HOW DID WE GET HERE? BUSH CHANGED THE POSITION OF THE SHIP OF STATE JUST ON THE CHART IN THE WHEEL HOUSE BUT THE SHIP STILL WAS OFF COURSE FOR EIGHT YEARS
Lying about everything under the Sun to cover up gross failures, neglect, outright fraud on a scale that would make Gobbles Blush. Bridge Failure rate on "spinned" Stats that may be 80% true say its one failure every week in America before Bush took office.The Katrina Calls And Letters Keep Flooding In: Secured video footage of President George W. Bush speaking to officials from his home in Crawford, Texas four days before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast shows the beyond a doubt he had been warned of potential levy breaks and the need for emergency medical teams, food and water shortages and the use of the Superdome as a refuge, things up to this point the Administration has denied being aware of.
Caught in yet another lie that cost Americans thousands of lives and billions of dollars, Mr. Bush said, "Oh, did I say we couldn't anticipate the levy's breaking? I meant, we couldn't anticipate Cindy Sheehan." The Bush Administration, or American politics answer to the Keystone Kops, then went on to blame the whole misunderstanding on, "The fog of stupidity.""Even former White House insiders were shocked by the vice president's see-no-evil performance. "I don't see how he can say that with a straight face anymore," Christine Todd Whitman,"
The Secret Campaign of President Bush's Administration To Deny Global Warming
"Cheney's statements were the latest move in the Bush administration's ongoing strategy to block federal action on global warming. It is no secret that industry-connected appointees within the White House have worked actively to distort the findings of federal climate scientists, playing down the threat of climate change. But a new investigation by Rolling Stone reveals that those distortions were sanctioned at the highest levels of our government, in a policy formulated by the vice president, implemented by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and enforced by none other than Karl Rove.
An examination of thousands of pages of internal documents that the White House has been forced to relinquish under the Freedom of Information Act - as well as interviews with more than a dozen current and former administration scientists and climate-policy officials - confirms that the White House has implemented an industry-formulated disinformation campaign designed to actively mislead the American public on global warming and to forestall limits on climate polluters."
Decision-based fact-making
The Bush administration has up-ended the normal fact-based decision-making process. They make decisions and then mold the facts to fit the decision. Blind emphasis on pro-business and anti-environmental policies, such as their refusal to negotiate or ratify the Kyoto accord, the promulgation of ineffectual voluntary pollution control measures, broad development policies based on market needs, and privatized solutions to public problems all add together to constitute an abuse of power in the face of scientific consensus on global climate change. Virtually all credible scientific studies now agree that the earth is warming due at least in part to anthropogenic (i.e., human-induced) causes. And yet since his days as Governor of Texas, Bush has championed private solutions to public problems where "voluntary" pollution controls generally amount to no pollution controls at all.
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
-President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina
Even Bush's Most Loyal GOP Soldiers Alarmed by Strain on Troops
Army Extends Tours For Active Duty Troops
One of the most productive part-time recruiters in Virginia, is Sgt. Keith Sydnor, a Guard member whose civilian job is to bring bail skippers back to justice. Since February 2006, Sydnor has earned $30,000 in extra commissions for referrals to recruiters."Based on the time period of the day, if they should be in school or should be at work and I see them out on the street or at a bus stop I'll stop and talk to them," Sydnor says. "Nine times out of 10 they're unemployed or looking for work."Sometimes he pulls aside people in trouble with the law who he's had to track down and bring to court, provided they're found not guilty or are convicted of misdemeanors.
Desperate U.S. Army Enlists Criminals
Just another example of the unbiased, high quality reporting about the Iraq War and the US military from ARD's Panorama, a highly influential investigative journalism program on a major German public television station that reaches an audience of millions.
William E. Odom, retired US General: “Clearly: The pressure to recruit new soldiers is high and the standards are dropping. And so many people enter the Army who it would be better not to allow in.”
For example Green. Barely in Iraq, he openly declared: ‘To kill a person is like crushing an ant.’ A military reporter meets him in this time.
