Thursday, September 30, 2004

Fox is running the show

Politics News Article | Reuters.com: "Fox News Channel, whose turn it is under a rotation system to operate the 'pool' cameras for all the networks in the first debate on Thursday in Coral Gables, Florida, said it would follow its own editorial judgment in operating its cameras. "

Keep this in mind tonight.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Couldn't Have Said It Any Better Himself

washingtonpost.com: Couldn't Have Said It Any Better Himself

Maybe puppet is a strong word for Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi, but this editorial by the Post's Dana Milbank shows that much of Allawi's speech was eerily familiar. I would guess that Bush's little evangelical speech writer, Michael Gersen, is behind this one.

There is little doubt that Allawi was brought here at this time to aid Bush's reelection. He deserves a lot of credit for being willing to lead Iraq during these times, but let's remember who gave him the job.

Prewar Assessment on Iraq Saw Chance of Strong Divisions

The New York Times > Washington > Prewar Assessment on Iraq Saw Chance of Strong Divisions:
"The same intelligence unit that produced a gloomy report in July about the prospect of growing instability in Iraq warned the Bush administration about the potential costly consequences of an American-led invasion two months before the war began, government officials said Monday."

So, can Bush say that he "miscalculated" the problems in "post-war" Iraq if he had a good idea from this report of what the problems were likely to be?

Note that the CIA guy responsible for the prewar assessment and the recent estimate, Pillar, was the subject of a recent Robert Novak editorial. It sounds like Pillar's a little peeved over Bush saying that the CIA was "just guessing."

Monday, September 27, 2004

Alleged Re-Enlistment Threats

CBS 4 Denver: Degette Seeks Inquiry Into Alleged Re-Enlistment Threats

It's being reported that soldiers are being required to re-enlist or risk being sent to sent to Iraq.

Do we really need a formal draft if we can take advantage of our citizen soldiers, the National Guard, as well as issuing stop-loss orders and now things like this?

Rigging the Iraqi Elections?

TIME.com: How Much U.S. Help? -- Oct. 04, 2004

But U.S. officials tell TIME that the Bush team ran into trouble with another plan involving those elections — a secret "finding" written several months ago proposing a covert CIA operation to aid candidates favored by Washington.

So let's add this to Rumsfeld's "so be it" on not all Iraqi's being able to vote in the election, and we are going to have a real problem with the legitimacy of this election.

Agencies Postpone Issuing New Rules Until After Election

The New York Times > Business > Agencies Postpone Issuing New Rules Until After Election

One of many problems with this Administration.

Slow rolling takes place before a presidential election because it is an axiom of political life that agencies take no action that could give an issue to the opponents of the incumbent administration....
While that rhythm to rule making is inevitable, some experts say that this year there are an unusually large number of controversial proposals, and that they reflect both the tightness in the polls and the strong industry ties to the White House. Those groups and others have prevailed upon policy makers to delay some decisions in the hopes of killing some proposals and relaxing some other rules after the election.


So, they don't want to release the changes in rules and regulations that are heavily skewed to the interests of large corporations and are bound to hurt the consumer. Included in this wad of changes we should expect to see after the election is the relaxation of FCC rules limiting the control of large media conglomerates.

Let's just remember who they think of first.

Friday, September 24, 2004

Twisting the Truth (washingtonpost.com)

Twisting the Truth (washingtonpost.com)

EJ Dionne in the Washington Post:

Speaking of curtains, Bush deserves a curtain call and perhaps an award from Hollywood for how he manages to translate Kerry's promise that he would increase taxes only on Americans who earn more than $200,000 a year into a tax increase on everybody. "He says he's going to tax the rich," Bush said on Wednesday in King of Prussia, Pa. "Rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason -- to stick you with the bill. We're not going to let him tax you, because we're going to win in November."

So a president who signed all kinds of provisions to help wealthy taxpayers turns around, blames the lawyers and -- presto! -- Kerry, by implication and association, becomes a friend of the wealthy who want to raise your taxes. Clever? Manipulative? You decide.


