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August 22 Mossad and the Russian freighter Arctic Sea .
August 20 The 'genocide' in Darfur isn't what it seemsPlease READ it CAREFULLY ,
The 'genocide' in Darfur isn't what it seemsBy Marc Gustafson Marc Gustafson Wed Aug 19, 5:00 am ET
Oxford, England – The "Save Darfur" movement is one of the largest American activist movements in recent history. It emerged in the summer of 2004 in reaction to an issue that had little impact on the lives of average Americans: a year-old civil war in Darfur. Horrific stories of rape, murder, and genocide began to appear in US newspapers and define Darfur. Millions were moved by these accounts and organized a movement to stop the violence. In the next five years, however, the war in Darfur became one of the most misunderstood conflicts in recent history. That's because the activist campaigns mischaracterized and sensationalized it in order to grow the movement. Such distortion helped the PR effort, but it arguably hurt the very people who needed help. Activists inflated casualty rates, often claiming that hundreds of thousands of Darfurians have been "killed." What they tended to leave out was that the majority of the casualties occurred as a result of disease and malnutrition ( stemming from war). Differentiating between those may seem insignificant in the shadow of the horrific acts of war crimes in Darfur, but ignoring these categorizations has led many activists to put pressure on the US government to fund violence-prevention plans and international peacekeeping troops, often in lieu of providing humanitarian aid and funds for peacemaking. The Save Darfur Coalition has been particularly effective in using its scores of followers to pressure policymakers. They have hired lobbyists in Washington to draft legislation and pressure politicians to focus their efforts on violence prevention and UN troop deployment. Before these lobbyists were hired, the US had sent a total of $1.01 billion dollars to Darfur. Of this, $839 million (83 percent) was allocated to refugee camps and humanitarian assistance, while $175 million (17 percent) was directed to fund peacekeeping activities. These numbers show that Washington was initially more focused on providing humanitarian aid than peacekeeping. From 2006 until 2008, when the Save Darfur Coalition and many other groups began to pressure the government, the allocation of US funds shifted dramatically from humanitarian aid to peacekeeping, presumably due to the influence of the lobbyists and public pressure campaigns. Of the $2.01 billion that was spent, $1.03 billion (51.3 percent) was spent on humanitarian aid, while $980 million (48.7 percent) was spent on funding peacekeeping missions, a significant shift toward peacekeeping. In the end, these proportional changes were problematic because, as many casualty surveys show, the number of people who were "killed" in Darfur declined significantly after the April 8 cease-fire of 2004, while the rate of those who were dying of disease and malnutrition remained high. Had the Darfur activists not advocated for a reallocation of funds, more lives would probably have been saved. Many activists have also mischaracterized the nature of the violence in Darfur, intimating that the government of Sudan and rogue Arab tribes have been responsible for most, if not all, of the bloodshed. "Save Darfur" advertisements, newsletters, and websites frequently use the term "ongoing genocide" to describe the conflict. The term "genocide" was originally used to provide a sense of gravity so that international governments and institutions would respond more rapidly to the conflict. Despite the good intentions of activists, the popularity of the word "genocide" posed many unanticipated problems and it distorted the balance of culpability and innocence. Using the term "genocide" implies that there is a unidirectional crime taking place. To be clear, horrible crimes have been committed, but the perpetrators aren't as clear-cut as the term would make it seem. The government of Sudan has killed many people and is responsible for war crimes in Darfur, but the rebel insurgents bear some responsibility, too. When the United Nations conducted its International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, it found that many of the rebel groups engaged in "serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law." By using the word "genocide," and attaching the term to only one side of the conflict, the opposite side is easily ignored. In Darfur, the use of the term "genocide" has allowed the rebel groups to slip under the radar and commit crimes against humanity without the rest of the world taking notice. Had "genocide" not been the focus, activist campaigns might have challenged the rebel groups and checked their criminal acts. For example, Eritrea, Chad, and the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement were the principal funders of the rebel groups in Darfur. They were and are also allies and aid recipients of the US government, which means they could have easily been pressured to cut their lifelines to the rebel groups. Today, the situation in Darfur continues to be mischaracterized. Most of the ongoing violence can be attributed to banditry, lawlessness, and fighting between rebel groups. According to the latest United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) report, 16 fatalities were recorded for the month of June and none of them was linked to the conflict between Sudanese forces and the rebel groups. The conflict in Darfur has not met the 1,000 casualties per year threshold that most political scientists consider necessary for a conflict to be categorized as a "civil war" since last year. Despite these changes, many continue to argue that the government of Sudan is waging a large-scale assault on Darfur. The terms "ongoing genocide" and "war in Darfur" are still used frequently in activist literature and advertisements, which has left the American people believing that not much has changed in Darfur. President Obama himself has recently used the word "genocide" to refer to the current situation. Similarly, the State Department and the US ambassador to the UN distanced themselves from the US presidential envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, who dared to suggest that the genocide in Darfur was over. If they wish to help ameliorate the conflict, officials in Washington and activists alike must recognize that there have been big changes in the scale and nature of the violence in Darfur. Instead of focusing on military intervention or the punishment of only one participant in the conflict (the Sudanese government), efforts should be directed toward funding the peacemaking process and the safe return of more than 2 million displaced refugees. Marc Gustafson is a Marshall Scholar and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. He is currently writing his dissertation on political trends in Sudan.
* ChristianScience Monitor August 13 الصحافي التافه
FROM ARAB TIMES
BLACK WATER CRIMES !
May 09 Here We Are , Again.Hi , Thanx everyone .. really so glad to receive your comments.
Just want to tell all of you that here we are together again , for all who seeks the truth everywhere .
Khalid Hammour. April 22 Arab , The Apologization Nation ! From Ali Saad Ali Group
مع الإعتذار للمعتصم March 13 Talking about قصيدة جمال عبد الناصر
Quote قصيدة جمال عبد الناصر March 09 A Message From Sudanese Person To Georege W.BushMr President We Are Dying Cause Of Your Policies !
Surely The President Of The United States Will Never Read This Blog , But Its a Chance To Cry & Shout :
Please Stop , Please Its Enough , Enough . We Are Suffering From These Wars . No One Remember In Our History A President That Engaged In Destructions Like You Did , Death Like You Did , Pain Like You Did Except Jenghiz khan.
Its A Message For You Mr George W.Bush From A Sudanese Citizen Watching Anxiously What Is Going To Happen For His Beloved Country SUDAN .
