Why does Laura Bush hate veterans?

About 30 Oregon veterans who support Democrat John Kerry for president were rebuffed Tuesday when they showed up at a Republican rally in hopes of delivering a letter to first lady Laura Bush criticizing the war in Iraq. - AP

Read More......

What is this, Florida?

President Bush and interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi insisted last week that Iraq would go ahead with elections scheduled for January, despite continuing violence. 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. - TIME

Read More......

Bush fought to deny health care to National Guardsmen

President Bush got out there and lied the other day about how he is all for extending more health care coverage to National Guard and Reserve forces. In fact, Bush has repeatedly KILLED legislation that would let Guardsmen and Reservists buy into the military's health care plan in order to guarantee them health care during their ENTIRE stint with the Guard.

But hey, Bush jokes when these guys are dying. Should we really be surprised he doesn't give a damn about their health care when they're alive? The treatment of our troops by this administration is despicable. Read More......

CBS Evening News: THE DRAFT

UPDATE: CBS now has the transcript of the story online here.

Ok, who's been telling you for days now that this issue is bubbling up? :-) My favorite quote from the CBS broadcast? A Bush-2000 voter saying:

Would she vote for a Democrat? "Absolutely," she says. "I would vote for Howdy Doody if I thought it would keep my boys home and safe."

Watch the video here.

PS One of the folks in the comments posted a horrifying thought about that quote above....
Read More......

George Bush thinks 1,000 American dead in Iraq is all a big joke

At some point, the jokes need to end. At some point, the president of the United States will be approached by a vet or a soldier in uniform or the wife of a man who's now dead in Iraq, and they'll say to him, "Mr. President, the death of over 1,000 Americans in Iraq is not a joke."

It's hardly clear that date is anywhere near upon us. President Bush simply cannot discuss the war in Iraq without cracking a joke. Where are the WMD, you ask, that we risked 130,000 American lives to find? The president responds with a joke. Why don't you have a clear-cut plan for how to win the war and get our troops out of danger in Iraq? The president responds with a joke.

Men lose their limbs and George Bush says "flip flop, flip flop." Men and women lose their spouses and George Bush responds "flip flop, flip flop." Kids are losing their parents and their brothers and their sisters, and all George Bush can do is read a note card with a joke about John Kerry's supposed flip-flopping yet again, regardless of what Kerry actually said. The joke is always there and always ready, and always read.

It doesn't matter the question. It doesn't matter how dire the situation. Bush always responds with a joke because he has no answer to the increasing disaster that is our occupation in Iraq. He has no idea what we're doing there, and he has no idea how to get us out of there. So rather than deal with the reality of the situation, rather than confront the problem head on and perhaps, for once, admit that a problem actually exists, admit that 1,000 troops dying and more on the way is hardly "Mission Accomplished," we get a joke from the commander in chief and a big hearty laugh from the crowd.

In the end, the big joke will be on every single American who votes for this man. Our soldiers are dying in Iraq, and more are on the way, with no end in sight, and no strategy in sight. At some point people are going to wake up to this fact, but by that point the joke will be on us. Read More......

30% of soldiers fail to report for duty in Iraq/Afgh

Oh yeah, no shortage of personnel here. Bush/Cheney have so pissed off, abused, and demoralized our soldiers that they're simply refusing to show up when called back to duty.

Thirty percent of former U.S. soldiers who have been called back to duty involuntarily to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan have failed to report on time, and eight have been declared AWOL, the Army said Tuesday.

Read More......

READ THIS ENTIRE ARTICLE

I've tried to copy a few excerpts from this incredibly moving and horrifying article about our soldiers wounded in Iraq, but honestly, I can't do the story justice. Read this entire thing, then go to the Web page and copy THE ENTIRE STORY and email it to all of your friends. This is horrifying. And it's the face of what's to come if we re-elect George Bush.

At the U.S. military hospital on a wooded hilltop here, the cost of the Iraq war is measured in amputated limbs, burst eyeballs, shrapnel-torn bodies and shattered lives.

They're the seriously wounded U.S. soldiers who arrive daily at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a growing human toll that belies American election talk of improving times in Iraq....

They're convinced U.S. soldiers will be fighting, dying and getting maimed in Iraq for many years to come....

Hecker retired from the military years ago but recently left his lucrative private practice in Detroit to save lives at Landstuhl.

"I'm here for him — nobody else," he says, pointing to the soldier. "I didn't come here for my government."

