Bush now scares me at News Conferences.

Today I watched Bush at his news conference.

 

The Press asked real questions, for a change.

 

Bush tried his good old boy charm, the press ignored this and tried to remain formal and to the point. Answer the questions about the issues.

 

Bush continued to answer the questions with answers that have worked in the past. However now the American people and the press know the real answers, and Bush is still replying with disinformation that is painful to watch and hear.

 

When Bush is in a jam, without pause he calls on another reporter so as to not allow a follow up question.

 

His composure or lack there of is becoming obvious. It appears he is a man on the edge. This was further confirmed by the way he quickly ended this news conference after first saying he would take a few more questions.

 

Why, because the press was asking specific yes or no questions. Would Bush be willing to drop private accounts for a compromise on Social Security. Bush never answered. Worse the very thing Bush was asking Congress to do, Compromise and work together to arrive at a compromised solution, Bush himself will not do himself

 

Bush is trying to overcome the publics view of this Republican Government and it all or nothing views to their Radical Religious Right Agenda. This Press Conference only seemed to confirm this belief.

 

I do not think Bush should do any more Press conferences. I do not get any comfort or feel secure with bush at the helm showing cracks in his composure. things will only get worst if gasoline prices raise and the housing market stalls. What will Bush do then?

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

Deny accuse blame then admit the Truth, The Bush Policy on the Koran

by Christy Harvey and Judd Legum
with Nico Pitney and Mipe Okunseinde

5/27/2005

"[Those] types of allegations about the willful desecration of the Koran ... we've not previously included that in any kind of previous investigations into detainee operations, because there haven't been credible allegations to that effect." -- DOD spokesman Lawrence DiRita, 5/17/05 (http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20050517-2841.html)

VERSUS

"We did identify 13 incidents of alleged mishandling of the Koran by Joint Task Force personnel.... We found that in only five of those 13 incidents ... there was what could be broadly defined as mishandling of a Koran." -- Brigadier General Jay Hood, 5/26/05 (http://www.dod.gov/transcripts/2005/tr20050526-2921.html)

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

MILITARY -- BUSH ADMINISTRATION SELLING MORE ARMS TO UNDEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES

by Christy Harvey and Judd Legum
with Nico Pitney and Mipe Okunseinde

5/27/2005

MILITARY -- BUSH ADMINISTRATION SELLING MORE ARMS TO UNDEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES: The New York Times reports on a study by the World Policy Institute that revealed "[t]he sale of military weapons to other countries, including many that were once barred from making such purchases, has increased sharply (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/27/business/27arms.html?oref=login) since the attacks on Sept. 11." In order to improve its relationship with new allies, the United States has sold weapons to countries that in the past could not receive American products because of their poor human rights records. In 2003, more than half of the top 25 recipients of weapons sales were countries the State Department has defined as undemocratic. In his remarks at his swearing-in, new U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said trade can " deepen the roots of democracy (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050517-3.html) ." Unfortunately, as the Bush administration's actions are showing, trade can also deepen the roots of undemocratic regimes.

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

SUDAN Bush Backs Away, The REAL War for Democracy and Human Rights

SUDAN
Bush Backs Away

During the past two years, hundreds of thousands of people have been systematically killed in Sudan. A State Department investigation into human rights abuses determined that genocide had been committed in Darfur, and the government was responsible. Today, experts expect Darfur's death toll to be even larger this year than last. This week finally brought some good -- albeit late and limited -- news: International donors "pledged an additional $200 million (http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/05/26/darfur.peackeepers.ap/) Thursday to fund the African Union peacekeeping operation in Sudan's western Darfur." NATO also pledged air support in the form of helicopters to back up the AU. It was a much-needed first step, but should only be the beginning of a robust commitment by the international community to end the genocide. That, however, will take U.S. leadership -- but President Bush has been unwilling to lead and in recent months has been strangely silent on Sudan.

READ HIS LIPS: 137 days. That's how long it's been (http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=9399) since President Bush has publicly mentioned the word Darfur. (And even that mention was to praise humanitarian workers, not to condemn the ongoing massacre (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050110-6.html) .) As genocide unfolds in the Sudan, Bush has put his leadership on hold. To put this in context, the Coalition for International Justice estimates 500 people die in Sudan every day (http://www.cij.org/pdf/Press_Release_CIJ_Mortality_Study_April_21_2005.pdf) .

WHITE HOUSE FIGHTS AGAINST ACTION: Some lawmakers have tried to step into Bush's leadership vacuum to take action in Sudan. Led by Sens. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ), the Senate last month unanimously passed the Darfur Accountability Act (http://corzine.senate.gov/press_office/record.cfm?id=232683) . The act would have pledged $90 million in U.S. aid for Darfur; even more important, it would have provided the framework to halt the atrocities by freezing the assets of the genocide's leaders, accelerating assistance to the African Union mission in Darfur, and establishing a no-fly zone over Darfur. But the White House actively fought against i (http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/03/opinion/edkristof.php) t. On April 25, the White House sent a letter to its congressional allies in the House instructing them to delete the provisions about Darfur from the recent supplemental appropriations bill.

