Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 'President has lost Americans' confidence'

[seafan]

By Jay Bookman
2-2-06

President Bush has forfeited the faith of the American people, and judging from his language Tuesday night, he knows it.
In his 2006 State of the Union speech, the president felt it necessary to warn us against "economic retreat," against retreating "from our duties in the hope of easier life."

"There is no peace in retreat," the president said, "and there is no honor in retreat." He warned against "abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders," promising that "the United States will not retreat from the world."
"Never give in to the belief that America is in decline," he begged his fellow citizens, "or that our culture is doomed to unravel."

Retreat. Decline. Retreat. . . . The White House had advertised the speech as optimistic, but its unconscious recurring theme, its underlying tone, proved to be anything but.

snip

The president's language did, however, reflect the nation's mood. For months, almost two-thirds of Americans have been telling pollsters that the country was headed in the wrong direction. Almost two-thirds say the economy is fair or poor, despite the fact that by many standard measures it's doing pretty well. And while President Bush says we're winning in Iraq, 60 percent disapprove of how he has handled that critically important challenge.

Some might interpret those numbers to mean that the American people are losing faith in this country — that's clearly the president's fear, for example. But I think that's wrong. We have lost faith in our leadership, which is a very different thing.

snip

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/bookman/index.html

[kurth]

1. People getting sick and tired of the monkey in a dress

[seafan]

2. The take-home messages from the * nightmare administration:

No pain, no sacrifice, no hard work. Pick your topic; it's a story repeated over and over again.

Go through the list — what project has this administration succeeded in pulling off, other than its own re-election and the creation of a right-wing Supreme Court? The answer is nothing.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/bookman/index.html

[bballny]

3. standard measures

on economy are totally inaccurate. They don't count food, energy and health care into the equation. That is simply ludicrous. Tell the average person that the additional $500 out of their pocket per month is not real.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Outstanding column! a must read.

Kicked and recommended.

:kick:

[cliss]

5. That was a very good article.

For once, I have nothing to add, other than this article sums up what's happening in the U.S. Thanks for posting, seafan.

Recommended.

[seafan]

8. The clear, unfettered truth from The Old South. To be savored. n/t

[Left Below]

6. Definition of "Faith" --

"Believin' something you know ain't true"


from that liberal master Mark Twain.



Keep the Faith, America!

translation - "Sell and buy gold before you move to Costa Rica"...

[Martin Eden]

7. Great column ... K&R

Bush pledged Tuesday night to break our oil addiction, to "move beyond a petroleum-based economy and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past."

That's a worthy goal, but the president made no mention of taking such difficult steps as raising auto fuel-efficiency standards. He promised only the painless option of boosting spending on clean-energy research by 22 percent in the 2007 budget.

That "bold" new investment amounts to just 6.8 percent of ExxonMobil's profit for the fourth quarter, or what we spend in four days in Iraq.

It's little more than lip service, motivated by the potential political gain of appearing to provide leadership on this issue. When the Bush/Cheney cabal make a serious effort to wean the American economy from the teats of their big oil buddies, look to the skies for flying pigs.

[Surya Gayatri]

9. K & R n/t

[samhsarah]

10. Oh, ya think?

jesus it's taken them long enough to figure that out.

[FormerRepublican]

11. Hmmm...

Bush said "warn us against "economic retreat" - so this means he's going to push his rich buddies and corp pals to ante up their share of Federal taxes?

Bush makes me want to hurl. What he means is WE have to pay up while his pals get a free ride and suck money out of the taxpayer.

[seafan]

12. * is warning folks they'd better spend all their $ at walmart. Or else.