War, on Terror and Otherwise
November 01, 2004
#1 - Accountability
President Bush likes to talk about accountability, often in regard to educational standards, but it has been a frequent refrain in other areas. He claims to have signed the most sweeping corporate accountability reforms since Franklin Roosevelt. After the Enron scandal, he assured us "company executives with power over 401(k)s . . . [more]
President Bush likes to talk about accountability, often in regard to educational standards, but it has been a frequent refrain in other areas. He claims to have signed the most sweeping corporate accountability reforms since Franklin Roosevelt. After the Enron scandal, he assured us "company executives with power over 401(k)s . . . [more]
October 31, 2004
#2 - The Final Countdown: War, on Terror and Otherwise
George Bush claims he's made this country safer. You've heard the words; here are the actions: June 2003: With weapons of mass destruction as his justification for the war in Iraq, and no WMD found, President Bush suggests they were looted: "Saddam Hussein went to great lengths to hide his . . . [more]
George Bush claims he's made this country safer. You've heard the words; here are the actions: June 2003: With weapons of mass destruction as his justification for the war in Iraq, and no WMD found, President Bush suggests they were looted: "Saddam Hussein went to great lengths to hide his . . . [more]
October 21, 2004
#12 - Thoughts from Friends and Family
George Bush suffered an embarrassing rebellion in the ranks yesterday when the founder of the conservative Christian Coalition said the White House had dismissed the very idea of US casualties in Iraq during the run-up to the war. In an interview with CNN, the movement's founder, Pat Robertson, described a . . . [more]
George Bush suffered an embarrassing rebellion in the ranks yesterday when the founder of the conservative Christian Coalition said the White House had dismissed the very idea of US casualties in Iraq during the run-up to the war. In an interview with CNN, the movement's founder, Pat Robertson, described a . . . [more]
October 11, 2004
#22 - He's Spinning out of Control
From Bob Herbert's editorial in today's New York Times, "Webs of Illusion": It's understood that incumbents campaigning for re-election will spotlight the good news and downplay the bad. The problem for President Bush, with the election just three weeks away, is that the bad news keeps cascading in and there . . . [more]
From Bob Herbert's editorial in today's New York Times, "Webs of Illusion": It's understood that incumbents campaigning for re-election will spotlight the good news and downplay the bad. The problem for President Bush, with the election just three weeks away, is that the bad news keeps cascading in and there . . . [more]
October 08, 2004
#25 - Even Knowing What He Knows Now, He Still Thinks Invading Iraq Was a Good Idea
From today's Seattle Times, "No weapons, no matter, Bush says": The Bush administration yesterday launched a campaign to blunt the effect of a report that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction by arguing that the findings still justify the decision to invade Iraq. President Bush said the report by . . . [more]
From today's Seattle Times, "No weapons, no matter, Bush says": The Bush administration yesterday launched a campaign to blunt the effect of a report that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction by arguing that the findings still justify the decision to invade Iraq. President Bush said the report by . . . [more]
September 30, 2004
#33 - "Where is the Word Sorry?"
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan Aboard Air Force One en Route to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida September 29, 2004 [...] Q Tony Blair has apologized for the evidence that brought the country into war against Iraq, apologizing since apparently some of it was wrong. Do you think the President . . . [more]
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan Aboard Air Force One en Route to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida September 29, 2004 [...] Q Tony Blair has apologized for the evidence that brought the country into war against Iraq, apologizing since apparently some of it was wrong. Do you think the President . . . [more]
September 25, 2004
#38 - If the Numbers Aren't Favorable, He Just Makes Them Up
Fewer Iraqi security forces will be fully trained by the end of this year than cited by President Bush and it will take until July 2006 to fully train the police force, according to Pentagon documents. With interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at his side, Bush said on Thursday . . . [more]
Fewer Iraqi security forces will be fully trained by the end of this year than cited by President Bush and it will take until July 2006 to fully train the police force, according to Pentagon documents. With interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at his side, Bush said on Thursday . . . [more]
September 23, 2004
#40 - We See the Irony
From yesterday's Washington Post, "Bush Speech: Resolute or Clueless?": In a soaring, eloquent, upbeat speech from the marble podium at the United Nations, President Bush yesterday put forth the purest distillation yet of his foreign policy views. And depending on your own world view, I'm betting you either loved it . . . [more]
From yesterday's Washington Post, "Bush Speech: Resolute or Clueless?": In a soaring, eloquent, upbeat speech from the marble podium at the United Nations, President Bush yesterday put forth the purest distillation yet of his foreign policy views. And depending on your own world view, I'm betting you either loved it . . . [more]
September 22, 2004
#41 - Maybe He Should Just Say "The Boogeyman"
President Bush might have been able to say it was simply a slip of the tongue when he confused two terrorists in a campaign speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trouble is, he's made the same misstatement at least 10 times before. During remarks in Derry, N.H., Bush said the late . . . [more]
President Bush might have been able to say it was simply a slip of the tongue when he confused two terrorists in a campaign speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trouble is, he's made the same misstatement at least 10 times before. During remarks in Derry, N.H., Bush said the late . . . [more]
September 21, 2004
#42 - He's Lost the War in Iraq
It's Ayad Allawi week. President Bush, starting with his address at the U.N. today, will try to present Mr. Allawi - a former Baathist who the BBC reports was chosen as prime minister because he was "equally mistrusted by everyone" - as the leader of a sovereign nation on the . . . [more]
It's Ayad Allawi week. President Bush, starting with his address at the U.N. today, will try to present Mr. Allawi - a former Baathist who the BBC reports was chosen as prime minister because he was "equally mistrusted by everyone" - as the leader of a sovereign nation on the . . . [more]
September 20, 2004
#43 - Passing the Buck
“I went to Washington to fix problems, not pass them on to future Presidents.” George W. Bush President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota September 16, 2004 Interesting. Because, from where we sit, Bush seems to have passed quite a few problems off to future generations and . . . [more]
“I went to Washington to fix problems, not pass them on to future Presidents.” George W. Bush President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota September 16, 2004 Interesting. Because, from where we sit, Bush seems to have passed quite a few problems off to future generations and . . . [more]
September 19, 2004
#44 - The Great Overreach
When power fails, Op-Ed in today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer The deaths of Iraqi civilians in air strikes Friday carry a message for all of us. American power has limits. When we try to move beyond human capacity in conducting military operations, tragedy ensues. All of the escalating losses -- American, allied . . . [more]
When power fails, Op-Ed in today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer The deaths of Iraqi civilians in air strikes Friday carry a message for all of us. American power has limits. When we try to move beyond human capacity in conducting military operations, tragedy ensues. All of the escalating losses -- American, allied . . . [more]
September 18, 2004
#45 - He Failed to Follow His Own Doctrine
The Vice President was in Oregon yesterday, and he gave his usual stump speech: five parts war on terror, two parts attack on Kerry, one part softball questions from the handpicked audience. During the war on terror part, Cheney referenced something he called the "Bush doctrine": And he annunciated a . . . [more]
The Vice President was in Oregon yesterday, and he gave his usual stump speech: five parts war on terror, two parts attack on Kerry, one part softball questions from the handpicked audience. During the war on terror part, Cheney referenced something he called the "Bush doctrine": And he annunciated a . . . [more]
September 17, 2004
#46 - He's Lying About Iraq
A classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for President Bush in late July spells out a dark assessment of prospects for Iraq, government officials said Wednesday. The estimate outlines three possibilities for Iraq through the end of 2005, with the worst case being developments that could lead to civil war, the . . . [more]
A classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for President Bush in late July spells out a dark assessment of prospects for Iraq, government officials said Wednesday. The estimate outlines three possibilities for Iraq through the end of 2005, with the worst case being developments that could lead to civil war, the . . . [more]
September 12, 2004
#51 - What His Administration Should Have Known
From today's New York Times, "New Book Says Bush Officials Were Told of Detainee Abuse": Senior military and national security officials in the Bush administration were repeatedly warned by subordinates in 2002 and 2003 that prisoners in military custody were being abused, according to a new book by a prominent . . . [more]
From today's New York Times, "New Book Says Bush Officials Were Told of Detainee Abuse": Senior military and national security officials in the Bush administration were repeatedly warned by subordinates in 2002 and 2003 that prisoners in military custody were being abused, according to a new book by a prominent . . . [more]
September 11, 2004
#52 - He's Flip-flopping His Way through the War on Terror
While working relentlessly to portray Democratic Sen. John Kerry as a ''flip-flopper,'' President Bush has his own history of changing his position, from reversals on steel tariffs and ''nation-building'' to reasons for invading Iraq. Most recently, Bush did an about-face on whether the proposed new director of national intelligence should . . . [more]
While working relentlessly to portray Democratic Sen. John Kerry as a ''flip-flopper,'' President Bush has his own history of changing his position, from reversals on steel tariffs and ''nation-building'' to reasons for invading Iraq. Most recently, Bush did an about-face on whether the proposed new director of national intelligence should . . . [more]
September 10, 2004
#53 - We're Still Waiting for Accountability
From today's Washington Post, "A Failed Investigation": A day of congressional hearings yesterday confirmed two glaring gaps in the Bush administration's response to hundreds of cases of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first is one of investigation: Major allegations of wrongdoing, including some touching on Defense Secretary Donald . . . [more]
From today's Washington Post, "A Failed Investigation": A day of congressional hearings yesterday confirmed two glaring gaps in the Bush administration's response to hundreds of cases of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first is one of investigation: Major allegations of wrongdoing, including some touching on Defense Secretary Donald . . . [more]
September 07, 2004
#56 - Not Winning the War on Terror
From today's Toronto Star, "Terror case collapse blow to Bush": The collapse in Detroit of the U.S. Justice Department's first post-Sept. 11, 2001, prosecution of an alleged terrorist sleeper cell has left the Bush administration with few high-profile major criminal victories in the war on terrorism — and a growing . . . [more]
From today's Toronto Star, "Terror case collapse blow to Bush": The collapse in Detroit of the U.S. Justice Department's first post-Sept. 11, 2001, prosecution of an alleged terrorist sleeper cell has left the Bush administration with few high-profile major criminal victories in the war on terrorism — and a growing . . . [more]
August 31, 2004
#63 - Convention Recap: War and Terror Edition
Last night in New York, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain started off the Convention on a war footing. Giuliani Highlights For those of us who had forgotten, Rudy reminded us that on Sept. 11, 2001, America was attacked by terrorists. He mentioned "Sept. 11" . . . [more]
Last night in New York, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain started off the Convention on a war footing. Giuliani Highlights For those of us who had forgotten, Rudy reminded us that on Sept. 11, 2001, America was attacked by terrorists. He mentioned "Sept. 11" . . . [more]
August 30, 2004
#64 - Plausible Deniability, Part I
The Bush 'hear no evil, see no evil' doctrine continues. From Rumsfeld Denies Abuses Occurred at Interrogations in the New York Times: In his first comments on the two major investigative reports issued this week at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Thursday mischaracterized one of their central . . . [more]
The Bush 'hear no evil, see no evil' doctrine continues. From Rumsfeld Denies Abuses Occurred at Interrogations in the New York Times: In his first comments on the two major investigative reports issued this week at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Thursday mischaracterized one of their central . . . [more]
August 27, 2004
#67 – Institutional Irresponsibility
Two new official reports on the treatment of foreign prisoners have dragged the Bush administration and Pentagon brass a couple of steps closer to facing the truth about how and why U.S. soldiers and interrogators committed scores of acts of torture and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. An Army investigation . . . [more]
Two new official reports on the treatment of foreign prisoners have dragged the Bush administration and Pentagon brass a couple of steps closer to facing the truth about how and why U.S. soldiers and interrogators committed scores of acts of torture and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. An Army investigation . . . [more]
