- Comment
- By E. Fouche, a Veteran
- efouche@satx.rr.com
- 10-10-3
-
- REBUTTAL TO:
-
- You Might Be A Leftist If...
- By Marc Levin
- FrontPageMagazine.com
-
- (A right wing neo-conservative rag. Definitely not 'Fair
or Balanced.')
-
- This is typical, simplistic, neo-conservative, diatribe.
This is what passes for 'fair and balanced' writing in Texas. 'So, now
we know. Pigs are horses. Girls are boys. War is peace.' -- Ed F.
-
- (Original comments by Marc are marked 'M', Ed's comments
marked 'E'.)
-
-
- M. You believe John Ashcroft poses a greater danger to
America than Osama bin Laden.
-
- E. No and we don't think he's more dangerous than Hitler.
But Americans do think he is seriously dangerous. Consider, Ashcroft is
given to fits of rage (The Great Santini) and is obsessive and self-destructive.
Ultra religious Assembly of God Ashcroft, staunchly opposes gambling, dancing,
and drinking. Though he's close friends with Republican moralist and ex-drug
czar William Bennett, an admitted gambling addict. Throughout his life,
in interviews with potential employees, he's asked, "Have you ever
committed adultery," and "Have you used alcohol?" In a Christian
magazine he was quoted as saying, "I think all we should legislate
is morality." As Missouri AG he, petulantly refused, for a time to
return a commemorative silver dinner set to its rightful owner, the U.S.S.
Missouri, and fought a court-imposed school integration plan.
-
- Recently he condemned Democrats for opposing a minority
judge's nomination but
-
- Tried to block Bill Clinton's federal judgeship appointment
of black Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White. Priority dyslexic Ashcroft
loves speaking at the anti-race-mixing Bob Jones University and says he
is foursquare against national standards for education but insists on them
for drug and suicide laws. It's okay to be an idiot I suppose.
-
- Ashcroft famously suffered what is surely one of the
most humiliating political defeats in American history in 2000. Not only
did he fail to get re-elected to the Senate - something 80 percent of incumbents
pull off - but he lost to a dead man, Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan. When
nominated for attorney general, his confirmation battle was brutal even
by contemporary standards, and a lifetime's worth of political foes portrayed
Ashcroft as a freakish chimera of Anita Bryant, Torquemada, and George
Lincoln Rockwell. Analysts predicted that a good 80 of his erstwhile colleagues
would support him, but he squeaked through by only four votes, 52-48.
-
- In prepared statements -- not unscripted press conference
bluster -- Ashcroft famously warned his critics, those worried about infringements
with the constitution and civil liberties, that they are essentially traitors.
He wants to keep his constitutional rights but deny you yours.
-
- ---------------------------------------
-
- M. "You think President Bush lied to the nation
but his predecessor did not."
-
-
- E. Two wrongs (or multiple) don't make a right, unless
you are a Bush apologist. Dubya has told so many lies I can only list a
few. Clinton was proven to have lied only about the Lewensky affair. However,
Bush's pants are on fire. "They misunderestimated me." - Bentonville,
Ark., Nov. 6, 2000. Oh yes we did, Georgie!
-
- 1. "Having been here and seeing the care that these
troops get is comforting for me and Laura. We are -- should and must provide
the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm's way."
Bush, 1/17/03
- Bush's visit came on the same day that the Administration
announced it is immediately cutting off access to its health care system
approximately 164,000 veterans [W. Post, 1/17/03].
-
- 2. "We're dealing with first-time responders to
make sure they've got what's needed to be able to respond. " -- Bush,
3/27/2002 (proposing 3.5 billion in 'new' money)
- However, He tried to cut more than $1 billion out of
existing grants to local police/fire departments. Then, in August of 2002,
Bush rejected $150 million for grants to state and local first responders.
Bush's decision prompted the President of the Firefighters Union to say,
"President Bush, don't lionize our fallen brothers in one breath,
and then stab us in the back by eliminating funding for our members to
fight terrorism and stay safe." The President of the Virginia firefighters
association said, "The president has merely been using firefighters
and their families for one big photo opportunity."
-
- 3. "These men and women are still the best of America.