ALBRIGHT STEPS UP: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called on the international community (http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/25/opinion/edalbright.php) to give the African Union far greater support. The AU currently has nearly 2,500 troops deployed in Sudan and may add another 3,000 police and troops this summer; that's not nearly enough to patrol an area roughly the size of France. Albright argues, "NATO should put a brigade-sized element at the disposal of the United Nations to augment the AU force until it can build up sufficient strength of its own." Albright also called on NATO to "seek authority from the Security Council for a new ... resolution establishing a no-flight zone over Darfur." The International Crisis Group has also issued a statement calling for international intervention to stop the killing in Darfur: http://www.darfurpeaceanddevelopment.org/icg.htm (http://www.darfurpeaceanddevelopment.org/icg.htm) .

ZOELLICK ZIG ZAGS: Another sign the White House is backing off its pledge to stop the slaughter in Sudan came during Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick's recent trip to Sudan. Zoellick downplayed the genocide, instead equivocating, "It's been a terrible series of events, and as you know, there's a debate (http://archive.salon.com/politics/war_room/2005/05/06/darfur/) . The [United Nations] did a legal analysis of whether this was genocide, and their conclusion was that it was crimes against humanity as opposed to genocide." Then, asked how many people the United States thinks have died in Darfur, Zoellick "gave an astonishingly low estimate of 60,000 to 160,000 people." Some experts say the death count since the genocide began two years ago is at least double that, closer to 400,000 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601397.html) .

WHAT HAPPENED: One reason the administration is edging away from its pledge to fight the genocide in Sudan: The White House wants to count Sudan as an ally against terrorism. The Los Angeles Times recently reported the Bush administration is maintaining a clandestine friendship with Sudanese intelligence leader Maj. Gen Salah Abdallah Gosh, who is also playing a "key role" in directing the slaughter in Darfur. Just last month, the CIA ferried Gosh to Washington " for secret meetings sealing Khartoum's sensitive and previously veiled partnership with the administration." (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=8342949) Here's the bottom line: The president has acknowledged the fight against terrorism is going to last several generations; the White House must learn to get what it needs from the Pakistans, Uzbekistans, and Sudans of this world without abandoning wholesale the values that are allegedly driving White House policy.

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

Thank a Wounded War Veteran Today, They were willing to sacrifice all for you.

Valor lies just halfway between rashness and cowardice.
Miguel de Cervantes

 

The valor and courage of our young women and men in the armed services are a shining example to all of the world, and we owe them and their families our deepest respect.
Bill Frist

Glory is not a conceit. It is not a decoration for valor. Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely and who rely on you in rerun.
John McCain

 

Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.
Michel de Montaigne

 

Perfect Valor is to do, without a witness, all that we could do before the whole world.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld

 

Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.
Carl Sandburg

 

 

In a false quarrel there is no true valor.
William Shakespeare

The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited.
Morihei Ueshiba

 

Valor is superior to number.
Flavius Renatus Vegetius

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

Bush's approval rating on crucial issues hits a low

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/index.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2005/05/24/bush_polls/index.html

Bush's approval rating on crucial issues hits a low

By Susan Page, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — President Bush's approval ratings for handling the economy, Iraq and Social Security have fallen to the lowest levels of his White House tenure, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday.

Satisfaction with congressional Republicans also has sagged. By 47%-36%, those polled say the country would be better off if Democrats controlled Congress. That's the best showing for Democrats since the GOP won control of both houses of Congress in 1994.

Americans express more concern about the price of gas than they do about the high-profile dispute over Democrats' filibuster of Bush's judicial nominations, the survey shows. And they are holding Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, responsible for their unease about the economy and Iraq.

"If people are not happy with the way things are going, the people in charge get the heat," says Andrew Kohut, director of the non-partisan Pew Research Center. A Pew poll released Thursday showed similar trends.

"We don't get caught up in week-by-week polling," White House press secretary Scott McClellan says. Bush "is going to remain focused on the big priorities and build on the progress we're making" on job creation and "spreading freedom."

In the sample of 1,006 adults, 36% call themselves Democrats, 29% Republicans. Including those who "lean" toward a party, 51% are Democrats, 40% Republicans. The survey isn't "weighted" for party ID, which fluctuates from poll to poll. Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, says the poll findings are "dubious" because the breakdown "does not accurately reflect the partisan makeup of America."

Bush's overall approval rating was 46%, down 4 percentage points since early May but higher than the 45% low in March. On specific issues, 40% approved of his handling of Iraq and the economy, 33% of his handling of Social Security.