Khalid Hammour January 18 Top 11 signs Dubya thinks he's president of a college fraternity.11. Encourages minions to run three miles in 100 degree heat then taunts them as he rides his bicycle. 10. Greets interns by letting one rip. 9. Refers to everyone only by the nickname he has bestowed. 8. Should have been gone after four years, but he just won't leave. 7. Amasses enormous institutional debt throwing private parties for his friends. 6. Cheats to secure a second term. 5. Resorts to belligerence rather than admit a mistake. 4. Has summers off. 3. Encourages others to perform community service, but only shows up for the cameras. 2. Smart kid provides him answers using a hidden audio transmitter. 1. May be kicked out of his house before the end of term. January 14 THE ARCHITECTS OF IRAQ INVASION : WHERE ARE THEY NOW?Click here to comment on this report. President Bush has not fired any of the architects of the Iraq war. In fact, a review of the key planners of the conflict reveals that they have been rewarded — not blamed — for their incompetence. PAUL WOLFOWITZ
Role In Going To War: Wolfowitz said the U.S. would be greeted as liberators, that Iraqi oil money for pay for the reconstruction, and that Gen. Eric Shinseki’s estimate that several hundred thousand troops would be needed was “wildly off the mark.” [Washington Post, 12/8/05] Where He Is Now: Bush promoted Wolfowitz to head the World Bank in March 2005. [Washington Post, 3/17/05] Key Quote: “We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon.” [Wolfowitz, 3/27/03] DOUGLAS FEITH
Role In Going To War: As Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Feith spearheaded two secretive groups at the Pentagon — the Counter Terrorism Evaluation Group and the Office of Special Plans — that were instrumental in drawing up documents that explained the supposed ties between Saddam and al Qaeda. The groups were “created in order to find evidence of what Wolfowitz and his boss, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, believed to be true.” Colin Powell referred to Feith’s operation as the Gestapo. In Bob Woodward’s Plan of Attack, former CentCom Commander Gen. Tommy Franks called Feith the “f***ing stupidest guy on the face of the earth.” [LAT, 1/27/05; NYT, 4/28/04; New Yorker, 5/12/03; Plan of Attack, p.281] Where He Is Now: Feith voluntarily resigned from the Defense Department shortly after Bush’s reelection. He is co-chairman of a project at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government to write an academic book on how to fight terrorism. Feith’s secretive groups at the Pentagon are under investigation by the Pentagon and the Senate Intelligence Committee for intelligence failures. [Washington Post, 1/27/05, 11/18/05; Washington Times, 3/3/06] Key Quote: “I am not asserting to you that I know that the answer is — we did it right. What I am saying is it’s an extremely complex judgment to know whether the course that we chose with its pros and cons was more sensible.” [Washington Post, 7/13/05] STEPHEN HADLEY
Role In Going To War: As then-Deputy National Security Advisor, Hadley disregarded memos from the CIA and a personal phone call from Director George Tenet warning that references to Iraq’s pursuit of uranium be dropped from Bush’s speeches. The false information ended up in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address. [Washington Post, 7/23/03] Where He Is Now: On January 26, 2005, Stephen Hadley was promoted to National Security Advisor. [White House bio] Key Quote: “I should have recalled at the time of the State of the Union speech that there was controversy associated with the uranium issue. … And it is now clear to me that I failed in that responsibility in connection with the inclusion of these 16 words in the speech that he gave on the 28th of January.” [Hadley, 7/22/03] RICHARD PERLE
Role In Going To War: Richard Perle, the so-called “Prince of Darkness,” was the chairman of Defense Policy Board during the run-up to the Iraq war. He suggested Iraq had a hand in 9-11. In 1996, he authored “Clean Break,” a paper that was co-signed by Douglas Feith, David Wurmser, and others that argued for regime change in Iraq. Shortly after the war began, Perle resigned from the Board because he came under fire for having relationships with businesses that stood to profit from the war. [Guardian, 9/3/02, 3/28/03; AFP, 8/9/02] Where He Is Now: Currently, Perle is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he specializes in national security and defense issues. He has been investigated for ethical violations concerning war profiteering and other conflicts of interest. [Washington Post, 9/1/04] Key Quote: “And a year from now, I’ll be very surprised if there is not some grand square in Baghdad that is named after President Bush. There is no doubt that, with the exception of a very small number of people close to a vicious regime, the people of Iraq have been liberated and they understand that they’ve been liberated. And it is getting easier every day for Iraqis to express that sense of liberation.” [Perle, 9/22/03] ELLIOT ABRAMS
Role In Going To War: Abrams was one of the defendants in the Iran-Contra Affair, and he pled guilty to two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress. He was appointed Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on the National Security Council for Near East and North African Affairs during Bush’s first term, where he served as Bush’s chief advisor on the Middle East. His name surfaced as part of the investigation into who leaked the name of a undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame. [Washington Post, 5/27/03, 2/3/05] Where He Is Now: Abrams was promoted to deputy national security adviser in February of 2005. [Slate, 2/17/05] Key Quote: “We recognize that military action in Iraq, if necessary, will have adverse humanitarian consequences. We have been planning over the last several months, across all relevant agencies, to limit any such consequences and provide relief quickly.” [CNN, 2/25/03] DAVID WURMSER
Role In Going To War: At the time of the war, Wurmser was a special assistant to John Bolton in the State Department. Wurmser has long advocated the belief that both Syria and Iraq represented threats to the stability of the Middle East. In early 2001, Wurmser had issued a call for air strikes against Iraq and Syria. Along with Perle, he is considered a main author of “Clean Break.” [Asia Times, 4/17/03; Guardian, 9/3/02] Where He Is Now: Wurmser was promoted to Principal Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs; he is in charge of coordinating Middle East strategy. His name has been associated with the Plame Affair and with an FBI investigation into the passing of classified information to Chalabi and AIPAC. [Raw Story, 10/19/05; Washington Post, 9/4/04] Key Quote: “Syria, Iran, Iraq, the PLO and Sudan are playing a skillful game, but have consistently worked to undermine US interests and influence in the region for years, and certainly will continue to do so now, even if they momentarily, out of fear, seem more forthcoming.” [Washington Post, 9/24/01] ANDREW NATSIOS
Role In Going To War: Shortly after the invasion of Iraq, Andrew Natsios, then the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, went on Nightline and claimed that the U.S. contribution to the rebuilding of Iraq would be just $1.7 billion. When it became quickly apparent that Natsios’ prediction would fall woefully short of reality, the government came under fire for scrubbing his comments from the USAID Web site. [Washington Post, 12/18/03; ABC News, 4/23/03] Where He Is Now: Natsios stepped down as the head of USAID in January and was teaching at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh’s School of Foreign Service as a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and Advisor on International Development. In September 2006, Bush appointed him Special Envoy for Darfur. [AP, 2/20/06; Georgetown, 12/2/05; Washington Post, 9/19/06] Key Quote: “[T]he American part of this will be $1.7 billion. We have no plans for any further-on funding for this.” [Nightline, 4/23/03] DAN BARTLETT
Role In Going To War: Dan Bartlett was the White House Communications Director at the time of the war and was a mouthpiece in hyping the Iraq threat. Bartlett was also a regular participant in the weekly meetings of the White House Iraq Group (WHIG). The main purpose of the group was the systematic coordination of the “marketing” of going to war with Iraq as well as selling the war here at home. [Washington Post, 8/10/03] Where He Is Now: Bartlett was promoted to Counselor to the President on January 5, 2005, and is responsible for the formulation of policy and implementation of the President’s agenda. [White House] Key Quote: “President Bush understands that the need to disarm Saddam Hussein is necessary. He has made that case to the United Nations Security Council. He’s made that case to the United States Congress. The entire world rallied behind this resolution that gives him one last chance. He has that chance, but time is running out.” [CNN, 1/26/03] MITCH DANIELS