They are prepared for every mission we give them, and they are worthy of
the standards set for them by America's veterans. Our veterans from every
era are the finest of citizens. We owe them the life we know today. They
command the respect of the American people, and they have our everlasting
gratitude." -- Bush, 11/11/02
-
- According to a letter sent to the President by the major
veterans groups, Bush's 2003 budget "falls $1.5 billion short"
of adequately funding veterans care.
-
- 4. "My job as the President is to submit a budget
to the Congress and to set priorities, and one of the priorities that we've
talked about is making sure the health care systems are funded." Bush
- Egleston Children's Hospital, 3/1/01.
-
- His 2004 budget additionally proposes to cut 30% out
of grants to children's hospitals.
- 5. "I said when I was running for President, I supported
ethanol, and I meant it. (Applause.) I support it now, because not only
do I know it's important for the ag sector of our economy, it's an important
part of making sure we become less reliant on foreign sources of energy."
-- Bush at South Dakota Ethanol Plant 4/24/02
-
- Bush's 2004 budget proposes to eliminate funding for
the bio-energy program that funds the Dakota Ethanol Plant he visited.
-
- 6. According to the AP, Bush proposed "to slash
funding 20 percent for the Even Start program, which offers tutoring to
preschoolers and literacy and job training for their parents" -- the
very program he was touting in New Mexico.
-
- 7. According to AP, "President Bush's proposed 2004
budget for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced
Monday, phases out HOPE VI" the program Bush visited and touted in
Atlanta
-
- 8. "We've got to do more to protect worker pensions."
-- Bush, 8/7/02
- Just four months after touting pension security, Bush's
Treasury Department announced plans to propose new rules that "would
allow employers to resume converting traditional pension plans to new 'cash
balance' plans that can lower benefits to long-serving workers. Such conversions
are highly controversial. Critics contend that they discriminate against
older workers in violation of federal law" [Washington Post, 12/10/02]
-
- 9. "Our workers are the most productive, the hardest
working, the best craftsmen in the world." -- Bush, 9/2/02
-
- Bush's 2003 Budget proposed a 9% ($476 million) cut to
job training programs and a 2% ($8 million) cut to the OSHA. His 2004 budget
proposes a $60 million cut to adult job training programs and a total elimination
of the Youth Opportunities Grants, which provide job training to young
workers.
-
- 10. "A secure and efficient border is key to our
economic security." -- Bush, 9/9/02
- While Bush did hold a photo-op to sign legislation promising
more INS/Border Patrol staff and facilities, his budget provided no additional
money for this. Additionally, in August, Bush vetoed $6.25M for promised
pay upgrades for Border Patrol agents. Additionally, he vetoed all $39
million for the Container Security Initiative. His 2004 Budget slashes
total total "Border and Transportation Security" by $284 million.
11. "One of the ways we've got to make sure that we keep our economy
strong is to be wise about how we spend our money. If you overspend, it
creates a fundamental weakness in the foundation of economic growth. And
so I'm working with Congress to make sure they hear the message -- the
message of fiscal responsibility." Bush, 9/16/02
-
- Less than 6 months after this pronouncement, Bush proposed
a budget that would put the government more than $300 billion into deficit.
As National Journal noted on 2/12/02, Bush's own 2004 budget tables show
that without Bush's tax and budgetary proposals, the deficit would decline
after 2006, but with Bush's proposals the deficit would grow indefinitely.
-
- 12. "I want to thank the good folks here at Rochester
Technical College for your hospitality·The most important issue
for any governor in any state is to make sure every single child in your
state receives a quality education." -- Bush, [10/18/02]
- Bush's 2004 budget proposes to cut vocational and technical
education grants by 24% ($307 million). His budget also proposes to freeze
funding for pell grants for low income students
-
- 13. "I hope people around this country realize that
agencies such as this food bank need money. - Bush, 12/19/02
-
- The 2003 and 2004 Bush budgets proposes to freeze the
Congregate Nutrition Program, which assists local soup kitchens and meals
on wheels programs. With inflation, this proposal would mean at least 36,000
seniors would be cut from meals on wheels and congregate meals programs.
Currently, 139,000 seniors are already on waiting lists for home-meal programs.
His 2004 budget continues the freeze.
