Friday, September 07, 2007
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Equal Justice under Bush
President Bush’s contempt for our laws, our constitution and the lives of our citizen soldiers in Iraq, continues--- unabated by public opinion, court decisions, congressional democrats and most of all the Republican Party. Commuting the sentence of convicted perjurer and obstructer of justice, "Scooter" Libby, is merely another star in the Bush crown of hubris.
Those who cry there was no "core crime" (to justify Libby being tried) are just shoveling baloney over the putrid corpse of a cover-up in hopes of mitigating the stench emanating from the White House.
It was precisely because of Libby"s lies and obstruction( "I don’t remember" talking to Vice President Cheney) that kept the special prosecutor from following the trail that was clearly headed directly through the White House door. Moreover, the "core" of the White House Valerie Plame strategy was to prevent further exposure of the White House lies and deceptions leading up to the invasion of Iraq.
Bush has had his thumb at his nose and fingers waggling at our laws and justice every since he unpacked at the White House. His "signing attachments" to legislation passed by Congress says it all: "This law doesn’t apply to me unless I choose for it do so!"
Those who cry there was no "core crime" (to justify Libby being tried) are just shoveling baloney over the putrid corpse of a cover-up in hopes of mitigating the stench emanating from the White House.
It was precisely because of Libby"s lies and obstruction( "I don’t remember" talking to Vice President Cheney) that kept the special prosecutor from following the trail that was clearly headed directly through the White House door. Moreover, the "core" of the White House Valerie Plame strategy was to prevent further exposure of the White House lies and deceptions leading up to the invasion of Iraq.
Bush has had his thumb at his nose and fingers waggling at our laws and justice every since he unpacked at the White House. His "signing attachments" to legislation passed by Congress says it all: "This law doesn’t apply to me unless I choose for it do so!"
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Imus in the mud pit
Don Imus doesn’t have a centimeter of the intellectual and philosophical depth displayed by Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer in her response to his calling her players "nappy-headed hos." She and her players demonstrated a quality of character that is beyond the grasp of Imus, his producer and the corporate heads that facilitate his wealth and ego.
Coach Stringer is right when she said it is not about Rutgers basketball players. It is about respect for women and the hurtful nature of pervasive racism and sexism. She is even more on point when she says it is not about brown or white----but about "green"!.
Sadly, the bottom line for the Imuses of the media world and their corporate facilitators is money, power, ratings and ego. As long as those elements are only moderately threatened, there will only be a moderate rebuke in response to the offense.
Imus made the offensive remark on Wednesday. He dismissed the affair as unimportant on Thursday. Only when the den of criticism picked up steam did the corporate heads of CBS Radio and MSNBC respond by suspending the program for two weeks, saying they thought is was an "appropriate" action given the fact that Mr. Imus had apologized.
Really? Do you suppose that they might have thought it "appropriate" because their money loss was a spit in the ocean compared to their revenues from the show? Do you suppose for a New York minute that a two weeks suspension has been a sobering financial blow to Mr. Imus’ income?
Also do you suppose for a minute that those television "news media" types like David Gregory (MSNBC) will now decline to appear on Imus in the Morning? Do you really think all those politicians and presidential candidates will now refuse an opportunity to use the morning show platform for their pomposity?
Don’t hold your breath. The bar for talk show standards is so low it rests on their bottom line. Money and ratings trump common sense and ethics most of the time in that arena!
Coach Stringer is right when she said it is not about Rutgers basketball players. It is about respect for women and the hurtful nature of pervasive racism and sexism. She is even more on point when she says it is not about brown or white----but about "green"!.
Sadly, the bottom line for the Imuses of the media world and their corporate facilitators is money, power, ratings and ego. As long as those elements are only moderately threatened, there will only be a moderate rebuke in response to the offense.
Imus made the offensive remark on Wednesday. He dismissed the affair as unimportant on Thursday. Only when the den of criticism picked up steam did the corporate heads of CBS Radio and MSNBC respond by suspending the program for two weeks, saying they thought is was an "appropriate" action given the fact that Mr. Imus had apologized.
Really? Do you suppose that they might have thought it "appropriate" because their money loss was a spit in the ocean compared to their revenues from the show? Do you suppose for a New York minute that a two weeks suspension has been a sobering financial blow to Mr. Imus’ income?
Also do you suppose for a minute that those television "news media" types like David Gregory (MSNBC) will now decline to appear on Imus in the Morning? Do you really think all those politicians and presidential candidates will now refuse an opportunity to use the morning show platform for their pomposity?
Don’t hold your breath. The bar for talk show standards is so low it rests on their bottom line. Money and ratings trump common sense and ethics most of the time in that arena!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Imus in the real world
There is something pathetic about a man with long, curly unkempt hair that hunkers down in a Manhattan studio, hiding under an oversized cowboy hat--calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos".
There is something even more pathetic about a man so intellectually shallow that he could not get the time of day in any serious "issues" conversation without the platform of a radio-television show.
There is something hypocritical about MSNBC getting in bed with Imus in the Morning producers (WFAN Radio) for big bucks and feigning shock over Imus calling female university athletes whores!
The most pathetic aspect of it all is the media standard by which people like Imus are allowed to continuously pollute the atmosphere with impunity!
There is something even more pathetic about a man so intellectually shallow that he could not get the time of day in any serious "issues" conversation without the platform of a radio-television show.
There is something hypocritical about MSNBC getting in bed with Imus in the Morning producers (WFAN Radio) for big bucks and feigning shock over Imus calling female university athletes whores!
The most pathetic aspect of it all is the media standard by which people like Imus are allowed to continuously pollute the atmosphere with impunity!
Saturday, April 07, 2007
And the beat goes on!
The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth. ----H. L. Mencken
How else can one explain the continued support of the Bush administration by a third of the American public-- save the Quote of H. L. Mencken . The most extravagant lies and deceptions are nestled at the heart of almost every position Bush and his minions put forth.
The Great Decider consistently denied the science of global warming, citing fiction author, Michael Chrichton, as a source of his position. He has opted out of international treaties designed to combat the warming trend.
