Clinton and the UN were prudent enough not to start a war based on unsubstantiated speculation at best and an outright fabrication at worst. Bush stood on the podium and led us into an unneeded war. Just when we needed to be finishing off Afghanistan and getting ready for Korea and Pakistan, where there are WMD's and where Osama is hiding. I understand, but somebody lied, and as Harry Truman believed "The Buck Stops Here". Either Bush was hoodwinked by his own people, or he was hoodwinking us. Either way, it is Bush's responsibility. Either way, I want a more prudent president leading us. Well, I earned about $65,000 and I got about enough tax savings to buy a new lawnmower. That didn't benefit me enough to feel good about a multi-trillion-dollar national debt. Of course the multi-milionaires got tens of thousands back. If you or I spend more than we take in, we are being irresponsible. Why doesn't it work that way when the president does the same thing with our public dollars? I'll never understand why sombody who works for a living would think that the Bush tax savings helps them. It sure hasn't "trickled down" to me. I kinda feel the same way about you, SF. It's hard to imagine smart and level-headed individuals being in lock-step with the entire Republican agenda. I'm not a Democrat and I voted for Bush last election, but I am totally disenchanted and dismayed by his administration. Kerry is not my man, I was a General Clark supporter. Sourdough is right, many of us are voting against Bush, not voting for Kerry. People began to lose support for the Viet Nam war when they perceived it to be a quagmire and not in the best interests of this country. It took eight long, unfortunate years before all of us agreed. I've already reached my quagmire point. I hope it doesn't take 8 years and 58,000 KIA's before we reach a national consensus on this one. George Bush is not the man to get us out of Irag quickly. And I hope you are right about Osama, but I think it is equally likely that he is sitting comfortably in a villa in Pakistan under the protection of some Pakistani General. We are going to have a fight with those guys some day soon, and we best be prepared.
First let me say, I am a registered independant, and do not subscribe to any political ideaology. I support the war in Iraq. I am not convinced that there were no WMD's. How long did it take us to find Saddam. He's human, he has to rely on people to bring in food, he has to come out of his spider hole from time to time and be seen. A WMD does not. Especially if shipped to Syria. We know he had them before. We know he's tried to get them since. In my opinion, I'd rather remove him before he has them, or at least before he's had time to build up his army. Look at the man's history, he had not fought his last war. Did you want to let him make the first move? Just because our media forgets about him doesn't mean he goes away. Why are we hated by Muslims? One of the reasons (Osama's main reason) is because we stepped foot on Saudi Arabia (holy land). Why did we do that? But the main reason they hate us is because of Israel. Let's not forget that Saddam paid money to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. More bombers, more Palestinians killed by Israel, more American hatred. Since the administration took office, we have removed both the Taliban and Saddam, our 2 biggest enemies. No matter what anybody says, when we are through, the region will be much more stable. They will still hate Americans, but there won't be as much motivation to kill us.
that is awesome. i would be incredibly happy to have a brand new lawnmower instead of throwing the money to the government. yay for tax cuts and republicans!
Following up Ectopic Tiger's post. Another reason we are hated in the middle east that everyone overlooks. The middle east use to have 1st world civilizations, their economy and technology was the best throughout the world at one time and now they are nothing more than 3rd world countries. Lets face it, the dictators of the middle east including the Saudis royal family, Iran and Syria have set back their countries and supressed their own people. No wonder why these people hate democracy and America! They are jealous and envy us because they once were the worlds leaders.
Is anyone else tired of hearing the word quagmire? Is anyone else tired of hearing Ted Kennedy talk about ANYTHING? I mean, is this guy TOTALLY clueless or what? Who could take this guy seriously? I mean, could Mary Joe come out and talk to his responsibility, accountability, or better yet, his sobriety? Or better yet, to his Iraq/Vietnam allegory, could someone point out who put the first 26,000 in Vietnam? Or the first Cuban nationals in the Bay of Pigs?
One thing's for certain: Only in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Massachussetts could he be re-elected to the Senate term after term after term.
I corrected his name for you, I thought about looking it up but I figured the skum bag wasn't worth that much effort since everyone knew who I was talking about already. I think he thinks he can appease terrorists....
