"For Bush to grant himself this title
[War President] is an
insult to my grandfather and the inspired leaders who led this
country in wars that were just. To put it simply, George W. Bush
has not earned the right to be called a War President." -
Franklin D. Rossevelt's grandson, James Roosevelt
Jr., 10/29/2004
Army staffer:
Halliburton case 'worst abuse'"WASHINGTON - An Army contracting officer who
led the FBI to widen its investigation of Pentagon contracts to
Halliburton told NBC News that she had never seen a worse case of
contracting abuse.
"It was the worst abuse of the procurement and contracting
system that I have seen," Bunnatine Greenhouse, the Army
Corps of Engineers’ chief contracting officer, told NBC in an
exclusive interview. A brief portion of the interview aired on
MSNBC, and the full report will be on NBC Nightly News Friday."-
MSNBC News,
10/29/2004
Bush
Seeks Limit to Suits Over Voting Rights
"This is the first time in history the
Justice Department has gone to court to side against voters who
are trying to enforce their right to vote. I think this law will
mean very little if the rights of American voters have to depend
on this Justice Department," said Hebert. J. Gerald Hebert is a
former chief of the department's voting-rights section, who worked
in the voting-rights section from 1973 to 1994."
George Bush-
Irrationality & the Threat to Democracy
George Bush’s foreign &
domestic policies are irrational. The Merriam Webster online
dictionary defines "irrational" as : (1) not endowed with reason
or understanding (2) lacking usual or normal mental clarity or
coherence.
Whether it is:
-Global Warming (ignoring one of the world's greatest threats)
-The so-called “War on Terror” & nuclear proliferation (not
taking sufficient actions to counter)
-The Iraq War
(reckless disregard for international opinion; lying and failure
to plan;
disgraceful troop behavior at Abu Ghraib prison;
declining troop morale; over 1,200 coalition &
100,000 Iraqi deaths;
failure to properly equip our troops; a monetary
cost of over 200 billion dollars; incompetent post invasion
administration/policy, including
disappearance of 380 tons of high
explosives &
a
mounting insurgency.)
- Diplomacy or lack thereof with Iran, Syria & North Korea
-Misconduct in Afghanistan (allowing Osama bin Laden to escape &
the return of the Taliban & opium trade)
-The Arab/Israeli conflict (abandoning the Roadmap for Peace)
- Abrogation, rejection or withdrawal from foreign treaties
(Biological Weapons Convention, Kyoto Treaty, ABM Treaty &
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty)
-"Star Wars" Missile Defense
(unproven & unreliable technology)
-Scientific research (limiting stem
cell research, ignoring global warming, etc)
-Dismantling of Head Start
Polices have been pursued
that are counter-intuitive, lack common sense & have had or will
have disastrous consequences.
Within his Administration,
Bush has attracted ideologues- who however intellectually bright,
lack sound judgment and wish to use the President to further their
own ambitions and misguided policies.
George Bush is not
extremely intelligent, though he is politically savvy. Despite his
folksy exterior, he clearly identifies with the wealthy and
powerful, especially big oil. He espouses the
ownership society versus the collective values of
stewardship and ecological protection. However none of this is enough to
explain his behavior & policies. Psychological causes are
always at the root of irrational behavior. In the Presidential debates Bush came across as lacking
self assurance, a fearful man- fearful of the debates and fearful
of the world at large. His denial of mistakes, rigidity of
thought, judgmental view of the world, impatience, resistance to change and obsession
with/over reaction to the Iraqi threat evidences
addictive type behavior. He has rationalized the angry divisions he has
created in U.S. and the world as being necessary
because he has needed to make unpopular (presumably courageous) moves. This circular thinking
belies the reality- the reason his policies are unpopular is that
they are inherently flawed and have, as a result, sharply
divided the nation and the world.
The results of irrational,
unclear thinking are obvious in both the short term (the quagmire
in Iraq) and the mid to long term (we are less, not more safe from
terrorists). Even worse, the United States is perceived by other
nations as
dangerous- one that
needs to be opposed. Our democracy is threatened by a loss of
popular & governmental support around the world as well as a
loss of personal freedom at home.
Democrat or Republican,
conservative or liberal, we need to restore a rational approach to
governance. Policies need to be rooted in facts, informed by sound,
clear
judgment and communicated with integrity.
In this election the Democrats offer a viable alternative.
John Kerry is a man of intelligence, passion, vision,
principles, intellect, judgment, courage and above all a rational
decision maker who will avoid miscalculations and effectively
address pressing domestic & foreign policy issues.