When backed to the wall by overwhelming information, Bush can only bring himself to use the term “climate change”, while covertly trying to deflect tough emissions standards.
The latest United Nations scientific report warns of a billion people in need of water, extreme food shortages in Africa, a planetary landscape ravaged by floods and millions of species headed for extinction. Yet, in the face of that, we are told that the report is watered down by the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Dick Cheney is still promoting the al-Qaida-Iraq connection even as the Defense Department’s Inspector General gave lie to that claim.
Cheney told radio’s pompous pill popper, Rush Limbaugh that al-Qaida, in the person of Musab a-Zarqawi, was operating in Iraq before the invasion and “led the charge for Iraq until we killed him”---which reminds me of another Menckin quote: The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.
We now know that the Pentagon provided “inappropriate” analysis of the so called al-Qaida connection and “undercut” the intelligence community as a rational for invading Iraq.
Knowing this did not deter Cheney and Bush from claiming that intelligence supported the connection of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.
And the Television airheads still wonder why the Democrats demand Bush’s lackeys testify under oath?
How else can one explain the continued support of the Bush administration by a third of the American public-- save the Quote of H. L. Mencken . The most extravagant lies and deceptions are nestled at the heart of almost every position Bush and his minions put forth.
The Great Decider consistently denied the science of global warming, citing fiction author, Michael Chrichton, as a source of his position. He has opted out of international treaties designed to combat the warming trend.
When backed to the wall by overwhelming information, Bush can only bring himself to use the term “climate change”, while covertly trying to deflect tough emissions standards.
The latest United Nations scientific report warns of a billion people in need of water, extreme food shortages in Africa, a planetary landscape ravaged by floods and millions of species headed for extinction. Yet, in the face of that, we are told that the report is watered down by the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Dick Cheney is still promoting the al-Qaida-Iraq connection even as the Defense Department’s Inspector General gave lie to that claim.
Cheney told radio’s pompous pill popper, Rush Limbaugh that al-Qaida, in the person of Musab a-Zarqawi, was operating in Iraq before the invasion and “led the charge for Iraq until we killed him”---which reminds me of another Menckin quote: The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.
We now know that the Pentagon provided “inappropriate” analysis of the so called al-Qaida connection and “undercut” the intelligence community as a rational for invading Iraq.
Knowing this did not deter Cheney and Bush from claiming that intelligence supported the connection of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.
And the Television airheads still wonder why the Democrats demand Bush’s lackeys testify under oath?
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Oh, what a web we weave...
Lets get one thing straight: Bush apologists and the talking demagogues on Fox, MSNBC, CNN and the rest—are full of bullhockey when they try to justify the Bush Administration’s sacking of 7 U.S. Attorneys by comparing it to " Bill Clinton firing all of them."
It is customary (with plenty of precedent) for an incoming administration (particularly of a different political party) to request resignation letters from U.S. Attorneys. Ronald Reagan did just that, and replaced all of them when he came into office. That is not unprecedented for a newly elected president. And, yes, U.S. Attorneys do serve at the pleasure of the President.
What is unprecedented is mass firings in the middle of a presidency! The Congressional Research Service did a study that showed that the recent firing of 7 U.S. Attorneys is unprecedented in recent history. The study covered U.S. Attorneys serving less that a four year term from 1981 to 2006.
The disgraceful facts are:
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied under oath when he said politics played absolutely no part in the firings. He also lied when he said he "never saw documents" and "never had a discussion" about the firings.
Karl Rove lied when he said he had no role in the firing. Moreover, evolving evidence reveals he used his influence to appoint political cronies who had no experience.
President Bush participated in regular meetings about the prosecutors.
Monica Goodling, Justice Department Council to Gonzales, refused to testify before the Judiciary Committee—citing the 5th Amendment on grounds of self-incrimination.
And apologists wonder why the Judiciary Committee demands testimony that is under oath?
It is customary (with plenty of precedent) for an incoming administration (particularly of a different political party) to request resignation letters from U.S. Attorneys. Ronald Reagan did just that, and replaced all of them when he came into office. That is not unprecedented for a newly elected president. And, yes, U.S. Attorneys do serve at the pleasure of the President.
What is unprecedented is mass firings in the middle of a presidency! The Congressional Research Service did a study that showed that the recent firing of 7 U.S. Attorneys is unprecedented in recent history. The study covered U.S. Attorneys serving less that a four year term from 1981 to 2006.
The disgraceful facts are:
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied under oath when he said politics played absolutely no part in the firings. He also lied when he said he "never saw documents" and "never had a discussion" about the firings.
Karl Rove lied when he said he had no role in the firing. Moreover, evolving evidence reveals he used his influence to appoint political cronies who had no experience.
President Bush participated in regular meetings about the prosecutors.
Monica Goodling, Justice Department Council to Gonzales, refused to testify before the Judiciary Committee—citing the 5th Amendment on grounds of self-incrimination.
And apologists wonder why the Judiciary Committee demands testimony that is under oath?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Ann Coulter, right wing coward!
Ann Coulter is Queen of Fascism, using lies and half truths and smears. Normally, I would not waste time nor ink on writing or drawing about her—but I confess I can’t pass up her hypocrisy and blatant cowardice regarding her smear of John Edwards.
In a speech to a conservative gathering in Washington, she said she could not talk about John Edwards because if "you use the word faggot" you have to go into rehab.
When challenged about her comment by Alan Combs, the Queen turned into a jelly spined coward . She maintained that it "was a joke" and said the term "faggot" was not anti-gay.
"The word I used has nothing to do with sexual preference. It is a schoolyard taunt, and unless you're going to announce here on national TV that John Edwards, married father of many children, is gay, it clearly had nothing to do with that. It's a schoolyard taunt, "clucked Coulter. It turns out the Queen of Fascism is, in reality, the Queen of Chickenpoop!
For those of you out there who entertain the idea that this woman has even an ounce of integrity, consider this: The first definition of the word faggot in Webster's Dictionary is "a male homosexual."
In a speech to a conservative gathering in Washington, she said she could not talk about John Edwards because if "you use the word faggot" you have to go into rehab.