August 23, 2004
#71 - 20th Century Defense
President Bush defended his pursuit of a costly missile defense system on Tuesday and said those who oppose the idea do not understand the dangers the country faces in the 21st century. [. . .] Bush said a system to shoot down any incoming missiles armed with chemical, biological, or . . . [more]
President Bush defended his pursuit of a costly missile defense system on Tuesday and said those who oppose the idea do not understand the dangers the country faces in the 21st century. [. . .] Bush said a system to shoot down any incoming missiles armed with chemical, biological, or . . . [more]
August 22, 2004
#72 - Bush the Fundamentalist
Since the attacks of Sept. 11, the president and his administration have converged a religious fundamentalist worldview with a political agenda -- a distinctly partisan one, wrapped in the mantle of national interest but crafted by and for only those who share their outlook. It is a modern form of . . . [more]
Since the attacks of Sept. 11, the president and his administration have converged a religious fundamentalist worldview with a political agenda -- a distinctly partisan one, wrapped in the mantle of national interest but crafted by and for only those who share their outlook. It is a modern form of . . . [more]
August 17, 2004
#77 - Dick Cheney, Master of Hypocrisy
So a couple of weeks ago at Unity 2004 John Kerry says, among other things, "I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror that reaches out to other nations and brings them to our side and lives up to . . . [more]
So a couple of weeks ago at Unity 2004 John Kerry says, among other things, "I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror that reaches out to other nations and brings them to our side and lives up to . . . [more]
August 12, 2004
#82 - On Not Facing Facts
From Scott McClellan's August 9 Press Conference: Q The President said at the community college that the people who we're fighting are cruel, have no conscience, and kill innocent people. And my question is, during our two wars in the last three years, have we killed any innocent people? MR. . . . [more]
From Scott McClellan's August 9 Press Conference: Q The President said at the community college that the people who we're fighting are cruel, have no conscience, and kill innocent people. And my question is, during our two wars in the last three years, have we killed any innocent people? MR. . . . [more]
August 11, 2004
#83 - He's Not Winning the War on Terror
A new portrait of Al Qaeda's inner workings is emerging from the cache of information seized last month in Pakistan, as investigators begin to identify a new generation of operatives who appear to be filling the vacuum created when leaders were killed or captured, senior intelligence officials said Monday. [...] . . . [more]
A new portrait of Al Qaeda's inner workings is emerging from the cache of information seized last month in Pakistan, as investigators begin to identify a new generation of operatives who appear to be filling the vacuum created when leaders were killed or captured, senior intelligence officials said Monday. [...] . . . [more]
August 08, 2004
#86 - Other People's Money
From Wednesday's Washington Post, "$1.9 Billion of Iraq's Money Goes to U.S. Contractors": Halliburton and other U.S. contractors are being paid at least $1.9 billion from Iraqi funds under an arrangement set by the U.S.-led occupation authority, according to a review of documents and interviews with government agencies, companies and . . . [more]
From Wednesday's Washington Post, "$1.9 Billion of Iraq's Money Goes to U.S. Contractors": Halliburton and other U.S. contractors are being paid at least $1.9 billion from Iraqi funds under an arrangement set by the U.S.-led occupation authority, according to a review of documents and interviews with government agencies, companies and . . . [more]
August 03, 2004
#91 - Fear Alert Level: Chartreuse
It seems that the unusually specific terrorist warning issued by the Bush Administration on Sunday was gleaned from mostly old intelligence -- gathered as far back as 2001 and 2000. According to the New York Times, intelligence and law enforcement officials "reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence . . . [more]
It seems that the unusually specific terrorist warning issued by the Bush Administration on Sunday was gleaned from mostly old intelligence -- gathered as far back as 2001 and 2000. According to the New York Times, intelligence and law enforcement officials "reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence . . . [more]
July 29, 2004
#96 - Things Get Worse in Afghanistan
From today's Guardian, "Aid agency quits Afghanistan over security fears": One of the world's leading frontline aid organisations, Médecins sans Frontières [Doctors without Borders], is pulling out of Afghanistan after 24 years because of a deterioration in security. MSF, a neutral group which depends primarily on private donations, has a . . . [more]
From today's Guardian, "Aid agency quits Afghanistan over security fears": One of the world's leading frontline aid organisations, Médecins sans Frontières [Doctors without Borders], is pulling out of Afghanistan after 24 years because of a deterioration in security. MSF, a neutral group which depends primarily on private donations, has a . . . [more]
July 28, 2004
#97 - Halliburton: Last Week, Yesterday, and Also Yesterday
Last Week: The Army botched planning and management of the multibillion-dollar contract to provide food and other services to troops in Iraq, congressional investigators said. Investigators from the Government Accountability Office found a pattern of problems that led to cost disputes between the Pentagon and the contractor, Houston-based Halliburton. The . . . [more]
Last Week: The Army botched planning and management of the multibillion-dollar contract to provide food and other services to troops in Iraq, congressional investigators said. Investigators from the Government Accountability Office found a pattern of problems that led to cost disputes between the Pentagon and the contractor, Houston-based Halliburton. The . . . [more]
July 26, 2004
#99 - Don't Forget Accountability
From Saturday's Washington Post, "An Army Whitewash": The Army's attempt to hold itself accountable for the abuse of foreign prisoners is off to a terrible start. On Thursday, while the media and political worlds were focused on the report of the Sept. 11 commission, the Army inspector general released a . . . [more]
From Saturday's Washington Post, "An Army Whitewash": The Army's attempt to hold itself accountable for the abuse of foreign prisoners is off to a terrible start. On Thursday, while the media and political worlds were focused on the report of the Sept. 11 commission, the Army inspector general released a . . . [more]
July 20, 2004
#105 - His Continued Refusal to Admit Mistakes
From yesterday's Press Briefing by Scott McClellan: Q Prime Minister Blair took full personal responsibility for taking his nation into war under falsehoods -- under reasons that have been determined now to be false. Is President Bush also willing to take full, personal responsibility -- MR. McCLELLAN: I think Prime . . . [more]
From yesterday's Press Briefing by Scott McClellan: Q Prime Minister Blair took full personal responsibility for taking his nation into war under falsehoods -- under reasons that have been determined now to be false. Is President Bush also willing to take full, personal responsibility -- MR. McCLELLAN: I think Prime . . . [more]
July 19, 2004
#106 - He's Abandoned Afghanistan
In its obsession with Iraq, the Bush administration dropped the ball disgracefully in Afghanistan just as the effort to rebuild that violence-wracked nation began in earnest after the ouster of the Taliban regime more than two years ago. Now that fractious nation, once the breeding ground of the al-Qaida terror . . . [more]
In its obsession with Iraq, the Bush administration dropped the ball disgracefully in Afghanistan just as the effort to rebuild that violence-wracked nation began in earnest after the ouster of the Taliban regime more than two years ago. Now that fractious nation, once the breeding ground of the al-Qaida terror . . . [more]
July 15, 2004
#110 - Planning to Surrender to Terrorists
So Tuesday brought us this little gem: American officials are discussing the possibility of postponing November's presidential election, for the first time in US history, in the event of a devastating terrorist attack, it emerged yesterday. A spokesman for the homeland security department said the possibility of a postponement in . . . [more]
So Tuesday brought us this little gem: American officials are discussing the possibility of postponing November's presidential election, for the first time in US history, in the event of a devastating terrorist attack, it emerged yesterday. A spokesman for the homeland security department said the possibility of a postponement in . . . [more]
July 13, 2004
#112 - Repeating a Lie Often Enough
It's not hard to tell when President Bush is really, really serious about getting a particular message out. He repeats it, over and over again. But it's unusual even for him to say the same thing seven times in one short speech. That's what he did yesterday, in Oak Ridge, . . . [more]
It's not hard to tell when President Bush is really, really serious about getting a particular message out. He repeats it, over and over again. But it's unusual even for him to say the same thing seven times in one short speech. That's what he did yesterday, in Oak Ridge, . . . [more]
July 03, 2004
#122 - The Hypocrisy is Deafening
Bush advocates democracy on an as-needed basis: First, President Bush hailed the political handover in Iraq as a giant step toward democracy for the entire Middle East. Then, his administration announced it was resuming direct diplomatic ties with Libya, where Moammar Gadhafi has ruled for 35 years. Democracy may be . . . [more]
Bush advocates democracy on an as-needed basis: First, President Bush hailed the political handover in Iraq as a giant step toward democracy for the entire Middle East. Then, his administration announced it was resuming direct diplomatic ties with Libya, where Moammar Gadhafi has ruled for 35 years. Democracy may be . . . [more]
June 30, 2004
#125 - The Real Meaning of Democracy
It’s not the "City on a Hill" version that Bush espouses (minus the meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality). No, what is truly great about America’s democracy is the system of checks and balances that we memorized in the eighth grade. Sure, it was boring then, but to see it in . . . [more]
It’s not the "City on a Hill" version that Bush espouses (minus the meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality). No, what is truly great about America’s democracy is the system of checks and balances that we memorized in the eighth grade. Sure, it was boring then, but to see it in . . . [more]
June 28, 2004
#127 - The Junior High White House
In this White House Pool Report, notes are passed. Highlight: The White House will soon be releasing some documents related to the turnover of power in Iraq, including a photo release of the note that Rumsfeld handed to Bush this morning notifying him of the handover. The note was written . . . [more]
In this White House Pool Report, notes are passed. Highlight: The White House will soon be releasing some documents related to the turnover of power in Iraq, including a photo release of the note that Rumsfeld handed to Bush this morning notifying him of the handover. The note was written . . . [more]
June 27, 2004
#128 - Another Vote of No Confidence
A book written by a top CIA counterterrorism official alleges that the Bush administration has bungled the war on terror, and because of poor decisions the United States faces a choice in Iraq and Afghanistan "between war and endless war." Written by a high-level counterterrorism expert and published under the . . . [more]
A book written by a top CIA counterterrorism official alleges that the Bush administration has bungled the war on terror, and because of poor decisions the United States faces a choice in Iraq and Afghanistan "between war and endless war." Written by a high-level counterterrorism expert and published under the . . . [more]
June 23, 2004
#132 - His Mistaken View of Democracy
President George W. Bush's efforts to build democracy in Iraq are underpinned by a misguided view of America's own democracy. He believes that American democracy works because Americans are innately good people, believing in values of tolerance and respect for others and guided by religious faith. In his view, Americans . . . [more]
President George W. Bush's efforts to build democracy in Iraq are underpinned by a misguided view of America's own democracy. He believes that American democracy works because Americans are innately good people, believing in values of tolerance and respect for others and guided by religious faith. In his view, Americans . . . [more]
June 19, 2004
#136 - He Takes Delegating Way Too Far
From today's AP wire via Yahoo! News: "In the White House's underground shelter, with reports of a jet closing in, Cheney authorized the Air Force to shoot down hijacked planes. Cheney said Bush earlier had given him the authority to do so. . . . [more]
From today's AP wire via Yahoo! News: "In the White House's underground shelter, with reports of a jet closing in, Cheney authorized the Air Force to shoot down hijacked planes. Cheney said Bush earlier had given him the authority to do so. . . . [more]
June 17, 2004
#138 - Still Beating a Very Dead Horse
Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaeda, an assertion that has been repeatedly challenged by some policy experts and lawmakers. The vice president offered no details backing up his claim of a link between Saddam and al Qaida. "He was a patron . . . [more]
Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaeda, an assertion that has been repeatedly challenged by some policy experts and lawmakers. The vice president offered no details backing up his claim of a link between Saddam and al Qaida. "He was a patron . . . [more]
June 12, 2004
#143 - His Inconsistent Record on Human Rights
Press Conference of the President After G8 Summit Savannah, Georgia Q Mr. President, the Justice Department issued an advisory opinion last year declaring that as Commander-in-Chief you have the authority to order any kind of interrogation techniques that are necessary to pursue the war on terror. Were you aware of . . . [more]
