.html

286. Let’s do the previous reason one better. According to the ghost writer of the Bush biography A Charge to Keep : My Journey to the White House, Bush was interested in war back in 1999, before he even became president. The link below goes to a page with a very long article, but take the time to read it, it’s worth it.

http://www.guerrillanews.com/articles/article.php?id=761

“Just a one finger victory salute.”

Use the link to watch the video.

From http://www.wwmeli.org/103reasons/bushfinger.mov

287. A new report estimates civilian death in Iraq at 100,000.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20041029-075050-4978r.htm

288. After Bush tries to paint Kerry’s questions about missing weapons (see #274 & 284 above) as an attack on the troops, Bush supporter and stump speaker Giuliani flat out blames the troops on national television.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/102904/a03w29prezrudy.html

289. Released Gitmo prisoners file a law suit for damages from prisoner abuse. Remember when they told us the prisoner abuse was an isolated incident that involved a few soldiers and not a systematic command problem? (see #105, 151, 167 and 234 above)

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-474700.php

290. The deception continues, this time not in words, but in pictures. The Bush campaign admits they doctored a photo on a campaign ad.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/mini/CTVNews/1099013017736_94422217?s_name=usElection2004&no_ads=

From: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/mini/CTVNews/1099013017736_94422217?s_name=usElection2004&no_ads=

291. Surprise! On Friday before Election Day Osama bin Laden releases a video tape critical of both candidates and U.S. policy in general. The news is flooded with analysts from both sides of the political debate telling us how it will affect the election, who Osama is supporting by doing this and what his motives or the motives of the parties are, having this tape show up just before the election. On the tape he admits for the first time, his involvement in the September 11^th attacks and offers justification for them as retaliation for a 1982 attack under the Reagan administration. All we know for sure is, for a man who we have been hunting down for over 3 years, Osama is alive and well, and looking in very good health. This is a major failure of the Bush administration and a result of the Iraq “distraction”. (This is the reason part.) As for Osama’s motives, I have a different theory, one that none of the analysts have offered. After listening to the suddenly statesman like speech that is not characteristic of Osama, I recalled a time many years ago when we considered the Palestinians nothing more than terrorists. Over time these Palestinian terrorists gained support and respect, becoming what we consider a legitimate political organization today. They now attend summits, are involved in peace negoations and Arafat has even addressed the U.N. In the wake of news that Arafat is very ill, Osama may see an opportunity to elevate the status of his organization and himself, from terrorists to an organization with legitimate political claims and a place in the world community.

From http://www.smh.com.au/news/US-Elections/Osama-still-hidden-despite-US-efforts/2004/11/01/1099262792608.html?oneclick=true

Read the full transcript at; http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/79C6AF22-98FB-4A1C-B21F-2BC36E87F61F.htm

********** MORE TO COME **********

You can email more reasons to 103reasons@excite.com

Last Update 2004-11-01

** Bonus **

My friend Mark sent me the following:

(His slogan is: “1 term presidency – a Bush family tradition since 1992”)

The web site for the Bush-Cheney campaign – the real one, paid for by MBNA America and Richard Scaife - featured a "create your own banner" tool, where you could enter your own slogan and print out your own poster, with the Bush-Cheney logo, and a note at the bottom "paid for by Bush-Cheney '04, Inc." Democrats, of course, couldn't get enough of this. The original sloganator accepted everything, then it started censoring profanity and words like "Hitler," "dictator," and "evil." Nevertheless, many clever folks exploited the sloganator to their own ends before its sad demise only a couple of weeks after its birth. Its mourners assembled some of the best and I have included samples below.

Thanks to all the creative people responsible.