Role In Going To War: Mitch Daniels was the director of the Office of Management and Budget from January 2001 through June of 2003. In this capacity, he was responsible for releasing the initial budget estimates for the Iraq War which he pegged at $50 to $60 billion. The estimated cost of the war, including the full economic ramifications, is approaching $1 trillion. [MSNBC, 3/17/06] Where He Is Now: In 2004, Daniels was elected Governor of Indiana. [USA Today, 11/3/04] Key Quote: Mitch Daniels had said the war would be an “affordable endeavor” and rejected an estimate by the chief White House economic adviser that the war would cost between $100 billion and $200 billion as “very, very high.” [Christian Science Monitor, 1/10/06] GEORGE TENET
Role In Going To War: As CIA Director, Tenet was responsible for gathering information on Iraq and the potential threat posted by Saddam Hussein. According to author Bob Woodward, Tenet told President Bush before the war that there was a “slam dunk case” that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction. Tenet remained publicly silent while the Bush administration made pre-war statements on Iraq’s supposed nuclear program and ties to al Qaeda that were contrary to the CIA’s judgments. Tenet issued a statement in July 2003, drafted by Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, taking responsibility for Bush’s false statements in his State of the Union address. [CNN, 4/19/04; NYT, 7/22/05] Where He Is Now: Tenet voluntarily resigned from the administration on June 3, 2004. He was later awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom. [Washington Post, 6/3/04] Key Quote: “It’s a slam dunk case.” [CNN, 4/19/04] COLIN POWELL
Role In Going To War: Despite stating in Feb. 2001 that Saddam had not developed “any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction,” Powell made the case in front of the United Nations for a United States-led invasion of Iraq, stating that, “There can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more, many more. And he has the ability to dispense these lethal poisons and diseases in ways that can cause massive death and destruction.” [Powell, 2/5/03; Powell, 2/24/01] Where He Is Now: Shortly after Bush won reelection in 2004, Powell resigned from the administration. Powell now sits on numerous corporate boards. He is poised to succeed Henry Kissinger in May as Chairman of the Eisenhower Fellowship Program at the City College of New York. In September 2005, Powell said of his U.N. speech that it was a “blot” on his record. He went on to say, “It will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It’s painful now.” [ABC News, 9/9/05] DONALD RUMSFELD
Role In Going To War: Prior to the war, Rumsfeld repeatedly suggested the war in Iraq would be short and swift. He said, “The Gulf War in the 1990s lasted five days on the ground. I can’t tell you if the use of force in Iraq today would last five days, or five weeks, or five months, but it certainly isn’t going to last any longer than that.” He also said, “It is unknowable how long that conflict will last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.” [Rumsfeld, 11/14/02; USA Today, 4/1/03] Where He Is Now: After repeated calls for his resignation, Donald Rumsfeld finally stepped down on November 8, 2006, one day after the 2006 midterm elections. [AP, 11/8/06; Reuters, 3/19/06] Key Quote: “You go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” [CNN, 12/9/04] CONDOLEEZZA RICE
Role In Going To War: As National Security Adviser, Rice disregarded at least two CIA memos and a personal phone call from Director George Tenet stating that the evidence behind Iraq’s supposed uranium acquisition was weak. She urged the necessity of war because “we don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.” [Washington Post, 7/27/03; CNN, 9/8/02] Where She Is Now: In December of 2004, Condoleezza Rice was promoted to Secretary of State and is being widely-mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. [ABC News, 11/16/04] Key Quote: “We did not know at the time — maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the agency — but no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery. Of course it was information that was mistaken.” [Meet the Press, 6/8/03] DICK CHENEY
Role In Going To War: Among a host of false pre-war statements, Cheney claimed that Iraq may have had a role in 9/11, stating that it was “pretty well confirmed” that 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta met with Iraqi intelligence officials. Cheney also claimed that Saddam was “in fact reconstituting his nuclear program” and that the U.S. would be “greeted as liberators.” [Meet the Press, 12/9/01, 3/16/03] Where He Is Now: Cheney earned another four years in power when Bush won re-election in 2004. Despite recent calls from conservatives calling for him to be replaced, Cheney has said, “I’ve now been elected to a second term; I’ll serve out my term.” [CBS Face the Nation, 3/19/06] Key Quote: “I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.” [Larry King Live, 6/20/05] GEORGE W. BUSH
Role In Going To War: Emphasizing Saddam Hussein’s supposed stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, supposed ties to al Qaeda, and supposed nuclear weapons program, Bush built public support for — and subsequently ordered — an invasion of Iraq. [State of the Union, 1/28/03] Where He Is Now: In November 2004, Bush won re-election. Since that time, popular support for the war and the President have reached a low point. [Washington Post, 3/7/06] Key Quote: “Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof — the smoking gun — that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.” [Bush, 10/7/02] January 13 BUSH QUOTES FROM HIS TONGUE TO YOUR BRAINNote: Bushlexia is term created by a loyal Bush Watcher. As it has been variously described, it's a combination of dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, apraxia, illiteracy, ignorance, laziness, passive-aggressiveness, inappropriate humor, and an arrogant attitude of privilege. --Politex BUSH QUOTES FROM HIS TONGUE TO YOUR BRAIN
GALVESTON, Texas, April 26, 2005 (AP) - President Bush drew laughs from his audience Tuesday when he asked whether the Galveston area still hosts "Splash Day." The annual beach party that dates to the 1950s does live on -- but now as an unofficial gay and lesbian event. In town to speak about Social Security, Bush told the crowd: "I want to thank the mayor for being here -- Lyda Ann Thomas greeted me coming in. I said, 'Do you still have Splash Day?'"
The crowd laughed. "You have to be a baby boomer to know what I'm talking about," Bush said. The crowd laughed again. Splash Day once marked the end of school and the beginning of summertime fun. The city backed off from it many years ago when it turned a little too wild, says Christy Benson of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce. It later became a party day for gays and lesbians. Drawing another round of laughter, Bush said: "I'm not saying whether I came or not on Splash Day. I'm just saying, 'Do you have Splash Day?'"
Quips: "I want to thank you for the importance that you've shown for education and literacy." --G.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 13, 2005
Quotes:
BUSLEXIA: "We got a problem. And it is plain to see. It is such a problem that in the year 2042, the system is going to be broke.* If you're a younger person, you ought to be asking members of Congress and the United States Senate and the president what you intend to do about it." -- George W. Bush, Detroit, Feb. 8, 2005 more
*That's a lie. Without doing anything, 75% of the needed funds will still be available. --Politex FactCheck.
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country." --George W. Bush, Sept. 6, 2004, Poplar Bluff, Mo.
"Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 17, 2004
"That's why I went to the Congress last September and proposed fundamental—supplemental funding, which is money for armor and body parts and ammunition and fuel." --George W. Bush, Erie, Pa., Sept. 4, 2004
"I didn't join the International Criminal Court because I don't want to put our troops in the hands of prosecutors from other nations. Look, if somebody has done some wrong in our military, we'll take care of it. We got plenty of capability of dealing with justice." -- George W. Bush, Niceville, Fla., Aug. 10, 2004
Bush Vows Harm To U.S.
