Does anybody know of a "Beginner's Guide to Bush-Hating" out there?

[expatriot]

I was thinking of developing a web "seminar", Bush Hating 101 or something like that geared towards fairly apolitical people or people who are just starting to question things who ask the question, "Why do some people seem to hate every fiber of Bush's being?"

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. Yeah, it's called the last five years.

Teach the truth and the hate will come.

[SledDriver]

2. Check this out...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1560255692/qid=1128703534/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2981860-2428051?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[Debau2005]

4. I LOVE IT

and I MUST have it.

[expatriot]

6. great book, for sure but still geared towards the choir.

what i was thinking of is just a down and dirty web resource and wanted to know if anyone knew of any resources out there so I wouldnt go reinventing the wheel. but thanks for bringing that wonderful resource up, I had forgotten about it.

[Contrary1]

9. After reading the 6 pages, I'm ordering a copy. Thanks! n/t

[Debau2005]

3. The reason I hate Bush

The reasons are endless, I'll list just a few.

1. No Child Left Behind has left my best friend's special needs son behind.
2. WMD, or rather lack there of
3. His evil appointments, Condasleazy being at the top of my list.
4. I can now add the Torture veto to my list.
5. Oil prices, and his hand in the oil business.
6. Tom Delay
7. Eating cake while N.O. died.
8. Playing guitar while N.O. died.
9. Brownie as Fema director
10. John Roberts

I can continue if no one else can add to the list.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

14. Never gave a pardon as TX Guv

the state with the most executions.

The stolen 2000 election, that he was ready to mobilize to take over despite having lost.

Dirty politics. Smearing Max Cleland, John McCain, John Kerry

He keeps very bad company: DeLay, Rove, etc etc

His smug smurkiness

The Diebold connection

Ravaging the environment for oil or other development

Destroying clean air standards

Ignoring global warming

incompetence, indifference, and incompetence

[soleft]

5. Is bushwatch.com still around

that's how I got started

[expatriot]

8. yes it is and that is funny because I wondered the same thing...

that was my pre-DU resource, I stopped checking it out after I got one hundred percent addicted to DU in 2002. but bushwatch.com kept me sane through 2001.

[tnlefty]

11. I think it is now bushwatch.net

If we're talking about the same thing, the site has gotten larger and it's difficult for me to navigate, but that probably says more about my lack of computer skills than the site itself. :dunce:

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

7. Not totally on point, but maybe

parts of Al Franken's "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them."

And other sources include: Paul O'Neill's (by Suskind) "The Price of Loyalty", Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies", Seymour Hersh's "Chain of Command", and John Dean's "Worse than Watergate."

Even such a list tells something.

Also there's Molly Ivin's "Bushwhacked," and Bob Woodward's "Plan of Attack."

[Gloria]

10. Try the "I Hate Republicans Reader" by Clint Willis....of course,

it only goes up to 2003, but you'll get the basics.
It may still be at Buzzflash premiums.

Subtitle: Why the GOP is totally wrong about everything

[FSogol]

12. Here is the most telling item.

(I forget where I got it from)

Sept. 19, 2005 issue - It's a standing joke among the president's top aides: who gets to deliver the bad news? Warm and hearty in public, Bush can be cold and snappish in private, and aides sometimes cringe before the displeasure of the president of the United States, or, as he is known in West Wing jargon, POTUS. The bad news on this early morning, Tuesday, Aug. 30, some 24 hours after Hurricane Katrina had ripped through New Orleans, was that the president would have to cut short his five-week vacation by a couple of days and return to Washington. The president's chief of staff, Andrew Card; his deputy chief of staff, Joe Hagin; his counselor, Dan Bartlett, and his spokesman, Scott McClellan, held a conference call to discuss the question of the president's early return and the delicate task of telling him. Hagin, it was decided, as senior aide on the ground, would do the deed.

The staff is afraid to break the BAD NEWS to Bush.

The BAD NEWS is that HIS VACATION IS ENDING EARLY.

[jrw14125]

13. How's this for starters?...

Stolen elections in 2000 and 2004, 9/11, rampant cronyism, failed Katrina response, blacks used only for photo-ops, "townhall" meetings where everyone must be a pre-screened Republican, payign political pundits to push their plans, record-setting vacations, hubris, lies, distortions, red state/blue state, "compassionate conservatism," push-polling, negative campaigning, smear campaigns, "plants" (aka: Jeff Gannon/James Guckert) in the white House press corps, surrounds himself with yes-men, won't allow dissent, doesn't read newspapers, guts environmental, health, and safety protections, promotes industry lobbyists to regulate the industries they lobby for, invades countries that pose no threat to us because God told him to, ignorance of global warming, double the number of lobbyists in DC since taking office, demoralized and weakened military, lack of armor for soldiers, illegal war in Iraq, renditions, Patriot Act, no WMDs, can't find Osama Bin Forgotten, everyone around him getting indicted or under investigation, outing CIA operatives, treason, war crimes, torture scandals, tax cuts for the rich, 3 million jobs outsourced so far, deflation of the U.S. dollar, record budget surplus gone, 1.2 trillion giveaway to big pharma, failed attempt to destroy Social Security, can't speak clearly, can't admit when he's wrong, can't get through a speech or debate without wearing a wire, sat like a deer in the headlights for 7 minutes after being told a 2nd plane just hit the World Trade Center, $2.5 TRILLION additional deficit since taking office, $300 BILLION spent in Afghanistan and Iraq with no end in sight, has yet to veto a spending bill, "free speech zones," over 1,900 U.S. troops dead in Iraq so far, about 20,000 U.S. troops permanently wounded in Iraq so far with missing arms, legs, eyesight, burns, brain damage, estimates of 100,000+ Iraqi civilians killed so far, terrorism on the rise instead of dropping, FEMA gutted and useless, Dep't of Homeland Security a joke, "terror alert level" used for political purposes, oil prices, rising gap between the rich and the poor, rise to power of religious fundamentalists, Gitmo, refusal to fund No Child Left Behind Act, US soldiers trading sick photos of dead and mutilated Iraqis online for access to amateur porn...

I could go on, but it's Friday. I'm out!

http://j-dubs.blogspot.com/2005/09/hmm-maybe-theyre-right.html

[expatriot]

19. yes. i guess i am looking for a magic pill to make everyone i love

see the light.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. It is the primers you get in first grade. Reading leads to bush bashing.

[petgoat]

16. The Pet Goat, Osama, the 8-6 PDB, promoting incompetents

Pet Goat--people were jumping from the 100th floor while he sat there
Pet Goat--flight 77 was heading toward Washington. Maybe if the
Commander in Chief had ordered an air defense for DC, it could have
been stopped.

Osama--Where is he? Oh, W just doesn't think that much about him.

The 8-6 "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US" memo--while Bush was
ignoring it in Crawford he had 24-hour fighter cover, says Rep.
Cynthia McKinney here: http://www.counterpunch.org/mckinney0918.html

The 8-6 Memo--Condi lied (under oath) to the face of the 9/11 widows
when she said it was historical in nature. Then Bush issued a
fraudulent 9/11 Commission Report that failed to address most of the
questions of the 9/11 families. http://justicefor911.org/Appendix4_FSCQuestionRatings_111904.php

[kweerwolf]

17. A "beginner's" guide?

If they are just beginning to hate *, they obviously haven't been paying attention.

[expatriot]

18. Is that reason to give up on them? Everyone has different 'eureka' moments

bigtime cattle ranchers and feedlot operators become animal rights activists after 20 years in the business, forty year old neo-nazis have total conversions and join the anti-defamation league, etc.