When challenged about her comment by Alan Combs, the Queen turned into a jelly spined coward . She maintained that it "was a joke" and said the term "faggot" was not anti-gay.
"The word I used has nothing to do with sexual preference. It is a schoolyard taunt, and unless you're going to announce here on national TV that John Edwards, married father of many children, is gay, it clearly had nothing to do with that. It's a schoolyard taunt, "clucked Coulter. It turns out the Queen of Fascism is, in reality, the Queen of Chickenpoop!
For those of you out there who entertain the idea that this woman has even an ounce of integrity, consider this: The first definition of the word faggot in Webster's Dictionary is "a male homosexual."
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
The White House Liar's Club
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” - Sir Walter Scott
It is not exactly a news flash that the Bush Administration is populated by liars and those who do not hesitate to obstruct justice. Lewis Libby was convicted by what jurors described as detailed and overwhelming evidence. Some, jurors wondered why Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney weren’t in the docket. Good Question!
The real trial revelation is not in Libby’s guilt. The real revelation is the disclosure of the Bush administration’s attempt to coverup their fabricated strategy to facilitate an unjustified war on Iraq----a war that has cost the lives of over 3,500 Americans, that has ruined the lives of over 10,000 severely wounded Americans, that has killed an estimated 500,000 Iraqis and has cost U.S. taxpayers $500 billion dollars.
Bush, Cheney et al. sold the war on their lies that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons. Bush offered proof in a speech saying Hussein tried to buy aluminum tubes and yellow cake from Nigeria. The CIA sent (former ambassador) Joseph Wilson as an envoy to investigate. In a critical New York Times op-ed piece, Wilson strongly refuted Bush's claim.
This enraged the White House--- and Cheney, in an effort to discredit Wilson, sent his flunky Libby out to leak the story that Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame was with the CIA and she sent her husband to Nigeria to counter the Bush scenario.
The coverup effort was exposed when two CIA officials and a State Department official testified under oath that Valerie Plame had nothing to do with Wilson's mission. He was sent because Dick Cheney's query seeking to buttress the Bush claim.
Libby's defense attorney claimed that Scooter was a scapegoat for the Administration. Surprise, surprise!
It is not exactly a news flash that the Bush Administration is populated by liars and those who do not hesitate to obstruct justice. Lewis Libby was convicted by what jurors described as detailed and overwhelming evidence. Some, jurors wondered why Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney weren’t in the docket. Good Question!
The real trial revelation is not in Libby’s guilt. The real revelation is the disclosure of the Bush administration’s attempt to coverup their fabricated strategy to facilitate an unjustified war on Iraq----a war that has cost the lives of over 3,500 Americans, that has ruined the lives of over 10,000 severely wounded Americans, that has killed an estimated 500,000 Iraqis and has cost U.S. taxpayers $500 billion dollars.
Bush, Cheney et al. sold the war on their lies that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons. Bush offered proof in a speech saying Hussein tried to buy aluminum tubes and yellow cake from Nigeria. The CIA sent (former ambassador) Joseph Wilson as an envoy to investigate. In a critical New York Times op-ed piece, Wilson strongly refuted Bush's claim.
This enraged the White House--- and Cheney, in an effort to discredit Wilson, sent his flunky Libby out to leak the story that Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame was with the CIA and she sent her husband to Nigeria to counter the Bush scenario.
The coverup effort was exposed when two CIA officials and a State Department official testified under oath that Valerie Plame had nothing to do with Wilson's mission. He was sent because Dick Cheney's query seeking to buttress the Bush claim.
Libby's defense attorney claimed that Scooter was a scapegoat for the Administration. Surprise, surprise!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Cowardly Lions on the Yellow Brick Road
Watching the pathetic congressional debate over a "non-binding" opposition statement to Bush’s warmongering, reminds me of the old saw about a gentleman farmer and his mule.
The city farmer could not get the mule to pull the plow no matter how he tugged, cajoled or switched the animal. Finally a leathery neighbor farmer walked up with a length of two by four and whacked the mule between the eyes. Aghast, the city farmer said, "Why did you do that?" The crusty old neighbor replied, "Son, in order to get a mule to do anything, you first have to get its attention!"
It seems to me that if the Democrats had the gumption of a Sloth they would take congressional purse strings, tie a knot around the Iraq money bag and metaphorically slug Mr. Dense between his beady eyes. Then launch an informational campaign to inform the public that they (along with several Republicans) have taken the first step in saving US troops from gradual slaughter on the alter of Bush’s incompetence and hubris.
They could then announce that the billions in savings would go to immediate "spare- no- expense" rehabilitation and financial support for the thousands of young men and women who left severed arms, legs and psyches along the path of Bush lies justifying the invasion of Iraq. The rest could go to national health care and education.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict the "aiding al Quaida" tar bucket is at the ready to smear such action. So what else is new? The tar bucket is already in use. The Democratic ninnies have to decide whether they are going to stand for what is right or what they construe to be politically safe. What is it about 70% of public opinion being with them that they don’t understand?
Don’t let the Bushites frame the question. Don’t let more Americans die for Bush’s mistakes and lies.
The city farmer could not get the mule to pull the plow no matter how he tugged, cajoled or switched the animal. Finally a leathery neighbor farmer walked up with a length of two by four and whacked the mule between the eyes. Aghast, the city farmer said, "Why did you do that?" The crusty old neighbor replied, "Son, in order to get a mule to do anything, you first have to get its attention!"
It seems to me that if the Democrats had the gumption of a Sloth they would take congressional purse strings, tie a knot around the Iraq money bag and metaphorically slug Mr. Dense between his beady eyes. Then launch an informational campaign to inform the public that they (along with several Republicans) have taken the first step in saving US troops from gradual slaughter on the alter of Bush’s incompetence and hubris.