-
- 14. "This administration is committed to your effort.
And with the support of Congress, we will continue to work to provide the
resources school need to fund the era of reform." -- Bush, 1/8/03
(Bush Re: No Child Left Behind Act)
-
- The President's 2003 budget -- the first education budget
after he signed and touted the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) - proposed
to cut NCLB programs by $90 million overall, leaving these programs more
than $7 billion short of what was authorized under the bill. Bush's 2004
budget for NCLB is just 1.9% above what he proposed in 2003
-
- 15. "Within that budget I proposed last night is
a substantial increase in Medicare funding of $400 billion on top of what
we already spend, over the next 10 years. A reformed and strengthened Medicare
system, plus a healthy dosage of Medicare spending in the budget, will
make us say firmly, we fulfilled our promise to the seniors of America."
-- Bush, 1/29/03
-
- Under Bush's proposal, there should be a roughly $40
billion increase in Medicare each year for a decade. However, Bush's 2004
budget proposes just $6 billion -- 85% less than what would be needed to
meet his goal. Additionally, his budget would leave 67% of the total $400
billion pledge to be spent after 2008.
-
- 16. "I want to thank the Boys & Girls Clubs
across the country·The Boys & Girls Club have got a grand history
of helping children understand the future is bright for them, as well as
any other child in America. Boys & Girls Clubs have been safe havens.
And I want to thank them for their service to the country."
-
- In his 2002 budget, Bush proposed eliminating all federal
funding for the Boys and Girls Club of America. IN his 2003 budget, he
proposed cutting the program by 15% (from $70 million down to $60 million).
-
- 17. Bush repeatedly lied in denying a DWI arrest, and
still won't take responsibility for his actions. His first reaction was
to blame Democrats and Fox News -- the only openly conservative TV network.
He also lied under oath.
-
- George Bush now admits that he was convicted of drunk
driving. On September 4, 1976, a state trooper saw Bush's car swerve onto
the shoulder, then back onto the road. [The Bush camp spin that he was
driving too slowly is simply a lie.] Bush failed a road sobriety test and
blew a .10 blood alcohol, plead guilty, and was fined and had his driver's
license suspended. His spokesman says that he had drunk "several beers"
at a local bar before the arrest.
-
- Bush said he paid a fine on the spot and never went to
court. Court records show this is clearly a lie. He told the hearings officer
that he
drank only once a month, and just had "an occasional beer."
-
- Bush continued drinking for 8 years after that date and
has said publicly that he drank too much and had a drinking problem during
that time. Bush was under oath during the hearing. Bush had several other
drunken incidents, as well. In December, 1972, Bush challenged his dad
(the ex-president) to a fist fight, during an argument about Bush's drunk
driving. He had taken his little brother out drinking, and ran over a neighbor's
garbage cans on the way home.
-
- 18. In an unsuccessful attempt to stop a scandal, Bush
perjured himself under oath, according to the sworn testimony of two of
his political allies. The situation is amazingly similar to Clinton's Lewinsky
problem: a potentially damaging lawuit arose that threatened to involve
him. Just like Clinton, Bush
swore an affidavit that he had no involvement in the case, which got
him excused from testifying. And just like Clinton, the affidavit was proven
false months later by new evidence. In this case, it's therecent sworn testimony of Robert
MacNeil, a Bush appointee, that he had discussed the case with Bush at
a fundraiser. The problem for Bush is that he swore under oath, in a July
20th 1999 affidavit, that he "had no conversations with [SCI] officials,
agents, or representatives concerning the investigation or any dispute
arising from it." This scandal isn't as sexy as Monica's, but perjury
is perjury, unless you are a passionate conservative.
-
- 19. George W. Bush pulled strings to get into the Texas
Air Guard. But the press, while reporting lots of details, has done a poor
job of communicating how consistently and shamelessly Bush Jr. sought and
received favorable treatment while he avoided Vietnam. He lied, went AWOL,
and was a discredit to the uniform.
-
- Furthermore, his story has repeatedly changed -- he has
weaseled and flat-out lied when explaining what happened.