He pauses, then blurts out: "Bush is an idiot."

Immediately, he regrets having said that about the U.S. president, and makes clear he's been under enormous stress.

He describes taking a bullet out of the neck of an 18-year-old soldier six days ago, a wound that left the young man a quadriplegic.

"It's terrible, terrible, terrible," Hecker says. "When we talked to him, he just cried."

"If it was me, I'd tell them to take me off the machine," he says. He then considers his job and adds, "I'll never be the same mentally." ....

In another room, 23-year-old Mark Romero from the army's Third Brigade is also nursing a broken arm. A mechanic who served 11 months in Iraq, he snapped a bone trying to stop a 230 kilogram metal door from falling on a fellow soldier.

Lodged in his back is a piece of shrapnel from mortars that rained through the roof of the gym at the U.S. base in Mosul, northern Iraq, while Romero was working out.

He says the question constantly asked by soldiers is: "What are we doing there?"....

If Americans understood what was really going on in Iraq, they'd pressure Bush to be clearer about "why we're really fighting," he says.

"The war on terror wasn't in Iraq till we went there," he says. "We initially went there to topple Saddam (Hussein) and then all these damn terrorists came in."

As a soldier, he describes himself as "almost a political prisoner" in the sense that he can't express himself on whether he believes U.S. soldiers should stay in Iraq.

But his 33-year-old wife, Cheryl, has no qualms about speaking her mind.

"The army is not going to like what I have to say, but I think we have no business being there," she says about Iraq.

She too comes from a family with a long military tradition and works as a civilian at her husband's military base in Texas. She voted for Bush in 2000, but now says Democratic challenger John Kerry will get her support.

"I will definitely vote for Kerry, not because I prefer Kerry over Bush but because I don't want Bush back in office. I'm hoping that if Kerry takes office, we'll be pulling out" of Iraq, she says.

Cheryl believes Bush misled the country to war, arguing he diverted resources from far greater threats to U.S. interests, including the hunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Asked why Bush launched the war, she says: "I think he wanted to fill his dad's shoes. I think he felt he had something to prove."

If the point of the war was to remove Saddam from power, then Bush's father, former president George Bush, should have done so in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, in which Daniels also fought.

Increasing Cheryl's anger is the fact the army did little to help her contact her wounded husband.

She paid for her flight to Germany, and is staying at the Fisher House, a privately funded agency that offers virtually free accommodation in Landstuhl to the families of injured soldiers.

Infuriated by what she sees as a misleading president, an unnecessary war and a heartless military, Cheryl vows to break the Daniels' family tradition of serving their country. Her 12-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter are already talking of enlisting one day, but Cheryl won't hear of it.

"We've paid our dues," she says.

Read More......

Why can't Bush talk about Iraq without a cheat sheet?

I'm watching PBS' "The News Hour" from last night and Bush is AGAIN using a cheat sheet when talking about Iraq. EVERY SINGLE TIME this man does a public event and speak abouts the details of Iraq and the details of the situation in Iraq, and the details of his criticism of John Kerry's position, HE LOOKS DOWN AT HIS NOTES. Seriously, check out it - at every town meeting he can't speak off the cuff without a cheat sheet. The man literally has no idea what he's saying. Read More......

Are the Amish ready to be drafted?

The Bush team has been hitting hard for the Amish vote, using gay marriage and other social issues. Bush is hoping that the Amish will ignore their inherent pacificism and support the warmonger. Well, a recent letter to the editor points out a very interesting issue the Amish may not have thought about. Vote for Bush and your boys and girls get drafted. It'll serve them right.

LANCASTER NEW ERA (LANCASTER, PA.)
September 24, 2004, Friday

Military draft for Amish?

To the Editor:

As a veteran of the Korean War, I served my country well and I am still serving in my retirement. I got involved at the local VA hospital. I love the work I do. There are so many needs there.

War is not a pretty sight when you see all the needs. As I visit the sick and the hospice ward; not a pretty sight, at all.

If the Amish want to vote, good. But then, start the draft and draft their sons. That would be a no-no for them. I had no choice; I was drafted. I enjoyed my stay in the service and I enjoy what I am doing now. But we need a new leader.

Bush and Cheney have to go. We need new leadership. One who is for the everyday working men and women, not the rich and those who don't pay their share of taxes.

Wake up, America.
James A. Murphy
Lancaster

Read More......