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," he said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Washington, D.C. 08.05.04
"[Reagan] didn't take himself so seriously that he got kinda bunched up in his airs," Bush told NBC anchor Tom Brokaw. (NYP, 06.07.04)
"But the true strength of America is found in the hearts and souls of people like Travis, people who are willing to love their neighbor, just like they would like to love themselves."—George W. Bush, Springfield, Mo., Feb. 9, 2004
"More Muslims have died at the hands of killers than—I say more Muslims—a lot of Muslims have died—I don't know the exact count—at Istanbul. Look at these different places around the world where there's been tremendous death and destruction because killers kill."—George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2004
"I want to remind you all that I -- in order to fight and win the war, it requires a expenditure of money that is commiserate with keeping a promise to our troops to make sure that they're well-paid, well-trained, well-equipped." Bush, 12.15.03
"As you know, these are open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to say." --George W. Bush, 10.28.03.
"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the -- the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice." --Washington, D.C., Oct. 27, 2003 "" --George W. Bush, 10.27.03.
***
"This is historic times....whether they be Christian, Jew, or Muslim, or Hindu, people have heard the universal call to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be called themselves. --George W. Bush, 10.09.03.
"Washington is a town where there's all kinds of allegations. You've heard much of the allegations. And if people have got solid information, please come forward with it. And that would be people inside the information who are the so-called anonymous sources, or people outside the information—outside the administration."
"...that's just the nature of democracy. Sometimes pure politics enters into the rhetoric."
"Security is the essential roadblock to achieving the road map to peace."
Bush Has Steadfast..."It's very interesting when you think about it, the slaves who left here to go to America, because of their steadfast and their religion and their belief in freedom, helped change America."— George W. Bush, Dakar, Senegal, July 8, 2003
LOOK WHO'S TALKING...""You've also got to measure in order to begin to effect change that's just more—when there's more than talk, there's just actual—a paradigm shift."—- George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2003
BUSHLEXIA..."All up and down the different aspects of our society, we had meaningful discussions. Not only in the Cabinet Room, but prior to this and after this day, our secretaries, respective secretaries, will continue to interact to create the conditions necessary for prosperity to reign." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 19, 2003
LOOK, A MEANINGLESS PREDICTION..."We are on the look. We will reveal the truth. But one thing is certain. No terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the Iraqi regime is no more," the president says. --George W. Bush, Radio Australia
BUSHLEXIA..."The true strength of America happens when a neighbor loves a neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves." --George W. Bush, Elizabeth, N.J., June 16, 2003
BUSHLEXIA..."I am determined to keep the process on the road to peace." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 10, 2003
"We are making steadfast progress." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 9, 2003 more
BUSHLEXIA DOUBLE-DIP..."I recently met with the finance minister of the Palestinian Authority, was very impressed by his grasp of finances."—Washington, D.C., George W. Bush, May 29, 2003
"Oftentimes, we live in a processed world—you know, people focus on the process and not results."—Washington, D.C., May 29, 2003 more
"Israel has got responsibilities," Mr. Bush said. "Israel must deal with the settlements. Israel must make sure there's a continuous territory that Palestinians call home." (The White House, which late in the day produced a transcript of Mr. Bush's remarks, put the word "contiguous" in parentheses after "continuous," to indicate that "contiguous" was what Mr. Bush had meant.) --New York Times, 06.04.03
"All up and down the different aspects of our society, we had meaningful discussions. Not only in the Cabinet Room, but prior to this and after this day, our secretaries, respective secretaries, will continue to interact to create the conditions necessary for prosperity to reign." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 19, 2003
"We ended the rule of one of history's worst tyrants, and in so doing, we not only freed the American people, we made our own people more secure."--George W. Bush, Crawford, Texas, May 3, 2003
"I don't bring God into my life to—to, you know, kind of be a political person." --Interview with Tom Brokaw aboard Air Force One, April 24, 2003
"All of us need to step back and try to figure out how to make the U.N. work better as we head into the 21st century. Perhaps one way will be, if we use military force, in the post-Saddam Iraq the U.N. will definitely need to have a role. And that way it can begin to get its legs, legs of responsibility back." --Azores, March 16, 2003
"I know there's a lot of young ladies who are growing up wondering whether or not they can be champs. And they see the championship teams from USC and University of Portland here, girls who worked hard to get to where they are, and they're wondering about the example they're setting. What is life choices about?" --Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2003
"It is wonderful to be here at Harrison High. I'm honored to be in the presence of the principal, Donnie Griggers. I want to thank he and his staff -- (applause) -- he and his fine staff for putting up with the entourage." --Kennesaw, Georgia, 02.20.03
"Now, we talked to Joan Hanover. She and her husband, George, were visiting with us. They are near retirement—retiring—in the process of retiring, meaning they're very smart, active, capable people who are retirement age and are retiring."—Alexandria, Va., Feb. 12, 2003.
"I want to thank members of my administration who are here who will be involved in the implementation of some of the initiatives that I've outlined to the United States Congress. The Secretary of Education is here, Rod Paige, behind me. John Ashcroft is here... And, most importantly, Alma Powell, secretary of Colin Powell, is with us." --White House, 01.30.03
"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself."—Grand Rapids, Mich., Jan. 29, 2003
Should any Iraqi officer or soldier receive an order from Saddam Hussein or his sons or any of the killers who occupy the high levels of their government, my advice is don't follow that order," Bush said. "If you choose to do so, when Iraq is liberated, you will be treated, tried and persecuted as a war criminal." —St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 22, 2003
"It's money that -- that will recognize that power is best when it's disbursed to the people we're trying to help." —Washington, D.C., Jan. 14, 2003
"Perhaps the biggest problem is that we have passed children from grade to grade, year after year, and those -- child hadn't learned the basics of reading and math." —Washington, D.C., Jan. 8, 2003
"One year ago today, the time for excuse-making has come to an end." - —Washington, D.C., Jan. 8, 2003
"I think the American people—I hope the American—I don't think, let me—I hope the American people trust me." -—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2002
"There's only one person who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids upon the death of their loved one. Others hug but having committed the troops, I've got an additional responsibility to hug and that's me and I know what it's like." —Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2002
The law I sign today directs new funds and new focus to the task of collecting vital intelligence on terrorist threats and on weapons of mass production." --George W. Bush, White House, Nov. 27, 2002
Bush Praises Wellstone's Conviction By The Associated Press, Friday, October 24, 3:36 PM CRAWFORD, Texas (AP)--"President Bush called Sen. Paul Wellstone 'a plainspoken fellow' who did his best for Minnesota and the United States. 'I would like to express my deep condolences for the loss of the Senate,' Bush said shortly after hearing of Wellstone's death Friday. 'And also, I would like to express my condolences to the bereaved family.'"
