What we stand to gain by losing Bush.

[ozymandius]

The ferocity with which one argues the qualities of his chosen candidate over another is ever more shrill. Anymore when I visit these boards with daily regularity, I come across a new thread touting the 'unelectability' of one candidate.

Sometimes it's a pronouncement of the absolutely god-like qualities of another (at the expense of a lesser-Democrat, of course). The coarse reverberations of such arguments overwhelm the grander scheme of what we are trying to accomplish here: to unseat George W. Bush and the accompanying entourage.

There are too many reasons to list here not to like GW Bush, personally and professionally. He has never worked for anything. Name, title and power are inherited attributes. He exhibits only the grossest incompetence at retaining any of the forementioned blessings. Why? Bush retains some of the best handlers ever put into service to an individual. Then, there are many more people who really should occupy more of our thoughts and efforts than the faults of some Democratic candidates.

One could argue that the present Bush administration came to power in 1980 with Ronald Reagan. We have seen how Bush wants to build upon the excesses of that era and fight wars that can only feed cyclical violence. The history of American injustices is known throughout the world by our government's actions. However, those responsible in shaping our own sordid history over the past two decades have escaped the spotlight because one man, George W. Bush, has shielded that era from view.

It all starts in 1979.

What did the Reagan-Bush(I) era owe to any delayed release of the American hostages in Iran? We do not know because those records have been sealed by the (now) Bush administration for many more years. What did the elder Bush know about the goings-on of the Iran-Contra scandal? We do not know because the papers have been sealed per Executive Order 13233.

A new president can rescind that order.

It is now known that the United States fabricated evidence that Iraq was planning to invade Saudi Arabia, thus gaining access to military facilities there after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Alleged Iraqi atrocities in Kuwait were also fabricated in order to convince Congress that American forces needed to be committed to this conflict. What do we know about the extent of the then-Bush administration's involvement in falsifying evidence in order to go to war? Nothing. Why? Per Executive Order 13233, these presidential records can now be sealed for perpetuity.

A new administration can change that.

What do we really know about the morning of 11 September 2001? No official story has been written. Individual voices have been muffled. The current Bush administration has refused to divulge information to its own 9/11 Commission. Why? What do they know prior to the tragedies of that morning and when did they know it?

An administration uninterested in political damage could lay bare the truth.

Who really is to blame for grossly exaggerated intelligence that took us into Iraq? And for what reason? Why did thousands of people have to die for a lie? We here at DU pretty much know the answer. But until new governmental stewards assume control, we will never see an honest assessment of the situation.

It is time for the world to mete out justice to many who were wronged by so few.

To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends."
-- John Ashcroft, Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, December 6, 2001.

The USA PATRIOT ACT is one of the most vicious assaults on our civil liberties since the McCarthy era. The liberties granted law enforcement agencies are due to sunset in 2005. However, there is now a movement afoot in Congress to make this act permanent. Furthermore, there is now legislation ready to be introduced under the nickname PATRIOT 2 that would gut the Bill of Rights and transform our system of justice into a model reminiscent of the Soviet Union.

A new Justice Department and administration can change that.

Why do members of the Bush administration believe that the air, the ground and the water are not dirty enough? Because there is still money to be made by polluting. The assaults on the environment will not end in another four years. They will only get worse.

A populist administration with an engaged EPA will change this.

In the future, veterans will not have to tell their grandchildren what war is like because they will be assured a place fighting one. Does perpetual war sound like a good idea to you? Will the call of "Freedom" become an ad hominem cause for war, no matter how obscene or unjustified? The Bush administration would have us think so.

It is time to break the cycle of violence with righteous statesmanship.

Are you still with me? Good. Because the tiny amount of space here is woefully inadequate to express what the future holds for citizens of the world. Every matter outlined here points to one thing: George Walker Bush and everyone he represents will not be happy until we all meet a bad end.

Behold the potential of our common fate.

[NNN0LHI]

1. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE NOMINATIONS! If thats not enough this is

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/nuclear-football.htm

The Football

The Football, its official name is unknown, is a secure package that contains the necessary Gold Codes, or nuclear launch codes, the Presidents Decision Book, which details nuclear strike options available to the President, a secure SATCOM radio and handset. It follows the President where ever he goes and is never more that a few steps from his side. A military officer carries the Football and undergoes the nation's most rigorous security background check, "Yankee White".