And he ends the column with this:

A very intelligent political reporter I know said the other night that Republicans simply run better campaigns than Democrats. If I were given a free pass to stretch the truth to the breaking point, I could run a pretty good campaign, too.

So true.

Tax(cut) and spend

The New York Times > Washington > Congress Approves a Bill to Extend Bush's Tax Cuts

I'm all for a tax cut and who isn't? But in these times of rising deficits and war costs, don't you think some way to pay for the tax cut might have been a good idea?

Democrats had made it clear they would vote to extend the tax cuts, but they tried during the conference committee to attach amendments that would have paid for them with either a surcharge on families with incomes above $1 million or by closing some corporate tax shelters.

A good idea, but let's remember who controls the Congress. And so what can the Dems do but vote for it? Election-year blackmail.

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Airport screeners missed weapons

USATODAY.com - Airport screeners missed weapons

Consider this: securing a democracy in Afghanistan and securing the homeland vs. $200 billion in Iraq.

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Where has it gone so wrong?

Today, I was exposed to the most disturbing thing I have ever seen (or heard). And I, like a lot of America, watched the events of 9/11 unfold before my eyes on live national TV. Today at work, someone streamed the video of the latest beheading in Iraq. I didn’t want to see it, but my desk faces in such a way, that all I needed to do was turn my head, and there it was. I have to admit, there was some gruesome fascination at first, but it quickly turned into complete horror. I turned my head away, but not before certain images were burned into my mind, and the sound is something that I pray to God I will never hear again. That is all the further I will go, because no one else should be subjected to this.

There were other people watching, some in horror, some in gripped fascination. I heard co-workers saying things like “We need to get Bush back in office, and just drop the bomb on the entire area.” I then stepped outside for some fresh air, because I was still reeling, and was physically and mentally hurting. While I was outside, thoughts came flooding into my mind.

First of all, a few years ago, there were a number of beheadings of homeless people here in Denver. It barely hit the news. Few people remember it happening, or had even heard about it. Without trying to sound callous, because any type of action like this is reprehensible, I want to try and understand why this one man’s life seemed so much more important than multiple lives in downtown Denver, when they were killed in the same way. One was committed by politically motivated extremists, who don’t seem to hold human life in high value, even their own. The other was committed by a person, or persons, who live in the same city as me, who could be walking down the street, saying hello, shaking my hand. I am suddenly terrified by people around me. How can we say we are better than them, when our actions disprove it every day? People are murdered, raped, and beaten in the most brutal ways right here in our own country, for no other reason than for possessions, stature, or for the simple pleasure of the act. At least those in Iraq had the motive of war, oppression, or any number of reasons, either imagined or real. I am not saying those in Iraq who committed this horrible act were justified; murder is murder, no matter where it takes place.

Second, what is wrong with us, that this type of video is entertainment? Are we so jaded in the U.S., that we can watch this type of thing, that we feel it is necessary to watch this type of thing? And what kind of person would even post this on their website? I have never been more disgusted with our society.

Third, when you vote in November, vote by issues, not by emotion. Do not let the image of innocent Americans, or innocents of any nationality, being murdered, make you vote in a certain way. Bush in office will not stop this from happening, and Kerry in office won’t make it happen. These are atrocities committed by people we do not understand; in a culture and a society most of us will never know. Putting Kerry in office will strengthen our international ties, and bring us allies in a time when we really need them. With true international understanding, we can start to make true change, help other nations understand us, and help us understand other nations. Only with this kind of unity will we truly defeat terrorism. It is said, “United we stand, divided we fall.” This has never been more true.

Monday, September 20, 2004

CBS's Distracting Screw-Up

Make no mistake, CBS, Dan Rather, et al. have screwed up big-time when it comes to reporting documents that were from a questionable source, not double and triple-checking their veracity, and then trying to stick to their story. Today's apology comes too late. Heads should roll.