Press Conference of the President After G8 Summit Savannah, Georgia Q Mr. President, the Justice Department issued an advisory opinion last year declaring that as Commander-in-Chief you have the authority to order any kind of interrogation techniques that are necessary to pursue the war on terror. Were you aware of . . . [more]
June 08, 2004
#147 - His Administration is More Interested in "Legal" Than "Right"
From today's New York Times, "Lawyers Decided Bans on Torture Didn't Bind Bush": A team of administration lawyers concluded in a March 2003 legal memorandum that President Bush was not bound by either an international treaty prohibiting torture or by a federal antitorture law because he had the authority as . . . [more]
From today's New York Times, "Lawyers Decided Bans on Torture Didn't Bind Bush": A team of administration lawyers concluded in a March 2003 legal memorandum that President Bush was not bound by either an international treaty prohibiting torture or by a federal antitorture law because he had the authority as . . . [more]
June 07, 2004
#148 - The Deterioration of a Free Society
I am obligated as a journalist to use the word "alleged" when writing about Jose Padilla, the former Chicago gangbanger the government says turned terrorist. He allegedly received terrorist training in Afghanistan. He returned to the United States as an alleged al Qaeda operative. He allegedly planned to detonate a . . . [more]
I am obligated as a journalist to use the word "alleged" when writing about Jose Padilla, the former Chicago gangbanger the government says turned terrorist. He allegedly received terrorist training in Afghanistan. He returned to the United States as an alleged al Qaeda operative. He allegedly planned to detonate a . . . [more]
June 06, 2004
#149 - On Worthy and Unworthy Wars
From "D-Day, in History and in Memory", by Samuel Hynes in the New York Times: [...] The old men on the Mall today were lucky in their war. They went believing that it was a just and necessary war, and when they'd won they came home still believing. Being the . . . [more]
From "D-Day, in History and in Memory", by Samuel Hynes in the New York Times: [...] The old men on the Mall today were lucky in their war. They went believing that it was a just and necessary war, and when they'd won they came home still believing. Being the . . . [more]
June 04, 2004
#151 - We're Not Even Surprised Any More
From Wednesday's Houston Chronicle, "E-mail causes Cheney critics to call for inquiry": Vice President Dick Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co. have again come under scrutiny, after a Pentagon e-mail surfaced suggesting he knew in advance about a decision to award the firm a multibillion-dollar contract without seeking bids from competitors. . . . [more]
From Wednesday's Houston Chronicle, "E-mail causes Cheney critics to call for inquiry": Vice President Dick Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co. have again come under scrutiny, after a Pentagon e-mail surfaced suggesting he knew in advance about a decision to award the firm a multibillion-dollar contract without seeking bids from competitors. . . . [more]
June 02, 2004
#153 - He Doesn't Listen to the Right People
From yesterday's AP wire via The Boston Globe, "Iraq costs are $119.4 billion and rising; lawmakers ponder how money might have been spent: Even by Washington standards, the $119.4 billion that President Bush and Congress have provided for the first two years of the war in Iraq is real money. . . . [more]
From yesterday's AP wire via The Boston Globe, "Iraq costs are $119.4 billion and rising; lawmakers ponder how money might have been spent: Even by Washington standards, the $119.4 billion that President Bush and Congress have provided for the first two years of the war in Iraq is real money. . . . [more]
May 31, 2004
#155 - 814 Reasons
He still hasn't supplied sufficient evidence to justify this: May 2004 Spc. Michael J. Wiesemann, 20, of North Judson, Ind. Lance Cpl. Benjamin R. Gonzalez, 23, of Los Angeles, Calif. Lance Cpl. Kyle W. Codner, 19, of Wood River, Neb. Cpl. Matthew C. Henderson, 25, of Lincoln, Neb. Pfc. Richard . . . [more]
He still hasn't supplied sufficient evidence to justify this: May 2004 Spc. Michael J. Wiesemann, 20, of North Judson, Ind. Lance Cpl. Benjamin R. Gonzalez, 23, of Los Angeles, Calif. Lance Cpl. Kyle W. Codner, 19, of Wood River, Neb. Cpl. Matthew C. Henderson, 25, of Lincoln, Neb. Pfc. Richard . . . [more]
May 29, 2004
#157 - Still Fumbling Through History
President's Discusses Memorial Day in Weekly Radio Address Radio Address by the President to the Nation May 29, 2004 [...] Through our history, America has gone to war reluctantly because we have known the costs of war. And in every generation, it is the best among us who are called . . . [more]
President's Discusses Memorial Day in Weekly Radio Address Radio Address by the President to the Nation May 29, 2004 [...] Through our history, America has gone to war reluctantly because we have known the costs of war. And in every generation, it is the best among us who are called . . . [more]
May 27, 2004
#159 - The Executive Branch Needs to Follow the Example of the Fourth Estate
Yesterday the New York Times published a critique of its coverage of the war in Iraq: [W]e have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have been. In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was insufficiently qualified . . . [more]
Yesterday the New York Times published a critique of its coverage of the war in Iraq: [W]e have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have been. In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was insufficiently qualified . . . [more]
May 25, 2004
#161 - Bush Goes to College, But He Still Hasn't Learned Anything
The President outlined his plan for Iraq last night at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. It was heavy on the optimism: The rise of a free and self-governing Iraq will deny terrorists a base of operation, discredit their narrow ideology, and give momentum to reformers across the region. . . . [more]
The President outlined his plan for Iraq last night at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. It was heavy on the optimism: The rise of a free and self-governing Iraq will deny terrorists a base of operation, discredit their narrow ideology, and give momentum to reformers across the region. . . . [more]
May 24, 2004
#162 - He Should Have Been Looking for WMD in North Korea
From today's New York Times, "The North Korean Uranium Challenge": " The discovery that North Korea may have supplied uranium to Libya poses an immediate challenge to the White House: while President Bush is preoccupied on the other side of the world, an economically desperate nation may be engaging in . . . [more]
From today's New York Times, "The North Korean Uranium Challenge": " The discovery that North Korea may have supplied uranium to Libya poses an immediate challenge to the White House: while President Bush is preoccupied on the other side of the world, an economically desperate nation may be engaging in . . . [more]
May 17, 2004
#169 - More Cognitive Dissonance
The Iraq prisoner abuse scandal shifted Sunday to the question of whether the Bush administration set up a legal foundation that opened the door for the mistreatment. Within months of the Sept. 11 attacks, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales reportedly wrote President Bush a memo about the terrorism fight and . . . [more]
The Iraq prisoner abuse scandal shifted Sunday to the question of whether the Bush administration set up a legal foundation that opened the door for the mistreatment. Within months of the Sept. 11 attacks, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales reportedly wrote President Bush a memo about the terrorism fight and . . . [more]
May 15, 2004
#171 - Still Making Excuses
Fourteen months after American troops entered Iraq, the President is still trying to justify his decision to invade. Still refusing to admit that it was the American invasion that brought terrorists to Iraq, not the other way around, yesterday he used the gruesome death of Nick Berg for his own . . . [more]
Fourteen months after American troops entered Iraq, the President is still trying to justify his decision to invade. Still refusing to admit that it was the American invasion that brought terrorists to Iraq, not the other way around, yesterday he used the gruesome death of Nick Berg for his own . . . [more]
May 14, 2004
#172 - Hell Freezes Over
Bush must be the only person on the planet who can get Muslims to quote the Pope: Pope John Paul II will tell U.S. President George W. Bush that he is wrong on Iraq during their envisaged meeting on June 4, a senior Vatican official said Thursday, May 13. Cardinal . . . [more]
Bush must be the only person on the planet who can get Muslims to quote the Pope: Pope John Paul II will tell U.S. President George W. Bush that he is wrong on Iraq during their envisaged meeting on June 4, a senior Vatican official said Thursday, May 13. Cardinal . . . [more]
May 13, 2004
#173 - Even Conservatives Are Coming Around
Courtesy Helpful Reader Eric, "Conservatives Restive About Bush Policies", via the Washington Post: After three years of sweeping actions in both foreign and domestic affairs, the Bush administration is facing complaints from the conservative intelligentsia that it has lost its ability to produce fresh policies. The centerpiece of President Bush's . . . [more]
Courtesy Helpful Reader Eric, "Conservatives Restive About Bush Policies", via the Washington Post: After three years of sweeping actions in both foreign and domestic affairs, the Bush administration is facing complaints from the conservative intelligentsia that it has lost its ability to produce fresh policies. The centerpiece of President Bush's . . . [more]
May 11, 2004
#175 - More Bush in Translation
President Bush Reaffirms Commitments in Iraq Statement by the President The Pentagon May 10, 2004 11:55 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you for your leadership. You are courageously leading our nation in the war against terror. You're doing a superb job. You . . . [more]
President Bush Reaffirms Commitments in Iraq Statement by the President The Pentagon May 10, 2004 11:55 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you for your leadership. You are courageously leading our nation in the war against terror. You're doing a superb job. You . . . [more]
May 07, 2004
#179 - The White House Speaks
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan May 6, 2004 12:20 P.M. EDT Q Does the President take any responsibility for what happened at Abu Ghraib? And as the Commander-in-Chief, or as the President of the United States, is he responsible? It was on his watch. MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, the people who . . . [more]
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan May 6, 2004 12:20 P.M. EDT Q Does the President take any responsibility for what happened at Abu Ghraib? And as the Commander-in-Chief, or as the President of the United States, is he responsible? It was on his watch. MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, the people who . . . [more]
May 06, 2004
#180 - His Utter Lack of Humility
Yesterday George Bush was interviewed by Alhurra Television regarding the torture of Iraqi detainees: First, people in Iraq must understand that I view those practices as abhorrent. They must also understand that what took place in that prison does not represent America that I know. [. . .] The American . . . [more]
Yesterday George Bush was interviewed by Alhurra Television regarding the torture of Iraqi detainees: First, people in Iraq must understand that I view those practices as abhorrent. They must also understand that what took place in that prison does not represent America that I know. [. . .] The American . . . [more]
May 05, 2004
#181 - Intended Consequences
From "Patriot Act Suppresses News Of Challenge to Patriot Act" in the Washington Post, via Wonkette: The American Civil Liberties Union disclosed yesterday that it filed a lawsuit three weeks ago challenging the FBI's methods of obtaining many business records, but the group was barred from revealing even the existence . . . [more]
From "Patriot Act Suppresses News Of Challenge to Patriot Act" in the Washington Post, via Wonkette: The American Civil Liberties Union disclosed yesterday that it filed a lawsuit three weeks ago challenging the FBI's methods of obtaining many business records, but the group was barred from revealing even the existence . . . [more]
May 03, 2004
#183 - The Cost of the War Just Keeps Getting Higher
From Bloomberg.com today, "Iraq Costs Surge, May Force Bush to Shuffle Funds, Seek More": U.S. military operations in Iraq may be $4 billion over budget by August, forcing President George W. Bush to shift money from other Pentagon accounts or ask Congress for more money before the November election, say . . . [more]
From Bloomberg.com today, "Iraq Costs Surge, May Force Bush to Shuffle Funds, Seek More": U.S. military operations in Iraq may be $4 billion over budget by August, forcing President George W. Bush to shift money from other Pentagon accounts or ask Congress for more money before the November election, say . . . [more]
May 02, 2004
#184 - Paul Bremer Apologizes for Being Right
U.S. Governor of Iraq Paul Bremer said on Sunday his past criticism of President Bush for being slow to implement anti-terror measures was unfair. Bremer said in a speech six months before the September 11 attacks in 2001 that the Bush administration seemed to be ignoring the problem of terrorism . . . [more]
U.S. Governor of Iraq Paul Bremer said on Sunday his past criticism of President Bush for being slow to implement anti-terror measures was unfair. Bremer said in a speech six months before the September 11 attacks in 2001 that the Bush administration seemed to be ignoring the problem of terrorism . . . [more]
May 01, 2004
#185 - He Can't Fix a Problem If He Refuses to Acknowledge Its Existence
From today's Seattle Times, "One year later, Bush backs Iraq speech on carrier": One year ago today, Bush donned a flight suit, landed on an aircraft carrier and declared "victory" beneath a banner that read "Mission Accomplished." Democrats fretted that the election — not only the Iraq war — might . . . [more]
From today's Seattle Times, "One year later, Bush backs Iraq speech on carrier": One year ago today, Bush donned a flight suit, landed on an aircraft carrier and declared "victory" beneath a banner that read "Mission Accomplished." Democrats fretted that the election — not only the Iraq war — might . . . [more]
April 30, 2004
#186 - With Answers Like His, Who Needs Questions?