Links

Still undecided, Try this link first; http://www.udecide.org/downloads/YouDecide-Booklet.pdf

Then check these out and learn more (arranged in random order)

http://www.diplomatsforchange.com/project/project.html, http://www.takebackthemedia.com/true911.html, http://www.dubyad40.com, http://www.bushlies.com/, http://www.bushwatch.com/, http://bush-lies.blogspot.com/, http://www.cnn.com/2004/images/04/10/whitehouse.pdf, http://www.airamericaradio.com/pub/globalDefault.htm, http://www.linkcrusader.com/, http://www.bushlies.net/pages/9/index.htm, http://www.moveon.org/front/ , http://www.525reasons.com/, http://www.thousandreasons.org/, http://www.salon.com/news/index.html, http://www.dumpbush.bravehost.com/, http://home.twcny.rr.com/clarkrupert/Dump%20Bush.htm, http://www.livingbeing.com/dump-George-Bush.htm, http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm, http://www.showgeorgethedoor.org/, http://www.thesmokinggun.com/, http://www.house.gov/appropriations_democrats/caughtonfilm.htm, http://www.bushin30seconds.org/, http://www.house.gov/reform/min/pdfs_108_2/pdfs_inves/pdf_admin_iraq_on_the_record_rep.pdf , http://pearly-abraham.tripod.com/htmls/bush-arrests.html (What Michael Moore had to say about Bush before the 2000 election.), http://www.mfso.org/, http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/files/2004_0621_letter.html, http://mediamatters.org/, http://www.factcheck.org/, http://www.whodies.com/, http://www.moveon.org/fox/, http://cdn.moveon.org/data/ShutUp_Final_BbandLo.mov, http://www.outfoxed.org/, http://www.seeyageorge.com/, http://www.impeach-bush-now.org/, http://www.ourfuture.org/, http://www.c-span.org/, http://www.americanprogress.org/, http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf, http://www.cbo.gov/ (Congressional Budget Office), http://www.depresident.com/default.asp, http://www.forbes.com/home/commerce/2004/07/20/cx_da_0720presidents.html (Presidents and Prosperity), http://www.ericblumrich.com/gta.html, http://www.blackboxvoting.com/ (Find out how easy it is to tamper with election results), http://optruth.com/main.cfm, http://www.toostupidtobepresident.com/, http://www.debates.org/pages/news_031106.html (Debate schedule), http://www.summeroftruth.org/, http://www.realvoices.org/, http://www.fvap.gov/, http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=118263, http://wearabledissent.com/101/floridaballot.html, http://www.foundingfreedoms.com/, http://www.motherjones.com/

Keep searching for more

Glen’s neighbor Bill on “What’s In A Word” 2004-10-20

From http://www.foundingfreedoms.com/

Let me start with a definition and see if you think it is terribly wrong.

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.

Now does that conjure up fear in your heart? Does that cause you to run and hide? It describes someone who is willing to expand one's mind. To use the phrase of today "To think outside of the box". To look at situations in a unconventional manner. To accept new and old ideas without prejudice. Think about it... It sound's like the type of thinking that our Founding Fathers used when framing our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.  Is not that the basic principals that we are taught not only at home but in school? Don't all religions teach that bigotry is wrong?

Next

Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

Now just think about this sentence... It amazingly enough could describe The United States Of America. Think about how once our Nation was formed and how the American spirit could not be kept down. Think about all the advancements America gave to the world. There was the car, with the Henry Ford assembly line. The Airplane that revalorized travel, and later we were able to stand on the moon, and reach even further beyond to the stars. There was the Submarine, allowing us to now for the first time to travel under the oceans, the Steamship that freed us from waiting for tides and wind to embark on our destinations. Then Communications with the telegraph, and the telephone, conveying a idea or just a simple greeting to someone in seconds not days. The means of spreading not only information but entertainment with the radio and, television. We created computers, the internet, and cell phones, not to mention the medical advancements, and the list goes on and on. How about that? Does that sound like the work of some evil force? Are you the kind of person that feels that you identify with any or all of those two sentences?

Would you be shocked to find out that those are just two of the meanings of a word that our right wing  political establishment has been slandering and vilifying for the last 30 years. Because of this word and what it means it is why we are here today, why we have advanced so far in such a short time.

The word you ask? Liberal.

We train our military to be liberal. Just think about it. A unit is taught that you are only as strong as the weakest man, and the rest of the unit should help them. Because in helping them you help your unit survive.