Andrew Tilghman, military reporter: “When I met Steven Green, he spoke very openly of killing. He had come here to kill people, he had done it before, and it was nothing special to him. I found that quite normal at the time in Iraq based on the situation, because the soldiers all spoke that way.”
Green and his people live under miserable conditions. Often they could not shower for four weeks. And: They are stationed in the most dangerous part of Iraq.
Andrew Tilghman, military reporter: “He told of how he had once shot a driver of an automobile because he wouldn’t stop: ‘Not worth mentioning,’ he said, it’s like going out for pizza.
Marc Garlasco, Human Rights Watch: “The US military has come to a breaking point. At the moment the soldiers are two, three or even four years in Iraq with no vacation home. They are completely burned out, a difficult situation. Of course they are responsible for their own mistakes, but you also have to look at the decisions of the politicians: They simply did not have enough soldiers to get the situation under control, and they therefore refrain from training and breaks.”
Burned out troops, convict recruits, horrific massacres – the cycle of violence continues.
Paul K. Van Riper, retired US Lieutenant General: “We have here what one would call a fiasco, or perhaps better the beginning of a disaster in Iraq. But until now no one has had to take responsibility.”
William E. Odom, retired US General: “The war is going badly. It is getting worse every week. And the longer we stay in Iraq, the more catastrophic it will get. There is only one solution to avoid a massive defeat: Retreat, run away as fast as you can.”
Now the last contingent is fighting. Green is a killer. Four others went along
Gates: Increase In Soldiers' Tours From 12 Months To 15 Will Meet Troop Demands In Iraq, Afghanistan
Bush tells the people who work for him Do what I say not what I do
"In a shocking new book by Kitty Kelley, acquaintances of President Bush say that when he was in the National Guard that he liked to sneak out back for a joint or go in the bathroom and do cocaine. Isn't that unbelievable? They actually found people who saw Bush in the National Guard." —Jay Leno
"The Republican Convention goes on all week, and of course, the highlight will be toward the end of the week. George Bush will show up for one day, you know, just like he did in the National Guard." —David Letterman
"John Kerry said today he wants to debate President Bush once a month. Hey good luck, if Bush couldn't make it to the National Guard once a month, he's not going to show up for this." —Jay Leno
"The Bush campaign for re-election has officially begun. They're actually running television commercials. Have you seen any of the television commercials? In one of the commercials, you see George Bush for thirty seconds. In another commercial, you get to see George Bush for sixty seconds — kind of like his stint in the National Guard." —David Letterman
"In Louisiana, President Bush met with over 15,000 National Guard troops. Here's the weird part, nobody remembers seeing him there." —Craig Kilborn
"The White House has finally found one guy that kinda remembers serving with President Bush in the National Guard. Now they just need to find someone who remembers Bush working on an economic plan. ... I think the White House spent more money looking for this guy than finding weapons of mass destruction." —Jay Leno
"The White House has now released military documents that they say prove George Bush met his requirements for the National Guard. Big deal, we've got documents that prove Al Gore won the election." —Jay Leno
"There was an embarrassing moment in the White House earlier today. They were looking around while searching for George Bush's military records. They actually found some old Al Gore ballots." —David Letterman
"There's this huge controversy over the fact that President Bush apparently received credit for National Guard service in Alabama in '72 and '73 even though his commanding officers are saying he never reported. I think what's even more disturbing is that he received enough credits to graduate from Yale." —Jay Leno
"Bush did have an explanation, he said he did go to Alabama but when he didn't find weapons of mass destruction, he went back to Texas." —Jay Leno
"As John Kerry sails toward the Democratic nomination, new questions are emerging about President Bush's service in the National Guard, like where he was for six months in 1972 and why he refused to take a routine physical. President Bush has vowed to get to the bottom of this right after Election Day." —Craig Kilborn
"President Bush stopped off at a bass pro fishing store to pick up a fishing reel, some line and some rubber worms. He's going to disappear and go fishing. So he must think he's back in the National Guard." —Jay Leno