They could then announce that the billions in savings would go to immediate "spare- no- expense" rehabilitation and financial support for the thousands of young men and women who left severed arms, legs and psyches along the path of Bush lies justifying the invasion of Iraq. The rest could go to national health care and education.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict the "aiding al Quaida" tar bucket is at the ready to smear such action. So what else is new? The tar bucket is already in use. The Democratic ninnies have to decide whether they are going to stand for what is right or what they construe to be politically safe. What is it about 70% of public opinion being with them that they don’t understand?
Don’t let the Bushites frame the question. Don’t let more Americans die for Bush’s mistakes and lies.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Bush in Fantasyland again!
During the presidential campaign Senator John Kerry alluded to the Bush administration’s mistakes in their handling of the war in Iraq. He was bluntly asked, on national television, if he thought American troops were dying “for a mistake”. Kerry weaseled his answer.
We now know the answer is yes. President Bush admitted on national television that American soldiers are dying in Iraq for his mistakes. The only people who don’t understand that are the twenty or so percent of our population who blindly salute to the stirring strains of Hail To Our Serial Liar Commander-in-Chief.
The tattered remains of “ cakewalks , mission accomplished, weapons of mass destruction, al Qaida-Iraq-9/11 connections” drifted out of sight in the wake of Bush’s ever changing rational for abandoning the fight against terrorists to invade Iraq.
In his address to the nation he told us we need another 20,000 troops to correct his “mistakes” for which he “takes responsibility” while pointing out the deadly chaos is not really his fault.
He told us there were two reasons for the violence. One, there “were not enough troops to secure the neighborhoods” and two, “there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have.”
Really? Let me see if I understand this. We, the most powerful nation in the world invaded Iraq! We occupy Iraq! We own Iraq! Who, pray tell, placed “too many restrictions” on the way we have used our troops in Iraq?
Reports by the General Accountability Office and by the Iraq Study Group agree that repeated deployments to Iraq have strained the U.S. military to the point where training is being shorted, equipment is in disrepair and the force is increasingly unready to fight other conflicts and homeland defense missions. Yet, our President stands there with a straight face and talks of sending warships to the area and threatens military action against Syria and Iran.
The speech was not about the state of our nation. It was about the state of his fantasies. By the way, whatever happened to the”great job” Rumsfeld did managing the troops in Iraq?
We now know the answer is yes. President Bush admitted on national television that American soldiers are dying in Iraq for his mistakes. The only people who don’t understand that are the twenty or so percent of our population who blindly salute to the stirring strains of Hail To Our Serial Liar Commander-in-Chief.
The tattered remains of “ cakewalks , mission accomplished, weapons of mass destruction, al Qaida-Iraq-9/11 connections” drifted out of sight in the wake of Bush’s ever changing rational for abandoning the fight against terrorists to invade Iraq.
In his address to the nation he told us we need another 20,000 troops to correct his “mistakes” for which he “takes responsibility” while pointing out the deadly chaos is not really his fault.
He told us there were two reasons for the violence. One, there “were not enough troops to secure the neighborhoods” and two, “there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have.”
Really? Let me see if I understand this. We, the most powerful nation in the world invaded Iraq! We occupy Iraq! We own Iraq! Who, pray tell, placed “too many restrictions” on the way we have used our troops in Iraq?
Reports by the General Accountability Office and by the Iraq Study Group agree that repeated deployments to Iraq have strained the U.S. military to the point where training is being shorted, equipment is in disrepair and the force is increasingly unready to fight other conflicts and homeland defense missions. Yet, our President stands there with a straight face and talks of sending warships to the area and threatens military action against Syria and Iran.
The speech was not about the state of our nation. It was about the state of his fantasies. By the way, whatever happened to the”great job” Rumsfeld did managing the troops in Iraq?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Age of Un-Accountabililty
An axiom of human relationships in a civilized, democratic society is that one should be held accountable for one’s actions. There are exceptions, of course, but being President of the United States is not, per se, one of them.
At our government level we do that by the elective process or by impeachment.
Throwing the "rascals" out is a time honored (if not timely) tradition. Impeachment is a more drastic and cumbersome tool, rarely used and occasionally vulnerable to petty politics and venal agendas.
Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution charts the grounds for impeachment: "the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
Representative Nancy Palosi is quoted as saying "impeachment is not on the table" for the new democratic majority when it comes to dealing with the actions of President Bush over the past six years. Why not?? Look at the record!!
Abuse of Power -U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor declares Bush’s domestic spying program unconstitutional. In a stinging indictment of Constitutional abuse by the Bush Administration, she ruled the program violates the Administrative Procedures Act, the doctrine of separation of powers and the First and Fourth amendments of the Constitution.
"There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution. So all ‘inherent powers’ must derive from the Constitution," Taylor wrote in her opinion.
Jonathan Turley, law professor at George Washington University points out that if the judges ruling is upheld on appeal, the President will be guilty of violating federal law at least 30 times and that could provide grounds for impeachment.
High Crimes-- Bush has declared the Geneva Convention does not apply to his "war on terrorism" and therefore especially aggressive interrogation techniques are ok. The Geneva Convention standards have been followed for more than a half-century by almost 190 countries, including the United States.
The War Crimes Act of 1996, passed by a Republican Congress, makes it a felony to violate the Geneva Conventions. Bush has authorized techniques such as prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures long periods in stress positions, strapping prisoners to metal contraptions and force feeding to mention a few.
While Bush payed lip service to "we do not torture," he authorized a secret "rendition" program that transfers detainees to facilitate torture such as beatings with hands and sticks and being hung up for falaqa—beatings on the sole of the foot.
Former director the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center, Vincent Cannistraro, told Newsday newspaper in February 2003, that a senior al-Quaeda detainee had been sent from Guantanamo Bay to Egypt because he was refusing to cooperate with his interrogators. In Egypt, Cannistraro said, "they promptly tore his fingernails out" to get him talking. Referring to the "franchising" out, he said Syria is a country , like Iraq, where they torture people. They use electrodes, and water torture. They take torture to the point of death, like the Egyptians.