Only on handling terrorism did Bush receive a net positive rating: 55% approve, 40% disapprove.

Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg says Bush is losing ground on "big, defining issues," including the economy and Iraq. "On Social Security, he's moved from being the person offering interesting ideas to the guy who wants to cut Social Security benefits."

Republican pollster David Winston says gas prices and Iraq violence have "unsettled the electorate" and affected Bush's standing.

There are red flags for Bush on two standard measures of a president's political health. The proportion that says he has "the personality and leadership qualities a president should have" fell to a new low of 52%. A record 57% say they disagree with him on the issues that matter the most to them.

On the filibuster confrontation — defused by a compromise announced late Monday — those surveyed favored the Democrats by 48%-40%. But they saw merit in the arguments of each side. A 53% majority say the filibuster — the ability of at least 41 senators to continue debate and delay a vote — should be preserved. Still, 69% wanted the Senate to hold up-or-down votes on judicial nominees.

Interest in the issue wasn't particularly high, though. A 57% majority wasn't following the news on filibusters closely; more than one in three weren't following it at all.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-23-bush-ratings_x.htm

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

Frist failure to deliver 'nuclear option' may have killed Presidential Bid

 

Frist failure to deliver 'nuclear option' may have killed Presidential Bid. It may have also fore tell of the beginning of a lame duck Bush second term

 

Sean Lewis

May 25, 2005

 

Frist was given a job, deliver the Nuclear Option to the Republicans not for the up or down vote, but for the Supreme Court Judges. With this the Radical Religious Right would forever be thankful and Frist could rally this base with the Bush Believers and possibly ride this wave to the White House.

 

Frist however could not deliver in a Republican controlled Senate. This speaks volumes about Frist's ability to lead the Republican party.

 

The Bush Presidency is on it's heels. It is being handed one set back after another.

 

Iraq is becoming increasingly more violent. The death count for Americans is once again climbing alarmingly. The costs continue to mount and World support continues to slip away. With the latest revelation of the Bush Administration 'bending' Intel to Administration policy as early as spring of 2002, Bush is losing more credibility in the rush to invade Iraq. British Intelligence tells of 'THIN' reason for war and Bush's desire to use Terrorism and WMDs as reasons to invade. Both reasons have since been proven false.

 

Social Security is a lost cause, with an even greater crisis becoming apparent with the Largest pension default in history at United Airlines. The Pension plan falls to the PBGC government bail out pension fund. however this fund is ALREADY in the red, and will cut pensions for United Workers by half. This is not taking into account other large fortune 500 companies looking to also skip on their obligations to their employees. this is not even including Medicare and Medicaid.

 

Once again Bush is on the wrong side of the Majority of the American public. Bush is at the mercy of the Radical Religious Right special interest group. They own Bush and he jumps when they call. He ran to sign an ill conceived law to impose Government intervention in a family matter. An issue that over 70% of Americans state that Bush was out of line. Now Bush is aligned on the wrong side of Stem cell research. Bush says he will veto any bill regarding stem cell research, Congress however voted for passage of such a bill and over 80% of Americans want funding of research. Bush however has been told not to support this bill by the Radical Religious Right. This puts Bush in a no win situation. Veto the Bill and America will view Bush as a puppet of the Radical Religious Right, Bush will alienate the much larger American public to cater to noisy extremists. Vote for the Bill and this will be viewed negatively by the RRR and a major flip flop by his opponents.

 

This is not even taking into consideration any fight Bush would have to win with a MAJOR majority vote for Supreme Court Justices. A red meat issue the RRR expects to push hard to get a Pro Life Majority in the court to strike down Roe Vs Wade. This is a monster that will come back to haunt Bush.

 

This is just the beginning of 3 1/2 years of Bush's lame duck second term. The only thing that can save him is Bin Laden, Remember him? Bush hasn't.

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

 

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.

Time will tell all the Truth.

VT

The Truth About Embryonic Stem Cell Research

The RRR ( Radical Religious Right ) continues to give information that is wrong, deceptive or a lie. Here is the truth I am posting, in talking points.

Clinton banned embryonic research that could become a viable Fetus.

This law did not ban research on embryonic tissue.

The federal Government could fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research as long as the Embryonic Stem Cell line was created by private funds.

The final OK to fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research was in August of 2000 under the Clinton Administration. ( This is why Bush could 'Double' research funds)

There are only 10 Viable Embryonic Stem cell lines available for Federal Funding in the US.

There are only 12 Viable Embryonic Stem Cell lines available for Federal Funding outside the US!!?

When Bush says he has doubled finances to Stem Cell Research, he is referring to animal, bone and adult stem cells NOT Embryonic.

If people only knew the facts, they would not be fighting for the 'RIGHT' to be screwed over.Time will tell all the Truth.VT