-
- To put it in perspective, here are 9 ways Bush got favored
treatment in the service due to his political connections (he was then
son of a Congressman and grandson of a former Senator):
-
- 1) He got into the Guard by pulling strings,
avoiding the year and a half waiting list;
-
- 2) He took a 2-month vacation in Florida
after just 8 weeks, (1 of 3 leaves), to work on a political campaign;
-
- 3) Bush skipped Officer Candidate School
and got a special commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, without qualifications;
-
- 4) He was assigned to a safe plane (being
phased out of active service), the F-102 ;
-
- 5) During flight school, he was flown
on a government jet to Washington for a date with President Nixon's daughter
Tricia ;
-
- 6) Bush got an illegal transfer (later
overruled) to a base with no work;
-
- 7) He simply didn't show up for a YEAR,
with no penalty;
-
- 8) George W. skipped all his medical exams
after they started drug tests, and was removed from flight status;
-
- 9) He ended his service 10 months early
to go to Harvard Business School;
-
- 20. The Bush administration is now trying to redefine
'Service Connected Disabilities' which could easily cut 60% of America's
Disabled Veterans health benefits. Don't you just love a good war? Then,
how about supporting our disabled and wounded soldiers?
-
- -----------------------
M. "You believe President Bush is too dumb to be President and Arnold
Schwarzenegger is too dumb to be Governor of California, but the Dixie
Chicks, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Barbra Streisand, Eddie Vedder and
Jeanine Garofalo are qualified to discourse at length on foreign policy."
E. Not true. Many Democrats voted and supported the Terminator who has
had a very successful business career, unlike Dubya. According to our Constitutional
rights, every American has the right to discuss anything at anytime at
length. This is something the Bush administration has tried to stifle in
the Patriot Act's I and II. It's just easy to bash performers and question
their motives than examine Bush's record. In Congress, Liberal Democrats
veterans outnumber patriotic passionate conservative Republican veterans
by 5 to 1. Remember who said, "I had other priorities." (sic.
During Vietnam) Hint: His is a Dick.
-
- Apparently being patriotic and serving his country didn't
fit in to this schedule. Yet he doesn't hesitate in sending our brothers,
sisters, children, and parents off to the Oil Wars.
M. "You believe all conservatives are racist, but do not think minorities
can ever succeed without Affirmative Action."
E. It would be easier for us Independent voters to believe otherwise if
the President, his cabinet, and contributors didn't repeatedly make pilgrimages
to groups like the racist Bob Jones university. The rich have had their
version of Affirmative Action through tax loopholes, protective laws, tax
refunds, and getting their family members into universities that wouldn't
otherwise take them. Take Yale and Dubya for example. Think they gave him
a verbal exam to get in? So you're not actually anti-affirmative action.
Some might say this is just racist and elitist. If Affirmative Action is
good for the rich, then·
M. "You can't decide which is worse: the Patriot Act or the Patriot
Missile."
-
- E. Well documents have proven that the Patriot's (missile)
accuracy was overestimated by some 900% during the Gulf War I. At least
Ashcroft hasn't fired one at us yet.
-
- The Patriot Act infringes on our Constitutional rights.
Missiles kill. You might as well say. "George Bush is no brighter
than a shrub," which has more relevancy than your statement.
M. "You believe Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, and Yasser Arafat were
fairly and democratically elected, but President Bush was not."
E. What an idiotic statement. No one believes the first part. However,
Bush did not win the majority of the popular vote, and the conservative
Supreme Court had to intervene so Bush could be prematurely declared the
winner. Don't forget his brother's administration in Florida had some 50
thousand minority voters illegally dropped. So how was Bush democratically
elected? Que?
M. "You root for prisoners when they escape from our oppressive prisons,
but oppose allowing poor children to escape from failing public schools."
E. (See above - -"You think President Bush lied.") Bush has repeatedly
short changed and slashed education funds. While Dubya's own edumacation
is dubious, so are the Texas statistics. "The Texas miracle in education
is a myth," said Walter Haney, a Boston College researcher who studies
test statistics. Texas schools, he said, have some of the nation's highest
dropout rates, and the system of accountability that Bush touts helps drive
tens of thousands of students, mostly minorities, to quit school each year
-- a loss that in turn boosts test scores, he said. "Texas has got
to seriously think about the tradeoffs here." One largely Hispanic
high school in Houston with virtually no library spent $18,000 -- almost
its entire instructional budget -- for commercial test-preparation materials
that replaced teachers' lessons, according to two researchers, Linda McNeil
of Rice University and Angela Valenzuela of the University of Texas.