[IdaBriggs]

20. I used to have something up at invisibleida.com (complete w/links)

Here it is --

Please Ignore Reality & Vote for George W. Bush

(1) Prior to 9/11 George W. Bush dismantled our existing anti-terrorism systems, ignored warnings of impending terrorist attacks, and tried to cut the FBI counter-terrorism budget by $65 Million (12%). <See the Proof>

2) George W. Bush does not believe abortion laws should contain exceptions for the life or health of the mother, which means 2% of all pregnancies, being ectopic, become automatic death sentences. Also, abortions have INCREASED during George W. Bush's tenure as President. <See the Proof>

3) George W. Bush's administration has publicly identified two undercover CIA operatives (which is considered treason), one a specialist in “weapons of mass destruction” and the other an Al-Qaeda mole, but George W. Bush doesn’t know which of his “trusted advisors” did it, so no one has been fired. But George W. Bush has testified (with the help of a personal criminal attorney) in front of a Grand Jury on the subject. <See the Proof>

4) George W. Bush's campaign has participated in one of the worst smears ever perpetuated in presidential politics by trying to paint a decorated combat veteran as a “traitorous communist” who apparently escaped detection while publicly testifying “war is bad” before Congress on national television and having been a public figure for the last thirty-five years. <See the Proof>

5) George W. Bush has wracked up record setting deficits and raided the social security trust to pay for it. <See the Proof>

6) George W. Bush keeps confusing “spending money” (which goes to his corporate cronies and Washington lobbyists) with “making America safer” when 95% of the containers coming into this country still aren’t being inspected, 8000+ illegal aliens are crossing the borders daily, an airline “do not fly list” targets musicians and politicians instead of terrorists, and a huge chunk of our National Guard and Military Reserves are currently overseas. <See the Proof>

7) George W. Bush threatened to VETO a supplemental spending bill for the Troops in Iraq unless it was "a gift to Iraq" and included a $27 BILLION “slush fund” for Halliburton. George W. Bush has cut services for veterans, left National Guard and Military Reserve families with no access to insured health care, and presided over the largest loss of military personnel since the Vietnam War. <See the Proof>

8) George W. Bush was wrong about Iraq being an imminent threat; they had no weapons of mass destruction, and were unable to prove it because of corruption within the “Oil for Food” program. They had refused to support Al-Qaeda and had nothing to do with September 11, 2001. And the "mass graves" were debunked by Tony Blair (the English Prime Minister). <See the Proof>

9) George W. Bush's environmental record is best described as “disastrous” and global climate change is getting worse. Meanwhile, what he’s done to the meat inspectors at the USDA is nearly unbelievable. (At least five people in New Jersey are dead from “mad cow” as of this writing, while deadly e-coli and listeria outbreaks are on the rise due to the “new rules” regarding fecal matter on meat.) <See the Proof>

10) George W. Bush has been unable to capture Osama bin Laden in three years (who is still making videos), despite a world wide manhunt and “doesn’t think about him much anymore.” George W. Bush will not admit to errors or mistakes. George W. Bush really believes everything in Iraq is going well. George W. Bush allowed AK-47s back on our streets, didn’t fund the 100,000 COPS program, and hasn't done anything to fix the rising cost of healthcare. He’s either a nice guy who isn’t in touch with reality, or he’s a self-serving liar, neither of which makes a good president, but all of this is beside the point because – <See the Proof>

George W. Bush Needs
Stupid, Uninformed, Pro-Corruption Americans
to Ignore Reality So He Can Stay in Power.

Can he count on YOUR vote?

More Useful Information

100 Facts and 1 Opinion: The Non-Arguable Case Against the Bush Administration
"People of Faith for Kerry"
Republicans for Kerry
Repent Nader Voters
President Bush: Flip-Flopper In Chief
"Forget Bush: Its His Supporting Cast that REALLY Deserves the Boot"
The Document Sean Hannity Doesn't Want You To Read
VotingCatholic.org
26 Free Videos Online

FACTUAL BACK-UP FOR ALL CLAIMS <back to top>

1) George W. Bush & Terrorism Prior to 9/11 <back to top>
a) Dismantled our Existing Anti-Terrorism Systems
b) Ignored warnings of impending terrorist attacks
c) Tried to cut the FBI counter-terrorism budget by $65 Million (12%)

a) Dismantled our Existing Anti-Terrorism Systems <back to #1>

April 19, 2001 CRS Report for Congress on "Terrorism and the Military's Role in Domestic Crisis Management" page 6: http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL30938.pdf:

President George W. Bush recently signed National Security Presidential Directive-1 (NSPD-1) establishing the organization of the National Security Council under his Administration. Among other things, the document abolishes the previous system of interagency working groups and replaces them with policy coordination committees (PCC).

b) Ignored warnings of impending terrorist attacks <back to #1>

August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Brief (PDB), Bin Ladin Determined to Strike Inside US: http://www.cnn.com/2004/images/04/10/whitehouse.pdf

Al-Qa'ida members -- including some who are US citizens -- have resided in or traveled to the US for years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks. Two al-Qa'ida members found guilty in the conspiracy to bomb our Embassies in East Africa were US citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990s. A clandestine source said in 1998 that a Bin Ladin cell in New York was recruiting Muslim-American youth for attacks. We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a ... (redacted portion) ... service in 1998 saying that Bin Ladin wanted to hijack a US aircraft to gain the release of ‘Blind Shaykh’ 'Umar 'Abd al-Rahman and other US-held extremists. Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

May 16, 2002, National Security Advisor Holds Press Briefing, http://www.fas.org/irp/news/2002/05/wh051602.html

Now, on August 6th, the President received a presidential daily briefing which was not a warning briefing, but an analytic report. This analytic report, which did not have warning information in it of the kind that said, they are talking about an attack against so forth or so on, it was an analytic report that talked about UBL's methods of operation, talked about what he had done historically, in 1997, in 1998. It mentioned hijacking, but hijacking in the traditional sense, and in a sense, said that the most important and most likely thing was that they would take over an airliner, holding passengers and demand the release of one of their operatives. And the blind sheikh was mentioned by name as -- even though he's not an operative of al Qaeda, but as somebody who might be bargained in this way.

I want to reiterate, it was not a warning. There was no specific time, place or method mentioned...<snip>

September 20, 2004, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (aka 9/11 Commission), Threats and Responses in 2001, Staff Statement No. 8, “National Policy Coordination,” pp 9-10; http://www.9-11commission.gov/hearings/hearing8/staff_statement_8.pdf

Clarke asked on several occasions for early Principals Committee meetings on these issues and was frustrated that no early meeting was scheduled. He wanted principals to accept that al Qaeda was a ‘first order threat’ and not a routine problem being exaggerated by ‘chicken little’ alarmists. No Principals Committee meetings on al Qaeda were held until September 4, 2001.

c) Tried to cut the FBI counter-terrorism budget by $65 Million (12%) <back to #1>

September 10, 2001 Annual Budget Request for the Department of Justice by Attorney General John Ashcroft, page 25 (page 31 of the PDF document): http://www.americanprogress.org/atf/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/FY03ASHCROFT.PDF

The budget also proposes to reduce funding for counterterrorism equipments grants by $65,000,000, leaving $4,400,000 in 2003. As of June 2001, this program was operating with an unobligated balance of $180,000,000, which represents two years of appropriated funding. OJP has been unable to obligate this money because Congress has required that states submit comprehensive state-wide preparedness plans as a condition of receiving funding. Only one state plan has been received; the other plans are expected in 2002.

