Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Dear Mr. President,


"Throughout history, tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision. And they end up alienating decent people across the globe."

That's an interesting choice of words Mr. President. You should applaud whoever wrote them for you to read. Amazingly enough I agree with this pontification. The difference is it makes me think of you. In the partisan attack/justification for your war speech, that you chose Veterans Day to give, you claimed that Congress "had access to the same intelligence" as the president of the United States of America. That's false. Hell, let's call it a lie. Congress does not have access to the President's Daily Brief, not to mention the 92-page NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) that was given to Congress just days before they were to vote did not include all of the doubts within the intelligence committee. The resolution, that everyone seems to equate with a declaration of war, has been spun just like the "mission" we must "stay the course" to "accomplish".

"Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations;"

"Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;" text from the Joint Resolution (the Bold was me)

That is what they voted on. These claims have yet to be substantiated, and pulling out the UN inspectors, headed by Hans Blix, after only one month in Iraq certainly insured that those claims would not be refuted before we invaded. You rushed us into a war of your choosing. There was no "unique", "urgent" or "gathering" threat to Our National Security, our freedom, or Our way of life coming from Iraq like you told us there was. We did not "know where they [the WMDs}" were like secretary rumsfeld told us. When the vice president said "there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us." in his push for war, he either didn't have all the facts or was spinning/cherry picking what "intelligence" he did have. Like used car salesmen, you sold this Nation your war not on the "liberation of Iraq" or the "removal of saddam". It was on the "threat of unique urgency" that Iraq posed, which it turns out it didn't. It is not your critics that are rewriting history. It is you.

The hardest thing about all of this is the fact that Our soldiers are in harm's way for your grand vision of what the Middle East should be. You have created a new training ground for terrorists greater than Afghanistan ever was. You have given the terrorists more rationalizations for their hate. Your war is sending our country further into debt, which was recently illustrated by your red senators joining Democrats in dropping your tax cuts for the rich. You say you "protect the United States" while at the same time your Federal Emergency Management Agency is telling the poor people, who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina, that they will be evicted after December 1 with no where to go.

I am not alone in wanting a "exit strategy" that is "well defined" for our troops in Iraq. Democratic hawks and doves, as well as red senators are all clamoring for a plan that you should have had before we invaded.

And now with your national security advisor and/or vice president quite possibly involved in the Valerie Plame case, your administration seems even more corrupt and dishonest. Your presidency will be remembered as a failure, disastrous to Our country's reputation and standing in the world and our Government's reputation and standing here at home. I leave you with these words from red Senator Chuck Hagel:

"America must approach the world with a sense of purpose in world affairs that is anchored by our ideals, a principled realism that seeks not to re-make the world in our image, but to help make a better world."

"The Bush Administration must understand that each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them. Suggesting that to challenge or criticize policy is undermining and hurting our troops is not democracy nor what this country has stood for, for over 200 years. The Democrats have an obligation to challenge in a serious and responsible manner, offering solutions and alternatives to the Administration’s policies."

Friday, November 11, 2005

The wheels on the wagon are not what they use to be.

What the hell's going on here?!?!? The campaigner in chief is "killing" campaigns? The US is using white phosphorous incendiaries (a weaponized chemical) on Iraqis? The man accused of giving classified intel to Iran, not to mention helping to mislead our "leaders" into misleading Us into war, ahmed chalabi, is the administration's friend again? Howlin' wolfowitz's World Bank is saying that their redevelopment efforts in Iraq are being blocked by the violence he failed to consider in his rush to war? Senate reds are grilling oil executives? Argentinians are protesting the little prince and his policies? Paris is on fire? Scandal ridden lobbyist abramhoff asked the president of a West African nation for $9,000,000.00 to meet with the scandal ridden president of the United States? And bucky bush is throwing around a baseball in Panama? Wow! It's been quite the ten days.

Election day saw Democrat, Senator John Corzine, win the governorship in New Jersey, despite the sandalous resignation of the last (D) in the State House. This was a particularly negative, non-issue campaign. I did like Corzine's bush/forrester ads, and it looks like they were effective. In Virginia's gubenatorial race, the Democrat won, despite a last minute bush visit to his challenger. Some say the bush visit actually hurt the red's chances. In Maine, an anti-discrimination law protecting homosexuals was passed. Ahnuld's four ballot initiatives got voted down in California. And my personal favorite came from Dover, Pennsylvania, where members of the Board of Education, who argued on behalf of "intelligent design", were voted out. The reds did have a victory or two, as well, but a "ban on gay marriage" in Texas.... I thought that was understood.

We all know that, with a few exceptions, the Democrats are toothless. What we're beginning to see now is the deCONstruction of the reds by the reds. The in fighting is evident. Senator mccain is arguing with vice president DICK cheney about America's use of torture, or as the legislation phrases it "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment" of prisoners. The administration wants to exempt the CIA from such restrictions on abuse. Nine red senators voted against mccain's amendment, the other 42 joined with the Democrats in support of it. And if the US using incendiaries (though not banned by name) in Iraq, someone needs to to police the police of the world?

One of the biggest surprises for me this past week was the grilling of oil executives by Senators, both Democratic and red, for their record profits from charging record prices. Going against big oil is a direct affront to this oil soaked administration. An administration whose energy policy is to lessen environmental regulations, increase subsidies, and give tax breaks to energy companies who have seen profit increases over the past three years far greater than they have ever seen before. At least the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge has been temporarily taken off the drilling block by the House of Representatives, even before postponing the vote on the budget cutting bill that would have befouled it.

This wagon is starting to lose it's wheels and the Libby trial hasn't even started yet. You remember Libby, he is the author of the beastiality laden, incestual novel "The Apprentice". Oh yeah and he lied before a Grand Jury investigating leaked information classified for Our National Security.

"What a Country"
-Yakov Smirnoff