-
- The Intercultural Development Research Association said
the dropout rate is many times higher than official estimates and is worsening.
Over a three-year period, about 31 percent of white students quit school,
as well as 49 percent of blacks and 53 percent of Hispanics, the group
said. Boston College's Haney said his research confirms that the state
drastically undercounts dropouts.
-
- Gov. Bush Interview:
- Is mandatory kindergarten important to you?
- Mandatory kindergarten will not be in the bill. That's
already been decided.
-
- What is your position on mandatory kindergarten?
- I'll be happy with the bill if it doesn't have mandatory
kindergarten.
-
- What's wrong with mandatory kindergarten?
- We can't afford it in the state of Texas. As I understand
it, about 85 percent, as I understand it, 80 percent of the children go
to kindergarten anyway.
-
- Why can't we afford it?
- Because there's other priorities, as well. I think the
thing to do is wait and see how the bill comes out of the conference committee.
And wait and see that the bill will be good for Texas.
-
- But in your priorities, tax cuts are more important than
mandatory kindergarten.
- Read more at: http://www.bushfiles.com/bushfiles/education_governor.html
-
- M. "You root for prisoners"
-
-
- E. No one wants hardened prisoners released. We just
think it's time we quit paying for housing nonviolent victimless drug users
at the tune to $30 thousand a year. That would pay minimum wage, free drugs,
and housing or college to nonviolent criminals and quit training them to
be hardened criminals while in prison. Sound stupid, well the war on drugs
has failed dismally. Each year we have more drugs available and at cheaper
prices. We have almost 2 million people in prisons. The nonviolent prison
population has tripled since 1978. Over 80% of prisoners are nonviolent.
God forbid we slight the Pharmaceutical giants by letting the ill and dying
use medical marijuana. According to US Department of Health and Human Services,
over 72 million Americans have used marijuana, yet for every 120 people
who have ever tried marijuana, there is only one active, regular user of
cocaine. So we continue to put pot users and growers in jail? In March
1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on various aspects of marijuana,
including the so-called, Gateway Theory (the theory that using marijuana
leads people to use harder drugs like cocaine and heroin). The IOM stated,
"There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana
are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs."
-
- Over 20% of inmates suffer from a serious mental illness.
A generation ago such people were handled primarily by the mental-health,
not the criminal-justice, system. I remember when Reagan closed the US
mental health system. Government statistics show that only 1 in 10 who
want drug treatment can get it and only 1 in 5 can get mental health treatment.
The conclusion, be a passionate conservative, you send the sick and mentally
ill to prison instead of given them treatment.
M. "You support every kind of "diversity" on campus, except
political orientation."
-
- E. Political orientation sounds like jack-booted, mind
control, fascist propaganda.
- Consider that, since the dawn of state and private education,
idealistic youths have explored the myriad political philosophies. Start
with Plato's writings. The vast majority of the hippies, drug experimenters,
and political protestors of the 70s turned out to be good tax paying citizens,
even though Pres Nixon (Republican - Resigned in disgrace) and FBI Director
Hoover (ultra conservative - and gay cross dresser) wanted to put them
all in prison.
M. "You support banning the smoking of tobacco and legalizing marijuana."
-
- E. In San Antonio recently, a man was sent to prison
for growing medical marijuana and the State and Justice Department wouldn't
allow this in evidence as part of his defense. Shame on that evil bastard
trying to imitate a passionate conservative!
-
- God forbid we slight the Pharmaceutical giants by letting
the ill and dying use medical marijuana. According to US Department of
Health and Human Services, over 72 million Americans have used marijuana,
yet for every 120 people who have ever tried marijuana, there is only one
active, regular user of cocaine. So we continue to put pot users and growers
in jail? In March 1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on various
aspects of marijuana, including the so-called, Gateway Theory (the theory
that using marijuana leads people to use harder drugs like cocaine and
heroin). The IOM stated, "There is no conclusive evidence that the
drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of
other illicit drugs." Government studies show that tobacco is more
addictive than pot and that medically, tobacco will kill you quicker. Don't
forget the hundred$ of million$ of Republican subsidies to Southern tobacco
farmers.