Bonus Question: Can you find the status of funding counter-terrorism operations in this document?

2) George W. Bush & Abortion <back to top>
a) Does not believe in exceptions to save the life of the mother
b) 2% of Pregnancies are Ectopic, which equals a death sentence unless terminated
c) Abortions have increased during his tenure as president

a) Does not believe in exceptions to save the life of the mother <back to #2>

October 8, 2004, Presidential Debate Commission Transcript, The Second Bush-Kerry Presidential Debate, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri: http://debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html (snipped for clarity)

KERRY: I'm against the partial-birth abortion, but you've got to have an exception for the life of the mother and the health of the mother under the strictest test of bodily injury to the mother.

BUSH: Well, it's pretty simple when they say: Are you for a ban on partial birth abortion? Yes or no? And he was given a chance to vote, and he voted no. And that's just the way it is. That's a vote. It came right up. It's clear for everybody to see. And as I said: You can run but you can't hide the reality.

NOTE: The ban being discussed in this debate did not contain an exception for the life of the mother.

b) 2% of Pregnancies are Ectopic, which equals a death sentence unless terminated <back to #2>

Ectopic Pregnancy Overview, WebMD.com, http://my.webmd.com/hw/being_pregnant/hw144923.asp

Normally, at the beginning of a pregnancy, the fertilized egg travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it implants and grows. In nearly 2% of diagnosed pregnancies, however, the fertilized egg attaches to an area outside of the uterus, resulting in an ectopic pregnancy (also known as tubal pregnancy or extrauterine pregnancy.

Nearly all ectopic pregnancies develop in a fallopian tube; the remainder occur in an ovary, the cervix, or the abdomen. Generally none of these areas are capable of holding or sustaining a growing fetus.

An ectopic pregnancy usually cannot survive to full term (about 40 weeks). However, the fertilized egg that has implanted outside of the uterus can grow large enough to rupture the area it occupies, which can become life-threatening. To prevent a rupture and severe blood loss, treatment of an ectopic pregnancy must end the pregnancy.

c) Abortions have increased during his tenure as president <back to #2>

October 13, 2004, Study Finds Abortion Rising Under Bush, Linked to Economic Policies, http://sev.prnewswire.com/magazines/20041013/DCW06813102004-1.html

An independent study by an ethics professor at Fuller Theological Seminary who is also trained in statistical analysis finds that, contrary to popular assumption, abortion has risen in the U.S. during George W. Bush's presidency and that the increase is linked to economic policy.

"Under President Bush, the decade-long trend of declining abortion rates appears to have reversed," said Glen Stassen, Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical divinity school. Citing connections to rising unemployment and soaring healthcare costs, Stassen noted that "economic policy and abortion are not separate issues. They form one moral imperative."

Using data from the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the Guttmacher Institute, and reporting by individual states, Stassen found that U.S. abortion rates declined 17.4% in the 1990s to a 24-year low when Bush took office. Many expected that downward trend to continue under the conservative president, but Stassen found the opposite: 52,000 more abortions occurred in 2002 than would have been expected under the pre-2000 conditions, and abortion has risen significantly in those states reporting multi-year abortion statistics.

<snip>

3) George W. Bush & Our Undercover CIA Operatives <back to top>
a) Valerie Plame, who specialized in Weapons of Mass Destruction
b) Al Qaeda mole Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan was identified by "someone" in the administration
c) No one has been fired, although George W. Bush hired a criminal lawyer for his Grand Jury testimony

a) Valerie Plame, who specialized in Weapons of Mass Destruction <back to #3>

July 14, 2003, Chicago Sun Times, Mission to Niger: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20030714.shtml

Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wi
fe, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction. Two senior administration officials told me Wilson's wife suggested sending him to Niger to investigate the Italian report. The CIA says its counter-proliferation officials selected Wilson and asked his wife to contact him. "I will not answer any question about my wife," Wilson told me.

October 10, 2003, Findlaw.com, A Further Look At The Criminal Charges That May Arise From the Plame Scandal, In Which a CIA Agent's Cover Was Blown: http://www.commondreams.org/scriptfiles/views03/1010-12.htm

On September 28, The Washington Post reported that according "a senior administration official," that "two top White House officials" who may or may not have been Novak's source had called at least "six journalists" to reveal the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. The Post story notes, "It is rare for one Bush administration official to turn on another" - suggesting the Post's source was disgusted with the leaker.

<snip>

It is entirely possible that no one at the Bush "White House" or on the President's personal staff, was involved in the initial leak to Novak. It could have been someone at the National Security Council, which is related to the Bush White House but not part of it.

In fact, Novak wrote in one of his later columns, that the leak came from a person who was "no partisan gunslinger." That sounds like an NSC staffer to me. And as Newsweek also reported (you can count on Michael Isikoff to dig this stuff out), Valerie Plame's CIA identity was likely known to senior intelligence people on the NSC staff, for apparently one of them had worked with Ms. Plame at the CIA.

But even if the White House was not initially involved with the leak, it has exploited it. As a result, it may have opened itself to additional criminal charges under the federal conspiracy statute.

<more>

b) Al Qaeda mole Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan was identified by "someone" in the administration <back to #3>

August 10, 2004, The Boston Globe, Leak of Qaeda suspect name criticized: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2004/08/10/leak_of_qaeda_suspect_name_criticized/

Last week, The New York Times published a front-page article disclosing that an Al Qaeda computer specialist named Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan had been captured in mid-July and provided information that led to last week's alert raising the terrorism-risk color code to orange, or high.

Until then, Khan was assisting Pakistani intelligence in contacting key Al Qaeda operatives around the world. The revelation of his capture compromised any chance he could lead authorities to other terrorists and prompted British authorities to hurriedly arrest a dozen suspected terrorists they had been covertly watching.

c) No one has been fired, although George W. Bush hired a criminal lawyer for his Grand Jury testimony <back to #3>

June 3, 2004, The New York Times, Bush Finds a Lawyer to Use If Called in C.I.A. Leak Case: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0B11FB3E550C708CDDAF0894DC404482

President Bush has met with a private lawyer whom he intends to hire to represent him if he is questioned as part of a grand jury investigation into the public disclosure of a C.I.A. undercover officer's identity, the White House said ... Mr. Bush met recently with the Washington lawyer,...

4) George W. Bush & "The Swift Boat Veteran Smear Attacks" <back to top>
a) One of the main vets behind this was on the “Veterans for Bush” re-election committee: NAME = Ken Cordier
b) Bush’s main campaign lawyer was also the lawyer for the Smear Boat guys. NAME = Benjamin Ginsberg
c) Ginsberg's opinion on "dual roles" with campaigns and 527's
d) The main financial contributor is a personal friend of Karl Rove (campaign manager). NAME = Robert Perry
e) “Unimpeachable Admiral" received some Bush/Cheney “help” with a $40 million dollar defense contact. NAME = William Schachte
f) $40 Million Buys a Lot of Friends for Retired Admiral William Schachte
g) This ties into the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign.
h) "Suffering" POWs tied back to Bush/Cheney
i) POWs Publicly Exposed as LIARS
j) Bad Things Happen During War (Atrocities)

a) One of the main vets behind this was on the “Veterans for Bush” re-election committee: NAME = Ken Cordier <back to #4>

August 22, 2004, CNN.com, Bush advisor quits after appearing in Swift Boat ad, http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/21/edwards.swiftboat/index.html

Before his departure, Cordier <snip> was a member of the Bush-Cheney campaign's veterans' steering committee, campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said in a written statement issued Saturday night.