From the President's remarks to the press regarding his meeting with the 9/11 Commission: Q Mr. President, what topic did the commissioners want to spend most of the time on? And were there any subjects that you didn't answer or were advised by your counsel not to answer? THE PRESIDENT: . . . [more]
From the President's remarks to the press regarding his meeting with the 9/11 Commission: Q Mr. President, what topic did the commissioners want to spend most of the time on? And were there any subjects that you didn't answer or were advised by your counsel not to answer? THE PRESIDENT: . . . [more]
April 23, 2004
#193 - He's Just Happy Someone, Somewhere has WMDs
President Bush has decided to allow U.S. companies to resume most trade with Libya and to buy Libyan oil to reward Tripoli for giving up its weapons of mass destruction, U.S. officials said on Thursday. (Reuters) This is all well and good, but while they pat themselves on the back . . . [more]
President Bush has decided to allow U.S. companies to resume most trade with Libya and to buy Libyan oil to reward Tripoli for giving up its weapons of mass destruction, U.S. officials said on Thursday. (Reuters) This is all well and good, but while they pat themselves on the back . . . [more]
April 22, 2004
#194 - Lousy Excuses
From Reuter's on Monday, "White House reviews Iraq funding after charge of mispending": The White House denied any wrongdoing on Monday in the use of funding to prepare for the war in Iraq after a book alleged the money was diverted from operations in Afghanistan without Congress' knowledge. White House . . . [more]
From Reuter's on Monday, "White House reviews Iraq funding after charge of mispending": The White House denied any wrongdoing on Monday in the use of funding to prepare for the war in Iraq after a book alleged the money was diverted from operations in Afghanistan without Congress' knowledge. White House . . . [more]
April 13, 2004
#203 - His Administration Wants to Invade Our Privacy...and Make Us Pay for the Privilege
Right on the heels of Bush's bold (read "vague" and "without any actual plan" - see also the mission to Mars) call for universal broadband access by 2007, we have the FBI putting their own unsettling spin on "universal access": An FBI proposal to make it easier for the government . . . [more]
Right on the heels of Bush's bold (read "vague" and "without any actual plan" - see also the mission to Mars) call for universal broadband access by 2007, we have the FBI putting their own unsettling spin on "universal access": An FBI proposal to make it easier for the government . . . [more]
April 12, 2004
#204 - The Unexamined Life
From today's New York Times editorial page: "The Silent President." President Bush was asked, during a very brief session with reporters yesterday, about the now-famous Aug. 6, 2001, memo he received on domestic terrorism. He responded with the familiar White House complaint about lack of specificity in the C.I.A.'s warnings . . . [more]
From today's New York Times editorial page: "The Silent President." President Bush was asked, during a very brief session with reporters yesterday, about the now-famous Aug. 6, 2001, memo he received on domestic terrorism. He responded with the familiar White House complaint about lack of specificity in the C.I.A.'s warnings . . . [more]
April 11, 2004
#205 - Saying It Over and Over Doesn't Make It So
Via the White House, "Remarks by the President to the Travel Pool" at Fort Hood, Texas: Q Thank you, Mr. President. We're coming off a week in which dozens of American soldiers have died. We've seen images of incredible violence and chaos. Should Americans brace for weeks, or months of . . . [more]
Via the White House, "Remarks by the President to the Travel Pool" at Fort Hood, Texas: Q Thank you, Mr. President. We're coming off a week in which dozens of American soldiers have died. We've seen images of incredible violence and chaos. Should Americans brace for weeks, or months of . . . [more]
April 08, 2004
#208 - Quagmire
The war in Iraq is not going well. The Iraqis are fed-up with America’s military occupation, religious leaders are calling for rebellion and coalition deaths are on the rise – all predictable outcomes of a war that began over a year ago for all the wrong reasons. We don’t take . . . [more]
The war in Iraq is not going well. The Iraqis are fed-up with America’s military occupation, religious leaders are calling for rebellion and coalition deaths are on the rise – all predictable outcomes of a war that began over a year ago for all the wrong reasons. We don’t take . . . [more]
April 03, 2004
#213 - His Refusal to Support the 9-11 Commission
The 9-11 commission continues to be frustrated by the Bush administration's lack of cooperation during its investigation. What is Bush afraid the commissioners will find? We thought the importance of learning from our mistakes in the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor was supposed to be greater than . . . [more]
The 9-11 commission continues to be frustrated by the Bush administration's lack of cooperation during its investigation. What is Bush afraid the commissioners will find? We thought the importance of learning from our mistakes in the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor was supposed to be greater than . . . [more]
April 02, 2004
#214 - Because the Tragedy in Fallujah Was Predictable, and His Administration Was Too Busy Denying Reality to Avoid It
From an article published in the Chicago Sun-Times on March 31st, and posted on the Cato Institute's website, "Bush Needs to Hear, Not Shun, World Critics": [F]oreign observers do not share Bush's optimistic view of progress in the war. The administration might see Iraq as a fledgling democracy, but others . . . [more]
From an article published in the Chicago Sun-Times on March 31st, and posted on the Cato Institute's website, "Bush Needs to Hear, Not Shun, World Critics": [F]oreign observers do not share Bush's optimistic view of progress in the war. The administration might see Iraq as a fledgling democracy, but others . . . [more]
March 22, 2004
#225 - More Confirmation That He Fails to Protect America
From today's Guardian, "Bush ignored terror threat, claims ex-aide": George Bush's re-election campaign suffered a stinging blow yesterday when the president's former chief counter-terrorism adviser accused him of doing "a terrible job" in protecting America against attack, largely because of a fixation on Iraq. Richard Clarke, who retired as the . . . [more]
From today's Guardian, "Bush ignored terror threat, claims ex-aide": George Bush's re-election campaign suffered a stinging blow yesterday when the president's former chief counter-terrorism adviser accused him of doing "a terrible job" in protecting America against attack, largely because of a fixation on Iraq. Richard Clarke, who retired as the . . . [more]
March 05, 2004
#242 - Because It Took the Pentagon Nearly a Year to Figure This Out
A top U.S. military commander said yesterday he will remove U.S. forces from the palaces of toppled leader Saddam Hussein and has ordered the military to hand over Baghdad International Airport within a year. The move to leave the palaces is designed to counter the view that Saddam's government has . . . [more]
A top U.S. military commander said yesterday he will remove U.S. forces from the palaces of toppled leader Saddam Hussein and has ordered the military to hand over Baghdad International Airport within a year. The move to leave the palaces is designed to counter the view that Saddam's government has . . . [more]
March 02, 2004
#245 - Censorship in the Guise of Trading with the Enemy
Thought the Patriot Act was bad? Just wait until the Bushies get ahold of the Persian poets on your bookshelf. Writers often grumble about the criminal things editors do to their prose. The federal government has recently weighed in on the same issue — literally. It has warned publishers they . . . [more]
Thought the Patriot Act was bad? Just wait until the Bushies get ahold of the Persian poets on your bookshelf. Writers often grumble about the criminal things editors do to their prose. The federal government has recently weighed in on the same issue — literally. It has warned publishers they . . . [more]
February 24, 2004
#252 - The Red Menace Returns
The Bush administration's enemies are everywhere. Unlike the communists of yesteryear, however, the enemies of the 21st Century come in two forms: haters of freedom and democracy or terrorists. Often they are one in the same. Just yesterday, Education Secretary Rod Paige branded the National Education Association, the nation's largest . . . [more]
The Bush administration's enemies are everywhere. Unlike the communists of yesteryear, however, the enemies of the 21st Century come in two forms: haters of freedom and democracy or terrorists. Often they are one in the same. Just yesterday, Education Secretary Rod Paige branded the National Education Association, the nation's largest . . . [more]
February 21, 2004
#255 - Fifty Year-Old Insight from the Right
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its . . . [more]
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its . . . [more]
February 16, 2004
#260 - He Thinks Every Day is President's Day
From yesterday’s AP wire, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Bush to meet only some members of 9/11 commission": The White House said Saturday that President Bush plans to meet only with a limited number of representatives from the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, despite a statement issued Friday . . . [more]
From yesterday’s AP wire, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Bush to meet only some members of 9/11 commission": The White House said Saturday that President Bush plans to meet only with a limited number of representatives from the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, despite a statement issued Friday . . . [more]
February 15, 2004
#261 - Other People's Sons and Daughters
From Donnie Johnston's editorial in today's Fredericksburg Freelance-Star, "As conflict drags on, Americans lose interest in Iraq": Last May, after I wrote a column comparing Iraq to Vietnam, I received an irate letter from one man who said, in effect, that I was crazy, that within a year our boys . . . [more]
From Donnie Johnston's editorial in today's Fredericksburg Freelance-Star, "As conflict drags on, Americans lose interest in Iraq": Last May, after I wrote a column comparing Iraq to Vietnam, I received an irate letter from one man who said, in effect, that I was crazy, that within a year our boys . . . [more]
February 09, 2004
#267 - The President Unhinged, Part I
The President sounds off on this week's Meet the Press on NBC: Russert: On Iraq, the vice president said, “we would be greeted as liberators.” President Bush: Yeah. Russert: It's now nearly a year, and we are in a very difficult situation. Did we miscalculate how we would be treated . . . [more]
The President sounds off on this week's Meet the Press on NBC: Russert: On Iraq, the vice president said, “we would be greeted as liberators.” President Bush: Yeah. Russert: It's now nearly a year, and we are in a very difficult situation. Did we miscalculate how we would be treated . . . [more]
February 07, 2004
#269 - Misplaced Certainty
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." - George Bush, March 17, 2003 "In the intelligence business, you are almost never completely wrong or completely right. That applies in full . . . [more]
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." - George Bush, March 17, 2003 "In the intelligence business, you are almost never completely wrong or completely right. That applies in full . . . [more]
February 03, 2004
#273 - Budgetary Woes
Yesterday the President presented his $2.4 trillion budget for fiscal year 2005 - "a plan to help make America a more secure, more prosperous, and more hopeful country" (the White House's words, not ours). Heavy on national security expenditures and promises to cut domestic spending, the President's budget has a . . . [more]
Yesterday the President presented his $2.4 trillion budget for fiscal year 2005 - "a plan to help make America a more secure, more prosperous, and more hopeful country" (the White House's words, not ours). Heavy on national security expenditures and promises to cut domestic spending, the President's budget has a . . . [more]
January 31, 2004
#276 - We Want to be Positive
Quick, guess which regime Condelezza Rice was referring to last Thursday: "When you are dealing with secretive regimes that want to deceive, you’re never going to be able to be positive" about intelligence, Ms Rice told NBC. (via The Scotsman) If you guessed the one that’s refusing to endorse an . . . [more]
Quick, guess which regime Condelezza Rice was referring to last Thursday: "When you are dealing with secretive regimes that want to deceive, you’re never going to be able to be positive" about intelligence, Ms Rice told NBC. (via The Scotsman) If you guessed the one that’s refusing to endorse an . . . [more]
January 30, 2004
#277 - He Refuses to Acknowledge Failure