Obstruction of Justice--Bush refused to provide testimony and evidence demanded by the Senate Intelligence Committee and by the 9-11 Commission. He refused to testify under an oath or with any record being made of his answers and had members of his administration lie to both bodies. His obstruction assured that we will never know exactly what went wrong before those attacks and adds an uncomfortable element of jeopardy to our prevention efforts
Abuse of Power--Bush declared that he has the power to detain and imprison anyone, indefinitely, by designating them as "enemy combatants" or "terrorists." He sponsored legislation to codify indefinite detention and denial of habeas corpus rights.
High Crimes and Misdemeanors--Serious misconduct in office comes under this umbrella. When Katrina roared into New Orleans, the president had a duty and obligation to protect its citizens by initiating drastic emergency action that only he was authorized to undertake in the face of a potential disaster. (President Eisenhower ordering the national guard to protect the integration process in Mississippi) Instead he flew to California to campaign and was three days behind the curve while more than a thousand Americans died and New Orleans was decimated.
The underlying question is where would we be today without the actions of President George Bush of diverting U.S. troops from Afghanistan and invading Iraq?
There are several no-brainer answers:
More than 2,900 American servicemen and women would be alive!
More than 22,000 American servicemen and women would not be wounded!
Roughly 600,000 Iraqis would not be dead as result of the invasion
Iraq would not be the rallying point of Islamic radicals!
Incidents of worldwide terrorist activity likely would not have doubled!
The U.S. would have had $400 billion for other purposes!
The Taliban would not be making a comeback in Afghanistan!
Osama Bin Laden might have been captured! (Speaking of accountability)
Our Constitutional rights would not be in jeopardy due to the hysteria engendered by Bush’s fear mongering!
So what are we to do with a President who has wrought such havoc abroad and at home—just watch him ride off to Texas and await the judgement of history? What lesson will future presidents learn from the way those with responsibility deal with Mr. Bush? Can anyone seriously suggest that Bush’s lies about Iraq do not rise to the level of impeachability as Clinton’s lie about having extramarital sex in the White House?
After 9-11, President Bush issued a stirring call to arms to right the wrongs of that attack. Patrick R. McCaffery, a Silicone Valley auto-body-shop manager with two children joined the National Guard to do his part for homeland security. Instead, he was sent to Iraq as Bush consistently linked the attack on the New York Trade Center with Saddam Hussein’s government. There, McCaffery died. His mother reported that her son "said we had no business in Iraq and should not be there."
Belatedly, Bush admitted that Iraq had "nothing" to do with 9-11, too late for Patrick McCaffery. And we can’t bring ourselves to hold Bush accountable? How sad for our country!
Bill Sanders
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
T'was The Night Before Christmas
T'was the night before Christmas, when at the White House
Big brother was watching by using his mouse.
Money bags were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes Abramoff would again be there.
Chaney and Rummy were snug in their beds.
While visions of cakewalks danced in their heads.
Condi and Powell in their statesmen caps
Practiced explaining their memory lapse.
When out in Iraq, there arose such clatter
The Decider decided that none of that mattered.
He and Chaney to the window did dash
To denounce their critics as "traitorous trash!!"
The moon on the crest of the fallen dictator
Gave an open invitation to the nuts of Al Quaeta
More rapid than eagles, the terrorist came!
Where they once feared to tread, they strutted with out shame!
Meanwhile, out at Abu Graib,
Interrogators plied the tools of their trade
Prisoners were herded into permanent detention,
Where no one has heard of the Geneva Convention.
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly
Detainees disappeared, like clouds in the sky.
Quantanamo Bay took four hundred or so,
The black hole of retention took the rest, don’t you know?
Then, in a twinkling, on the White House roof
Came the prancing and pawing of a fancy Texas boot.
George looked down as we waved our vote
He shouted, "Too late, you missed the boat!
He was dressed in his flight gear, from head to boot,
Victory Accomplished his whistle did toot.
"No democratic Iraq?", we defiantly said.
Clearly the irony was over his head.
His eyes how they squinted-- an attempt to be merry.
He said, Stay the course or you might end up buried. .
He spoke with a mouth that was full of food!
(Where he comes from in Texas that’s not considered rude.)
He held the constitution. With his knife he did whack
And neatly carved out the Patriot Act
Now the laws of this country, he can decree,
No longer apply to you or to me.
With money and tax breaks, he went right to work
Filling silk stockings, then turned like a jerk
And laying his fingers in front of his nose,
He called down the chimney for his Texas clothes.
He sprang to his copter. Gave the pilot a sign
And they all flew away, leaving us behind.
But I heard him exclaim since he did not linger,
"Happy Christmas to all!" Then he gave us the finger.
Bill Sanders
Big brother was watching by using his mouse.
Money bags were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes Abramoff would again be there.
Chaney and Rummy were snug in their beds.
While visions of cakewalks danced in their heads.
Condi and Powell in their statesmen caps
Practiced explaining their memory lapse.
When out in Iraq, there arose such clatter
The Decider decided that none of that mattered.
He and Chaney to the window did dash
To denounce their critics as "traitorous trash!!"
The moon on the crest of the fallen dictator
Gave an open invitation to the nuts of Al Quaeta
More rapid than eagles, the terrorist came!
Where they once feared to tread, they strutted with out shame!
Meanwhile, out at Abu Graib,
Interrogators plied the tools of their trade
Prisoners were herded into permanent detention,
Where no one has heard of the Geneva Convention.
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly
Detainees disappeared, like clouds in the sky.
Quantanamo Bay took four hundred or so,
The black hole of retention took the rest, don’t you know?
Then, in a twinkling, on the White House roof
Came the prancing and pawing of a fancy Texas boot.
George looked down as we waved our vote
He shouted, "Too late, you missed the boat!
He was dressed in his flight gear, from head to boot,
Victory Accomplished his whistle did toot.
"No democratic Iraq?", we defiantly said.
Clearly the irony was over his head.
His eyes how they squinted-- an attempt to be merry.
He said, Stay the course or you might end up buried. .
He spoke with a mouth that was full of food!
(Where he comes from in Texas that’s not considered rude.)
He held the constitution. With his knife he did whack
And neatly carved out the Patriot Act
Now the laws of this country, he can decree,
No longer apply to you or to me.