b) Bush’s main campaign lawyer was also the lawyer for the Smear Boat guys. NAME = Benjamin Ginsberg <back to #4>

August 25, 2004, CNN.com, Bush-Cheney lawyer resigns over veterans flap, http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/25/ginsberg.swiftboat/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A legal adviser to the Bush-Cheney campaign resigned Wednesday after revealing that he had also advised the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the 527 group that has launched a campaign to discredit Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's military record.
A campaign official told CNN that Benjamin Ginsberg advised the group a few months ago at the same time he was working with the Bush-Cheney campaign.

c) Ginsberg's opinion on "dual roles" with campaigns and 527's <back to #4>

August 25, 2004, Washington Monthly, Political Animal, Guest: Amy Sullivan, http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_08/004571.php

An article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer just two weeks ago included this bit about Ginsberg: "Ben Ginsberg, a legal adviser to the Bush campaign, specifically condemned the dual roles played by Democrats Harold Ickes and Bill Richardson, who had official roles at the convention and also within prominent friendly 527s. 'They're over the coordination line,' Ginsberg said of Ickes and Richardson. 'The whole notion of cutting off links between public officeholders and soft-money groups just got exploded.'"
To make things even better, Ginsberg doesn't just advise the Swift Boat Guys -- a role he will no doubt seriously downplay over the next few days. He serves as the official chief counsel to Progress for America, another 527 that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, exists to "form 'issue truth squads' that respond to Democratic attacks on President Bush." <snip>

d) The main financial contributor is a personal friend of Karl Rove (campaign manager). NAME = Robert Perry <back to #4>

August 25, 2004, Dallas Morning News, (original article requires registration, and can be referenced at this website) http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df08252004.html

. . . the Dallas Morning News yesterday reported that the man bankrolling the smear ads is hosting President Bush's top political adviser at a fundraiser in New York during the Republican National Convention. Robert Perry, the top Bush-Cheney fundraiser who is financing the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads, "is listed as the co-host" of an event whose guest list includes Karl Rove on September 1
Dallas Morning News: "Veterans' Group Critical of Kerry Backed by Bush Supporter." Bob Perry, a major supporter of President Bush and the Republican Party, is the biggest financial backer of a veterans group seeking to discredit Democrat John Kerry's military service, according to federal records. Perry, a Houston homebuilder, gave $100,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that has been critical of Kerry's anti-war activities after he returned from Vietnam. That accounted for two-thirds of the organization's receipts to date. (DMN, 7/23/04)

e) “Unimpeachable Admiral" received some Bush/Cheney “help” with a $40 million dollar defense contact. NAME = William Schachte <back to #4>

August 30, 2004, New York Daily News, 4th Prez guy tied to anti-Kerry ads, http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/227267p-195132c.html

GOP convention Chairman David Norcross practices law in the same D.C. firm, Blank Rome, as William Schachte, a retired Navy admiral who says Kerry did not deserve one of his Purple Heart medals, Time magazine reported yesterday.

Schachte is aligned with the anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which has dominated the campaign in recent weeks with accusations that the former Swift boat skipper is lying about how he got his war medals.

f) $40 Million Buys a Lot of Friends for Retired Admiral William Schachte <back to #4>

August 31, 2004, Washington Post, A Swift Shift in Stories, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47542-2004Aug30.html

Four days ago, retired naval Rear Adm. William L. Schachte Jr. seconded accusations made by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth seeking to discredit Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry's record in Vietnam. But since then, Democrats have discovered that Schachte is also a long-standing supporter of President Bush and a lobbyist whose client FastShip Inc. recently won a $40 million grant from the federal government.

<snip>

According to a March 18 legal filing by Schachte's firm, Blank Rome, Schachte was one of the lobbyists working for FastShip on issues such as the effort to win funding for a new marine cargo terminal. On Feb. 2, Philadelphia-based FastShip announced that it would receive $40 million in federal funding for the project.

In addition, David Norcross, Schachte's colleague in the Washington office of Blank Rome, is chairman of this week's Republican convention in New York. Records also show that Schachte gave $1,000 to Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns."

g) This ties into the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign. <back to #4>

August 19, 2004, The New York Times, Connections and Contradictions, http://nytimes.com/imagepages/2004/08/19/politics/campaign/20040820_SWIFT_GRAPH.html

h) "Suffering" POWs tied back to Bush/Cheney <back to #4>

AP: Another Two Bush Officials Linked to Swift Boat Vets Ads. "Two former Vietnam prisoners of war who appear in ads attacking Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry were appointed by the Bush administration to a panel advising the Department of Veterans Affairs. The former POWs in the ad, Kenneth Cordier and Paul Galanti, serve on the VA's 12-member Former POW Advisory Committee. VA Secretary Anthony Principi appointed Cordier in 2002 and Galanti in 2003. Cordier also was a member of a Bush campaign veterans' committee but quit earlier this month after that role was revealed." (AP, 9/3/04)

i) POWs Publicly Exposed as LIARS <back to #4>

September 9, 2004, MSNBC Hardball Transcript, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5962170/

JACK FELLOWES, FORMER VIETNAM POW: We stayed two more years because of him. John Kerry, Jane Fonda, and all that crowd, the anti-war movement, I figure they owe us two years.

SHUSTER: But the fact is, the war stopped in 1973 when the Nixon administration negotiated an end. And history shows it was the lack of a settlement before then, not any protest, that kept the North Vietnamese fighting.

<snip>

CARLTON SHERWOOD, PRODUCER, “STOLEN HONOR”: Very simply—and I think you know this, Chris—There is a reservoir of resentment out among the Vietnam veterans, combat veterans, particularly, since what John Kerry did in 1971. And I thought the best way to tell this story was through the POWs who—there were direct consequences to these men for what John Kerry...

MATTHEWS: In putting this film together, what did you learn were the consequences, if you could accumulate them right now for us?

SHERWOOD: Oh...

MATTHEWS: Of John Kerry‘s testimony. What you know for sure, not speculation, what you know for sure.

SHERWOOD: According to the POWs, what they said to me...

MATTHEWS: Well, what they know for sure, if you can tell me what that is, not what they‘re speculating.

<snip>

MATTHEWS: Wait a minute. This is very important. You told me a minute ago that you were threatened with possible execution, and certainly trial...

WARNER: Right.

MATTHEWS: ... as one of the possible selectees after the war was over.

WARNER: Right.

MATTHEWS: Did they ever say to you, because of John Kerry‘s testimony, you were going to face a possible execution?

WARNER: No. They didn‘t say that. They said—they kept pointing -- they just kept saying over and over again...

MATTHEWS: Did any other former POWs say that they were told by their captors that they would face trial, potential trial, and potential execution because of what John Kerry said?

SHERWOOD: Oh, yes. Yes. In fact, one guy—one fellow, Leo Thorsness (ph), is a Medal of Honor recipient.

MATTHEWS: And he says?

SHERWOOD: And he said that as a result of Kerry‘s testimony, he was threatened with execution.

MATTHEWS: And he was told by his captors, because of the testimony, they were doing this to him.

SHERWOOD: Yes. This is a—yes.

MATTHEWS: That‘s what I want to know. I‘m trying to nail this down.

SHERWOOD: This is a U.S. Naval officer.

MATTHEWS: Admitting his credentials to speak publicly. I‘m asking, did he say specifically that they told him that because of what Kerry had said, he was facing this possible punishment?

SHERWOOD: Yes. He said that.

MATTHEWS: That‘s what (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to know. Let‘s to go Ken Campbell, who‘s a Vietnam veteran who protested the war. And on the phone, we‘re joined by Phil Butler, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Let‘s go to Phil Butler. Could you tell me your years of captivity, Mr. Butler?