The concept of the football came about in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy was concerned that some Soviet commander in Cuba might launch their missiles without authorization from Moscow. After the crisis, Kennedy ordered a review of the U.S. Nuclear Command and Control system. The result was the highly classified National Security Action Memorandum that created the football.

The White House Communications Agency, consisting of personnel from the Defense Communications Agency, Defense Communications Support Unit and the Defense Communications Operations United (this unit is responsible for communications and emergency power engineering) oversees the military unit in charge of the Football. To work in these units, personnel must obtain a Yankee White security clearance. The criteria for this clearance include U.S. citizenship, unquestionable loyalty, and an absolute absence of any foreign influence over the individual, his family, or "persons to whom the individual is closely linked." The aide who carries the Football comes from the four military branches and are ranked Lt. Colonel, Naval Commander, or Marine Major. They must be knowledgeable about all aspects of the overall Single Integrated Operational Plan, as well as the various options available to the President for implementing the war plan.

more

[ozymandius]

2. Thanks Don for adding this to the list of reasons

to dump this guy. I honestly believe that Bush possesses the malice to "throw the football". Why, today, would we need to consider crossing that threshold? I am sure Bush has.

[NNN0LHI]

3. You are welcome but do not minimize the nominations for the appointment...

...of Supreme Court Justices either. Having 5 who are criminals are what got us where we are at today. Who the Supreme Court Justice's are is more important than who is president. A president we can get rid of. These idiots will be with us for as long as they live. That is bad news.

Don

[ozymandius]

9. On the upside...

Two of the Justices are doddering. We have seen what kind of wall the Seante Dems have erected against Bush's Scalia clones. If O'Connor and Rhenquist step aside, I doubt that the Senate will confirm any like the five who appointed Bush.

[NNN0LHI]

10. Yes. But that will only last as long as the Repugs can't get 60 votes...

...to break a Democratic fillibuster. If they ever do we are screwed.

Don

[gully]

12. Democrats are 'standing up' really?

;)

Yes, let's hope the 60 votes do not occur. When is the vote. Perhaps we can start writing calling our reps?

[NNN0LHI]

13. They have been fighting wingnut judicial nominees for federal courts...

...all along. But not too many notice it for some reason? One just pulled his chance for nomination a few weeks ago but it didn't get much play here. His name was Estrada. He was a test case.

Don

[ozymandius]

14. Judicial nominees are paraded through

the confirmation process all the time. The Senate Judiciary committee is one of the most active in so many years for getting nominees to the floor for a vote.

We have seen three so far go down by filibuster. More are due for the same treatment as the list of Judicial nominees reveals that most belong to the Federalist Society. In case you have not heard: the Federalists are goose stepping monarchists annointed by the likes of Orrin Hatch and Antonin Scalia.

As far as the Supreme Court goes - only Rhenquist and O'Connor have intimatd that they are ready to retire. Nothing is official yet.

[liberalmuse]

4. Sobering post.

You've put down some excellent points to ponder. Maybe I'm going tinfoil here, but I believe that the events set off in the past 3 years, and within the next year may very well determine whether or not the human race has a future. America has been taken over by men and women who will do ANYTHING to maintain and showcase their perceived power, and I suspect using nukes to do so aren't out of the question for this bunch. We need to concentrate our energies towards booting them out instead of bickering about who is the best man/woman to do so. The trut is, any of the candidates will be better than Bush, and what's more, they won't have the neocon baggage Bush does.

There's another thing I think we need to face: the possiblity of BBV manipulation. We've seen what the neocons are capable off, and if they in fact knew about yet did nothing to prevent 9-11, what's stealing another election to them if 3,000 lives were expendable for PNAC? </tinfoil hat off>

[ozymandius]

5. We need to concentrate our energies towards booting them out

Such is the point of this post. If I were Skinner, I would apply pressure for more civilized political debate. Otherwise were are aiding the Bush campaign, perchance enthralling ourselves to four more years of Bush.

[pansypoo53219]

6. i see the collapse of civilization

of course europe and scadanavia will survive.

[opihimoimoi]

7. Not really, this man Bush makes extinction more likely than ever.

Self extinction is so lolo its pathetic

[ozymandius]

8. Stupid White Men

Millions of peace demonstrators across the globe count for something.

One glimmer of hope for the betterment of society through these trials is that the stupid white men's sphere of influence may be dying. The grotesque obsession with money and natural resources - plus the willingness to spend blood to secure them will have to end.

The world's population is more educated than it has ever been ever in history. We also recognize our global connectedness.

[gully]

11. Excellent piece ...

:thumbsup: Thank You...