With money and tax breaks, he went right to work
Filling silk stockings, then turned like a jerk
And laying his fingers in front of his nose,
He called down the chimney for his Texas clothes.
He sprang to his copter. Gave the pilot a sign
And they all flew away, leaving us behind.
But I heard him exclaim since he did not linger,
"Happy Christmas to all!" Then he gave us the finger.
Bill Sanders
Monday, November 06, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Help Wanted: Articulate Politician
The current flap about John Kerry’s remarks to students in California proves that you can never overestimate the venal desperation of Bushites nor underestimate the hyper-cautious spinelessness of democrats.
After several one liners, including a joke that President Bush has lived in Texas but now lives "in the state of denial"—Kerry said "Education, you know, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq."
In the written version of his speech the text read: "Do you know where you end up if you don’t study, if you aren’t smart, if you’re intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush." For the sake of debate let’s ignore the prepared text and deal with what he actually said.
The Bushites claim his remark was an insult to the troops risking their lives in Iraq. The feckless democrats flopped onto their back and proclaimed his remark inappropriate. Television’s faux-journalist talking heads did their usual shallow job of dealing with the issue. (I won’t dignify dimwits like Rush Limbaugh by quoting them)
Taking Kerry’s actual remarks literally, did he imply troops in Iraq were stupid? No. What his literal remark implies is what anyone knows to be true unless one has been living under a rock. That is, generally, those with less economic fortune and those with less formal education, have been fighting our wars for us. And we–-most certainly those wealthy republicans—-would not have it any other way.
Most of the young men and women who were drafted and died in Vietnam did not have college degrees. Nor were they young men and women of lush financial means. The same is true of the war in Korea. The same is true of the troops in Iraq today.
Yes, there is no draft today. Yes, we do have a professional military today—and yes, its core is made up of officers with degrees. However, the vast majority of those bearing the brunt of this war-—as with past wars—-are young, less educated (not stupid) and of modest means. My guess is that a survey of our national guard (some serving their second and third tour in Iraq) reflect similar demographics.
John Kerry should apologize, all right---–for speaking at George Bush’s level of articulation. Then he should take a leave of absence from the political scene and enroll in a refresher course in political astuteness.
George Bush should apologize to the planet for his unjustified war in Iraq and the chaos that has resulted from it!
After several one liners, including a joke that President Bush has lived in Texas but now lives "in the state of denial"—Kerry said "Education, you know, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq."
In the written version of his speech the text read: "Do you know where you end up if you don’t study, if you aren’t smart, if you’re intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush." For the sake of debate let’s ignore the prepared text and deal with what he actually said.
The Bushites claim his remark was an insult to the troops risking their lives in Iraq. The feckless democrats flopped onto their back and proclaimed his remark inappropriate. Television’s faux-journalist talking heads did their usual shallow job of dealing with the issue. (I won’t dignify dimwits like Rush Limbaugh by quoting them)
Taking Kerry’s actual remarks literally, did he imply troops in Iraq were stupid? No. What his literal remark implies is what anyone knows to be true unless one has been living under a rock. That is, generally, those with less economic fortune and those with less formal education, have been fighting our wars for us. And we–-most certainly those wealthy republicans—-would not have it any other way.
Most of the young men and women who were drafted and died in Vietnam did not have college degrees. Nor were they young men and women of lush financial means. The same is true of the war in Korea. The same is true of the troops in Iraq today.
Yes, there is no draft today. Yes, we do have a professional military today—and yes, its core is made up of officers with degrees. However, the vast majority of those bearing the brunt of this war-—as with past wars—-are young, less educated (not stupid) and of modest means. My guess is that a survey of our national guard (some serving their second and third tour in Iraq) reflect similar demographics.
John Kerry should apologize, all right---–for speaking at George Bush’s level of articulation. Then he should take a leave of absence from the political scene and enroll in a refresher course in political astuteness.
George Bush should apologize to the planet for his unjustified war in Iraq and the chaos that has resulted from it!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Wizard of Hubris
When Dorothy finally follows the yellow brink road to the Palace of the Wizard of Oz, she, her little dog Toto and three companions are confronted by a larger than life image surrounded by vapors of smoke. "I am the great and powerful Oz," declares the booming voice of the image.
As Dorothy and her entourage quake with fear, little Toto tugs at a nearby curtain, revealing a less than awesome figure speaking into a microphone while frantically pulling and tugging on various levers to maintain the illusion of the larger than life image among the vapors.
That is about where we are in this country with King George, the Wizard of Hubris.
The curtain of reality has finally been pulled back to reveal a small minded, arrogant Wizard of deception and lies whose ego is continually fed by the equal arrogance of his retinue of venal, incompetent, neo-con advisors.
Yet they still man their post before their custom control board, yanking on levers marked Iraq- WMDs, Iraq-Al Quaida, Iraq-enemy combatants, Iraq-fear, Iraq-defeatists, Iraq-unpatriotic, Iraq- denial, and that old favorite, God is on Our Side!
However, it is interesting to note that they are no longer yanking the levers of "Wanted, Dead or Alive" and "Bring Em On," as the "axis of evil"—North Korea and Iran tread down the path toward Nuclear viability.
Meanwhile, the Wizard’s trail of incompetence is littered with the bodies of more than 600,000 Iraqis and 2,700 Americans —not to mention more than 8,000 severely wounded U.S. troops.
But the Wizard remains in power while the Democratic Dwarfs scurry around still trying to find the Yellow Brick Road.
We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto! –Bill Sanders
As Dorothy and her entourage quake with fear, little Toto tugs at a nearby curtain, revealing a less than awesome figure speaking into a microphone while frantically pulling and tugging on various levers to maintain the illusion of the larger than life image among the vapors.
That is about where we are in this country with King George, the Wizard of Hubris.
The curtain of reality has finally been pulled back to reveal a small minded, arrogant Wizard of deception and lies whose ego is continually fed by the equal arrogance of his retinue of venal, incompetent, neo-con advisors.