What I find so amazing is one of the largest groups of people out there condemning the concept of a Liberal. They jeer in approval at Bush rallies when he accuses someone of being Liberal. Who are these people? They are the right wing Evangelical Christians. Isn't that amazing, Christians, whose foundation is formed on Liberalism. To love thy neighbor as you love thyself. Now George W. Bush and the Republican party throw the word "Liberal" around as if it was some filthy and disgusting word, that should evoke immediate hatred and disgust. Yet they claim to be God fearing men and women, not realizing that by condemning the concept of a Liberal they are spitting in the face of one that they say they hold near and dear. They are spitting in the face of God. Because just think Jesus fed the masses, taught the masses, and healed the sick. He practiced this with everyone and excluded no one. By that definition Jesus was a Liberal.

From http://www.boners.com/grub/792267.html

Glen on Global Chess 2004-09-24

There are two groups in the world today, al Qaeda in the Middle East and The Project for a New American Century here in the U.S., that each believe in imperialism. Each group believes that their culture is superior and that they have a right to global dominance. To each of them, this means they can work their way into other countries, other governments and even invade or wage war on anyone. The world is theirs for the taking and any person, group or government standing in their way should be eliminated. The problem for the majority of peace loving people in the world is that while these two groups are playing a global chess game with each other, we become the pawns they are willing to sacrifice in order to win the game. How can the Bush administration be expected to stop terrorism and break up al Qaeda when so many in this administration are players in the game and want it to continue, so each can use the other as an excuse for their actions?

Have you seen these?

Glen on Ribbons 2004-10-13

This design has been produced as car magnets, window decals and in other forms, but I want to know its origin. It’s a brilliantly designed subliminal political propaganda tool. After seeing them on cars in front of me, what tipped me off was the subliminal cross in the red and white section of the flag. Why is there a faint white section perpendicular to the red and white stripes? The reason is, it completes the trinity in the political message. It combines support for the troops on the good old yellow ribbon, with wrapping ourselves in the flag of patriotism and then includes God with the subliminal cross tying the war and our government/patriotism with righteousness and our divine right to continue on our current course. Wow, what a message all wrapped up in one ribbon. Support for the troops is not in any way connected to patriotism, or as some would like, blind support for the decisions of the Bush administration. The troops are the poor men and women who were sent into battle as pawns of this administration, and questioning the decision to send them is in no way questioning them. The troops didn’t make the decision to go, Bush did. Now if the Bush decision to go to war came from God, or can be connected to God in any way, then it could never be questioned. Sympathy for the troops, pride in our country and ideals, and divine right, who could ask for a more perfect and complete message?

Glen on Taxes 2004-09-13

I get tired listening to the “lower my taxes” mantra of those who are only capable of considering one issue. With no consideration of what may be affected by lowering taxes, they repeat the cry over and over as if they are in a trance and any politician, who makes the lower tax promise no matter how unrealistic, will get their vote. Remember George H.W. Bush “Read My Lips, No New Taxes”. The desire for immediate gratification makes the masses support anyone who offers them a few hundred dollars now with no concern for the long term economic health of our country, economy or their own economic future. Sometimes a few dollars in their pocket now can cost many times more in the future. The George W. Bush tax cut, giving everyone a few hundred dollars is a great example of this. Now the budget deficits are creating the largest debt in history and we will just have to pay it back with interest. Keep this in mind; a huge portion of our federal tax burden is debt service. This is the debt we must pay back because of past budget deficits. If we were to continue the budget surpluses achieved during the Clinton administration and pay down the national debt, we could remove the debt service portion of our tax burden permanently. Biting the bullet and having the patience for delayed gratification, would give us the largest tax cut in history and it would be permanent, it just wouldn’t happen today.

The question is not how much you pay in taxes, but is your money being spent wisely? Are we properly caring for our country and its citizens? Are we investing in the future or throwing the money away? Remember the phrase fiscal responsibility? Many politicians say it, but few understand the concept.

What is the root difference between the Republican and Democratic philosophy and approach? It comes down to this, on all issues, finance, education, security, etc. the Republicans employ a strategy optimized for maximum short term gain and the Democratic approach is optimized for maximum long term gain. If we can assume the world will not come to a sudden end sometime soon, the long term strategy should work better for us.