While I'm not particulary sold on Mr. Mortician John Kerry, I'm strongly in the "anyone but Bush" camp. Here are my reasons... 1. Burned bridges: Bush's administration severely strained relationships with most of our biggest allies to go to war with Iraq. Going into the war, I reluctantly supported it based on the assumption that Bush and his administration knew more about the situation than I ever would. Fast forward a year later and that's debatable. 2. Tax cuts: Bush's response to all economic problems are tax cuts. Meanwhile, he's spending money like crazy. I'm not one to claim that tax cuts unfairly help the wealthy, because I'm well aware that the wealthy pay the vast vasy majority of taxes. However, Bush's first tax cut lowered the smallest tax bracket below the poverty line and I was forced to pay taxes on my ridiculously low college income two years ago (would've got everything back just two years before). They say Bush's tax cuts put $400 in the average family's pocket, well it took $385 out of mine. 3. Job market: I graduated from LSU in December with a really high GPA, two internships and three years of full time work experience that included management while in college. It took me almost four months to find a job. Sure I got job offers in the first two months, but they were barely above minimum wage with no benefits. Many of my friends who graduated with me are experiencing the same thing. 4. Bush never speaks: Bush has to be the least media-friendly president in history. He's been president for over three years and his number of White House press conferences are barely in the double digits. It took a public outcry for him to allow Condoleezza Rice to testify at the 9/11 commission. Whenever his does give an interview, he uses about five catch phrases about terrorism no matter what the question is. Other stuff... - I don't really care all that much about Bush's military record, but I do care how he avoids the issue. Can't he just come out and say he got out of his duties? Come on, NO ONE has come forward and said that they actually saw Bush present during the time in question. My brother is a reservist who just got back from a 9 month tour of duty in Iraq that he was told would be less than half of that. Bush's "service" in the 70's Air Force reserves is not equal to my brother's service in the modern Army reserves and it's insulting for him to give that impression. - I understand that terrorism is a big issue, but it's not the only issue. Terrorism is Bush's trump card and he plays it constantly. More than half of his last State of the Union was about Iraq, not "the Union". And the "War on Terror" has to be man's greatest self-fulfilling prophecy since "God's will". We're fighting a war against an idea. When is it over? How do you win? Bush's Answer: It's never over, but we're winning! Oh, and I happen to disagree with him on just about every major issue.
I don't care who you vote for but I'll answer your post... Your 1st point I don't give a crap about straining relationships with other countries, we were buddy buddy with everyone and 9-11-01 happened. The reason some relationships were strained is because the french, germans and some of the UN were screwing us behind our backs by making deals with Saddam. We are now just finding out all the details with the oil for food scam. I don't want to be friends with other countries, I would rather have a distant relationship, The UN, Saudis have NEVER done us any favors either. I would say that we have better relationships with Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan since the war on terror and I don't have a problem going after Iraq since there were terrorist camps in Iraq. 2)The tax cut issue, he campaigned for tax cuts before 9-11 and if he would've gone back on that, well, look what happened to the first Bush. WE ARE AT WAR people, of course spending are going through the roof for now. 3) The job market, my wife graduated with a Bachelors degree in graphic design. We moved to Denver and she spent months looking for a job and never found one in her field, your lucky you found one that soon if you ask me. This was Clintons last year btw. Colleges always pump you up and motivate you but welcome to the real world. Finding a job is very rarely an easy task and sometimes it takes time. Everyone forgets the economy was going south Clintons last year but Bush gets the blame for this..... 4) Kerry never speaks either, Where was he the last month or so? If you want to vote for a guy that voted down EVERYTHING for the defense department including pay raises for the troops then Kerry is your man. What about Kerry hanging out with Jane Fonda and protesting the Vietnam war? Does it tell you something that Kerry supposedly served in Vietnam and votes against the defense department on everything including the troops? Its funny that all the attacks are on Bush and you here nothing about Kerry and question marks in his past, the true biast of the media. Looks like the Dems strategy has worked on you. Go vote for a guy that votes one way and then says well i would've voted for it if... It scares the hell out of me because people now days have no idea how good we have it, how easy we forget the sacrifices this country had to make in WW11 and Vietnam. It scares me to because if we had a Hitler situation the attitude peace at all cost comes to mind. What if we had to fight WW11 all over again, people just scare me in this country. The left and others have no stomach and are more like the french everyday. Thats what got the french invaded and thier country overtaken by Hitler. In closing I will say I don't consider myself a huge war fan but sometimes you have to take action, Rice was right on the money when she said the other day that Democracies always are on the defensive and react versus offensive. How many times were we attacked by Al Quada and did nothing, Somolia a sign of weakness under Clinton? Thats why 9-11-01 happened.