"Critics are now saying that his dad got him out of going to Vietnam. However, his dad did get him to go to Iraq." —Jay Leno
"Ironically, the possibility that the president dodged his military service has increased his approval ratings with Democrats by 80 percent." —Craig Kilborn
"President Bush is not fazed by other candidates' war records. He said, I may have not fought in Vietnam, but I created one." —Craig Kilborn
"The big story now is that President Bush is coming under attack for his service in the National Guard. The White House said, 'no no,' that they have payroll records to show that he served in the National Guard. But today, the commanding officers can't remember seeing Bush between May and October of '72. President Bush said, 'Remember me? I'm the drunk guy. Remember me?'" —Jay Leno
""They are having a panel look into the intelligence failures in Iraq. It is a seven person panel and it will include Senator John McCain, but the findings from this panel will not be issued until after the election. President Bush says the commission can go off and report back in a year, you know, the same way it works in the Texas National Guard." —Bill Maher
Decision-based fact-making
The Bush administration has up-ended the normal fact-based decision-making process. They make decisions and then mold the facts to fit the decision. Blind emphasis on pro-business and anti-environmental policies, such as their refusal to negotiate or ratify the Kyoto accord, the promulgation of ineffectual voluntary pollution control measures, broad development policies based on market needs, and privatized solutions to public problems all add together to constitute an abuse of power in the face of scientific consensus on global climate change. Virtually all credible scientific studies now agree that the earth is warming due at least in part to anthropogenic (i.e., human-induced) causes. And yet since his days as Governor of Texas, Bush has championed private solutions to public problems where "voluntary" pollution controls generally amount to no pollution controls at all.
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
-President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina
Even Bush's Most Loyal GOP Soldiers Alarmed by Strain on Troops
Army Extends Tours For Active Duty Troops
One of the most productive part-time recruiters in Virginia, is Sgt. Keith Sydnor, a Guard member whose civilian job is to bring bail skippers back to justice. Since February 2006, Sydnor has earned $30,000 in extra commissions for referrals to recruiters."Based on the time period of the day, if they should be in school or should be at work and I see them out on the street or at a bus stop I'll stop and talk to them," Sydnor says. "Nine times out of 10 they're unemployed or looking for work."Sometimes he pulls aside people in trouble with the law who he's had to track down and bring to court, provided they're found not guilty or are convicted of misdemeanors.
Desperate U.S. Army Enlists Criminals
Just another example of the unbiased, high quality reporting about the Iraq War and the US military from ARD's Panorama, a highly influential investigative journalism program on a major German public television station that reaches an audience of millions.
William E. Odom, retired US General: “Clearly: The pressure to recruit new soldiers is high and the standards are dropping. And so many people enter the Army who it would be better not to allow in.”
For example Green. Barely in Iraq, he openly declared: ‘To kill a person is like crushing an ant.’ A military reporter meets him in this time.
Andrew Tilghman, military reporter: “When I met Steven Green, he spoke very openly of killing. He had come here to kill people, he had done it before, and it was nothing special to him. I found that quite normal at the time in Iraq based on the situation, because the soldiers all spoke that way.”
Green and his people live under miserable conditions. Often they could not shower for four weeks. And: They are stationed in the most dangerous part of Iraq.
Andrew Tilghman, military reporter: “He told of how he had once shot a driver of an automobile because he wouldn’t stop: ‘Not worth mentioning,’ he said, it’s like going out for pizza.
Marc Garlasco, Human Rights Watch: “The US military has come to a breaking point. At the moment the soldiers are two, three or even four years in Iraq with no vacation home. They are completely burned out, a difficult situation. Of course they are responsible for their own mistakes, but you also have to look at the decisions of the politicians: They simply did not have enough soldiers to get the situation under control, and they therefore refrain from training and breaks.”
Burned out troops, convict recruits, horrific massacres – the cycle of violence continues.