From yesterday's New York Times, "George Bush, in Denial": While Tony Blair was cooperating with a British investigation into his handling of the lead-up to the Iraqi invasion, the Bush White House continued to follow its strategy of spin and evade. Because Mr. Blair was compelled to take the risk . . . [more]
From yesterday's New York Times, "George Bush, in Denial": While Tony Blair was cooperating with a British investigation into his handling of the lead-up to the Iraqi invasion, the Bush White House continued to follow its strategy of spin and evade. Because Mr. Blair was compelled to take the risk . . . [more]
January 29, 2004
#278 - The Cost of War, Part 2
Via Reuters, "Bush Sees No Need for More Iraq Funds Before 2005" The White House said on Friday it has no plans "at this point" to seek more money this year for military operations in Iraq, putting off any politically sensitive request until Congress convenes in 2005 after the U.S. . . . [more]
Via Reuters, "Bush Sees No Need for More Iraq Funds Before 2005" The White House said on Friday it has no plans "at this point" to seek more money this year for military operations in Iraq, putting off any politically sensitive request until Congress convenes in 2005 after the U.S. . . . [more]
January 28, 2004
#279 - He's a Slow Learner
From today's New York Times, "Bush Backs Away From His Claims About Iraq Arms": President Bush declined Tuesday to repeat his claims that evidence that Saddam Hussein had illicit weapons would eventually be found in Iraq, but he insisted that the war was nonetheless justified because Mr. Hussein posed "a . . . [more]
From today's New York Times, "Bush Backs Away From His Claims About Iraq Arms": President Bush declined Tuesday to repeat his claims that evidence that Saddam Hussein had illicit weapons would eventually be found in Iraq, but he insisted that the war was nonetheless justified because Mr. Hussein posed "a . . . [more]
January 27, 2004
#280 - His Administration Uses the Word "Evil" Way, Way, Way Too Much
From yesterday's AP wire, via the Boston Globe, "U.S. attorney general says Saddam's 'evil chemistry, biology' justified war": ''Weapons of mass destruction including evil chemistry and evil biology are all matters of great concern, not only to the United States but also to the world community. They were the subject . . . [more]
From yesterday's AP wire, via the Boston Globe, "U.S. attorney general says Saddam's 'evil chemistry, biology' justified war": ''Weapons of mass destruction including evil chemistry and evil biology are all matters of great concern, not only to the United States but also to the world community. They were the subject . . . [more]
January 25, 2004
#282 - The Cost of War
$97.6 billion is enough to fund 1,768,400 four year college scholarships at public universities, build nearly a million affordable housing units, send 9,857,000 children to a year of Head Start and provide 29,880,000 children with a year of health care. And the numbers keep rising. . . . [more]
$97.6 billion is enough to fund 1,768,400 four year college scholarships at public universities, build nearly a million affordable housing units, send 9,857,000 children to a year of Head Start and provide 29,880,000 children with a year of health care. And the numbers keep rising. . . . [more]
January 21, 2004
#286 - Because the Unexamined Democracy is Not Worth Fighting For
Bush's "us vs. them" policies were front and center in last night's State of the Union speech. This mentality (complete with smirks on cue) smacks of his moral certitude: you're either with us or against us, and if you're against us, well then, you're gonna go to hell. Last night . . . [more]
Bush's "us vs. them" policies were front and center in last night's State of the Union speech. This mentality (complete with smirks on cue) smacks of his moral certitude: you're either with us or against us, and if you're against us, well then, you're gonna go to hell. Last night . . . [more]
January 20, 2004
#287 - Five Hundred and One
That's the current number of Americans who won't be coming back from Bush's war in Iraq. It's the deadliest American war since Vietnam. . . . [more]
That's the current number of Americans who won't be coming back from Bush's war in Iraq. It's the deadliest American war since Vietnam. . . . [more]
January 19, 2004
#288 - Once Again, Campaigning Trumps Truth
From today's Washington Post, "9/11 Panel Unlikely to Get Later Deadline" President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, virtually guaranteeing that the panel will have to complete its work by the . . . [more]
From today's Washington Post, "9/11 Panel Unlikely to Get Later Deadline" President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, virtually guaranteeing that the panel will have to complete its work by the . . . [more]
January 13, 2004
#294 - He Has Never Been in Charge of His Administration
From "Bush Disputes Ex-Official's Claim That War With Iraq Was Early Goal" in the New York Times: President Bush on Monday disputed a suggestion by Paul H. O'Neill, the former Treasury secretary, that the White House was looking for a reason to go to war with Iraq from the very . . . [more]
From "Bush Disputes Ex-Official's Claim That War With Iraq Was Early Goal" in the New York Times: President Bush on Monday disputed a suggestion by Paul H. O'Neill, the former Treasury secretary, that the White House was looking for a reason to go to war with Iraq from the very . . . [more]
January 12, 2004
#295 - A Dangerous Lack of Focus
A scathing new report published by the Army War College broadly criticizes the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism, accusing it of taking a detour into an "unnecessary" war in Iraq and pursuing an "unrealistic" quest against terrorism that may lead to U.S. wars with states that pose . . . [more]
A scathing new report published by the Army War College broadly criticizes the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism, accusing it of taking a detour into an "unnecessary" war in Iraq and pursuing an "unrealistic" quest against terrorism that may lead to U.S. wars with states that pose . . . [more]
January 06, 2004
#301 - More Overstepping
From yesterday's AP wire, via the Wichita Eagle, "White House Seeks Secrecy on Detainee": In an extraordinary request, the Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to let it keep its arguments secret in a case involving an immigrant's challenge of his treatment after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. . . . [more]
From yesterday's AP wire, via the Wichita Eagle, "White House Seeks Secrecy on Detainee": In an extraordinary request, the Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to let it keep its arguments secret in a case involving an immigrant's challenge of his treatment after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. . . . [more]
December 31, 2003
#307 - Sad Totals for 2003
Via the Scripps Howard News Service, "Nearly one U.S. soldier a day killed since Saddam capture": In all, since the March 19 opening of the war, 478 American GIs have died in Iraq and environs, according to Pentagon figures. Of those, about 60 percent fell in combat. The Scripps analysis . . . [more]
Via the Scripps Howard News Service, "Nearly one U.S. soldier a day killed since Saddam capture": In all, since the March 19 opening of the war, 478 American GIs have died in Iraq and environs, according to Pentagon figures. Of those, about 60 percent fell in combat. The Scripps analysis . . . [more]
December 22, 2003
#316 - Orange is the New Red and Green
From today's Salt Lake Tribune, Terror threat 'high' for holidays": Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge put the nation on high alert for terrorism Sunday, saying he feared an attack that could surpass the devastation on Sept. 11, 2001. Citing what he called credible new evidence of terrorist plotting, Ridge raised . . . [more]
From today's Salt Lake Tribune, Terror threat 'high' for holidays": Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge put the nation on high alert for terrorism Sunday, saying he feared an attack that could surpass the devastation on Sept. 11, 2001. Citing what he called credible new evidence of terrorist plotting, Ridge raised . . . [more]
December 20, 2003
#318 - He Thinks He Has the Right to Detain American Citizens Indefinitely and Without Access to Representation
From Thursday's Guardian (UK), "Bush Overruled on 'Dirty Bomb' Suspect": President Bush does not have power to detain American citizen Jose Padilla, the former gang member seized on U.S. soil, as an enemy combatant, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The decision, which ordered that Padilla be released from military . . . [more]
From Thursday's Guardian (UK), "Bush Overruled on 'Dirty Bomb' Suspect": President Bush does not have power to detain American citizen Jose Padilla, the former gang member seized on U.S. soil, as an enemy combatant, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The decision, which ordered that Padilla be released from military . . . [more]
December 15, 2003
#323 - Still Not Getting It - The Capture of Saddam Hussein
Kudos to the Bush administration for its somber response to the capture of Saddam Hussein on Saturday. No celebratory announcements, no backslapping, just a nod to the troops and an admission that the mission in Iraq will continue to be difficult. It was the right tone. But to paint Hussein's . . . [more]
Kudos to the Bush administration for its somber response to the capture of Saddam Hussein on Saturday. No celebratory announcements, no backslapping, just a nod to the troops and an admission that the mission in Iraq will continue to be difficult. It was the right tone. But to paint Hussein's . . . [more]
December 13, 2003
#325 - He Favors His Big Business Friends
And they can't be trusted, either. Pentagon auditors found that Vice President Dick Cheney's former company may have overcharged the Army by as much as $61 million for gasoline in Iraq, senior defense officials said Thursday. Halliburton apparently didn't profit from the possible overcharges, the officials said, speaking on condition . . . [more]
And they can't be trusted, either. Pentagon auditors found that Vice President Dick Cheney's former company may have overcharged the Army by as much as $61 million for gasoline in Iraq, senior defense officials said Thursday. Halliburton apparently didn't profit from the possible overcharges, the officials said, speaking on condition . . . [more]
December 11, 2003
#327 - Profiting from War
From yesterday's Guardian, via Helpful Reader Ghida, "The privatisation of war": Private corporations have penetrated western warfare so deeply that they are now the second biggest contributor to coalition forces in Iraq after the Pentagon, a Guardian investigation has established. While the official coalition figures list the British as the . . . [more]
From yesterday's Guardian, via Helpful Reader Ghida, "The privatisation of war": Private corporations have penetrated western warfare so deeply that they are now the second biggest contributor to coalition forces in Iraq after the Pentagon, a Guardian investigation has established. While the official coalition figures list the British as the . . . [more]
December 10, 2003
#328 - He Won't Take Good Advice from His Own Party
From yesterday’s AP wire, via the Boston Globe, " Lawmakers call for more Iraqi involvement in their nation's rebuilding": Two U.S. House members who spent three days and two nights last week in Iraq without the usual military escort said the United States must give Iraqis a greater role in . . . [more]
From yesterday’s AP wire, via the Boston Globe, " Lawmakers call for more Iraqi involvement in their nation's rebuilding": Two U.S. House members who spent three days and two nights last week in Iraq without the usual military escort said the United States must give Iraqis a greater role in . . . [more]
December 04, 2003
#334 - Another Reality Check
From today's Christian Science Monitor, "Bush idealism at odds with realities of democracy": In recent foreign-policy speeches, President Bush has switched his emphasis from the particular problems of Iraq and Afghanistan to the broader problem of promoting democracy and freedom worldwide. He seems to think that the growth of democracy . . . [more]
From today's Christian Science Monitor, "Bush idealism at odds with realities of democracy": In recent foreign-policy speeches, President Bush has switched his emphasis from the particular problems of Iraq and Afghanistan to the broader problem of promoting democracy and freedom worldwide. He seems to think that the growth of democracy . . . [more]
November 30, 2003
#338 - His Disconnect With Reality
From President Bush's weekly radio address, broadcast today: Good morning. On Thursday, I was honored to travel to Iraq, to spend Thanksgiving with some of the finest men and women serving in our military. My message to the troops was clear: your country is thankful for your service, we are . . . [more]
From President Bush's weekly radio address, broadcast today: Good morning. On Thursday, I was honored to travel to Iraq, to spend Thanksgiving with some of the finest men and women serving in our military. My message to the troops was clear: your country is thankful for your service, we are . . . [more]