PHIL BUTLER, FORMER PRISONER OF WAR: Yes. I was captured on April the 20th of 1965 and released on February the 12th of 1973, just a little short of eight years. I‘m the eighth longest-held prisoner of war in Vietnam. And I was in Camp Unity, which was the camp that was mentioned earlier, I think, after the San The raid, from November the 20th of 1970 to May the 25th of 1972. During that time, I lived in room 2 of that camp with Ken Cordier (ph). And next to me in room 3 were Paul Galante and Jim Warner for a while, and also, Bud Day (ph) and Robert Shoemaker (ph) were in room seven of that camp.

And I can assure you that in Camp Unity—there were several hundred of us there—during all that time period, from 1970 up through May of 1972, we absolutely never heard of John Kerry. And if John Kerry‘s name was used or mentioned in other camps, I can assure you that, certainly, in my opinion, John Kerry has absolutely no connection whatsoever either with anybody being tortured or with prolonging the war in any way, shape or form.

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you generically, Phil, did you ever experience as a POW the kind of threats that Mr. Warner suffered, where they said to you, We‘re going to try some of you guys after this war is over, we‘re going to execute some of you guys after this war, and then show that kind of material, show that kind of propaganda, which for them was propaganda, testimony from Jane Fonda or anybody in the anti-war movement? Was anything like that ever done to you?

BUTLER: No. They never really used anybody in the anti-war movement to torture me. I was tortured numerous times between 1965 and 1969, for which I received Purple Hearts and—real Purple Hearts and two Silver Stars, and so on and so forth. But other POWs have, as well...

MATTHEWS: From the other POWs, sir, did you ever hear stories of them being told that testimony by people like John Kerry back home was threatening them or could be used against them in future war criminal trials?

BUTLER: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I did not know the name John Kerry until quite a while after I came home.

MATTHEWS: Let me go back to Jim Warner. Wasn‘t there any scuttlebutt in the camp? You guys were all in this fix together, possibly going to be executed. You‘re all worried about getting home and wanting to get home. Didn‘t you talk about that with people like Phil?

WARNER: Yes. Yes. We did.

MATTHEWS: Well, how come he doesn‘t remember it?

j) Bad Things Happen During War <back to #4>

September 21, 2004, Village Voice, From the National Archives: New proof of Vietnam War atrocities: http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0438/turse.php

John Kerry is being pilloried for his shocking Senate testimony 34 years ago that many U.S. soldiers—not just a few "rogues"—were committing atrocities against the Vietnamese. U.S. military records that were classified for decades but are now available in the National Archives back Kerry up and put the lie to his critics. Contrary to what those critics, including the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, have implied, Kerry was speaking on behalf of many soldiers when he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 22, 1971, and said this:

They told stories that at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam, in addition to the normal ravage of war and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country.

The archives have hundreds of files of official U.S. military investigations of such atrocities committed by American soldiers. I've pored over those records—which were classified for decades—for my Columbia University dissertation and, now, this Voice article. The exact number of investigated allegations of atrocities is unknown, as is the number of such barbaric incidents that occurred but weren't investigated. Some war crimes, like the Tiger Force atrocities exposed last year by The Toledo Blade, have only come to light decades later. Others never will. But there are plentiful records to back up Kerry's 1971 testimony point by point. Following (with the names removed or abbreviated) are examples, directly from the archives: <snip>

5) George W. Bush & Our Budget <back to top>
a) Record Deficits
b) Raiding Social Security to Pay for It

a) Record Deficits <back to #5>

October 14, 2004, Reuters, Budget Gap Swells to Record $413 Bln: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041014/ts_nm/economy_budget_dc_4

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. budget gap expanded to $412.55 billion in fiscal 2004, marking the Bush administration's second-straight record deficit, the Treasury Department said on Thursday.

Though the final 2004 figure was the largest budget deficit in U.S. history, it was smaller than the White House's most recent forecast of a $445 billion shortfall given in July and well below the $521 billion it foresaw early this year.

b) Raiding Social Security to Pay for It <back to #5>

January 2004, Congressional Budget Office, The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2005 to 2014: http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=4985&sequence=2

2003 2004

On-Budget Deficit -536 -631

Off-Budget Surplus(a) 161 154

Total Deficit (-) or Surplus -375 -477

(a) Off-budget surpluses comprise surpluses in the Social Security trust funds as well as the net cash flow of the Postal Service.

NOTE: In order to make the actual budget deficit look smaller, the Social Security Trust Fund is being raided. Instead of keeping the money in there WHERE IT CAN GROW, it is being used to pay down "normal" expenses.

6) George W. Bush & Our Security <back to top>
a) 95% of Containers Not Being Inspected
b) 8,000+ Illegal Aliens Entering USA Daily
c) "Do Not Fly List" Not Targeting Terrorists
d) 40% of Troops in Iraq are National Guard and Military Reserves

a) 95% of Containers Not Being Inspected <back to #6>

September 5, 2003, Democratic Strategy on Homeland Security, page 4: http://www.house.gov/hsc/democrats/dem_plan_030905.pdf

Millions of cargo containers enter the United States and travel through our communities every year. Currently, less than 3 percent of the cargo containers entering American ports are ever checked to determine their contents. This Administration has not deployed the personnel or equipment to ensure that these containers are free of weapons of mass destruction.

b) 8,000+ Illegal Aliens Entering USA Daily <back to #6>

October 13, 2004, Presidential Debate Commission Transcript, The Third Bush-Kerry Presidential Debate, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona: http://debates.org/pages/trans2004d.html

SCHIEFFER: I'm told that at least 8,000 people cross our borders illegally every day. Some people believe this is a security issue, as you know.

c) "Do Not Fly List" Not Targeting Terrorists <back to #6>

September 5, 2003, Democratic Strategy on Homeland Security, page 3: http://www.house.gov/hsc/democrats/dem_plan_030905.pdf

Two years after September 11, our government still does not have a single database of suspected terrorists for the worldwide use of intelligence officers, federal, state, and local law enforcement, border inspectors, and immigration officials. While the Administration promised to fix this problem months ago, today nine federal agencies are operating 12 separate watch lists, leaving open the possibility that a terrorist could be allowed to enter the United States because it was on one agency's watch list but not another's.

October 25, 2004, ContactMusic.com, Islam: Officers Were Fans: http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/0/545804498FEAC1D080256F3800599191!opendocument

The US immigration officers who detained YUSUF ISLAM, the artist formerly known as CAT STEVENS, were fans of his music.

The singer was held in America and deported to Britain after officials found his name on a list of suspected terrorists last month (SEP04).

But Islam insists officers knew who he was, and several asked for his autograph.

He says, "They were sort of enamoured a little bit.

"The older ones, I'm sure, had my records, because they knew the whole catalogue."

d) 40% of Troops in Iraq are National Guard and Military Reserves <back to #6>

October 18, 2004, FloridaToday.com, Don't Send Guard into Iraq War Zone: http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/opedstory1019WIRAQLETS.html

Why has President Bush sent National Guard and Reserves to war, rather than keeping them here for homeland security and disaster relief?

A full 40 percent of our forces in Iraq are made up of such troops. Back when Bush was in the Guard, fewer than 15,000 of these Army components went to Vietnam, a 16-year war.

Of those on disaster duty in Florida, where is their heavy equipment?