The real problem is that the Democrats will pay the price for CBS's mistake. The controversy over the forged documents has already served as a distraction to the thrust of the story that most already believe to be true: that President Bush got preferential treatment to get into the Guard, and then once there he shirked his responsibility. CBS did not need the documents to make their case. Instead of arguing this, though, we are now consumed with how somebody was trying to frame Bush and who should take the fall at CBS. And people are already trying to point the finger at the Kerry Campaign.

The mistake made by CBS was their own doing. We should not allow this to distract us from the important issues in this race.

Unfortunately, CBS has decided to admit their mistake on the day that Kerry gives a major speech on his plan for Iraq. We know which issue will get more press.

Colorado voters: Vote against Amendment 36

Rocky Mountain News: Opinion

Amendment 36 would require the state to allocate its nine electoral votes in proportion to the statewide popular vote instead of giving all of them to the winner. If it passes, Colorado would be the first state in the nation to have such a system.

There are many, many reasons why this is a bad idea. The only reason it seems favorable to some is that under such a system Al Gore would have won the 2000 election. But it would be the wrong choice. Consider if it went the other way in 2004 election.

The fact is that the United States of America is a republic and that the people are best served when the states retain their power. Splitting our electoral votes means that we would never see a Presidential contender again in Colorado. We would never be a swing state like we appear to be in this race. The electoral college defends less populace states from the population centers. I think there is room for tweaking the system, but doing away with it is a crazy idea.

Note that the group pushing this initiative is from California, yet they have not tried to push this idea there because it would mean splitting California's 55 electoral votes, which would all go to Kerry in this election.

States' rights are critical to maintaining a republic of this size and any effort to dilute our power should be stopped.

UPDATE
For further reading:
Coloradans to Consider Splitting Electoral College Votes
Plan would hurt small states (Note: Gov. Bill Owens (R) editoral.)
Colorado Initiative Could Be Key to Presidential Race
Colorado eyes electoral college

Quick exit from Iraq is likely

Quick exit from Iraq is likely

Inside the Bush administration policymaking apparatus, there is strong feeling that U.S. troops must leave Iraq next year. This determination is not predicated on success in implanting Iraqi democracy and internal stability. Rather, the officials are saying: Ready or not, here we go.

Pulling the troops out of Iraq, whether by Bush or Kerry, before controlling the situation there would be a serious mistake. Would we really want to admit defeat?

Remember the picture in Iraq is bleak, according to the government's own estimate. Injuries and fatalities are up. The fact is that our intelligence is failing us again. We don't have the intelligence on the ground to help us root out the "insurgents." And Bush continues to try and convince us that things are improving. He thought that by "handing over" control of Iraq to the new government would mean that we would all forget that we still have troops there dying daily. The war is far from over there and we need clearly to step up our efforts. But the American people don't want to hear that we might call up reserves to fix a situation that we walked into. Stepping up military action would mean that "major combat operations" are not over, and that Bush was wrong again. With Kerry bringing Bush's post-election plans for this to light, I can only assume that the administration is using Bob Novak again to try and counter Kerry's attacks of the past week.

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Kerry slams Bush over economy

USATODAY.com - Kerry slams Bush over economy

So many great bits in Kerry's speech yesterday to the Detroit Economic Club:

And after four years of hearing no from this President – no, it’s not our fault; no, there’s nothing wrong; no, we can’t do better; no, we haven’t made a single mistake – it’s time for a president who will start saying yes.

At that convention in New York the other week, President Bush talked about his ownership society. Well Mr. President, when it comes to your record, we agree – you own it.

In fact, this President has created more excuses than jobs.

We know the truth. George Bush’s failed record is the result of George Bush’s failed policies.

You can even say that George Bush is proud of the fact that not even failure can cause him to change his mind.

These are only the juicy bits; there was a lot of substance in his speech as well.

He also gives his detailed economic plan in the Wall Street Journal.

Pre-emptive Paranoia

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Pre-emptive Paranoia

While I'm not a big fan of Maureen Dowd, this is pretty good.