November 28, 2003
#340 - Terror Tactics on the Homefront
The Guardian reports that the war on terror is coming home. The FTAA Summit in Miami represents the official homecoming of the "war on terror". The latest techniques honed in Iraq - from a Hollywoodised military to a militarised media - have now been used on a grand scale in . . . [more]
The Guardian reports that the war on terror is coming home. The FTAA Summit in Miami represents the official homecoming of the "war on terror". The latest techniques honed in Iraq - from a Hollywoodised military to a militarised media - have now been used on a grand scale in . . . [more]
November 26, 2003
#342 - Because You Just Don't Piss Helen Thomas Off
Our apologies to Adam Clymer, but there are reporters, and then there is Helen Thomas. Don't nobody mess with Helen. Declaring President Bush has done more to break down the so-called separation of church and state than any other chief executive, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told a large . . . [more]
Our apologies to Adam Clymer, but there are reporters, and then there is Helen Thomas. Don't nobody mess with Helen. Declaring President Bush has done more to break down the so-called separation of church and state than any other chief executive, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told a large . . . [more]
November 23, 2003
#345 - He's Not Even Protecting Freedom at Home
From "FBI Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies" in the New York Times: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of antiwar demonstrators and has advised local law enforcement officials to report any suspicious activity at protests to its counterterrorism squads, according to interviews and . . . [more]
From "FBI Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies" in the New York Times: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of antiwar demonstrators and has advised local law enforcement officials to report any suspicious activity at protests to its counterterrorism squads, according to interviews and . . . [more]
November 22, 2003
#346 - Because the List of Fronts Keeps Growing
President Bush said Friday that Turkey had become a new front in the campaign against terrorism and that Britain and the United States would work together to help the Turkish government head off further attacks. [...] After months in which he had cast Iraq as the central front in the . . . [more]
President Bush said Friday that Turkey had become a new front in the campaign against terrorism and that Britain and the United States would work together to help the Turkish government head off further attacks. [...] After months in which he had cast Iraq as the central front in the . . . [more]
November 13, 2003
#355 - His Total Failure to Anticipate the Obvious
Newsflash: the Iraqis do not consider American troops to be liberators. Apparently, the White House is the only place on the planet where this development was not anticipated. The White House yesterday drew up emergency plans to accelerate the transfer of power in Iraq after being shown a devastating CIA . . . [more]
Newsflash: the Iraqis do not consider American troops to be liberators. Apparently, the White House is the only place on the planet where this development was not anticipated. The White House yesterday drew up emergency plans to accelerate the transfer of power in Iraq after being shown a devastating CIA . . . [more]
November 09, 2003
#359 - Using Private Lynch
From today's Guardian (UK), "Private Jessica says President is misusing her 'heroism'": When American Private Jessica Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital last April, President George Bush's administration and much of the US media was gripped by a dramatic tale of blonde, all-American heroism. The story reaches fever pitch . . . [more]
From today's Guardian (UK), "Private Jessica says President is misusing her 'heroism'": When American Private Jessica Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital last April, President George Bush's administration and much of the US media was gripped by a dramatic tale of blonde, all-American heroism. The story reaches fever pitch . . . [more]
November 03, 2003
#365 - A History Lesson We Don't Need
Not being old enough to remember the Vietnam War, we've often wondered how more than one administration could escalate a war while at the same time refusing to supply an adequate number of troops to accomplish the task at hand. Now we know. Can't remember the calibrated justifications put forth . . . [more]
Not being old enough to remember the Vietnam War, we've often wondered how more than one administration could escalate a war while at the same time refusing to supply an adequate number of troops to accomplish the task at hand. Now we know. Can't remember the calibrated justifications put forth . . . [more]
October 28, 2003
#371 - He’s a Spinning Fool
From "Bush says attacks aim to undermine progress", via Reuters UK: President George W. Bush has portrayed resistance forces as growing desperate because Iraq is heading in the right direction. Bush offered his assessment on Monday after two bloody days in Iraq, with a rocket attack on Sunday on a . . . [more]
From "Bush says attacks aim to undermine progress", via Reuters UK: President George W. Bush has portrayed resistance forces as growing desperate because Iraq is heading in the right direction. Bush offered his assessment on Monday after two bloody days in Iraq, with a rocket attack on Sunday on a . . . [more]
October 24, 2003
#375 - Sadly, Some of Those Media Filters He Complains about Actually Work in His Favor
From an article by Seth Porges in Editor and Publisher, Press Underreports Wounded in Iraq: When newspapers reported this week on poor medical and living conditions for Americans injured in Iraq, it might have come as a shock for some readers. For months, the press has barely mentioned non-fatal casualties . . . [more]
From an article by Seth Porges in Editor and Publisher, Press Underreports Wounded in Iraq: When newspapers reported this week on poor medical and living conditions for Americans injured in Iraq, it might have come as a shock for some readers. For months, the press has barely mentioned non-fatal casualties . . . [more]
October 16, 2003
#383 – If You Have to Tell People That You’re in Control, You Probably Aren’t
President Bush, the most powerful political figure in the world, felt compelled on Monday to assert that he, not his advisers, was in control of his administration's policy on Iraq. "The person who is in charge is me," he told Tribune Broadcasting in a White House interview that was part . . . [more]
President Bush, the most powerful political figure in the world, felt compelled on Monday to assert that he, not his advisers, was in control of his administration's policy on Iraq. "The person who is in charge is me," he told Tribune Broadcasting in a White House interview that was part . . . [more]
October 13, 2003
#386 - It's Not Just the Media - the State Department Filter Doesn't Show Progress in Iraq, Either
From Wednesday’s Washington Post: President Bush complained this week that it is hard to tell progress is being made in Iraq "when you listen to the filter" of the news media. So let’s skip the media filter and go straight to the State Department: This information is current as of . . . [more]
From Wednesday’s Washington Post: President Bush complained this week that it is hard to tell progress is being made in Iraq "when you listen to the filter" of the news media. So let’s skip the media filter and go straight to the State Department: This information is current as of . . . [more]
October 11, 2003
#388 - He's Still Fighting the Cold War
On the very same day that Dick "No Credibility" Cheney was repeating the already discredited notion of Saddam’s connections to al Qaeda, and shamelessly using scare tactics to justify the behavior of the Bush administration, George "The President" Bush was announcing the dilution of the mission of the Department of . . . [more]
On the very same day that Dick "No Credibility" Cheney was repeating the already discredited notion of Saddam’s connections to al Qaeda, and shamelessly using scare tactics to justify the behavior of the Bush administration, George "The President" Bush was announcing the dilution of the mission of the Department of . . . [more]
October 09, 2003
#390 - So Much for That Perfect Fund Raising Streak
From today's Guardian (UK), "America may abandon quest for UN backing": The US is considering abandoning its pursuit of a UN resolution calling for assistance for the occupation of Iraq, after concerted opposition from UN officials and security council members. Two weeks after President George Bush appealed for support from . . . [more]
From today's Guardian (UK), "America may abandon quest for UN backing": The US is considering abandoning its pursuit of a UN resolution calling for assistance for the occupation of Iraq, after concerted opposition from UN officials and security council members. Two weeks after President George Bush appealed for support from . . . [more]
October 07, 2003
#392 - He’s More Likely to Win the Orwell War-Is-Peace Prize than the Nobel Peace Prize
Yep, George "Pre-emptive Strike" Bush was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Why in hell? you may reasonably ask. According to Reuters, "President Bush has been nominated for ousting Iraq's Saddam Hussein but is unlikely to get it since members of the Nobel committee have spoken out against the war . . . [more]
Yep, George "Pre-emptive Strike" Bush was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Why in hell? you may reasonably ask. According to Reuters, "President Bush has been nominated for ousting Iraq's Saddam Hussein but is unlikely to get it since members of the Nobel committee have spoken out against the war . . . [more]
October 04, 2003
#395 - His Administration Created a Hidden Task Force, and Then Ignored Their Findings
From the New York Times, "Report Offered Bleak Outlook About Iraq Oil": The Bush administration's optimistic statements earlier this year that Iraq's oil wealth, not American taxpayers, would cover most of the cost of rebuilding Iraq were at odds with a bleaker assessment of a government task force secretly established . . . [more]
From the New York Times, "Report Offered Bleak Outlook About Iraq Oil": The Bush administration's optimistic statements earlier this year that Iraq's oil wealth, not American taxpayers, would cover most of the cost of rebuilding Iraq were at odds with a bleaker assessment of a government task force secretly established . . . [more]
October 03, 2003
#396 - He Won't Admit Mistakes
Worse, with unemployment, poverty and the percentage of Americans without health insurance rising, he makes taxpayers foot the bill for his folly: The Bush administration is seeking more than $600 million from Congress to continue the hunt for conclusive evidence that Saddam Hussein's government had an illegal weapons program, officials . . . [more]
Worse, with unemployment, poverty and the percentage of Americans without health insurance rising, he makes taxpayers foot the bill for his folly: The Bush administration is seeking more than $600 million from Congress to continue the hunt for conclusive evidence that Saddam Hussein's government had an illegal weapons program, officials . . . [more]
September 30, 2003
#399 - He Doesn’t Connect the Dots
From Thomas Friedmans’s editorial in the New York Times, via the Salt Lake Tribune: The United States and Europe, argues Clyde Prestowitz*, the trade expert and author of Rogue Nation, should actually shrink their farm subsidies, even if developing countries don't immediately reciprocate. If only the Bush team connected the . . . [more]
From Thomas Friedmans’s editorial in the New York Times, via the Salt Lake Tribune: The United States and Europe, argues Clyde Prestowitz*, the trade expert and author of Rogue Nation, should actually shrink their farm subsidies, even if developing countries don't immediately reciprocate. If only the Bush team connected the . . . [more]
September 23, 2003
#406 - He Is Never Wrong
Bush heads to the United Nations today to ask for money and troops, but don't expect any mea culpas. That wouldn't poll well. President Bush will tell the other members of the United Nations Tuesday that the organization is relevant after all -- at least when it comes to helping . . . [more]
Bush heads to the United Nations today to ask for money and troops, but don't expect any mea culpas. That wouldn't poll well. President Bush will tell the other members of the United Nations Tuesday that the organization is relevant after all -- at least when it comes to helping . . . [more]
September 18, 2003
#411 - More Bad Information, Courtesy the Bush Administration
From today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Bush: No Iraq link to 9/11 found": President Bush, having repeatedly linked Saddam Hussein to the terrorist organization behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said yesterday there is no evidence that the deposed Iraqi leader had a hand in those attacks, in contrast to the belief . . . [more]