7) George W. Bush & Our Military <back to top>
a) Threatened to VETO supplemental spending bill for Troops in Iraq
b) Cut Services for Veterans
c) Left National Guard and Military Reserve families with No Access to Insured Health Care
d) Presided over the largest loss of military personnel since Vietnam War

a) Threatened to VETO supplemental spending bill for Troops in Iraq <back to #7>

October 21, 2003, FoxNews.com, Raw Data: White House Veto Threat: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,100777,00.html

Given the critical need, the Administration strongly opposes the Senate provision that would convert a portion of this assistance to a loan mechanism. If this provision is not removed, the President's senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill. Including a loan mechanism slows efforts to stabilize the region and to relieve pressure on our troops, raises questions about our commitment to building a democratic and self-governing Iraq, and impairs our ability to encourage other nations to provide badly needed assistance without saddling Iraq with additional debt

b) Cut Services for Veterans <back to #7>

Closing Vet Hospitals: In May 2004, the Administration decided to push for the closure of hospitals in Brecksville, OH; Gulfport, MS; and, Highland Drive, PA. Eight VA hospitals will be partially closed. The Administration is planning partial closures in Knoxville, IA; Canandaigua, NY; Livermore, CA; Montrose, NY; Kerrville, TX; Saginaw, MI; Ft. Wayne, IN; and Butler, PA.

Imposing New Fees On Vets: Bush’s 2005 budget will institute a new annual $250 enrollment fee and an increase in prescription drug co-pays from $7 to $15 for middle-income veterans. In December 2001, Bush more than tripled the prescription co-payments for nonservice-connected veterans from $2 to $7.

Leaving Vets Without Health Care: While Bush said in his speech: “I want to thank Ed Banes for his service in being an effective commander of the VFW,” in fact Ed Banas said about Bush’s budget earlier in the year:

“The President ignored veterans in the State of the Union Address and with today's release of his 2005 budget. It is further evident that veterans are no longer a priority with this administration.”
“This funding package is a disgrace and a sham”
“What the administration is proposing for veterans is a shell game. Veterans are being asked to pay for their own health care to make up for shortages in the budget.”
“This budget indefensibly will not meet the increasing health care needs of our veterans, nor will it lessen the many months they wait for disability benefits.”
Bush's 2005 budget falls more than $2.6 billion short of the amount needed to fully fund quality veterans' health care, according to The Independent Budget, an annual collective assessment by four veterans service organizations of the funding levels and policy changes needed at VA.

Opposing Helping Disabled Vets. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recommended that Bush veto the defense appropriations bill if it contained a fix to the concurrent receipt problem that penalizes veterans who also receive disability assistance. The concurrent receipt ban stops a veteran who receives disability compensation from also receiving military retirement pay, effectively punishing our disabled vets. Rumsfeld wrote that if the bill, “authorizes concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and veterans’ disability compensation benefits, or expands TRICARE, then I would join other senior advisors to the President in recommending that he veto the bill.”

Bush Claimed Support For Concurrent Receipt: "For more than a century, federal law prohibited disabled veterans from receiving both their military retired pay and their VA disability compensation. Combat injured and severely disabled veterans deserve better. I was proud to be the first president in over 100 years to sign concurrent receipt legislation." -George W. Bush, VFW National Convention

c) Left National Guard and Military Reserve families with No Access to Insured Health Care <back to #7>

October 28, 2004, FortWayne.com, Lack of providers leaving military families feeling ill: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/local/10036787.htm

Life for military families is hard enough these days. Soldiers go for a year or more without seeing their families, and in some cases separation creates financial hardship.

The military does take care of its people. Whenever soldiers or sailors go on active duty, they and their families are automatically covered by a health insurance program called Champus, which is also called TRICARE.

The program works like any other health insurance plan. Providers agree to deliver health care at established prices, which might be less than they normally charge. The cost that isn’t covered is written off.

That works well, but Jacquelyn Horst of Antwerp, Ohio, says it leaves a lot of military families with financial headaches. It’s not the fault of the insurance plan or the military. It all has to do with how doctors and clinics label themselves.

d) Presided over the largest loss of military personnel since Vietnam War <back to #7>

Ongoing, GlobalSecurity.org, U.S. Casualties in Iraq: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm

As Of 10/30/2004: 1,123 Killed, 8,016 Wounded

8) George W. Bush & Iraq <back to top>
a) No Weapons of Mass Destruction
b) Saddam (!) Told the Truth / Corruption in the Oil for Food Program
c) No Support for Al-Qaeda & Nothing to Do With 9/11
d) Mass Graves Debunked by Tony Blair

a) No Weapons of Mass Destruction <back to #8>

March 2, 2004, USA Today, U.N.: Iraq had no weapons after 1994: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-03-02-un-wmd_x.htm

A report from U.N. weapons inspectors to be released today says they now believe there were no weapons of mass destruction of any significance in Iraq after 1994, according to two U.N. diplomats who have seen the document.

The historical review of inspections in Iraq is the first outside study to confirm the recent conclusion by David Kay, the former U.S. chief inspector, that Iraq had no banned weapons before last year's U.S-led invasion. It also goes further than prewar U.N. reports, which said no weapons had been found but noted that Iraq had not fully accounted for weapons it was known to have had at the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

The report, to be outlined to the U.N. Security Council as early as Friday, is based on information gathered over more than seven years of U.N. inspections in Iraq before the 2003 war, plus postwar findings discussed publicly by Kay.

b) Saddam (!) Told the Truth / Corruption in the Oil for Food Program <back to #8>

February 4, 2003, USA Today, Saddam denies al-Qaeda Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-02-04-saddam-interview_x.htm

In a rare interview broadcast on British television, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein denied that he's hiding weapons of mass destruction and accused the United States of coveting Iraq's oil.

"There is only one truth, and therefore I tell you as I have said on many occasions before, that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction," Saddam said in a rare, 40-minute interview with Tony Benn, a retired British politician and peace activist, broadcast on Britain's Channel Four TV.

Secretary of State Colin Powell had a two-word response to Saddam's assertion: "Prove it." The White House dismissed the Iraqi leader's words as more of the same.

<more>

October 18, 2004, Newskweek / MSNBC.com, United Nations: Oil for food fiasco?: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6214647/site/newsweek/

Revelations by U.S. WMD sleuth Charles Duelfer about corruption in the U.N.-run Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq could further complicate Bush-administration foreign policy. Iraqi documents appended to the report Duelfer published last week identify figures in Russia, France and the Vatican as alleged recipients of oil deals personally approved by Saddam Hussein. Duelfer's report documents how Benon Sevan, the top U.N. official who ran the Oil-for-Food Program, purportedly got deals for 7.2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. Sevan has denied any corruption.

<more>

c) No Support for Al-Qaeda & Nothing to Do With 9/11 <back to #8>

October 22, 2004, One World United States, Three of Four Bush Supporters Still Believe in Iraqi WMD, al Qaeda Ties: http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/96543/1/3319

Three out of four self-described supporters of President George W. Bush still believe that pre-war Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or active programs to produce them and that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein provided “substantial support” to al Qaeda, according to a new survey released here Thursday.

Moreover, as many or more Bush supporters hold those beliefs today than they did several months ago, before the publication of a series of well-publicized official government reports that debunked both notions.