"I was proud the other day when both Republicans and Democrats stood with me in the Rose Garden to announce their support for a clear statement of purpose: you disarm, or we will." --George W. Bush, Oct. 5, 2002, Re Iraq debate in Congress White House Transcript
"There's an old...saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says Fool me once...(3 second pause)... Shame on...(4 second pause)...Shame on you....(6 second pause)...Fool me...Can't get fooled again." --George W. Bush to Nashville, Tennessee audience, Sept. 17, 2002, MSNBC-TV --Politex, Sept. 17, 2002, 10 PM to hear bush mangle that "old texas saying" click here. "Did you catch Dubya calling Saddam a "homocidal maniac" on TV today? Long "o," "homocidal"! --Jay, Sept. 16, 2002
I just heard Bu$h in his Iowa speech about 'growing the economy' explaining how, if we give more tax money back to busnessmen, that allows them in his words: "to produce a 'gooder' service." He said this three times, so I am sure of what I just heard. I am sure he meant 'produce a "better" service.' Where the heck did he learn english? --Steve Marshall, Sept. 16, 2002 Actually, Steve, Bush is slurring "good or service." He tried to correct this speech problem last week, and the discouraging results are reported below. --Politex
""When they demand or good a service in our society, somebody is more likely to produce it." --George W. Bush, Indiana, circa Sept. 5, 2002. WP, Sept. 10, 2002 "There's no doubt in my mind that we should allow the world worst leaders to hold America hostage, to threaten our peace, to threaten our friends and allies with the world's worst weapons." --George W. Bush, South Bend, Indiana, Sept. 5, 2002. Official White House Site The Bushes And The Carlyle
CHRONOLOGY: The Bushes And The Carlyle Group
by Jerry Politex, Monday, Jan. 10, 2000
In early September the "Washington Post" published a story about Bush "top fund-raiser" Wayne Berman, president of Park Strategies LLC in Connecticut, whose activities are being looked at by the FBI. One such activity has $50 million in state pension funds being invested through Park Strategies into a Carlyle Group fund. Carlyle is a "Washington merchant bank and client of Park Strategies that retains former president George Bush as a senior consultant." In 1991 Bush had appointed Berman to be assistant secretary of commerce. Last year Berman and retired senator Al D'Amato (R-NY) formed Park Strategies and hired Paul Silvester, who previously was Connecticut's treasurer and was in charge of investing state pension funds. According to the Washington Post, "Silvester was a catch for the firm because of his familiarity with state treasurers from around the country, who control massive pension funds hungry for new investments. Berman too is intimately familiar with many top state officials because he is a leading fund-raiser for the Republican Governors Association."
The Carlyle Group is also a who's-who of political operatives: "Like Park Strategies, Carlyle also markets its familiarity with government officials--among its partners are former secretary of state James A. Baker III, former defense secretary Frank C. Carlucci and former White House budget chief Richard Darman. The Carlyle Asian investment fund that received the $50 million sum from Connecticut also retains former president Bush as a top adviser, and Carlyle's European fund retains former British prime minister John Major. Both men have made hundreds of thousands of dollars counseling Carlyle on where to invest its money overseas, introducing Carlyle executives to foreign leaders and giving speeches at Carlyle gatherings. Bush's fees from Carlyle are poured into his accounts in various Carlyle funds, which lately have yielded up to 40 percent a year in returns." more
by Jerry Politex, Wednesday, January 12, 200 9:00
Bush tells folks outside of Texas that if they don't know what he's capable of doing, they should just come down to Texas and look around. Then they'd know. Some are dismayed by what they've found. On Monday we wrote that in the February issue of "Harper's" Joe Conason's will "report that scant weeks after Dubya was sworn in as first-term Texas governor in 1995, the University of Texas Board of Regents voted to place millions of state dollars with the Carlyle Group, even though Bush had just quit his job as a corporate director of Carlyle-owned Caterair, a leading U.S. airline caterer." more
an anonymous reporter submitted the following toRed Rock Eater News Service (RRE) newsletter...
Key Stories And A Money Chart May Be Found At Bush Watch Here.
Back in January when the administration was new, the Washington Monthly noted (2nd last item)the Bush family business: The NYT ran a front-page photo of former President Bush with Saudi King Fahd on a trip to Saudi Arabia as part of his work for the Carlyle Group. The ice-breaking story by Leslie Wayne quoted Charles Lewis: "In a really peculiar way, George W. Bush could, some day, benefit financially from his own administration's decisions, through his father's investments. The average American doesn't know that and, to me, that's a jaw-dropper." Judicial Watch commented that the senior Bush's association with the Carlyle Group was a "conflict of interest (which) could cause problems for America's foreign policy in Middle East and Asia". Judicial Watch called on the President's father to resign.
Without saying 'revolving door, it was noted that the former FCC chair was joining the telecom and media section at Carlyle: On May 7, European Venture Capital Journal identified the Carlyle Group as heavy hitters with "an all-star roster of professionals (that) just got stronger": On May 13 when another conservative world leader cashed in his chips and traded on his former government insider status and knowledge of the regulatory system, the BBC ran a story headlined: Major to chair private equity house
The London Times followed on May 26, noting that "The employment of Bush Sr has attracted attention, mainly because his son is ultimately responsible for awarding US arms contracts": In late September The Wall Street Journal touched on salient aspects of the story last month by highlighting the bin Laden family investments in the Carlyle Group, then dropped it like a hot 'tater. "Bin Laden Family Could Profit From a Jump In Defense Spending Due to Ties to U.S. Bank", by Daniel Golden, James Bandler, and Marcus Walker, The Wall Street Journal, 9/28/01
After the WSJ story, Judicial Watch spokesman Larry Klayman posted a release uppping the ante. He was again ignored by the mainstream when he said, "This conflict of interest has now turned into a scandal. The idea of the President's father, an ex-president himself, doing business with a company under investigation by the FBI in the terror attacks of September 11 is horrible. President Bush should not ask, but demand, that his father pull out of the Carlyle Group."
A down under paper picked it up: Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The confluence of Bush and bin Laden family interests was noted briefly in the last item at: Along with others in the world press, India and Pakistani newspapers have either either reported or copied aspects of the perceived conflicts: There's been a little but not much editorial comment: The WSJ story had legs. For a few weeks in October, the mainstream, including LAT and the Chicago Tribune among others, turned up the heat on Saudi Arabia, so much so that President Bush felt compelled to call the Saudi Prince to thank him for "cooperating" with the investigation to find the perpetrators of the attacks on the Pentagon and Twin Towers.
On October 25, the NY Times' Elaine Sciolino and Neil MacFarquhar told of the delicate dance: Naming of Hijackers as Saudis May Further Erode Ties to U.S. The story ran with a photograph of Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal with President Bush in the Oval Office, noting that "the Saudis value such personal contacts highly".
The engine at govexec.com presents and searches tables that sort and order defense contractors. Among many tables that establish the Carlyle Group as the 11th and sometimes 12th leading defense contractor, depending on which branch of the armed forces is the purchasing agent, there's one table that establishes President Bush's family business as the 12th largest missile defense contractor: The defense angle was covered by Defense News in August: After 9 11, the Carlyle Group pulled the plug on its Web pages, which are still visible in Google's cache but won't be for a lot longer. Bush AND "Carlyle Group" is one possible search term.