From today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Bush: No Iraq link to 9/11 found": President Bush, having repeatedly linked Saddam Hussein to the terrorist organization behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said yesterday there is no evidence that the deposed Iraqi leader had a hand in those attacks, in contrast to the belief . . . [more]
September 17, 2003
#412 - He Blusters
The Bush administration named Syria and Libya yesterday as "rogue states" whose weapons of mass destruction must not just be controlled but must be eliminated by whatever means necessary. (Newsday) So this is how we calm things down in the Middle East? Now that Syria and Libya (along with Cuba) . . . [more]
The Bush administration named Syria and Libya yesterday as "rogue states" whose weapons of mass destruction must not just be controlled but must be eliminated by whatever means necessary. (Newsday) So this is how we calm things down in the Middle East? Now that Syria and Libya (along with Cuba) . . . [more]
September 16, 2003
#413 - When in Doubt, He Blames Syria
Blame Syria by George W. Bush & friends BUSH:Times have changed, Iraq’s not such a breeze. They won't stop sneak attacking And we can’t find WMDs. TENET:Should we blame the Pentagon? RUMSFELD: Or blame your Agency? GOP SENATORS:Or should we blame the liberals on TV? BUSH, CHENEY, RICE:No! Blame Syria, . . . [more]
Blame Syria by George W. Bush & friends BUSH:Times have changed, Iraq’s not such a breeze. They won't stop sneak attacking And we can’t find WMDs. TENET:Should we blame the Pentagon? RUMSFELD: Or blame your Agency? GOP SENATORS:Or should we blame the liberals on TV? BUSH, CHENEY, RICE:No! Blame Syria, . . . [more]
September 15, 2003
#414 - Threat Inflation
From comments by Tom Ridge to the Christian Science Monitor: ... the fact is that our level of security at yellow today is better than it was a year ago, and our level of security at yellow today will be better a year from now. So the threshold to go . . . [more]
From comments by Tom Ridge to the Christian Science Monitor: ... the fact is that our level of security at yellow today is better than it was a year ago, and our level of security at yellow today will be better a year from now. So the threshold to go . . . [more]
September 12, 2003
#417 - He Wants to Expand the PATRIOT Act
President Bush commemorated the September 11, 2001 attacks yesterday by calling for increased measures to investigate, detain and, if need be, kill those suspected of terrorist activity. Yes, you heard correctly. He wants to expand the USA PATRIOT Act because, apparently, it did not go far enough to deprive individuals . . . [more]
President Bush commemorated the September 11, 2001 attacks yesterday by calling for increased measures to investigate, detain and, if need be, kill those suspected of terrorist activity. Yes, you heard correctly. He wants to expand the USA PATRIOT Act because, apparently, it did not go far enough to deprive individuals . . . [more]
September 11, 2003
#418 - He's Building an Unworthy Memorial
We’re going to go out on a limb here and guess that when Bush delivers his speech on the second anniversary of 9/11, he’ll once again point to Iraq as a victory in the war on terror. We won’t belabor the notion that what’s happening in Iraq right now is . . . [more]
We’re going to go out on a limb here and guess that when Bush delivers his speech on the second anniversary of 9/11, he’ll once again point to Iraq as a victory in the war on terror. We won’t belabor the notion that what’s happening in Iraq right now is . . . [more]
September 10, 2003
#419 - Six Reasons from Bill Buckley, but We'll Just Count Them as One Because of the Sarcasm
From yesterday’s editorial on Yahoo! News by William F. Buckley, "Bush Is Evil": In a private forum the question arose, Why do they hate Bush so? And ... what will they do with that hatred? How far can they carry it? How will it affect the next presidential election? The . . . [more]
From yesterday’s editorial on Yahoo! News by William F. Buckley, "Bush Is Evil": In a private forum the question arose, Why do they hate Bush so? And ... what will they do with that hatred? How far can they carry it? How will it affect the next presidential election? The . . . [more]
September 08, 2003
#421 - The Poll's the Thing...
...in Which to Catch the Conscience of the King Bush's address to the nation last night concerning Iraq did have one highlight: there wasn't a smirk to be seen on the visage of our famously smirky president. All of a sudden, the administration is admitting that the war in Iraq . . . [more]
...in Which to Catch the Conscience of the King Bush's address to the nation last night concerning Iraq did have one highlight: there wasn't a smirk to be seen on the visage of our famously smirky president. All of a sudden, the administration is admitting that the war in Iraq . . . [more]
September 06, 2003
#423 - The Arrogance and Outright Lies
From "Rumsfeld Hails 'Wonderful Start' to New Iraq", via Reuters Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lauded the "wonderful start" to rebuilding Iraq on Saturday even as guerrillas attacked his troops and hundreds of protesters marched to demand jobs. We're not sure exactly what Rumsfeld's definition of "wonderful" is, but we're pretty . . . [more]
From "Rumsfeld Hails 'Wonderful Start' to New Iraq", via Reuters Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lauded the "wonderful start" to rebuilding Iraq on Saturday even as guerrillas attacked his troops and hundreds of protesters marched to demand jobs. We're not sure exactly what Rumsfeld's definition of "wonderful" is, but we're pretty . . . [more]
September 03, 2003
#426 - He Still Doesn't Get It, Part Three
From today’s New York Times, "Bush Looks to U.N. to Share Burden on Troops in Iraq": President Bush agreed today to begin negotiations in the United Nations Security Council to authorize a multinational force for Iraq but insisted that the troops be placed under American command, according to senior administration . . . [more]
From today’s New York Times, "Bush Looks to U.N. to Share Burden on Troops in Iraq": President Bush agreed today to begin negotiations in the United Nations Security Council to authorize a multinational force for Iraq but insisted that the troops be placed under American command, according to senior administration . . . [more]
August 24, 2003
#436 - He Takes Too Long to Acknowledge Reality
From Tuesday’s Washington Post, "Bush Revises Views On 'Combat' in Iraq - 'Major Operations' Over, President Says": President Bush, revising his earlier characterization of the fighting in Iraq, said in an interview released yesterday that combat operations are still underway in that country. In an interview with the Armed Forces . . . [more]
From Tuesday’s Washington Post, "Bush Revises Views On 'Combat' in Iraq - 'Major Operations' Over, President Says": President Bush, revising his earlier characterization of the fighting in Iraq, said in an interview released yesterday that combat operations are still underway in that country. In an interview with the Armed Forces . . . [more]
August 23, 2003
#437 - His Focus is Grossly Misplaced
Two private studies released this week have found that police officers, firefighters, public school safety officers and other emergency response workers believe that nearly two years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, they are unprepared if terrorists strike again. The larger of the studies, prepared for the Centers for . . . [more]
Two private studies released this week have found that police officers, firefighters, public school safety officers and other emergency response workers believe that nearly two years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, they are unprepared if terrorists strike again. The larger of the studies, prepared for the Centers for . . . [more]
August 21, 2003
#439 - From the Department of Be Careful What You Wish For
From “Magnet for Evil” by Maureen Dowd, via the New York Times The Bush team has now created the very monster that it conjured up to alarm Americans into backing a war on Iraq. Rushing to pummel Iraq after 9/11, Bush officials ginned up links between Saddam and Al Qaeda. . . . [more]
From “Magnet for Evil” by Maureen Dowd, via the New York Times The Bush team has now created the very monster that it conjured up to alarm Americans into backing a war on Iraq. Rushing to pummel Iraq after 9/11, Bush officials ginned up links between Saddam and Al Qaeda. . . . [more]
August 20, 2003
#440 - Still Unencumbered by Reality
From Remarks by the President on Bombing in Baghdad, via the White House Bush Ranch, Crawford, TX August 19, 2003 The terrorists who struck today have again shown their contempt for the innocent. They showed their fear of progress and their hatred of peace. They are the enemies of the . . . [more]
From Remarks by the President on Bombing in Baghdad, via the White House Bush Ranch, Crawford, TX August 19, 2003 The terrorists who struck today have again shown their contempt for the innocent. They showed their fear of progress and their hatred of peace. They are the enemies of the . . . [more]
August 14, 2003
#446 - We're Still Not Sure What Planet He Lives On
President's Radio Address August 9, 2003 THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Friday of this week was the 100th day since the end of major combat operations in Iraq. For America and our coalition partners, these have been 100 days of steady progress and decisive action against the last hold-outs of the . . . [more]
President's Radio Address August 9, 2003 THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Friday of this week was the 100th day since the end of major combat operations in Iraq. For America and our coalition partners, these have been 100 days of steady progress and decisive action against the last hold-outs of the . . . [more]
August 07, 2003
#453 - Iraq Threatens to Rage out of Control
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A car bomb has exploded outside the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday[.] Crowds rushed the embassy after Thursday's explosion, looting parts of the facility and burning pictures of Jordan's present King Abdullah II and his father, the late King Hussein. (via CNN) No doubt the . . . [more]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A car bomb has exploded outside the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday[.] Crowds rushed the embassy after Thursday's explosion, looting parts of the facility and burning pictures of Jordan's present King Abdullah II and his father, the late King Hussein. (via CNN) No doubt the . . . [more]
August 06, 2003
#453 - Not a Terrorist? Not Interested
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 5 -- A powerful car bomb exploded in front of the luxury JW Marriott Hotel here during the lunchtime bustle today, killing at least 10 people and injuring 149, according to the Indonesian Red Cross, in what officials said could have been a suicide attack. There was . . . [more]
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 5 -- A powerful car bomb exploded in front of the luxury JW Marriott Hotel here during the lunchtime bustle today, killing at least 10 people and injuring 149, according to the Indonesian Red Cross, in what officials said could have been a suicide attack. There was . . . [more]
August 04, 2003
#455 - Add in All the Costs of the War
From today's Guardian, The unreported cost of war: at least 827 American wounded": US military casualties from the occupation of Iraq have been more than twice the number most Americans have been led to believe because of an extraordinarily high number of accidents, suicides and other non-combat deaths in the . . . [more]
From today's Guardian, The unreported cost of war: at least 827 American wounded": US military casualties from the occupation of Iraq have been more than twice the number most Americans have been led to believe because of an extraordinarily high number of accidents, suicides and other non-combat deaths in the . . . [more]
August 02, 2003
#457 - When Your Country Could be Your Death Sentence
When it's not just bad form but actually deadly to be an American abroad, you know your government has gone too far. This week the Dutch government sent 1,100 peacekeepers to Iraq to replace some of the American soldiers there. The first item of business for these Dutch soldiers was . . . [more]
When it's not just bad form but actually deadly to be an American abroad, you know your government has gone too far. This week the Dutch government sent 1,100 peacekeepers to Iraq to replace some of the American soldiers there. The first item of business for these Dutch soldiers was . . . [more]
July 27, 2003
#463 - The Liberian Morass
The Bush administration’s dithering over whether to send troops to Liberia stands in stark contrast with the zealousness with which it sent American forces into Iraq. The U.N., other African governments and Liberian citizens themselves are begging the United States to help stop the bloodshed. After weeks of indecision, Bush . . . [more]