Zogby OBLITERATES Gallup and all the other pro-Bush polls

Thanks to Helen H. for posting this link. This will answer ALL your questions about why the polls have been FALSELY showing Kerry so far behind. The bastards. In a nusthell, many of the polls out there "assume" that a fewer percentage of Dems than Repugs will be voting next month. This in spite of the fact that historically Dems outnumber Republicans at the polls. The difference this makes? Zogby says it's all the difference between a supposed 11-point lead and a REAL 2-point lead.

Here's what Zogby had to say about all of this:

I have checked out Newsweek's poll. Their sample of registered voters includes 38% Republican, 31% Democrat and 31% Independent voters. If we look at the three last Presidential elections, the spread was 34% Democrats, 34% Republicans and 33% Independents (in 1992 with Ross Perot in the race); 39% Democrats, 34% Republicans, and 27% Independents in 1996; and 39% Democrats, 35% Republicans and 26% Independents in 2000. While party identification can indeed change within the electorate, there is no evidence anywhere to suggest that Democrats will only represent 31% of the total vote this year. In fact, other competitors have gone in the opposite direction. The Los Angeles Times released a poll in June of this year with 38% Democrats and only 25% Republicans. And Gallup's party identification figures have been all over the place.

This is no small consideration. Given the fact that each candidate receives anywhere between eight in ten and nine in ten support from voters in his own party, any change in party identification trades point for point in the candidate's total support. My polls use a party weight of 39% Democrat, 35% Republican and 26% Independent. Thus in examining the Newsweek poll, add three points for Mr. Bush because of the percentage of Republicans in their poll, then add another 8% for Mr. Bush for the reduction in Democrats. It is not hard to see how we move from my two-point lead to their eleven-point lead for the President.

Read More......

Volunteer to help the election

Go to ACT's Web site and volunteer. Please :-) Read More......

Bush's hometown paper endorses Kerry

AP:

A tiny weekly newspaper that bills itself as President Bush's hometown paper has endorsed John Kerry for president, saying the Massachusetts senator will restore American dignity.

The Lone Star Iconoclast, which has a weekly circulation of 425, said in an editorial dated Sept. 29 that Texans should rate the candidates not by hometown or political party, but by where they intend to take the country.

"Four items trouble us the most about the Bush administration: his initiatives to disable the Social Security system, the deteriorating state of the American economy, a dangerous shift away from the basic freedoms established by our founding fathers, and his continuous mistakes regarding Iraq," the editorial said.

The Iconoclast, established in 2000, said it editorialized in support of the invasion of Iraq and publisher W. Leon Smith promoted Bush and the invasion in a BBC interview, believing Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

"Instead we were duped into following yet another privileged agenda," the editorial said.

Read More......

Spring Fashion Preview

Jenna & Barbara model next spring's hottest new (and compulsory) look for young Americans aged 18 to 26. It's what all the kids will be wearing. And we hear it's a look to die for.



PS I created this photo, it's not real - some folks had thought the girls were actually campaigning in fatigues. But, if Bush gets re-elected, J & B and all the rest of you girls (and boys) will be wearing them soon enough. Read More......

Gallup found skewing their polls towards Bush, BIG TIME

Ok, you want to know why some recent polls seemed so darn awful for Kerry? Check this out. Gallup, who has been supplying polling data to USA Today and CNN, has been assuming that 43% of those who vote in November will be Republican, and only 31% will be Democrats. And what's more, even though the Democrats have been showing a recent record increase in voter registration, Gallup actually recently LOWERED the percentage of Democratic voters they expect to vote. So, when you run a poll and interview 12% more Republicans than Democrats, it is any surprise the Republican wins?

It's time to get the other media to start writing about this brewing scandal.

And, lest anyone forget, I'm going to keep posting this chart from PollingReport.com of how 23 of 26 polls in 2000 showed Bush winning the popular vote in the 3 days before the election (and two of the polls had Bush winning by 9 points!). And we all know who actually won the popular vote. Believe the polls at your own peril.

Read More......

The lastest on Alan Keyes' daughter

Well, it seems that Alan Keyes' campaign is not outright denying that his daughter is a selfish hedonist. At least that's what the NY Daily News reports this morning.

The Illinois Leader has more on the story. Basically, Keyes was supposed to talk about the issue last night and ended up refusing to say a word. Read More......