Here's how bad off the Democrats are: They're cowering behind closed doors, whispering that if it should ever turn out that Republicans are behind this, it would be so exquisitely Machiavellian, so beyond what Democrats are capable of, they should just fold and concede the election now - before the Republicans have to go to the trouble of stealing it again.

I've avoided jumping into this issue of the CBS report because nothing definitive has come out on the documents, but I do believe something smells a little funny here.

U.S. Intelligence Shows Pessimism on Iraq's Future

The New York Times > Washington > The Reconstruction: U.S. Intelligence Shows Pessimism on Iraq's Future

Misleading again.

As described by the officials, the pessimistic tone of the new estimate stands in contrast to recent statements by Bush administration officials, including comments on Wednesday by Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, who asserted that progress was being made.

"You know, every step of the way in Iraq there have been pessimists and hand-wringers who said it can't be done," Mr. McClellan said at a news briefing. "And every step of the way, the Iraqi leadership and the Iraqi people have proven them wrong because they are determined to have a free and peaceful future."


The report was given to Bush in late July, before things got even worse in Iraq, and still he tries to tell us things are improving.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

$3 Trillion Price Tag Left Out As Bush Details His Agenda

washingtonpost.com: $3 Trillion Price Tag Left Out As Bush Details His Agenda

A staple of Bush's stump speech is his claim that his Democratic challenger, John F. Kerry, has proposed $2 trillion in long-term spending, a figure the Massachusetts senator's campaign calls exaggerated. But the cost of the new tax breaks and spending outlined by Bush at the GOP convention far eclipses that of the Kerry plan.

Misleading the American People again.

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Cheney crosses a line

washingtonpost.com: Cheney Says 'Wrong Choice' Risks Terrorist Attack:

"'It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States,' Cheney told about 350 supporters at a town-hall meeting in this Iowa city."
These people have gone overboard here. We've gone so low as to threaten the public with terror attacks if they vote for the opponent. It's despicable.

Book: Bush once snorted cocaine at Camp David

BostonHerald.com - Election 2004 Coverage: Book: Bush once snorted cocaine at Camp David

Since the door's been opened to spreading rumors, I'm glad to pass this along.

Drudge lies

Again serving as a tool of the Bush Administration, Drudge claims Kerry is holding a shotgun with a pistol grip and he is wrong.

Drudge's photo:

Example

Another photo, with a clear view this time:

Example

A shotgun with a pistol grip:

Example

Let him know he's wrong: drudge@drudgereport.com. I did.

Sunday, September 05, 2004

RNC - Day Four

Message: Well, the message isn't quite as clear for Bush's speech. Of course there's the reiteration of themes from other nights, Kerry's a wuss, be afraid, but this speech tried to do a lot. There was the first mention of a small bit of record and an agenda for the future. Matthew Dowd spins it as hopeful, but I won't give it that. It was more about, "well, we didn't get this done, but re-elect us and we will." The most frightening part is this crusade to spread "freedom" to the Middle East. "Freedom is on the March."

The speeches:
Pataki:
Yawn. My gosh, definitely not Presidential material. Those of us who could stay awake through it actually heard for the first time the name Osama Bin Laden.