-
- And by the way, do you really believe that every form
of drug isn't already available to K-12 and on? If you apply alcohol and
tobacco logic to pot, then it ought to be legalized and taxed. Prohibition
hasn't worked if you've noticed.
-
-
- E. Rush Limbaugh is being investigated for allegedly
buying thousands of addictive painkillers from a black-market drug ring.
The moralizing Republican motor-mouth was turned in by his former housekeeper
- who says she was Limbaugh's pill supplier for four years. Wilma Cline,
42, says Limbaugh was hooked on the potent prescription drugs OxyContin,
Lorcet and hydrocodone - and went through detox twice. "There were
times when I worried," Cline told the National Enquirer, which broke
the story in an edition being published today. "All these pills are
enough to kill an elephant - never mind a man." Cline could not be
reached for further comment yesterday, but her lawyer, Ed Shohat of Miami,
said his client "stands behind the story." The Daily News independently
confirmed that Limbaugh is under investigation.
-
- http://www.nydailynews.com/10-02-2003/front/story/122839p-110349c.html
E. I also predict that favorite son, rabid neo-conservative racist, Rush
Limpbaugh will be bailed out of his current situation of illegal use of
prescription drugs, possession, intent to buy illegal substances, et. al.
If Rush is innocent of whatever this story is, then I hope he learns the
joys of being on the receiving end of an illegitimate smear. If he's guilty,
I hope he gets the same punishment he insists drug addicts and dealers
receive. Think some demented biker is having fantasies about having Rush
as a butt buddy?
E. "If we are going to save a generation of young people, our children
must know they will face bad consequences for criminal behavior. Sadly,
too many youths are not getting that message. Our juvenile justice system
must say to our children: We love you, but we are going to hold you accountable
for your actions." --Bush campaign literature. Shoud Dubya: be held
accountable for his youthful indiscretions when he was a 30 year old "child"?
Does this apply to his daughters? How about Rush? I don't think so!
E. If you have money, you can get all the booze and prescription drugs
you want. Remember Elvis? If you're poor you cut out the middle men, pharmaceutical
companies and doctors at your own peril. What's the difference? An addict
is an addict!
-
-
- M. "You are enraged by the so-called mistreatment
of Muslim prisoners (who have gained weight while dining on their specially
prepared Koran-approved meals) at Guantanamo Bay, but believe the world
should have stood idly by while Saddam Hussein filled mass graves."
E. The US has enthusiastically supported the Geneva Convention since it's
inception. Under Bush, it is waved. Don't even try that 'mass graves' bull.
If your logic was consistent, then the US would have helped all those warring
countries where millions of innocents were being killed, but didn't, because
they didn't have any resources to exploit. If Iraq had no oil resources,
we would have NOT gone to war. For example, start with genocide in Rwanda
= 1 million dead, the Congo and Nigeria. I spent over 20 years in uniform,
so don't think I don't know about war, the Geneva Convention, and prisoners
of war.
-
- M. "You have found where the right to an abortion
is written in the Constitution but cannot find where the Constitution provides
for a right to keep and bear arms."
-
- E. I chuckled tonight when Hannity said Cali-Fornia's
Arnie was a model for Republican politicians. All that inappropriate touching
and fondling·, are you going to impeach him for lying about it?
He's pro abortion, pro environment, and pro gun control, just for starters,
so just where are these traits listed in the Republican Party Platform?
You can change the 'You' to 'We' in your statement since you ilk supports
Arnie as a good Republican. Personally, I like the guy. I'm sure you supported
the NRA's stance against banning ASSAULT weapons. Buy the way, do you know
what Bush has done in support of this issue? You're gonna be surprised!
M. "You support campus speech codes that ban pick-up lines and amorous
gazes, but never spoke out against President Clinton's physical sexual
harassment in the White House."