Yet they still man their post before their custom control board, yanking on levers marked Iraq- WMDs, Iraq-Al Quaida, Iraq-enemy combatants, Iraq-fear, Iraq-defeatists, Iraq-unpatriotic, Iraq- denial, and that old favorite, God is on Our Side!
However, it is interesting to note that they are no longer yanking the levers of "Wanted, Dead or Alive" and "Bring Em On," as the "axis of evil"—North Korea and Iran tread down the path toward Nuclear viability.
Meanwhile, the Wizard’s trail of incompetence is littered with the bodies of more than 600,000 Iraqis and 2,700 Americans —not to mention more than 8,000 severely wounded U.S. troops.
But the Wizard remains in power while the Democratic Dwarfs scurry around still trying to find the Yellow Brick Road.
We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto! –Bill Sanders
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Friday, September 01, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
What we need is a DPVPV !
Back when the Taliban were ruling Afghanistan, they protected their fiefdom with a Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue. The Department had a cadre of enforcers called the DPVPV police. Their job was to see to it that women were kept jobless and uneducated and completely covered except for their eyeballs. The enforcers would beat women who had so much as an ankle showing in public.
Then, our Great Decider dropped off democracy in Afghanistan, on his way to Baghdad. Now Afghanistan has a President—Hamid Karzai—who’s idea of democracy includes reviving the old Taliban Department for the Prevention of Vice and Protection of Virtue.
I happen to think President Karzai may be on to something. We could use a Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue to defend our democracy--- against terrorists, liberals and the ACLU! It’s true that we do have the PNC (Protective Neo-Con Cabinet) and the RWEG (Right Wing Evangelical Guard) who are working day and night to protect us from an invasion by Osama bin-Laden. But we need protection from our internal terrorists.
A Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue, could, for example, order subversives like Cindy Sheehan to wear a burka. That way the public could only see her eyeballs and not be corrupted by her "bring our troops home" t-shirt. It might require an occasional beating to keep her in line.
Also, the Department could follow the lead of Saudi Arabia, our democratic allies in the fight for freedom, and ban women from driving automobiles. That way these femi-fascists would not be able to follow our Great Decider from state to state disrupting his lessons on the sanctity of war.
Of course it would fall to the Protection of Virtue enforcers to help guide young girls away from the path of these subversive older women. This could be done by simply enforcing the law forbidding females under 18 from getting the "morning after pill" to prevent pregnancy. That way, young girls would be protected from promiscuity and the resulting babies would keep them at home instead of protesting against the Great Decider.
One of the biggest jobs would go to the Prevention of Vice enforcers. That would be to keep these terrorist sympathizer cells in the United States from aiding and abetting the enemy.
The first order of business would be to get rid of the likes of federal District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor—who had the temerity to declare the Great Decider’s warrantless wiretapping program illegal and unconstitutional.
Adding insult to subversion, Judge Taylor said, "There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution". Can you believe that? Why, its common knowledge in the White House that when the Great Decider was elected, it automatically bestowed upon him the inherent power to do anything he wants in the name of 9/11.
As our Great Decider has told us, over and over—we are either for him or for the terrorists. Or—as in the words of that great Demopublican Joe Lieberman, "we undermine the president’s credibility at our nation’s peril." The Decider needs this protection against the vice of criticism.
And finally, with a Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue, we would not have to worry about the Taliban Democrats in Congress continuing to facilitate Al Quaida’s quest to invade America. The DPVPV would have the authority to vacate those terrorist sympathizers and install the staff of Fox News.
Bill Sanders
Then, our Great Decider dropped off democracy in Afghanistan, on his way to Baghdad. Now Afghanistan has a President—Hamid Karzai—who’s idea of democracy includes reviving the old Taliban Department for the Prevention of Vice and Protection of Virtue.
I happen to think President Karzai may be on to something. We could use a Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue to defend our democracy--- against terrorists, liberals and the ACLU! It’s true that we do have the PNC (Protective Neo-Con Cabinet) and the RWEG (Right Wing Evangelical Guard) who are working day and night to protect us from an invasion by Osama bin-Laden. But we need protection from our internal terrorists.
A Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue, could, for example, order subversives like Cindy Sheehan to wear a burka. That way the public could only see her eyeballs and not be corrupted by her "bring our troops home" t-shirt. It might require an occasional beating to keep her in line.
Also, the Department could follow the lead of Saudi Arabia, our democratic allies in the fight for freedom, and ban women from driving automobiles. That way these femi-fascists would not be able to follow our Great Decider from state to state disrupting his lessons on the sanctity of war.
Of course it would fall to the Protection of Virtue enforcers to help guide young girls away from the path of these subversive older women. This could be done by simply enforcing the law forbidding females under 18 from getting the "morning after pill" to prevent pregnancy. That way, young girls would be protected from promiscuity and the resulting babies would keep them at home instead of protesting against the Great Decider.
One of the biggest jobs would go to the Prevention of Vice enforcers. That would be to keep these terrorist sympathizer cells in the United States from aiding and abetting the enemy.
The first order of business would be to get rid of the likes of federal District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor—who had the temerity to declare the Great Decider’s warrantless wiretapping program illegal and unconstitutional.
Adding insult to subversion, Judge Taylor said, "There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution". Can you believe that? Why, its common knowledge in the White House that when the Great Decider was elected, it automatically bestowed upon him the inherent power to do anything he wants in the name of 9/11.
As our Great Decider has told us, over and over—we are either for him or for the terrorists. Or—as in the words of that great Demopublican Joe Lieberman, "we undermine the president’s credibility at our nation’s peril." The Decider needs this protection against the vice of criticism.
And finally, with a Department for the Prevention of Vice and the Protection of Virtue, we would not have to worry about the Taliban Democrats in Congress continuing to facilitate Al Quaida’s quest to invade America. The DPVPV would have the authority to vacate those terrorist sympathizers and install the staff of Fox News.
Bill Sanders
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Friday, August 04, 2006
Good Night and Good Luck Today!
I finally got around to renting and watching the movie Good Night and Good Luck, the Story of Edward R. Murrow and the "McCarthy" era. I found it particularly pertinent because I lived and worked in Wisconsin for 25 years as the political cartoonist for the Milwaukee Journal. One could not be involved with Wisconsin politics and ignore the infamous career of Senator Joseph McCarthy.