Some U.S. editors are ignoring or downplaying the story while the U.K. and other international press are interested. A topical example from a recent week:
A buried one liner in a U.S. newspaper notes with no elaboration the revolving door relationship between the administration and the Carlyle Group: Forty-five days after the dive-bombing at the Twin Towers, another buried one liner confides that the bin Laden family will no longer be doing business with the Bush family within the Carlyle Group: Part of the larger picture is explored at The Ex-President's Club at: If this Guardian story is true, then there was not, as was widely reported, a massive U.S. intelligence failure leading to 9 11. Sydney Morning rewrote the above story, crediting the BBC: Before 9 11, Bush told agents to back off bin Ladin family Khalid Hammour January 04 The Top Ten Funniest Bushisms, Bush Quotes and Bush Bloopers of 2004The Top Ten Funniest Bushisms, Bush Quotes and Bush Bloopers of 200410) "I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me." —Nashville, Tenn., May 27, 2004 —Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004 —Washington, D.C., Sept. 17, 2004 —Washington, D.C., Dec. 21, 2004 —Erie, Pa., Sept. 4, 2004 —Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004
4) "Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a — you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004 —second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004 —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004 —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 Bush Address To The Nation ! Full of Mistakes Idiot !Where Wings Take DreamAn Inspirational New Year's Address to the NationBy George W. BushCompiled entirely out of actual Bush quotes, by InnocentEnglish.com
My Fellow Americans, During these holiday seasons, we thank our blessings.1 I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. … He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me.2 Thank you for reminding me about the importance of being a good mom and a great volunteer as well.3 I'm so pleased to be able to say hello to Bill Scranton. He's one of the great Pennsylvania political families.4 I’m looking forward to working with him in the United Nations Senate.5 To protect the United Nations Constitution.6 I was raised in the West. The west of Texas. It's pretty close to California. In more ways than Washington, D.C., is close to California.7I talked to my little brother, Jeb—I haven't told this to many people. But he's the governor of—I shouldn't call him my little brother--my brother, Jeb, the great governor of Texas!8 Actually, I—this may sound a little West Texan to you, but I like it. When I'm talking about—when I'm talking about myself, and when he's talking about myself, all of us are talking about me.9 I was raised in West Texas, in the middle of the desert, a long way away from anywhere, hardly. There's a certain set of values you learn in that experience.10 I'm a proud man to be the nation based upon such wonderful values!11 I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe—I believe what I believe is right!12 I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can't answer your question.13 I haven't had a chance to ask the questioners the question they've been questioning.14 The important question is, how many hands have I shaked?15 I hope we get to the bottom of the answer. It's what I'm interested to know.16 I suspect that had my dad not been president, he'd be asking the same questions:… How did you feel when you stood up in front of the people for the State of the Union Address—state of the budget address, whatever you call it.17 In my State of the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000 hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I asked—4,000 hours.18 I want to thank leaders of the—in the faith—faith-based and community-based community for being here.19 Our priorities is our faith.20 That is called, “A Charge To Keep” based upon a religious hymn. The hymn talks about serving God. The president's job is never to promote a religion.21 I think the American people—I hope the American–I don't think, let me—I hope the American people trust me.22 I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness.23 There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again.24 It's a myth to think I don't know what's going on.25 I mean, I read the newspaper. I mean, I can tell you what the headlines are:26 -This Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport.27 -Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country.28 -Over 75 percent of white Americans own their home, and less than 50 percent of Hispanos and African Americans don't own their home.29 I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves.30 I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things.31 I'm the commander. See, I don't need to explain-- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president.32 That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three-- three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?33 In this job you've got a lot on your plate on a regular basis; you don't have much time to sit around and wander, lonely, in the Oval Office, kind of asking different portraits, “How do you think my standing will be?”34 There's no such thing as legacies. At least, there is a legacy, but I'll never see it.35 You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you're gone.36 I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass in my lake.37 That's a chapter, the last chapter of the 20th, 20th, the 21st century that most of us would rather forget.38 I think we agree, the past is over.39 There may be some tough times here in America. But this country has gone through tough times before, and we're going to do it again.40 It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet.41 One of the things I’ve used on the Google is to pull up maps. 42 Wow, Brazil is big!43 By the way, we rank 10th amongst the industrialized world in broadband technology and its availability. That's not good enough for America. Tenth is 10 spots too low as far as I'm concerned.44 We expect the states to show us whether or not we're achieving simple objectives—like literacy, literacy in math, the ability to read and write.45 You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test!46 Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning? 47 The illiteracy level of our children are appalling!48 Having an education system that's responsive to the child and to the parents will make America what we want it to be—a literate country and a hopefuller country.49 I aim to be a competitive nation.50 It's very important for folks to understand that when there's more trade, there's more commerce.51 We thought we were protected forever from trade policy or terrorist attacks because oceans protected us.52 I based a lot of my foreign policy decisions on some things that I think are true:53 -We've got 250 million years of coal.54 -Those who enter the country illegally violate the law.55 -Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease.56 -For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times.57 -It's important to think beyond the old days of when we had the concept that if we blew each other up, the world would be safe.58 -I think war is a dangerous place.59 -The only way we can win is if we leave before the job is done.60
You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said I want to be a war President. No President wants to be a war President, but I am one.61 I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft.62 After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an all-volunteer army. And yet, this week—we will have an all-volunteer army!63 Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we!64 It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way.65 There's no doubt in my mind that we should allow the world worst leaders to hold America hostage, to threaten our peace, to threaten our friends and allies with the world's worst weapons.66 The vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice!67 One year ago today, the time for excuse-making has come to an end!68 We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile!69 You disarm. Or we will!70 My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen.71 I am an optimistic person. I guess if you want to try to find something to be pessimistic about, you can find it, no matter how hard you look, you know.72 See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction.73 My views are one that speaks to freedom.74 There's nothing more deep than recognizing Israel's right to exist. That's the most deep thought of all. ... I can't think of anything more deep than that right.75 I've reminded the Prime Minister -- the American people, Mr. Prime Minister, over the past months that it was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship.76 I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy to see a tide turn -- did I say those words?77 It'll take time to restore chaos and order.78 Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house—he's lost his entire house—there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch.79 I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs.80 We want anybody who can find work to be able to find work.81 I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family!82 We ought to make the pie higher!83 The best way to relieve families from time is to let them keep some of their own money.84 It's your money. You paid for it.85 In other words, I don't think people ought to be compelled to make the decision which they think is best for their family.86 Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream!87 I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure.88 If you don't have any ambitions, the minimum-wage job isn't going to get you to where you want to get, for example. In other words, what is your ambitions? And oh, by the way, if that is your ambition, here's what it's going to take to achieve it:89 You work three jobs?… Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that!90 This is what I'm good at. I like meeting people, my fellow citizens, I like interfacing with them.91 Let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill.92 Not to dis my friend, Vice President Dick Cheney.93 Just remember it's the birds that's supposed to suffer, not the hunter.94 I'm glad my Vice President is not running for President. Not that he would make a great President.95 But here’s the thing:96 I think the president has to be smart.97 A leadership is someone who brings people together!98 The goals for this country are peace in the world. And the goals for this country are a compassionate American for every single citizen!99 We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor just like you like to be liked yourself!100 But in closing, the way I see it is I am a boon to the English language. I've coined new words, like, “misunderstanding” and “Hispanically”.101 Anybody who is in a position to serve this country ought to understand the consequences of words.102 I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend.103 Thank you, and God bless America. Where wings take dream!104 ~ ~ ~ ~ An Inspirational Address to the Nation, by George W. Bush. (Compiled entirely from Bush Quotes, by InnocentEnglish.com) REFERENCES: (A word from each quote is in parenthesis for easier tracking) 1 (Holiday) Fort Belvoir, Va., Dec. 10, 2004 2 (Frist) Nashville, Tenn., May 27, 2004 3 (good mom) St. Louis, Jan. 5, 2004 4 (Bill Scranton) Drexel Hill, Penn., Sept. 15, 2003 5 (UN senate) Aberdeen, S.D., Oct. 31, 2002 6 (UN Constitution) Aberdeen, S.D., Oct. 31, 2002 7 (raised) Los Angeles, as quoted in the Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2000 8 (brother Jeb) The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer, April 27, 2000 9 (sound west Texan) Hardball, MSNBC, May 31, 2000 10 (middle of desert) Washington, D.C., May 5, 2006 11 (proud man) Washington, D.C., July 2, 2001 12 (know what I believe) Rome, July 22, 2001 13 (can’t answer) Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Oct. 4, 2000 14 (ask questioners) Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001 15 (hand shaked) the New York Times, Oct. 23, 1999 16 (answer bottom) as quoted by the Associated Press, April 26, 2000 17 (I suspect) Interview with the Washington Post, March 9, 2001 18 (in my state) Bridgeport, Conn., April 9, 2002 19 (faith based) Washington, D.C., Sept. 6, 2005 20 (priorities) Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 10, 2000 21 (charge to keep) During an interview with German newspaper reporter Kai Diekmann in the Oval Office, May 5, 2006 22 (people trust) Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2002 23 (trustworthiness) CNN online chat, Aug. 30, 2000 24 (Tennessee) Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 25 (myth) Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005 26 (newspaper) Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005 27 (airport) Reagon National Airport, Oct 2, 2001 28 (OB/GYN) Sept. 6, 2004, Poplar Bluff, Mo 29 (own home) Cleveland, Ohio, July 1, 2002 30 (glance) Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003 31 (analytical) Air Force One, June 4, 2003 32 (Commander) as quoted in Bob Woodward's “Bush at War” 33 (George Washington) During an interview with German newspaper reporter Kai Diekmann in the Oval Office, May 5, 2006 34 (in this job) Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005 35 (legacies) Washington, D.C., Jan. 31, 2001 36 (never know) Washington, D.C., May 5, 2006 37 (best moment) on his best moment in office, interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, May 7, 2006 38 (chapter) Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000 39 (past over) Dallas Morning News, May 10, 2000 40 (tough times) Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002 41 (important) Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000 42 (the google) interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Oct. 24, 2006 43 (Wow) when shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005 44 (rank) Minneapolis, Minn., April 26, 2004 45 (state requirements) Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 46 (teach child) Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001 47 (learning) Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000 48 (illiteracy) Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004 49 (hopefuller) Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2001 50 (competitive) San Jose, Calif., April 21, 2006 51 (commerce) Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001 52(protected) Santiago, Chile, Nov. 20, 2004 53 (based policy) Irvine, California, Apr. 24, 2006 54 (coal) Washington, D.C., June 8, 2005 55 (violate) Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 28, 2005 56 (Africa nation) Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001 57 (alliances) Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 18, 2002 58 (blow up) Washington, D.C., May 1, 2001 59 (dangerous) Washington, D.C., May 7, 2003 60 (win) Nov. 3, 2006, Colorado. 61 (war president) Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006 62 (draft) St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004 63 (volunteer) Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004 64 (enemies) Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 65 (harm) Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 66 (no doubt) South Bend, Ind., Sept. 5, 2002 67 (vast) Washington, D.C., Oct. 27, 2003 68 (year ago) Washington, D.C., Jan. 8, 2003 69 (hostile) Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 21, 2000 70 (disarm) Manchester, N.H., Oct. 5, 71 (administration) Crawford, Texas, Aug, 13, 2001 72 (optimistic) Washington, D.C., June 15, 2004 73 (free nations) Milwaukee, Wis., Oct 3, 2003. 74 (views) Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2004 75 (Israel) Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002 76 (Prime Minister) Washington, D.C., June 29, 2006 77 (tide turning) Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006 78 (chaos) Washington, D.C., April 13, 2003 79 (Trent) Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 80 (jobs) Poplarville, Miss., Sept. 5, 2005 81 (work) 60 Minutes II, Dec. 5, 2000 82 (family) Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000 83 (pie) South Carolina Republican Debate, Feb. 15, 2000 84 (keep money) Westminster, Calif., Sept. 13, 2000 85 (your money) LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000 86 (decision) Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2002 87 (wings) LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000 88 (success) Interview with the Associated Press, Jan. 18, 2001 89 (ambitions) Speech to students in Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 29, 2002 90 (fantastic) to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb.4 2005 91(interfacing) Pittsburgh, Sept. 8, 2000 92 (killers) Washington, D.C., May 19, 2003 93 (dis) Stralsund, Germany, July 13, 2006 94 (hunting) Roswell, N.M., Jan. 22, 2004 95 (I’m glad) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060410-1.html 96 (here’s) Larry King Live, Dec. 30, 2000 97 (smart) Larry King Live, Dec. 30, 2000 98 (leadership) Bartlett, Tenn., Aug. 18, 2000 99 (goals) Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2002 100 (call) South Carolina, as quoted in the Financial Times, Jan. 14, 2000 101 (coined) Radio-Television Correspondents Assoc. dinner, Washington, D.C., March 29, 2001 102 (words) interview with Rush Limbaugh, Nov. 1, 2006 103 (soil) Washington D.C., June 29, 2005 104 (wings) LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000 Is George W. Bush stupid?