E. Are you and all the moral Republicans going to speak out against Arnie's
inappropriate sexual behavior? What about the dishonorable character defects
of the resigned Republican, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Moral
Majority/Family Values standard bearer? What was your stance when Newt
Gingrich railed against Clinton, all the while Newt was having a five year
affair with a young staffer? If favorite son, Newt is one of the Republicans
best examples, then the Christian Coalition obviously doesn't think much
of love and marriage either. Newt served his first wife with divorce papers
while she was in her hospital bed dying of cancer. Later, he tried to cut
life insurance to the mother of his children. More recently, Newt phoned
his second wife on her mother's 84th birthday to tell her that he wanted
a divorce and to reveal that he'd been having an affair with a young aide
for the past four years. Of that telephone call, Marianne Gingrich's mother
told the Washington Post: "It's about the cruelest thing you can do.
I think it's terrible when people get away with things like this. We accepted
him like a son." So on his worst day, Clinton wasn't as bad as your
conservative Christian hero! Check-Mate! What's your definition of 'if'?
M. "You applauded Jimmy Carter for talking about human rights in foreign
policy but opposed George W. Bush for doing something about human rights."
E. Carter does more for human rights in his sleep than Bush Sr. or Jr.
I think we can all agree that the Bush foreign policy is a lot more about
OIL RIGHTS than HUMAN RIGHTS!
M. "You believe that trial lawyers taking 33 to 40 percent of a plaintiff's
recovery in lawsuits is just about right, but the federal government taking
this amount of our income in taxes is not nearly enough."
E. True hypocrisy. Republicans have fought long and hard for capping awards
to victims and passing laws to protect corporations. Most victims would
gladly give up 50% rather than NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO LITIGATE. Don't want
to trust the time honored Democratic jury system? Get your facts straight.
During the Reagan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. tenure, we have been saddled with
more debt on average than
- ANY Democrat has ever enacted. We stand for smaller government,
you say? Again during this dubious tenure, the government has grown faster
than any time since WW II.
M. "You believe the former Governor of a New England state with 608,827
people is more than adequately experienced to be President in 2004, but
the Governor of a Southwestern state with 21,325,018 people was completely
unprepared in 2000."
E. Republicans think, 'words speak louder than truth!' Examine the truth
and then listen to Dubya speak. Yes, I do think ANY other Governor is more
edumacated than Bush. Remind me of all the great things Bush has done for
the hard working middle class of America? Thank God Bush has a teleprompter
now, but it's just not as much fun as hearing him in the raw.
M. "You agree with Toni Morrison that President Clinton was "the
first black President," but didn't criticize Al Sharpton for recently
labeling President Bush a "gang leader."
E. Well, Toni Morrison has a lot more credibility than Sharpton, for most
of us.
-
- I agree, it was incorrect for him to say such a thing.
After all, at least with gangs you know what their true agenda is and who
the crooks are.
-
- M. "You believe we could get more truth out of the
Pentagon if only Don Rumsfeld were replaced by Mohammed Al-Sahhaf."
E. And just what poll did this come from? I'm beginning to think the term
'You' that you keep using is from some conservative comic book. Take a
poll from Veterans about how they feel after all the VA budget cuts, cuts
in special pay to soldiers in combat, and the over use of Reservists for
18 month tours. I easily predict Bush will not carry the military vote
next election.
M. "You believe evangelical Christians are destroying America but
don't feel threatened by the radical Wahabbi sect of Islam."
E. No, I think your ideal Americans like Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart and
their ilk should rewrite the Constitution. Besides, just how much Islam
money is donated to Republicans as compared to Christian radicals? Do you
have any idea how many hundreds of thousands of dollars has been paid to
Bush Sr. for speaking out for the Rev. Moon?
-
- And just what sect of Christianity is Buddhism? Besides,
Christians don't destroy· oops· forgot about the multiple
Crusades and the two Inquisitions.
M. When it comes to violent crime, you believe in hating the crime but
loving the criminal."
E. You should know. ALL Americans hated what Ken Lay of Enron did. High
crimes, theft, fraud, lying, etc., etc. Bush called him his 'BEST FRIEND.'
And buy the way, just when is the Justice Department going to put him in
jail and get back the hundreds of millions he stole? While he's being protected
by Bush, the AG is going after Martha Stewart. Can you say, "Bait
and switch?" Rushgate is next.