From http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/27387/index.php

Glen on Spin, Lies, 527s and Viet Nam 2004-08-23

The debate about 527 group ads has escalated but all the arguments seem to be missing some basic points.

First and most important is the difference between SPIN and LIE. Politicians spin. In fact, they are expected to spin. Every political issue can be viewed from many different sides. Statistics can be produced and historical perspective offered that will support almost any political position. The politician is expected to take the information that supports his position and bring it up, that’s spin, not make it up, that’s a lie.

In the case of the two “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” ads and one book, to date there is no evidence to support their position. A good example of how this group is intentionally misleading, is their inclusion in the first TV commercial of former soldiers saying “I served with John Kerry” when these men did not in fact serve with Kerry. This is not spin or even a statement of a political position, it’s a lie.

The pattern of lies from this group has sparked a debate about 527 groups and if they should be allowed to run ads at all. We enjoy freedom of speech in the US and that freedom should apply to everyone, including 527 groups. However, in an ordinary political ad, a 527 ad or anywhere else, opinion should never be misrepresented as fact and any misrepresentation should be open to legal action. In the current political and legal environment these groups can produce ads that say anything, even if it is an obvious lie, knowing that by the time any legal challenge is settled, the election will be over, the organization may be disbanded and the settlement worthless. The only option is to have a separate legal pathway to deal with these challenges with no wait and an immediate penalty. If the court determines the group was clearly expressing an opinion, fine, no penalty. If they can back up their claims with legitimate statistics, evidence, or other means, fine, no penalty. If it can be determined that the ad is misleading, they should be required to stop broadcasting the ad and begin airing a retraction that appears two times for each time the original ad aired before it was stopped. This can help discourage these misleading ads from appearing in the first place, but only if the organizations producing them are prevented from escaping the retraction requirement by declaring bankruptcy or disbanding the organization.

Now, how does this all relate to the 2004 presidential election? Over the past few days, this debate over the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” ads has moved the political campaigns and media coverage away from Iraq, the economy or other pressing issues, making these “Swift Boat” ads and consequently Kerry’s Viet Nam service record the major campaign issue. This is a masterful distraction by the GOP. The successes of the Bush administration on any of the current issues have been nonexistent and the poll numbers on these issues are poor. Strategy? Move the discussion to another topic as much as possible. This strategy works well and GOP representatives are willing to discuss the “Swift Boat” ads and Kerry’s Viet Nam record endlessly until the discussion eventually turns around to the question of the Bush service record or the lack of it. This is a question that has never been resolved and no documentation has ever been found to confirm that he completed his service. The GOP representatives’ standard response when the discussion seems to drift in a direction that may harm them is “We shouldn’t be talking about Viet Nam”. A good example of this appeared on the August 22^nd, 2004 broadcast of Meet the Press. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5772535 Tim Russert and other reporters or interviewers allow themselves to be steered by these techniques and do no service to the viewers when this happens.

Get the George W. Bush Piñata at

http://www.seeyageorge.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cat=11&cart=373837

Glen on Terror Alerts 2004-07-22

The two most recent major terror alerts announced on TV have much in common. The first alert announced by Ashcroft and the second announced by Ridge were both based on no new information and suggested no special action be taken. So where is the alert? It seems the key to the alert can be found in the timing. The GOP works hard to maintain a certain level of media presence and control. The loss of this media dominance is the real source of the alert. In the first case (Ashcroft) the announcement comes just after Bush delivers a speech that none of the major TV networks air. The media just isn’t interested and the GOP media presence is crumbling until the alert catapults Bush administration members back into the headlines. The second case (Ridge) is offered just after Kerry announces Edwards as his VP choice. In this week Kerry/Edwards dominated the news for three straight days until the alert replaced them with Bush administration members. The strategy uses the terror alert like a wild card to be used anytime the standard play isn’t working. It’s a media alert, not a terror alert!