The Bush administration’s dithering over whether to send troops to Liberia stands in stark contrast with the zealousness with which it sent American forces into Iraq. The U.N., other African governments and Liberian citizens themselves are begging the United States to help stop the bloodshed. After weeks of indecision, Bush . . . [more]
July 26, 2003
#464 - Total Untrustworthiness
Regardless of whether the Bush administration made the right decision in releasing photos of what it says are the dead bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein, the fact remains that Americans can be no more sure of the veracity of these claims than the Iraqis and other Arabs they were . . . [more]
Regardless of whether the Bush administration made the right decision in releasing photos of what it says are the dead bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein, the fact remains that Americans can be no more sure of the veracity of these claims than the Iraqis and other Arabs they were . . . [more]
July 21, 2003
#469 - He Had Already Started the War in Iraq Back in 2002
Using the no-fly zone as an excuse, the Bush administration started its campaign in Iraq in mid-2002. So last March when it looked like he would just go ahead and do as he damn well pleased, he was, in fact, already doing as he damn well pleased. . . . [more]
Using the no-fly zone as an excuse, the Bush administration started its campaign in Iraq in mid-2002. So last March when it looked like he would just go ahead and do as he damn well pleased, he was, in fact, already doing as he damn well pleased. . . . [more]
July 17, 2003
#473 - His Priorities Are a Mess
From Sunday's Dayton Daily News, "Bush still knocking Head Start": Of all the things the federal government needs to fix, President George W. Bush's obsession with Head Start is perplexing. As important as Head Start is to the almost 1 million children who are served by the early childhood education . . . [more]
From Sunday's Dayton Daily News, "Bush still knocking Head Start": Of all the things the federal government needs to fix, President George W. Bush's obsession with Head Start is perplexing. As important as Head Start is to the almost 1 million children who are served by the early childhood education . . . [more]
July 15, 2003
#475 - He Ignores the Lessons of History, Part II
Everyone knows that the cover-up is always worse than the crime. So why does the White House keep changing its story on Saddam Hussein’s phantom uranium cake? First the White House admitted the statement was wrong. Then it blamed the CIA. Now it says that the uranium claim was technically . . . [more]
Everyone knows that the cover-up is always worse than the crime. So why does the White House keep changing its story on Saddam Hussein’s phantom uranium cake? First the White House admitted the statement was wrong. Then it blamed the CIA. Now it says that the uranium claim was technically . . . [more]
July 13, 2003
#477 - Hollow Words, Shameful Tactics
From the Washington Post last week: In the first 15 months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, nearly 3,000 suspected al Qaeda members and supporters were detained worldwide, according to U.S. officials. Yet it took the administration nearly two years to announce that torturing them is wrong: The Bush administration . . . [more]
From the Washington Post last week: In the first 15 months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, nearly 3,000 suspected al Qaeda members and supporters were detained worldwide, according to U.S. officials. Yet it took the administration nearly two years to announce that torturing them is wrong: The Bush administration . . . [more]
July 12, 2003
#478 – The Buck Doesn’t Stop Here
Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice have blamed the CIA and its director George Tenet for the inaccurate information that Bush presented in his 2003 State of the Union address regarding Iraq’s alleged attempts to buy uranium in Africa as part of Saddam Hussein’s nuclear weapons program. Within hours, . . . [more]
Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice have blamed the CIA and its director George Tenet for the inaccurate information that Bush presented in his 2003 State of the Union address regarding Iraq’s alleged attempts to buy uranium in Africa as part of Saddam Hussein’s nuclear weapons program. Within hours, . . . [more]
July 08, 2003
#482 - He Misses the Point
Islamic fundamentalists swept the Parliamentary elections in Kuwait last weekend, creaming the liberals who campaigned to give women the vote and to bring the country closer to democracy. Islamic parties doubled their Parliamentary seats in Morocco’s national elections last September. In May 2002, Islamist parties in Bahrain won over half . . . [more]
Islamic fundamentalists swept the Parliamentary elections in Kuwait last weekend, creaming the liberals who campaigned to give women the vote and to bring the country closer to democracy. Islamic parties doubled their Parliamentary seats in Morocco’s national elections last September. In May 2002, Islamist parties in Bahrain won over half . . . [more]
July 05, 2003
#485 - Shifting the Burden Proof for WMD
From Ari Fleischer's press briefing on July 2nd: I think the burden falls on those who think he didn't have them to explain when he destroyed them, and why, after he destroyed them, he didn't tell anybody or show anybody. He, instead, decides to suffer the consequences. There ya go, . . . [more]
From Ari Fleischer's press briefing on July 2nd: I think the burden falls on those who think he didn't have them to explain when he destroyed them, and why, after he destroyed them, he didn't tell anybody or show anybody. He, instead, decides to suffer the consequences. There ya go, . . . [more]
June 30, 2003
#490 - It's the Only Way to Oust Dick Cheney
Who's actually running the show? See for yourself in this timeline of Bush's activities on September 11, 2001. . . . [more]
Who's actually running the show? See for yourself in this timeline of Bush's activities on September 11, 2001. . . . [more]
June 29, 2003
#491 - He's Not Protecting Us
Sure, the Bush administration has reduced our taxes, but it has also depleted social services while allowing the states to go broke. And in the meantime, Bush and his cohorts are failing to adequately perform a basic task: protecting citizens. Today the Washington Post reports that a bipartisan panel of . . . [more]
Sure, the Bush administration has reduced our taxes, but it has also depleted social services while allowing the states to go broke. And in the meantime, Bush and his cohorts are failing to adequately perform a basic task: protecting citizens. Today the Washington Post reports that a bipartisan panel of . . . [more]
June 28, 2003
#492 - He STILL Can't Keep His Stories Straight
This week the New York Times reported that Iraqi scientist Dr. Mahdi Obeidi has admitted burying plans and equipment to restart Iraq’s nuclear weapons program in his garden in 1991. Saddam Hussein ordered him to hide the stash so he could restart the program once the U.N. sanctions were lifted. . . . [more]
This week the New York Times reported that Iraqi scientist Dr. Mahdi Obeidi has admitted burying plans and equipment to restart Iraq’s nuclear weapons program in his garden in 1991. Saddam Hussein ordered him to hide the stash so he could restart the program once the U.N. sanctions were lifted. . . . [more]
June 27, 2003
#493 – He Ignores the Lessons of History
The Bush administration went blundering into Iraq full of belligerence and exaggerated claims of WMD but no realistic exit strategy, the holy grail of all U.S. military action since Vietnam. Now the remaining coalition forces struggle to maintain order in a country that doesn’t want them, barely functions, and isn’t . . . [more]
The Bush administration went blundering into Iraq full of belligerence and exaggerated claims of WMD but no realistic exit strategy, the holy grail of all U.S. military action since Vietnam. Now the remaining coalition forces struggle to maintain order in a country that doesn’t want them, barely functions, and isn’t . . . [more]
June 26, 2003
#494 - His Smallpox Vaccination Program: Miserable Failure, or Manipulative Hype?
Back in December, Dubya made a big hairy deal about smallpox vaccinations for military personnel and emergency response teams among medical professionals: We believe that regimes hostile to the United States may possess this dangerous virus. To protect our citizens in the aftermath of September the 11th, we are evaluating . . . [more]
Back in December, Dubya made a big hairy deal about smallpox vaccinations for military personnel and emergency response teams among medical professionals: We believe that regimes hostile to the United States may possess this dangerous virus. To protect our citizens in the aftermath of September the 11th, we are evaluating . . . [more]
June 23, 2003
#497 - He Violates International Law
The treatment of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba goes beyond inhumane. The 680 prisoners from 42 countries being held by the U.S. military live in conditions so desperate that suicide – specifically forbidden by the Koran – is increasingly common. They live in tiny cells . . . [more]
The treatment of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba goes beyond inhumane. The 680 prisoners from 42 countries being held by the U.S. military live in conditions so desperate that suicide – specifically forbidden by the Koran – is increasingly common. They live in tiny cells . . . [more]
June 22, 2003
#498 - He Can't Keep His Stories Straight
Uh, yeah, sure..."looted". . . . [more]
Uh, yeah, sure..."looted". . . . [more]
June 20, 2003
#500 - He’s Helped Make the World Unsafe for Americans Everywhere
President Bush’s response to the September 11 attacks has never taken into account the reasons why we were vulnerable to attack – and we’re not talking about a lack of homeland security. Bush ran his pre-September 11 foreign policy by using the might of the United States to bully the . . . [more]
President Bush’s response to the September 11 attacks has never taken into account the reasons why we were vulnerable to attack – and we’re not talking about a lack of homeland security. Bush ran his pre-September 11 foreign policy by using the might of the United States to bully the . . . [more]
June 18, 2003
#502 - They Really Should Call It "The Department of Just Take Our Word for It"
From today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Appeals court rules detainees' names can stay secret": In a major legal victory for the Department of Justice, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the government can continue to withhold the names of hundreds of people detained in the war on terror in order to . . . [more]
From today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Appeals court rules detainees' names can stay secret": In a major legal victory for the Department of Justice, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the government can continue to withhold the names of hundreds of people detained in the war on terror in order to . . . [more]
June 09, 2003
#511 - Secrecy and the Illusion of Safety
From yesterday's San Franciso Chronicle (via Slashdot), "No-fly list ensnares innocent travelers": As the war on terrorism spurs U.S. intelligence agencies to constantly expand aviation watch lists, many airline-reservation systems rely on name-searching software based on a 120-year-old indexing system that mistakes the similar spelling or sound of innocent passengers' . . . [more]
From yesterday's San Franciso Chronicle (via Slashdot), "No-fly list ensnares innocent travelers": As the war on terrorism spurs U.S. intelligence agencies to constantly expand aviation watch lists, many airline-reservation systems rely on name-searching software based on a 120-year-old indexing system that mistakes the similar spelling or sound of innocent passengers' . . . [more]
June 07, 2003
#513 - He’s Going to Get Us Killed
Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld want to end our country’s ban on research and development of "low-yield" nuclear weapons. They say the terrorist threat requires it, not to mention the nasty nuclear intentions of North Korea. So, the idea is to control nuclear weapons by developing a lot more . . . [more]
Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld want to end our country’s ban on research and development of "low-yield" nuclear weapons. They say the terrorist threat requires it, not to mention the nasty nuclear intentions of North Korea. So, the idea is to control nuclear weapons by developing a lot more . . . [more]
June 05, 2003
#515 - He Practices Nation-Building on the Cheap
Afghanistan and Iraq are utter wrecks. Sure, it’s exciting to go to war and take out the bad guys – it’s hard to argue that the Taliban or Saddam deserved to stay in power – but what about the more important job of putting these nations back together? What that . . . [more]
Afghanistan and Iraq are utter wrecks. Sure, it’s exciting to go to war and take out the bad guys – it’s hard to argue that the Taliban or Saddam deserved to stay in power – but what about the more important job of putting these nations back together? What that . . . [more]
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