<more>

September 20, 2004, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 9-11 Commission Report: 10.3 "PHASE TWO" AND THE QUESTION OF IRAQ: http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/index.htm

Responding to a presidential tasking, Clarke's office sent a memo to Rice on September 18, titled "Survey of Intelligence Information on Any Iraq Involvement in the September 11 Attacks." Rice's chief staffer on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, concurred in its conclusion that only some anecdotal evidence linked Iraq to al Qaeda. The memo found no "compelling case" that Iraq had either planned or perpetrated the attacks. It passed along a few foreign intelligence reports, including the Czech report alleging an April 2001 Prague meeting between Atta and an Iraqi intelligence officer (discussed in chapter 7) and a Polish report that personnel at the headquarters of Iraqi intelligence in Baghdad were told before September 11 to go on the streets to gauge crowd reaction to an unspecified event. Arguing that the case for links between Iraq and al Qaeda was weak, the memo pointed out that Bin Ladin resented the secularism of Saddam Hussein's regime. Finally, the memo said, there was no confirmed reporting on Saddam cooperating with Bin Ladin on unconventional weapons.

d) Mass Graves Debunked by Tony Blair <back to #8>

July 18, 2004, The Observer, PM admits grave claims "untrue": http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1263830,00.html

Downing Street has admitted to The Observer that repeated claims by Tony Blair that '400,000 bodies had been found in Iraqi mass graves' is untrue, and only about 5,000 corpses have so far been uncovered.
The claims by Blair in November and December of last year, were given widespread credence, quoted by MPs and widely published, including in the introduction to a US government pamphlet on Iraq's mass graves.

In that publication - Iraq's Legacy of Terror: Mass Graves produced by USAID, the US government aid distribution agency, Blair is quoted from 20 November last year: 'We've already discovered, just so far, the remains of 400,000 people in mass graves.'

On 14 December Blair repeated the claim in a statement issued by Downing Street in response to the arrest of Saddam Hussein and posted on the Labour party website that: 'The remains of 400,000 human beings already found in mass graves.'

The admission that the figure has been hugely inflated follows a week in which Blair accepted responsibility for charges in the Butler report over the way in which Downing Street pushed intelligence reports 'to the outer limits' in the case for the threat posed by Iraq.

<more>

9) George W. Bush & the Environment <back to top>
a) "Crimes Against Nature"
b) Global Warming aka "Climate Change"
c) USDA Meat Inspectors
d) Mad Cow Outbreak
e) E-Coli & Listeria Outbreaks

a) "Crimes Against Nature" <back to #9>

September/October, 2004, The Sierra Club, Bush's 7 Deadly Sins: http://www.sierraclub.com/sierra/200409/sins.asp

I don't get it. And I've seen a lot of strange stuff in the past 60 years, going back to the two-headed calf on our farm in Wisconsin. I've spent quality time, as they now call it, with smugglers, embezzlers, con men, celebrities, and a genuine blackmailer.

I've hung out with philosophers, Bible scholars, and Trotskyites, not to mention a nuclear engineer who ran a Pizza Hut. And I've followed professors explaining Dante's psychological map of humanity, from the traitors being gnawed on by Satan to angels yodeling in the farthest arc of the universe.

But I just can't understand George W. Bush.

A man who presents himself as a down-home Texan, Bush claims to be in touch with common folk. As president, he's been rock-solid in speaking about core values: the rights of the unborn, law and order, compassionate conservatism, government accountability, and our great American heritage.

Why, then, has he been hammering those core values in his environmental policy?

<snip>

b) Global Warming aka "Climate Change" <back to #9>

October 30, 2004, The New York Times, Big Arctic Perils Seen in Warming: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/30/science/earth/30arctic.html?oref=login

A comprehensive four-year study of warming in the Arctic shows that heat-trapping gases from tailpipes and smokestacks around the world are contributing to profound environmental changes, including sharp retreats of glaciers and sea ice, thawing of permafrost and shifts in the weather, the oceans and the atmosphere.

The study, commissioned by eight nations with Arctic territory, including the United States, says the changes are likely to harm native communities, wildlife and economic activity but also to offer some benefits, like longer growing seasons. The report is due to be released on Nov. 9, but portions were provided yesterday to The New York Times by European participants in the project.

While Arctic warming has been going on for decades and has been studied before, this is the first thorough assessment of the causes and consequences of the trend.

It was conducted by nearly 300 scientists, as well as elders from the native communities in the region, after representatives of the eight nations met in October 2000 in Barrow, Alaska, amid a growing sense of urgency about the effects of global warming on the Arctic.

The findings support the broad but politically controversial scientific consensus that global warming is caused mainly by rising atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, and that the Arctic is the first region to feel its effects. While the report is advisory and carries no legal weight, it is likely to increase pressure on the Bush administration, which has acknowledged a possible human role in global warming but says the science is still too murky to justify mandatory reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions.

<more>

c) USDA Meat Inspectors <back to #9>

January 2, 2004, The New York Times, The Cow Jumped Over the USDA: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0102-06.htm

Right now you'd have a hard time finding a federal agency more completely dominated by the industry it was created to regulate. Dale Moore, Ms. Veneman's chief of staff, was previously the chief lobbyist for the cattlemen's association. Other veterans of that group have high-ranking jobs at the department, as do former meat-packing executives and a former president of the National Pork Producers Council.

The Agriculture Department has a dual, often contradictory mandate: to promote the sale of meat on behalf of American producers and to guarantee that American meat is safe on behalf of consumers. For too long the emphasis has been on commerce, at the expense of safety.

<more>

July 23, 2002, Organization for Competitive Markets, New Report: USDA Hijacked by Agribusiness: http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0723-02.htm

A new report released today finds that regulatory policy at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been “hijacked” by the agribusiness industry, which has seen to it that many key policymaking positions at the agency are now held by individuals who previously worked for the industry.

The report, titled USDA INC., was commissioned by the Agribusiness Accountability Initiative (AAI), a network of family-farm and public-interest groups concerned about the growing power of the big agri-food corporations. It is being released today at a conference in Omaha sponsored by the Organization for Competitive Markets. The report can be found online after 9am Eastern Time at <www.agribusinessaccountability.org/page/325/1>.

“In its early days, USDA was known as the People’s Department,” said Fred Stokes of the Organization for Competitive Markets, which first proposed the paper. “Today, it is, in effect, the Agribusiness Industry’s Department, since its policies on issues such as food safety and fair market competition have been shaped to serve the interests of the giant corporations that now dominate food production and distribution.”

“It is not surprising that USDA is slavishly following the agenda of agribusiness when you consider who holds many of the top jobs at the Department,” said Philip Mattera, Director of the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First and author of the report. “The upper ranks of USDA are filled with industry veterans, while people formerly associated with family-farm, consumer or public-interest groups are just about nowhere to be found.”

<more>

d) Mad Cow Outbreak <back to #9>

April 28, 2004, CBS News, Mad Cow Disease in New Jersey: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/28/earlyshow/contributors/melindamurphy/main614154.shtml

CJD, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is a rare and fatal brain disorder. Although the cause of the classic or 'sporadic' form of the disease is unknown, CJD can also be inherited, or caused by contaminated tissue transplants, or by mad cow. This third type - also called variant CJD - is the disease that killed some 150 people in Britain in the 1990s.

Skarbek believes CJD killed her 29-year-old friend, Carrie Mahan, in February of 2000, when an autopsy revealed a disease that ate holes in her brain.

Authorities are studying Mahan's case because of questions about her diagnosis. Her death certificate said CJD, and Skarbek was told it occurs in approximately one in every million people.

But Skarbek became suspicious when she stumbled upon Carol Olive's obituary in her local paper three years after her friend's death.

She says, “In the first paragraph, it said she died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. And I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that's what Carrie died of.’ And in the second paragraph it said she worked at the Garden State Racetrack."

Which is also where Carrie Mahan had worked for years, along with Skarbek's own mother.