(UPDATE 2004-08-02)

A new terror alert is broadcast on August 1^st, 2004. This alert follows the same timing as the previous alerts, arriving on the weekend following the Democratic National Convention. The Bush administration has had little face time in the media because of the convention until; yes you guessed it, TERROR ALERT! This alert is a bit different however. After criticism that the previous two alerts were based on no new or specific information, this alert we are told is based on very specific information from multiple sources. We are told about specific locations and even specific buildings. Imagine a terrorist organization foolish enough to give us such specific information and imagine an administration foolish enough to immediately alert the terrorists that we have information of this specificity so any chance of surprise and capture of the terrorists is destroyed. There are three possible scenarios here that I can specify;

The specific information is true and these terrorists are the inspiration for the next “Dumb & Dumber” movie.

The specificity is added to the alerts by the administration because of past criticism of non-specific threats.

The information is intentionally specific to mislead us and we are falling for it hook, line and sinker.

The first option is not very likely, and either of the other two specified, could be more frightening than the threat of terror itself. What we do know for sure, is that this specific threat has filled the press with speeches from every GOP official. This same press, behaving as if they received the GOP talking points memo regarding the use if the terms “specific threat” and “specificity”, followed along like lemmings making the point about the threat being specific, until I couldn’t listen any longer. It seemed as I watched the news of this report on the day it was released, that the reporters could not get through a single sentence without using those specific key words. I have specifically done the same here to make my point.

Doesn’t it make you want to yell; ENOUGH ALREADY!

(UPDATE 2004-08-03)

As I suspected, the August 1 terror warning appears to be more like another media warning. Officials admit that most of the information used to justify this warning is more than three years old. In fact, most of this information about targets was collected by al Qaeda before September 11^th, 2001. There are many news reports about this OLD information like http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5581230/ and I am sure the story will continue to develop. It’s distressing that on Monday August 2^nd the mainstream news like the NBC Today Show for example devoted the opening of the show and the news that followed in their first 10 minutes to the new terror alert. This space is always reserved for the hottest story of the day. On August 3^rd, the opening of the show and the news that followed included no mention of the newly learned detail, that this terror information may be outdated. There was mention of the alert, but only a passing mention. The hottest story on Monday falls off the radar when we find information to challenge it on Tuesday.

(UPDATE several days later)

After criticism that the intelligence which sparked the latest terror alert was outdated, the media obediently runs stories of new intelligence discoveries. They can’t offer any details related to the new intelligence, but say over and over that the “information is being described as RECENT”. Yes, just like the response to the “non-specific” threats being followed up by the overemphasized “SPECIFIC” threats, “RECENT” is a great response to “outdated”.

(UPDATE 2004-08-10)

After Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan’s July arrested in Pakistan, Khan provided information that would lead to other al Qaeda operatives throughout the world. He was cooperative and in fact acting as a double agent. All this ended, when the US announced the new, raised terror alert on August 1^st, and related the new information to the arrest of Khan, leaking his name to newspapers. This outing of an informant not only causes the intelligence information stream to dry up, but also puts the life of Khan and any other current or potential informants in jeopardy. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5924648

(UPDATE 2004-08-13)

Remember that same August 1^st terror alert? Speaking on condition of anonymity a US official said "I have not seen an indication of an imminent operation".

I’ll ask the question again, TERROR ALERT or MEDIA ALERT?

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040813_108.html

(UPDATE 2004-09-08)

In yet another attempt to control the media and in this case draw our attention away from another story, Tom Ridge announces a new terror warning, minutes after the news breaks that the US military death toll in Iraq reaches 1000.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152&slug=Ridge%20Terrorism

(UPDATE 2004-10-08)

Here we go again! A terror alert was issued to schools, that is based on month old data found in Iraq, all of which can be easily found on the internet. The Alert comes just after the final Duelfer report (see #240 & #244 above) that says Iraq had no WMDs and no active programs to develop them. Why let the press run the Duelfer story, when they can be distracted with a TERROR ALERT?

Book Shelf (Click to purchase from amazon.com)

(Visit My Post-Election Page at www.wwmeli.org/PostElection)

Visit Post-Election 06 Archives www.wwmeli.org/PostElection/06

Visit Post-Election 05 Archives www.wwmeli.org/PostElection/05

^{BlogUniverse TheBlogSite eTalkingHead}