George Bush, can you hear me NOW? Good

Well, AMERICAblog's little story yesterday about a very drunk Jenna Bush staggering through a DC bar Saturday night made its way into the Washington Post today! And it even included a mention of AMERICAblog. And who says your tips never go to good use :-)

. . . Meanwhile, at Another Washington Bar

• First daughter Jenna Bush was back at one of her favorite hangouts Saturday night, drinking in the atmosphere with about 20 friends at Smith's Point in Georgetown. A witness tells us the revelry included shots and beer. Without confirming specific libations consumed, owner Bo Blair told us yesterday, "It's a bar -- people drink." But: "No problems. Nothing out of the ordinary. . . . They're a really nice group. Jenna's super-sweet."

As the night wore on, the party-loving twin "started to cover her face with her hair," the witness says, elaborating on a report that appeared yesterday on AMERICAblog.org. As much as they love drinking themselves, those bloggers seem to love writing about drinking even more.

Read More......

Guess who these guys are voting for?

The airlines are at it again. They're laying the groundwork to dramatically cut back pension benefits for their retirees. I'm so sick of these lying bastards blaming employee salaries for their problems. Airline employees have taken huge pay cuts and have been laid off by the thousands. Labor costs are so predictable in this industry that good management and planning should more than compensate.

You can't blame 9-11 either. Congress staged a MASSIVE, $15 billion bailout -- a blank check for corporate executives to help them get their houses in order.

You COULD blame the grossly incompetent security monitoring that diverts flights when Cat Stevens gets on the plane. You COULD blame the ABSOLUTELY INSANE cost of fuel right now, since oil sits at $50 a barrel -- thanks to the terrorist actions drummed up by our president's ridiculous war and his insistence that America never ever do anything to eliminate their dependence on oil. (Bush doesn't raise taxes, he raises the cost of living instead.)

Of course, these arguments, while accurate, require a little nuance. So we can forget about any of the GOP wanting us to think about it. This is reason alone to get rid of the president. But apparently people are too scared to vote against this president -- apparently the message "terrorists will hit us if you vote for that pussy Kerry" resonates.

Eliminating pension benefits, to me at least, is worse than breaking a promise. To me, it is the face of evil -- it tells people who have already put in their time that they and their families must suffer for current mismanagement. Of course, the CEO's making these decisions will never, ever have to worry about health care or anything else for their families while they run their companies into the ground.

Think about it -- have you ever, EVER heard an airline CEO call on the president to fight for lower prices of oil? To reduce energy costs? To encourage conservation? Energy costs are easily the most volatile threat to the airline industry. And they won't say a word about it. They're too busy blaming someone who worked hard for 30 years, and just wants the health care coverage he or she was promised.

Let energy costs skyrocket, but fuck workers and retirees. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Read More......

Healthcare costs for workers under Bush: 36% rise versus 12% rise in earnings

Sure, there's no problem at all. Another "nothing to see, move on" situation that probably is best resolved by corporate America who has performed most admirably in recent years and has so much credibility with the public. I'm just happy to see that CEO and executive pay packages have also dropped in line with benefits and pay of workers. Be sure and check out the comments from the friendly Heritage Foundation. You will feel the compassion.

The number of Americans spending more than a quarter of their income on medical costs climbed from 11.6 million in 2000 to 14.3 million this year...

The news comes as many companies are dropping medical coverage entirely or trimming their benefit packages, while taxpayers are subsidizing millions of people below the poverty line who have enrolled in the state-run Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program, a separate survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found.

"The cost of family health insurance is rapidly approaching the gross earnings of a full-time minimum-wage worker," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive of the nonprofit foundation, which compiled the data.

From 2001 to 2004, the proportion of workers receiving health coverage through an employer fell from 65 percent to 61 percent, according to the latest Kaiser data. That decline translated into 5 million fewer jobs providing health benefits, with the sharpest drop in small businesses.

For four straight years, Americans have paid double-digit increases in health insurance premiums, bringing the price for a typical family of four to nearly $10,000. Premiums paid by workers in 26 states and the District climbed 40 percent, according to Families USA. Premium increases in Virginia and Maryland rose at a lower rate but were still 2.4 times the average rise in earnings.

Read More......

"The perfect storm" for oil prices

With oil prices jumping over the $50 mark, I would like to see Kerry jump on this issue. It's clear that Bush does not have a plan for this yet the impact is so far reaching for everything from corporate profits to prices at the pump to global security. Supporting cheats and thugs such as Obasanjo and shady governments such as Angola is only creating new problems and not solving the basic problem of oil dependence. We need a serious long term plan.
Read More......