Paul K. Van Riper, retired US Lieutenant General: “We have here what one would call a fiasco, or perhaps better the beginning of a disaster in Iraq. But until now no one has had to take responsibility.”
William E. Odom, retired US General: “The war is going badly. It is getting worse every week. And the longer we stay in Iraq, the more catastrophic it will get. There is only one solution to avoid a massive defeat: Retreat, run away as fast as you can.”
Now the last contingent is fighting. Green is a killer. Four others went along
Gates: Increase In Soldiers' Tours From 12 Months To 15 Will Meet Troop Demands In Iraq, Afghanistan
Bush tells the people who work for him Do what I say not what I do
"In a shocking new book by Kitty Kelley, acquaintances of President Bush say that when he was in the National Guard that he liked to sneak out back for a joint or go in the bathroom and do cocaine. Isn't that unbelievable? They actually found people who saw Bush in the National Guard." —Jay Leno
"The Republican Convention goes on all week, and of course, the highlight will be toward the end of the week. George Bush will show up for one day, you know, just like he did in the National Guard." —David Letterman
"John Kerry said today he wants to debate President Bush once a month. Hey good luck, if Bush couldn't make it to the National Guard once a month, he's not going to show up for this." —Jay Leno
"The Bush campaign for re-election has officially begun. They're actually running television commercials. Have you seen any of the television commercials? In one of the commercials, you see George Bush for thirty seconds. In another commercial, you get to see George Bush for sixty seconds — kind of like his stint in the National Guard." —David Letterman
"In Louisiana, President Bush met with over 15,000 National Guard troops. Here's the weird part, nobody remembers seeing him there." —Craig Kilborn
"The White House has finally found one guy that kinda remembers serving with President Bush in the National Guard. Now they just need to find someone who remembers Bush working on an economic plan. ... I think the White House spent more money looking for this guy than finding weapons of mass destruction." —Jay Leno
"The White House has now released military documents that they say prove George Bush met his requirements for the National Guard. Big deal, we've got documents that prove Al Gore won the election." —Jay Leno
"There was an embarrassing moment in the White House earlier today. They were looking around while searching for George Bush's military records. They actually found some old Al Gore ballots." —David Letterman
"There's this huge controversy over the fact that President Bush apparently received credit for National Guard service in Alabama in '72 and '73 even though his commanding officers are saying he never reported. I think what's even more disturbing is that he received enough credits to graduate from Yale." —Jay Leno
"Bush did have an explanation, he said he did go to Alabama but when he didn't find weapons of mass destruction, he went back to Texas." —Jay Leno
"As John Kerry sails toward the Democratic nomination, new questions are emerging about President Bush's service in the National Guard, like where he was for six months in 1972 and why he refused to take a routine physical. President Bush has vowed to get to the bottom of this right after Election Day." —Craig Kilborn
"President Bush stopped off at a bass pro fishing store to pick up a fishing reel, some line and some rubber worms. He's going to disappear and go fishing. So he must think he's back in the National Guard." —Jay Leno
"Critics are now saying that his dad got him out of going to Vietnam. However, his dad did get him to go to Iraq." —Jay Leno
"Ironically, the possibility that the president dodged his military service has increased his approval ratings with Democrats by 80 percent." —Craig Kilborn
"President Bush is not fazed by other candidates' war records. He said, I may have not fought in Vietnam, but I created one." —Craig Kilborn
"The big story now is that President Bush is coming under attack for his service in the National Guard. The White House said, 'no no,' that they have payroll records to show that he served in the National Guard. But today, the commanding officers can't remember seeing Bush between May and October of '72. President Bush said, 'Remember me? I'm the drunk guy. Remember me?'" —Jay Leno
""They are having a panel look into the intelligence failures in Iraq. It is a seven person panel and it will include Senator John McCain, but the findings from this panel will not be issued until after the election. President Bush says the commission can go off and report back in a year, you know, the same way it works in the Texas National Guard." —Bill Maher