See Also:
Pat Robertson says Bush told him there would be no casualties
in Iraq war, Douglass K. Daniel, Associated Press, 10/20/2004;
Bush Sought ‘Way’ To Invade Iraq?, 1/11/2004;
Richard Clarke's Take on Terror;
New
York Times endorsement of John Kerry for President ;
Washington Post endorsement of Kerry for President;
LA Times: A Failed Presidency;
Daily Endorsement Tally: Kerry Wraps It Up with Another Strong
Day;
"With God on Their Side: How Christian
Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George
W. Bush's White House" by Esther Kaplan, The New Press, 10/2004;
Addiction, Brain Damage and the President: "Dry Drunk" Syndrome
and George W. Bush by Katherine van Wormer, 10/2002;
Two Years Before 9/11, Candidate Bush was Already Talking
Privately About Attacking Iraq, According to His Former Ghost
Writer &
Kerry Slams Bush Over Missing Iraq Explosives
The Results of the
Presidential Debates
Presidential Debate 1- Kerry vs. Bush
Date: 9/30/2004
Location: University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL
Topic: Foreign Policy
Outcome: Kerry Won!
Presidential Debate 2- Kerry vs. Bush
Date: 10/09/2004
Location: Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Topics: Foreign & Domestic policy
Outcome: Kerry Won!- Wins the debate, moves up in the polls-gains
in personal favorability- wins the swing electorate
Presidential Debate 3- Kerry vs. Bush
Date: 10/13/2004
Location: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Topic: Domestic Policy
Outcome: Kerry wins on substance & makes further inroads with independent
& undecided voters. See also:
Uncommitted voters pick Kerry.
Vice-Presidential Debate- Edwards vs. Cheney
Date: 10/05/2004
Location: Case Western University, Cleveland, OH
Topics: Foreign & Domestic policy
Outcome: Edwards slight edge among undecided &
independents. See also:
Democracy Corps' Edwards/Cheney Debate Survey
&
Rewriting History: In his debate with John Edwards, Dick Cheney
had a brand-new version of the events that led to war.
The Presidential Debates- How John Kerry
Wins
Kerry's mission:
Offer a positive alternative that reflects his progressive vision
for America & the world..
The election results may hinge on the
upcoming Presidential debates. To defeat George Bush in the
Presidential debates, Kerry must positively, clearly &
convincingly convey his
Plan for America.
He must portray himself as he is- a decisive, consistent, bold,
courageous, tough,
thoughtful leader- a man of integrity, compassion & strength.
Kerry's approach should reflect the message in
Bill Clinton's 2004 Democratic Convention Speech. This
message conveys a vision for America and the world far
different from the Republican Administration's and is very much
aligned with Kerry's own
Plan for America.
Kerry must overcome voter apathy- not just giving
voters reasons to not vote for Bush, but reasons to vote for Kerry.
Many Americans already have justified
doubts about the Bush Administration's competence & vision. Kerry needs to offer a positive alternative that reflects his
progressive vision for America & the world.
A 9//28/04 Post & ABC Poll found- "that Bush has
built his lead through "relentless attacks on Kerry" that have
"badly damaged the Democratic nominee. .... almost as if they
[Americans] are reading from Bush campaign ad scripts." It
is a sad commentary on American politics when the electorate is so
badly manipulated by TV attack ads. As Marshall Wittmann, Senator
John McCain's former director of communications wrote,
"President Bush & Vice President Dick Cheney have "waged an
unprecedentedly cynical & divisive campaign." See also:
"Moose on the Loose." Interestingly, Europeans are
dead set against Bush- see:
"Europe to Bush: Go Away." -perhaps because they are
not exposed to the same propaganda.
Americans should ask themselves if the same type
of propaganda the Bush Administration is using to justify the Iraq
war is being used to discredit its political opponents. This
includes: Telling of partial truths; Attempting to motivate by
fear, not truth- wrapping its policies around the symbols
of patriotism, freedom, duty, honor, etc.; Demonizing the
enemy; Narrowing the range of discourse; Failing to fully reveal
the agendas of outside groups, let alone one’s own government &
finally,
the bigger the lie- the better.
As political historian Robert Dallek wrote in a 10/26/2004 OpEd
in USA Today,
"That a president with so questionable a record is still running a
competitive race is a little startling. If Bush wins the election,
it would seem to represent the triumph of spin politics."
The Iraq War
The First Casualty of War is Truth:
War, Propaganda & the Media
"Cynicism runs deep in
the upper echelons of America's rulers and fear even more. The man
in the Whitehouse is as naive and stupid as the men of the 60's
who bled the nation in war to pursue an ideal and escape fears
known only to themselves- saving those not seeking salvation and
damning them all the while."
