No bread?

I saw former Ambassador Bolton on the Daily Show last night, and it confirmed the mind-set of the GOP that is the source of their malignant "leadership." When Stewart asked him why Bush only had like-minded people around him, thereby shielding him from new/other ideas, Bolton said that Bush's job was to do what those people who voted for him wanted him to do.

It didn't raise an eyebrow, but I have been struck by this attitude for some time. This "Uniter" really doesn't consider himself to be serving the country as a whole. He clearly pays lip-service to "the American people" as he screws them on a daily basis, and enriches his power-base without a second thought. Tom DeLay has said the same thing in interviews; the goal of the GOP was/is/remains to get a supermajority and run the country without any effort at compromise or negotiation with those who think differently than they do.

It is this basic belief that has torn our country apart, and done so much harm, IMHO. It follows that the goals of Bush's FINANCIAL base (not his religious VOTING base, which he also thumbs his nose at) are all that motivate him. The actions taken to force those goals on a somnulent populace (unitary executive, pro-torture, pro-business at the expense of ordinary people, anti-Geneva Convention & Habeas Corpus, spying on Americans, etc etc) - all in the name of patriotism; have made it so hard to fight back.

If we don't continue to get our power back, and then build a bridge between us and all reasonable and honest GOP members, we really are doomed.

Jan Knaus

On March 21, 2007 - 10:23am hcberkowitz said:

I had an unhappy nose last night, which, in turn, expressed its displeasure by giving me a cough and sore throat that kept me up until 4AM.

Forego the self-diagnosis and the over the counter medications and get thee to a physician.

As to your tast in flame throwing, global warming peppers, I'll pass, I'm much too delicate.

Well, I'm not a physician but I play one in computer systems to advise physicians. It's pretty clearly vasomotor rhinitis, coupled with the lack of a humidifier on my nighttime continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) breating machine. Just sitting up helps.

Interesting point. Hot peppers are popular in hot climates, both to help deal with the heat and to cover food kept a bit too long. With global warming, will it be necessary to have a corresponding raise in pepper heat?

--
Howard

*equal opportunity offense to both extremes*

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" [George Santayana]

There's no doubt that the Bush gang has been surrounded by controversy ever since they took over, especially after 9/11.
After six years of no Congressional oversight, we've arrived at where we are.

Name the controversy; secrecy, pushing the envelope of the Constitution, law breaking, signing statements, executive privilege, war mongering, lying with impunity, disregard for tradition, taking upon himself an aura of an unbridled Imperial Presidency. All these things are now being looked into and hopefully we'll discover whether or not there is fire not only smoke.

Here's the danger I see; If the Bush gang isn't made to pay
dearly for proven transgressions, a 'precedent' will be set for future Presidents to not only copy, but expand on the Bush model. Imagine a John Ashcroft Presidency, a Donald Rumsfeld Presidency, or Pat Robertson?

And for the wingnuts; a Hillary Presidency, taking for herself the powers Bush has taken for himself. Let the howling begin.

Since the Republican Congress failed to hold Bush's feet to the fire, its now left to the Democratic Congress, and it has nothing to do with politics but what the future will hold.

'Its the precedent, stupid!'

Bush is learning the meaning of "oversight."

On March 21, 2007 - 10:51am hcberkowitz said:

Well, I'm not a physician but I play one in computer systems to advise physicians. It's pretty clearly vasomotor rhinitis, coupled with the lack of a humidifier on my nighttime continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) breating machine.

Howard, your job is to analyze the above statement and report back to me what may be....um.....questionable.

No, not the typo.

The Nixon gang paid as well

 Have you seen Gordon Liddy interviewed on CNN & MSNBC as some kind of "expert" lately?  Kissinger?  Chuck Coleson is a hero of the right ever since he got his second birth certificate.  Hell, even Nixon (who was like a marshmellow compared to Bush in terms of harm done to our country) had a pretty easy last couple of decades. 

The one whistle-blower, John Dean, who adds a wonderful voice of reason to the conversation is the only one who deserves his interview time IMHO.

Maybe those in this administration are very aware of the past, and are only too happy to condemn the rest of us to repeat it.  What do they REALLY have to lose?  They have enjoyed the power, and none of them will go to prison, even Scooter. 

I know that Ollie North came after Nixon, but he is yet another example of someone who got off on a technicality after breaking laws, selling arms to Iran to fund slaughter of our southern neighbors.  He not only got away with it, he is a darling of the Faux News crowd.

Jan Knaus

You don't need money to beat James Dobson, Pat Robertson, and so forth, what you need is a call to an investigative reporter that won't sleep until all the books for their respective religious institutions are on the table, until all those carefully hidden billions are again exposed to the light of day. Unfortunately, it'll mean that Pat Robertson will lose his bully pulpit(pulpit, podium, pick your term) from which to wage his verbal attacks on foreign leaders, but that's just fine, seeing as how we really don't need what amounts to a christian 'mullah' stirring up trouble with the neighbors. I think that any 'ministry' that has its' own TV channel is long, long, looooooooooooong overdue for a visit by the IRS,
and if you really wanted to start digging around in there you could probably find more than one connection via the ol-boy network to, yes, the military. To call these people names is to compliment them, as their well-established rackets have withstood the test of both time and critics, the best way to handle the Dobsons, Robertsons, and so forth is to deposit their 'free' religious literature in the newspaper recycle bin, where hopefully it can get turned into something useful. Also, remember to vote, and ask Pointed Questions about things like political action committees, and where it is they recieve their donations from. From the collection plate to the campaign war chest, these guys are dirty from the word 'go'...

Love it!!

Tom

Speaking of Jesus, did anyone see Tom DeLay on Softball last night? Jesus is who we can blame for Tom's behavior I guess.

Anyone hear his interview on NPR? First of all he talked about "punishing" the repub who was pushing to spend more money on veterans. Tom said he had to be punished because he wanted to spend too much on them. When asked about the K street project and why he wouldn't ever meet with Democrats he said, "Why should I meet with my enemies?"

Sweet Jesus! What a noble man!

Jan Knaus

Delay is probably only bright enough to catch unintelligent cockroaches:)

Tom