At the peak of the McCarthy tyranny, however, I was, more or less, a typical student at Western Kentucky University. My interests did not extend beyond, playing football, girls, partying and staying in ROTC to avoid being drafted and sent to Korea. In 1953, if someone had asked me who was Joseph McCarthy—I would not have had a clue.
In 1955 I was married. By the end of that year I found myself in the Army in Korea, rather than trying out for the Cleveland Browns. It was there that I discovered two things that changed my life: The real world and a book by Herblock, the great Washington Post political cartoonist.
Herblock, early on, saw Joseph McCarthy for what he really was, a dangerous, arrogant demagogue. On March 29, 1950, he drew a cartoon of the Republicans pushing the elephant (their party symbol) to the top of a stack of tar buckets labeled "McCarthyism." It became a standard term in the American lexicon of political discourse as a euphemism for smear tactics.
Watching the movie on Murrow—and contemplating my retrospective knowledge of the McCarthy era—I was struck by a sort of deja vu as regards the Bush administration.
In 1949 the Soviet Union exploded an Atomic Bomb and Mao Zedong took power in China, sharply increasing the sense of threat from Communism in the United States. While the expansionist ambitions and brutal tactics of communism were a legitimate concern, McCarthy shamelessly exploited people’s fears at the expense of basic American values. He nourished the ultraconservative view that equated Franklin Roosevelt’s programs with communism.
Those who opposed him were publicly branded as un-American communist sympathizers. He ruined lives and was Godfather to court and corporate decisions that shredded constitutional rights. His tactics included lies, deceptions and distortions. His success depended on the acquiescence of a public indoctrinated by propaganda and paralyzed by fear—and by a Congress with no political backbone.
Today, we have a legitimate concern over the ambition and brutal tactics of terrorist religious fanatics. Today, we have a leader who has shamelessly exploited 9/11 with lies, deceptions and distortions and used them to abandon the real pursuit of terrorists and start a phony "war on terrorists" in Iraq.
Today, we have a leader who panders to the fear of those terrorists by repeatedly accusing his critics of, at best, being terrorist sympathizers---or, at worst, being terrorist facilitators. "You are either for us---or for the terrorists!"
Worst of all, we have a leader who declares himself to be the soul "decider"of when our constitution protects us ----and what laws he feels obliged to obey. Sadly we have a substantial population willing to trade their civil liberties for dubious "security."
In 1953, Edward R. Murrow eloquently spoke these words--- which should apply to this day and to this President--George Bush:
" We must remember always that accusation is not truth and that conviction depends on evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak and to defend the causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.
This is no time for men who opposed McCarthy’s methods to keep silent–or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history but we cannot escape responsibility for the results. We can proclaim ourselves-- indeed as we are--the defenders of freedoms wherever it continues to exist in the world but we cannot continue to defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The actions of the junior senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay among our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And who’s fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear-- he merely exploited it—and rather successfully.
Caesius was right. 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars–but in ourselves.'
Good night and good luck."
At the peak of the McCarthy tyranny, however, I was, more or less, a typical student at Western Kentucky University. My interests did not extend beyond, playing football, girls, partying and staying in ROTC to avoid being drafted and sent to Korea. In 1953, if someone had asked me who was Joseph McCarthy—I would not have had a clue.
In 1955 I was married. By the end of that year I found myself in the Army in Korea, rather than trying out for the Cleveland Browns. It was there that I discovered two things that changed my life: The real world and a book by Herblock, the great Washington Post political cartoonist.
Herblock, early on, saw Joseph McCarthy for what he really was, a dangerous, arrogant demagogue. On March 29, 1950, he drew a cartoon of the Republicans pushing the elephant (their party symbol) to the top of a stack of tar buckets labeled "McCarthyism." It became a standard term in the American lexicon of political discourse as a euphemism for smear tactics.
Watching the movie on Murrow—and contemplating my retrospective knowledge of the McCarthy era—I was struck by a sort of deja vu as regards the Bush administration.
In 1949 the Soviet Union exploded an Atomic Bomb and Mao Zedong took power in China, sharply increasing the sense of threat from Communism in the United States. While the expansionist ambitions and brutal tactics of communism were a legitimate concern, McCarthy shamelessly exploited people’s fears at the expense of basic American values. He nourished the ultraconservative view that equated Franklin Roosevelt’s programs with communism.
Those who opposed him were publicly branded as un-American communist sympathizers. He ruined lives and was Godfather to court and corporate decisions that shredded constitutional rights. His tactics included lies, deceptions and distortions. His success depended on the acquiescence of a public indoctrinated by propaganda and paralyzed by fear—and by a Congress with no political backbone.
Today, we have a legitimate concern over the ambition and brutal tactics of terrorist religious fanatics. Today, we have a leader who has shamelessly exploited 9/11 with lies, deceptions and distortions and used them to abandon the real pursuit of terrorists and start a phony "war on terrorists" in Iraq.
Today, we have a leader who panders to the fear of those terrorists by repeatedly accusing his critics of, at best, being terrorist sympathizers---or, at worst, being terrorist facilitators. "You are either for us---or for the terrorists!"
Worst of all, we have a leader who declares himself to be the soul "decider"of when our constitution protects us ----and what laws he feels obliged to obey. Sadly we have a substantial population willing to trade their civil liberties for dubious "security."
In 1953, Edward R. Murrow eloquently spoke these words--- which should apply to this day and to this President--George Bush:
" We must remember always that accusation is not truth and that conviction depends on evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak and to defend the causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.
This is no time for men who opposed McCarthy’s methods to keep silent–or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history but we cannot escape responsibility for the results. We can proclaim ourselves-- indeed as we are--the defenders of freedoms wherever it continues to exist in the world but we cannot continue to defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The actions of the junior senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay among our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And who’s fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear-- he merely exploited it—and rather successfully.
Caesius was right. 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars–but in ourselves.'
Good night and good luck."
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