Lowell
J. Greenberg
"Truth crushed to earth shall rise again,
The eternal years of God are hers;
But Error, wounded, writhes with pain,
And dies among his worshippers."
William Cullen Bryant
"The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know."
The unbelievable Donald Rumsfeld,
Secretary of Defense, Feb. 12, 2002 news briefing
9/21/2004: George W. Bush lied to the American people and
the world in an effort to convince the world that the illegal Iraq
war was justified.
-The very pretext of the war, Iraq's possession
of weapons of mass destruction, was false.
-The President and his
advisors were told by the United Nations that there was no
evidence of WMDs.
-The CIA told the President that there was no
link between Al Qaeda and Iraq.
- Our allies warned the President
that the war was not justified and that they would not support our
efforts.
- Academia & the State Department reminded the Administration that
post invasion Iraq would be a
quagmire- easy to defeat the Bath party & Republican Guard, but
virtually impossible to maintain the peace.
Yet the
Administration went to war- in direct contravention of
International Law. Why? Military basing rights in Iraq? To whet our
insatiable lust for oil for the next 50-100 years, since Iraq has
the world's second largest oil reserves? If this was the case,
then the term "Evil Empire"- used to refer to the former Soviet
Union, would far better describe our own country. Is the world
better off without Saddam Hussein? If this is the pretext for
going to war, then the argument can be made to go to war against
half of the world's leaders- including some would argue the rulers
of the United States. Is the world more secure? Diverting
resources to Iraq has taken away resources from fighting Al Qaeda and away from addressing the root causes of terrorism-
injustice & oppression. Potentially more dangerous enemies have
been strengthened and our intelligence community is in disarray.
The restrictions on our personal freedoms have made us less- not
more secure.
Lying as a pretext for war should be an impeachable offense- no
matter how common it has been throughout history. Complete
incompetence in our post war Iraq policies is grounds
for removal from office. There is a fundamental distinction between courageous
decisive action & rashness- the former may lead to success but
the later always fails. The President's combination
of geniality, imprecise communication, frequent malapropisms,
visible impatience & petulance- are
dangerous traits for the leader of the free world because they
lead to miscalculation by friend & foe. How a President
so far removed from the people can be seen by some as a man of the
people is a glaring testament to how easily public opinion can be
manipulated. A leader that believes he is chosen by God and acts
and speaks based on a simplistic view of good versus evil- is
extremely dangerous because he is unwilling to entertain an issue's
complexity and the true implications of a course of action- having no desire to go beyond his "gut
instinct."
Many Americans don't know who and/or what to
believe concerning the war. However the truth & its consequences are inescapable &
unless the dangerous course this country is taking is reversed,
history will be the harshest final judge.
See:
The Unjust War in Iraq;
Free Speech;
The
Effect of the War in Iraq on America's Security;
Truth & Consequences: The Bush Administration & September 11;
Sept. is 2nd-deadliest 2004 month in Iraq;
Inspector: Iraq had no WMD before invasion
Final report says Saddam had ambitions but no chemical or biological arms
&
The Final Judgment:
Bush and Blair's Case for War is Demolished
A
Political & Moral Imperative
"Dante
said that the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who in
time of crisis remain neutral, so I have spoken my piece..."-
Garrison Keillor
The Bush Administration has
disgraced itself, the United States and our allies. It has
contributed to the degradation of the human spirit. It has
violated the most fundamental governing principle of "thou shall
do no harm." In every facet of domestic & foreign policy it has
shown itself weak and subservient to special interests and the
politics of fear & hate. It has caused me to be ashamed to be an
American.
It is the solemn responsibility of the American people to vote
this Administration out of office. This duty transcends politics.
World peace & stability may ultimately depend on it. See Also:
Remarks by Al Gore, 5/26/04;
Diplomats & Military Commanders for Change;
A Veteran for Truth
;
The Dangers of Fear as a Basis of Foreign
Policy ;
George Bush, What's Missing?;
"A Secure America in a Secure World."
& Global Warming
Presidents Who Live in Glass Houses
Should Not Throw Stones
"These scurrilous attacks on John Kerry's
credibility in war, courage and valor are false and George Bush is
behind it," he said. "That's why I tried to deliver a letter to
the president's home and hand it either to him or one of his
aides." - former U.S. Senator and Vietnam war
veteran
Max Cleland commenting on commercials by a
group that calls itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. See also:
Kerry's medals were deserved, says widow
of slain comrade, Boston Globe 8/27/04 ;
Smear and Pivot: Bush's Campaign Strategy
; Bush's Guard Duty Under Microscope
;
Bush's military service in question –
again: Records appear to show that the president failed to fulfill
his duty to the Air National Guard &
Brothers in Arms