<more>

e) E-Coli & Listeria Outbreaks <back to #9>

December 22, 2003, CommonDreams.org, Small Businessman Whistleblower Risks it all in the Name of Conscience: http://www.commondreams.org/scriptfiles/views03/1222-11.htm

The USDA's aggressive "do not look, do not tell" non-interference policy with ConAgra backfired when it was finally required to recall over 19 million pounds of ground beef and related trim during the summer of 2002. The reason: Laboratory tests confirmed E.coli 0157:H7 -- the same deadly germ that had taken lives and hospitalized many in previous contamination tragedies.

When John Munsell found that the hamburger he ground from ConAgra-provided meat contained the pathogen E.coli, he informed the USDA. Whereupon the Department launched an inspection of his operation, but not the source of the contamination -- ConAgra, and closed Munsell's plant for four months.

USDA's delay in going after ConAgra's Greeley plant resulted in the death of an Ohio woman and sickness for 35 other consumers before ConAgra recalled 19 million pounds of beef.

<more>

September 18, 2002, WebMd Health News, Food Poisoning, Deaths Reported: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/50/40445.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}

Food-related infections recently have killed at least 13 people in five states, by some estimates. Health officials say contaminated food is the likely cause, but they haven't been able to track down the source yet.

The CDC's estimates are lower: "Currently, we have 24 confirmed cases and three deaths in this investigation," says Katie Hoskins, spokeswoman for the CDC. "Two deaths occurred in New York City, and one in Michigan. The states that have confirmed cases are Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, and Michigan."

"The investigation is ongoing," Hoskins tells WebMD. "No food source has been identified yet."

However, listeriosis -- a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes -- is being cited as the cause. The CDC recognizes listeria infection as an important public health problem in the U.S.

Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeria infection, according to the CDC. About one-third of all cases occur during pregnancy.

<more>

10) George W. Bush & Reality <back to top>
a) Can't Find Osama bin Laden (but he's making videos)
b) Doesn't Worry About Osama bin Laden Anymore
c) Won't Admit to Errors or Mistakes
d) Thinks Iraq is Going Well
e) Allowed AK-47s Back on Our Streets
f) Didn't Renew the 100,000 COPS Program
g) Hasn't Fixed Health Care

a) Can't Find Osama bin Laden (but he's making videos) <back to #10>

October 30, 2004, MSN Slate, Today's Papers - October Surprise: Bin Laden's Reprise: http://slate.msn.com/id/2108921/

As the presidential campaign enters its final, frantic 72 hours, everyone leads with the long-awaited October Surprise, which emerged yesterday in the form of a new videotape from Osama bin Laden. The video features the terrorist kingpin's first direct admission of guilt for the 9/11 attacks and shows him looking healthier and more relaxed than he has appeared in previous recordings. Bin Laden's comments demonstrate a familiarity with recent events in the United States, including the presidential campaign.

The New York Times features the most extensive quotes from the tape, including the entirety of bin Laden's remarks about Bush's initially slow response to news of the attacks. The Los Angeles Times report has the best review of bin Laden's demeanor, noting that he appeared "almost defiant" at times. The Washington Post's story places greater emphasis on the potential political impact of bin Laden's reappearance. A news analysis that runs alongside the paper's lead attempts to discern whether the tape helps or hurts either candidate. The piece presents the emerging conventional wisdom: The video may boost Bush by reminding voters of terrorism (an issue on which Americans continue to trust him), or it may boost Kerry by reminding voters bin Laden is still on the loose (an issue on which the senator has attacked the president). The NYT also runs a secondary piece; it goes light on the analysis but reports on both candidates' efforts to incorporate news of the tape into their last series of campaign appearances.

The LAT is the only paper to front an unfortunately ironic counterpoint to the bin Laden tape—news of the intelligence reform bill's collapse in Congress. House and Senate negotiators could not hammer out a compromise on several thorny issues, including Pentagon control the intelligence budget. The paper also fronts an excellent story on the growing hatred of the United States in Pakistan, which only adds to the overall gloomy news offered about the war on terror.

<more>

b) Doesn't Worry About Osama bin Laden Anymore <back to #10>

<link coming soon -- its on video>

c) Won't Admit to Errors or Mistakes <back to #10>

<link coming soon from Debate and Press Conference>

d) Thinks Iraq is Going Well <back to #10>

September 23, 2004, MSNBC, Countdown with Keith Olbermann: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6090706/

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What‘s important for the American people to hear is reality. And the reality‘s right here in the form of the prime minister.

OLBERMANN: But is reality what Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi and President Bush are saying? We will fact check in Baghdad with “Newsweek‘s” bureau chief and in Washington with the “Post‘s” diplomatic correspondent.

<snip>

OLBERMANN: In the city both Mr. Allawi and Mr. Bush cited as evidence of the resurgence against the insurgents. Samarra, clashes erupted tonight. At least one child was killed and several were injured. Mr. Bush said Americans need to know the reality of Iraq. Did they get it today?

We turn to the Baghdad bureau chief for “Newsweek” magazine, Rod Nordland, who joins us by phone tonight. At this late hour especially thanks for your time.

ROD NORDLAND, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF, “NEWSWEEK”: My pleasure.

OLBERMANN: Let me get your assessment of some of the specifics of Prime Minister Allawi‘s comments, the first being that to secure the country Iraq does not need more American troops even as everybody from John Kerry to the acting director of the CIA have suggested otherwise. Is Allawi right?

NORDLAND: No. I don‘t think Allawi is right and I think he knows it very well. Things are very bad now. To cite Samarra, for one example, yes, U.S. troops and Iraqi forces have gone back into Samarra in great strength. I could not go to Samarra. Prime Minister Allawi could not go to Samarra without very, very heavy armed escort and it probably would provoke a fight. Things are bad there and many other places in the country.

<snip>

OLBERMANN: So Rod Nordland, you‘ve lost interest and you‘ve left? I guess that means you‘re not there anymore. When the administration is getting slammed by its own party leaders for spending just 1/18th of the rebuilding budget, is it still possible that the good news is being hidden by the American media?

NORDLAND: It reminds me of another president, another era, another war, Vietnam. When things were bad they blamed the media for making them seem as bad as they were. The fact is things are bad. No, the media hasn‘t left. It is true a lot of journalists have pulled out because it‘s become too dangerous, particularly Europeans. But there are a lot of American journalists here and we‘re continuing to report what the situation is and it‘s bad. They can blame us for it all they want to but they‘ve got a big problem and I think (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

<snip>

e) Allowed AK-47s Back on Our Streets <back to #10>

Knight-Ridder, 4/12/03; Statement of Administrative Policy, 2/24/04; The Hill, 5/12/04

George Bush Says He Supports Extension of Assault Weapons Ban, But Fails to Move It. The White House says that on assault weapons, President Bush “supports the current law, and he supports reauthorization of the current law.” Yet the White House has done nothing to move an extension. President Bush actually opposed efforts to include an extension of the assault weapons ban as part of a bill he strongly supported to protect gun manufacturers from liability. The Bush Administration said: “The Administration urges the Senate to pass a clean bill, in order to ensure enactment of the legislation this year. Any amendment that would delay enactment of the bill beyond this year is unacceptable.”

f) Didn't Renew the 100,000 COPS Program <back to #10>

House Budget Committee Democratic Caucus, 2/19/04, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/04; USA Today, 12/2/03; Washington Monthly, 9/03

George Bush Guts Funding for Police Officers. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program has hel

[zbdent]

21. How about "Dumbing down 101 - a guide to good Republicanism"

How about that for a class which will remain relevant?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

22. 400+ reasons right here...

http://www.doyouknow.org

It hasn't been updated recently, but it's a good primer.