Is George W. Bush Stupid?What a Stupid Question!Over a year ago (March 16, 2002) Donald Riese posted the following challenge to Bush supporters:
Guess what? Over a year later, although we've had between one and two hundred thousand unique visitors in the meantime, we've had only two responses. The first is from from Tristan in Benton, Arkansas. Perhaps we should say "non-response". Here it is:
Now, Tristan, the challenge was to prove that George W. Bush is NOT stupid. Is this retort, that we should prove that Bush IS stupid, the best you can do? Are you seriously saying that you cannot come up with proof of George W. Bush's intelligence? Is your only defense of Bush that no one has proved that he's a complete idiot? Is this the best that any Bush defender can do? Seems to be so. Well, ok then. It's a slow day, so we'll take your challenge, to demonstrate George W. Bush's less-than-brainy nature. The following points are just for starters: Is George W. Bush stupid?Let's start with the fact that Bush's advisors won't allow him to make un-scripted appearances. Unlike presidents before him, George W. refuses to hold regularly-scheduled press conferences in which he has to answer unanticipated questions from reporters. Even Bush's appearance at a pre-scheduled "press conference" to inform the nation of his plans to launch an unprovoked invasion of Iraq was exposed as a pre-scripted event by reporters in attendance. The fact that Bush's advisors won't let the President speak for himself in public indicates that they don't think that he's smart enough. Is George W. Bush stupid?More evidence for his lack of intelligence is his inability to adhere to the basic rules of English grammar, like keeping the same verb tense in a single sentence. George W. Bush commonly mixes the present tense with the past tense. He also mixes up singular and plural, unable to conjugate the most simple verbs in English. The most famous example is Bush's embarrasing campaign question, "Is our children learning?" The correct sentence would have been "Are our children learning?" This skill is taught in elementary school, so why can't George W. get it right? Is George W. Bush stupid?His ignorance of the basics of history is a pretty clear example of the ways in which his little mind is just not up to the job of President. In February, for example, Bush lectured the Japanese parliament about how the United States and Japan had been allies "for a century and a half", when in fact, the US and Japan have only been allied since after World War II, which ended just over 50 years ago. You'll also remember how when he was campaigning to be President, Bush had no idea who the President of Pakistan was, even though the military coup in Pakistan had recently been front-page news. Campaigning for President and not bothering to read the newspaper sounds pretty stupid to me. Is George W. Bush stupid?Well, he got below average grades in college and spent half of his adult life as a drunk, and some say a cocaine addict. That's a dumb thing to do, and alcohol kills brain cells, so we know he could have ended up a lot smarter than he is today. Driving drunk, which he admits to doing and has been convicted for, is definitely a stupid thing to do. Of course, his advisors tried to keep that conviction off the public record, which is also what they do with his public comments and speeches - they censor and edit them after the fact, changing the official transcripts to erase his mistakes! His advisors must think he's stupid if they have to fix what he says (it's all documented in the Washington Post - look it up if you can manage it). Is George W. Bush stupid?He doesn't even understand how the beliefs of his own church are different from the beliefs of other churches, even though he goes to church every week! In 1994, George W said, "The Episcopal Church is very ritualistic and it has a kind of repetition to the service. It's the same service, basically, over and over again. Different sermon, of course. The Methodist Church is lower key. We don't have the kneeling. And I'm sure there is some kind of heavy doctrinal difference as well, which I'm not sophisticated enough to explain to you." He admits he's not smart to understand how Methodist theology is different from Episcopal theology, so how can he understand the nuances of U.S. foreign policy? Is George W. Bush dumb?He apparently is pretty fuzzy-headed about the economy and basic mathematics. Last year, he was insisting that his tax cuts combined with increased spending would ensure the continuation of a budget surplus. To professional economists, that idea seemed to be kind of stupid. They said so, but George W. Bush dismissed their criticism. Now, it turns out that Bush has admitted that he was wrong, and that the United States will have budget deficits for the next decade because of his fuzzy math. In a show of unbelievably bull-headed inanity, George W. Bush is calling for making these damaging tax cuts permanent. Heck, during the debates, Bush admitted that he had difficulty with math that required a calculator. Is that smart? Is George W. Bush dumb?He said he appointed Thomas White to be Secretary of the Army because White had great business experience at Enron. Bush said he wanted Thomas White to run the Army like he ran his business. The problem is, White's former employees say that he was dishonest and helped to set up fake partnerships that eventually led to Enron's bankruptcy. White responds that he had no part in the illegal fraud because he wasn't really in touch with the operations of the division he was supposed to be in charge with. So, either White is either a criminal or grossly incompetent. When George W. Bush appointed this man to run the United States Army, it was a very stupid thing to do. Is George W. Bush dumb?He has no understanding of basic scientific concepts, and even worse, he makes up science in order to support his own policies. He has stated that he believes that creationism has equal scientific validity as the theories of biological evolution through natural selection. He doesn't understand the basic science of global warming, genetic engineering, stem cell research, cloning, abstinence education, contraception and missile shield research. Time and time again, he's gotten the science wrong on these issues, even though the correct information was readily available. We're in the 21st century now, and we need a President who is well-educated and able to critically evaluate the science behind public policy. When it comes to scientific literacy, George W. Bush gets a failing grade. In just a few paragraphs, we've been able to cite many examples of George W. Bush's stupidity, ignorance and intellectual laziness. We could go on for much longer. As his inept muddling with U.S. policy in the Middle East has proven, George W. Bush just doesn't have the brains to be a good President. Since he's become President, the economy has faltered, U.S foreign policy has disintegrated into a confused tangle, constitutional freedoms have been undermined, and environmental protections have been destroyed so that Bush's big oil executive friends can make bigger profits for themselves. Heck, Bush couldn't even maintain control over the Senate in a non-election year! His presidency has been a chaotic mess.
Is George W. Bush stupid?What a stupid question: of course he is!Now, we encourage you to read the second attempt at proof of Bush's intelligence we've received, thankfully a little bit more substantive. Confronted with the lack of any successful response, we must repeat the challenge. Come on, you lovers of Bush, you exalters of George, you devotees of the Lucky Sperm Club, you can do better than this. Give us a viable, well-articulated argument to show us the error of our ways. Show us King George is really a smartie. Can you do it, or do you admit that George W. Bush just plain plumb dumb after all? Click Here to snap us back into place with your brilliant demonstration of Dubya's sagacious ways. Or, you could do nothing and slink off muttering in defeat... Of course, we've had no responses from Bush supporters in the past six months, even though this page is one of the most read of hundreds available at Irregular Times. What gives? Ah, well. With no challenges on this front, we've decided to expand the list of Bush's stupidities for the 2004 election. By November 2004, we are committed to naming 2004 reasons to Boot Bush. Click here to read the list we've got so far. Or Click here to send us your own reason to add to the ever-growing list. From irregulartimes.com Khalid Hammour December 30 SADDAM !!
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هذه صورة " محمد حسنين هيكل السعودية " ... وأعني به أهم صحافي سعودي يمتلك إمبراطورية صحافية تصدر عنها عدة جرائد ومجلات منها جريدة الشرق الأوسط اللندنية ... والفرق بين هيكل السعودية وهيكل مصر أن هيكل مصر ظل نجما حتى بعد أن ترك الأهرام وظلت كتاباته ومقالاته ومحاضراته وكتبه تثير الكثير من الاهتمام وتأتي في المقام الأول من حيث التوزيع ... أما هيكل السعودية فلم يقرأ له السعوديون والعرب سطرا واحدا في أية قضية عربية أو سعودية ... ونشاطه الصحافي الوحيد هو الكلام الساذج التافه والركيك الذي ينشره في مجلة " النسائية " " التي تصدر عن إمبراطوريته الصحافية ... وهذا الكلام نخجل نحن في جريدة عرب تايمز من نشره حتى في بريد القراء .
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