M. "You support unlimited appeals for convicted criminals, but believe
it is undemocratic for Californians to reverse their earlier mistake of
electing Gray Davis."
E. Maybe three guys in the ACLU think criminals should have unlimited appeals,
but the majority of Americans, yes even Democrats, are not for that. Too
bad we don't have the same right with the President unelect. Yet we must
suffer fools for a while longer.
M. You believe U.S. exports of genetically modified foods pose a greater
threat to African nations than corrupt dictators like Zimbabwe's Mugabe."
-
- E. I guess we (not to be confused with your liberal use
of 'You') should say this is 'Apples and Dicts.' Please explain what corrupt
dictators have to do with GM foods? You must think all these decades of
defective product recalls were the result of corrupt dictators influence?
-
-
- M. "You believe welfare is a fundamental human right
and workfare
- is a human rights violation."
E. Hell, with all the jobs going overseas to protect corporation profits,
you might find some guy in China has replaced you, or some of your family
or friends. We wouldn't need welfare if conservatives hadn't suppressed
minimum wages all these decades.
M. "You believe religion is a scourge on our society, but becoming
one with Mother Nature by merging with the universal consciousness and
harmonizing with lunar reverberations will save us."
E. I think these Moonies (see Bush Sr. above) have a right to religious
freedom. Just what Christian fundamentalist has won the Nobel Prize for
science while pushing the theory of Creationists science? Religions zealots
unchecked have been a scourge throughout history. (See Crusades and Inquisitions
above)
M. "You believe President Bush is an environmental criminal for poisoning
the water with arsenic, but have never complained about Saddam Hussein's
devastating Iraq and Kuwait's environment by setting intentional oil well
fires and committing genocide against the Marsh Arabs by draining their
wetlands."
-
-
- E. No, we believe Bush is raping the environment and
pandering to corporations for donations to his campaign chest. And I missed
the news article where Saddam did ANY of these things in America. So, your
saying, in essence, it's okay for Bush to destroy decades of progress in
saving our national treasures, natural resources, and cleaner water and
waterways as long as we condemn Saddam?
-
-
- M. "Your car sports the bumper sticker saying that
"it will be a great day when our schools have all the money they need
and the military has to hold bake sales," but oppose allowing the
U.S. military to volunteer recruitment tables on college campuses because
of their "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy."
-
-
- E. Again you're admitting our schools don't have enough
resources, and that many of our soldiers receive food stamps (See Bush's
cuts to military and VA pay and budgets -above). My bumper sticker should
be, "Don' Axe, Don' Tell, Don' Question, is my Motto - GW."
-
- E. This ends my rebuttal. I am an independent voter.
The Ultra Conservative Drug Addict, Rush has made the world think that
Liberal is a four letter word. However if you check the history of the
US, it was the liberals who fought for worker's rights, protection of children,
women, and minorities. At one time in America we had slavery, involuntary
servitude, women couldn't vote and couldn't sign a contract or own a business
in some states, and minorities couldn't marry whites. I could go on, but
the point is, it was the compassionate liberals who fought for all the
rights and benefits everyone has. Left to their own, Republican white protestant
males would be the only ones with any rights in this country. Look at everything
they do and you can see that their mindset hasn't changed.
-
- If you think my comments are untrue in anyway, do the
research yourself. Start with 'Bush resume' on the Internet. Don't accept
glib biased neo-fascist off the cuff remarks as truth. Or, you might win
a future trip to a Gulag or Concentration camp. All of Europe and Germany
was in denial at one time! Ed F'
-
- M. "If the above has successfully profiled you,
congratulations! You have won a one-way ticket to Paris aboard the massive
cruise ship, "The U.S.S.R. Michael Moore." Your ticket will be
held at the nearest Dennis Kucinich for President rally. Matricular consular
ID cards issued by foreign governments will be gladly accepted as identification."
-
- M. Marc Levin is the Vice President of the Texas Review
Society, Associate Editor of The Austin Review (www.austinreview.com),
and President of the American Freedom Center (www.americanfreedomctr.org).
He can be reached at <mailto:mrmarclv@aol.com>mrmarclv@aol.com
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