Bush:
A presidential election is a contest for the future. It is when you don't want to talk about your miserable record.
I am running with a compassionate conservative philosophy. Really? I mean really? A handful of social programs under funded does not translate as compassion.
In our world, and here at home, we will extend the frontiers of freedom. More on the new Crusade to come.
To create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the world to do business. Ah, we've mentioned jobs for the first time. But then he goes the wrong way.
To create jobs my plan will encourage investment and expansion by restraining federal spending, reducing regulation and making the tax relief permanent. Uh, not the guy to talk about spending. Regulation? Does anybody remember Neil Bush? Oh, and tax cuts again, because that'll create jobs.
To create jobs, we will make our country less dependent on foreign sources of energy. You can't really disagree with him on this, but notice how he says "energy" and not "oil."
And we must protect small-business owners and workers from the explosion of frivolous lawsuits that threaten jobs across our country. Frivolous lawsuits? Oh, that's a jab at Edwards. And in what way do lawsuits hurt small-business owners?
Another drag on our economy is the current tax code, which is a complicated mess, filled with special interest loopholes. Because, like he said, rich people have tax accountants; they don't pay taxes anyway. And is this really they guy you want pushing tax reform?
In a new term, I will lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code. Is he saying flat tax or national sales tax? Oh, boy, I hope not.
So we will double the number of people served by our principal job training program and increase funding for our community colleges. He's already cut funding for job training and the Stafford Loan program.
...we will create American opportunity zones. Haven't we been doing this for years?
As I have traveled our country I have met too many good doctors, especially OB-GYNS, who are being forced out of practice because of the high cost of lawsuits. To make health care more affordable and accessible, we must pass medical liability reform now. Am I only one that gets nervous when this President mentions OB-GYNs? I'm not really sure what he's getting at here, but I am scared of what it might be.
We must strengthen Social Security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes in a personal account, a nest egg you can call your own, and government can never take away. There'll be more comment on this in the future, but let me just say now that this would involve transition costs of maybe $2 billion. And it all depends on a strong market; it is not "secure."
We are insisting on accountability, empowering parents and teachers, and making sure that local people are in charge of their schools. Does anyone else see a contradiction when he then talks about "testing every child," or requiring "a rigorous exam before graduation?"
And then comes the Christian Right agenda:
I support welfare reform that strengthens family and requires work. "Strengthens family?" Does that mean he's only going to give welfare to two-parent households?
...we must make a place for the unborn child. No surprises here.
I support the protection of marriage against activist judges. Oh, yeah, yeah. Because it's judges you're afraid of.
And I will continue to appoint federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. This from the man who wants to appoint judges who put the "laws of God" over the text of the Constitution.

Okay, I could go line by line through most of this and come up with the same thing, but I want to look at the more frightening things in the speech.
And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all want.
We must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late.
and democracy is coming to the broader Middle East.
The terrorists are fighting freedom with all their cunning and cruelty because freedom is their greatest fear. And they should be afraid, because freedom is on the march. I believe in the transformational power of liberty: The wisest use of American strength is to advance freedom.
I believe that America is called to lead the cause of freedom in a new century. I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I believe that given the chance they will embrace the most honorable form of government ever devised by man. I believe all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world, it is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
So it's a Freedom Crusade. Is this our new foreign policy. Advancing freedom and democracy by force? This President believes it is our God-given duty to spread liberty with the use of our military power. Is this what you want for our country?

Kerry, rightfully, comes out swinging. We'll see in the next week whether or not the campaign can be effective in defending Kerry and attacking Bush-Cheney. It will be a long and ugly two months.

Thursday, September 02, 2004

Setting the stage

Pass these on:
August Retail Sales Hurt by Job Worries

Productivity Growth Falls to 18-Month Low

But then again, maybe I'm just a "girly man."

RNC - Day Three

Message for day three: Be afraid, be very afraid.

I'm glad I didn't get to watch last night's speeches live. I doubt that I would have been able to sleep. At least they're focused on their sort of one prong attack: Bush is strong and with Kerry we'll all die. Again it's proof that the Administration is out of touch with the concerns of the American People. Where's the economy in all this? Where's a vision of the future?

Hate versus Hope, people. It's that simple.

Mitt:
Don't forget it's also about 2008. And where was that something special we were supposed to see?

Zell:
Whoa, holy cow! Is this guy mad or what? Have you seen the photos? He looks a little sickly.
Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator. The President has referred to the troops in Iraq as an occupation. I hope this makes Zell mad, too.
For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. And what, they can take it away, too? Is this a threat?
U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs? I think most people understand that any senator's record can be misrepresented like this. Most of the weapons programs he mentions here were either recommended for termination by Dick Cheney, or later voted FOR by Kerry (after being stripped of pork). To have someone with his own clouded record in the senate to contend with making these charges is bit over the top. Disingenuous.
But then there's this line that really gets to me:
Our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of the Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our Commander-in-Chief. Two things: Which party uses wedge issues to separate the American people to push their social agenda? And is he accusing Kerry of treason? I am absolutely fed up with criticism of the government being equated with treason. I want a better country and I want a better president! And I say this in defense of the America I love.
So, this was the keynote speech? This was supposed to set the tone for this convention, supposed to be one of the most important speeches, and this is what they want to convey. Zell is so angry and hate-filled that I don't think they're winning any swing voters with this speech. I think this can really hurt Bush. And it should.
And check out the clip from Hardball last night to see how reasoned this man is.

Dick:
No surprises here. The same things again. If they say it enough maybe we'll believe it.
So President Bush reached across the aisle and brought both parties together to pass the most significant education reform in 40 years. With higher standards and new resources, America's schools are now on an upward path to excellence, and not for just a few children, but for every child. And then they didn't bother to fund the program.
So President Bush delivered the greatest tax reduction in a generation, and the results are clear to see. If by "greatest" they mean biggest, or most helpful to the top 1%. Which results?
Businesses are creating jobs. Overseas.
Our nation has the best health care in the world and President Bush is making it more affordable and accessible to all Americans. And what was that number on Americans who lost their health care?
I'm so glad they brought up the economy. But then it's "WAR, WAR, WAR, be scared."
The biggest threat we face today is having nuclear weapons fall into the hands of terrorists. The president is working with many countries in a global effort to end the trade and transfer of these deadly technologies. The most important result thus far, and it is a very important one, is that the black-market network that supplied nuclear weapons technology to Libya, as well as to Iran and North Korea, has been shut down. And then we enabled Pakistan to do the same. Oh, and then we pardoned them.
He talks about leading a "more sensitive war on terror"... as though Al Qaida will be impressed with our softer side. I thought we settled this one. It's "sensitive" as in "smarter," but you wouldn't understand.
And then it's more of the same.
A melodrama, really. Boos and hisses, audience participation. This is what they've reduced American politics to.

Hate night last night. And tonight they're telling us it'll be a plan for the future. Don't count on specifics. Expect more of the same, say it with me: WAR, WAR, WAR. Then maybe we'll all just be too scared to vote.

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

RNC - Day Two

Okay, I have to admit I didn't watch everything, but the day two message came through: "the Administration has heart", or 'we can be just as nice as you." Yeah, right. I think you can't counter Barack Obama with an Austrian bodybuilder turned movie star. You can't make up for the last fifty years of minority oppression by parading minority office holders across the stage.

Bill Frist:
I had him on mute. I have seen enough of him on the floor and in press conferences to know what I'm going to get. The GOP may have done themselves a disservice by putting him up there. But then again, he wasn't in prime time.

Schwarzenegger:
If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican! Uh... really?
If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican! Hmm... really?
If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican! Uh...sort of.
If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican! Well... actually, no.
If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of democracy in the world, then you are a Republican! If you say so.
And, ladies and gentlemen, if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican! Alright now you've gone to far.
Translation: "Democrats are wusses who want the terrorists to win." Not very nice.

And he actually said this:
To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: "Don't be economic girlie men!"
Translation: "If you are whining about losing your job, complaining about a stagnant economy, or don't like deficits, you are a girly man." Again, not so nice.

And read this to see who he really represents: Fox, NBC, News Corp, Paramount, Time Warner, and on and on.

The twins:
Painful to watch. College grads? Really? I know they had to put them up because the Kerry girls were in the DNC, but I wouldn't have.

Laura:
She's nice enough, but I don't think she did what they expected her to do. I don't think she softened any edges. The image of George pacing in the night over the decision to attack Iraq was nice, but I don't buy it.

Maybe the most interesting thing of the evening was that Arnold started right on the hour and Laura finished with only a couple minutes to spare. Bell to bell, they avoided giving the pundits any room for analysis. Clever.

Tonight: Cheney and turncoat Zell Miller. Don't expect much compassion tonight. Oh, and we're supposed to see something interesting from Mitt Romney.