Michael Jardeen: ...rant, rattle and roll

Sun, 28 Mar 2004 05:03:28 GMT

4/01: focus on Bib Laden "A MISTAKE"!
A previously forgotten report from April 2001 (four months before 9/11) shows that the Bush Administration officially declared it "a mistake" to focus "so much energy on Osama bin Laden." The report directly contradicts the White House's continued assertion that fighting terrorism was its "top priority" before the 9/11 attacks. Specifically, on April 30, 2001, CNN reported that the Bush Administration's release of the government's annual terrorism report contained a serious change: "there was no extensive mention of alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden" as there had been in previous years. When asked why the Administration had reduced the focus, "a senior Bush State Department official told CNN the U.S. government made a mistake in focusing so much energy on bin Laden.". The move to downgrade the fight against Al Qaeda before 9/11 was not the only instance where the Administration ignored repeated warnings that an Al Qaeda attack was imminent). Specifically, the Associated Press reported in 2002 that "President Bush's national security leadership met formally nearly 100 times in the months prior to the Sept. 11 attacks yet terrorism was the topic during only two of those sessions". Meanwhile, Newsweek has reported that internal government documents show that the Bush Administration moved to "de-emphasize" counterterrorism prior to 9/11. When "FBI officials sought to add hundreds more counterintelligence agents" to deal with the problem, "they got shot down" by the White House...more [MisLeader.org] Bush gets slaped down by Clarke, and what does the White House do? They focus on character assasination. The funny thing is that Clarke voted for Bush. I love the images of Condi Rice looking like she was sucking on a lime -- of course she has time to go on 60 minutes, but not to testify under oath...mj

Tue, 16 Mar 2004 06:49:01 GMT

!!!VOTE!!!

Sun, 07 Mar 2004 18:28:21 GMT

Job Growth Anemic in February
The U.S. economy added a paltry 21,000 jobs last month, according to a surprisingly weak government report on Friday that turned up the heat on President Bush as he seeks re-election. The February jobs report from the Labor Department was the latest in a string that had fallen far short of expectations, dashing hopes employment would soon turn decisively higher. "The job market is stuck in a cycle of inertia," said John Challenger, head of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "The fact is, we are going to have to get used to slow job creation in this country." The details in the report were uniformly bleak. Private-sector employment showed no gains. Government hiring was the only reason the non-farm payroll count rose. In addition, job creation in December and January was weaker than previously thought, by a combined 23,000 jobs. And while the unemployment rate held steady at 5.6 percent, that was only because many people stopped looking for work. Employment as measured by a survey of households plummeted... ...The Bush administration released a forecast last month that looked for average job growth of about 300,000 a month this year -- a forecast that looks increasingly pie-in-the-sky... ...An average of just 42,000 jobs have been created each month in the last three months, down from the 79,000 average of the prior three months. Economists say gains near 150,000 are needed each month just to keep pace with labor force growth. In addition, the report showed pay gains have slowed, while the average length of time workers who had lost jobs stayed unemployed climbed to its highest level since January 1984...more [Yahoo News] I am part of those statistics. I move to a new job as of tomorrow. The problem is that I am moving from a private sector job with Verizon Wireless to a Civil Service job at the City of Tacoma. I will have now had four jobs in the past 8 months, as I move up the food chain. The only risk in my new job is its temporary classification. I will know by late October, if I will have to start job hunting again. Bush has so trashed the job economy - i guess he thinks we can all survive on cake...mj

Sun, 07 Mar 2004 18:05:57 GMT

Buffett speaks: Raise My Taxes!
Berkshire chairman's annual letter attacks CEOs, funds, Bush tax policies, and the trade deficit. In his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, released Saturday, Warren Buffett sounded a number of familiar themes. The closely watched Berkshire chairman praised his company's managers, accepted personal blame for some miscues, and proudly noted his firm's remarkable 39-year compounded annual gain in book value of 22.2 percent. On the political-economic front, he attacked Bush administration policies on taxes and the dollar, and complained again about wayward CEOs and board members (adding mutual fund companies to his list of offenders). Buffett, who has been a vocal critic of a number of Bush administration tax policies, used the letter to voice his opposition again. "Tax breaks for corporations (and their investors, particularly large ones) were a major part of the Administration's 2002 and 2003 initiatives," he wrote. "If class warfare is being waged in America, my class is clearly winning." Nevertheless, Berkshire's own tax bill has risen dramatically. In 2002, Buffett noted, the company paid $1.75 billion in federal taxes. This year, it expects to pay $3.3 billion, a sum Buffett estimates to equal 2.5 percent of total taxes to be paid by all U.S. corporations...more [CNN Money] Think about two things from this. First, this is a very rich man who understands that the reason you tax the rich more is because they can afford it. Second, if you think about the tax numbers you should be scared. Those numbers simply drive home one of the greatest flaws of the current tax structure, most companies pay next to nothing, Under Bush, the rich are winning....mj

Sun, 07 Mar 2004 05:52:16 GMT

Stupid Companies...EB Games
The Electronics Boutique, better known as EB Games, is a well-known dealer of second-hand video games and equipment. Recently, the EB Games store at the Gulfview Square Mall mistakenly purchased some stolen merchandise. The way it handled the situation has landed that store in the ABC Action News Hall of Shame. The workers at the EB Games store told ABC Action News they're not allowed to talk about the store's policy relative to stolen goods, but longtime customer Michelle Doganis had plenty to say. "I think it stinks, absolutely stinks. I would never do anything like this," she exclaimed...more [F'd Company] This is a gem. A sure sign that stupidity is alive and well, and not only at the White House. So, you're a large company, you've violated state laws, and you traffic in stolen goods. When you find this out, what do you do? Do you try to make the situation right? No, you try to profit off the victim, and then you brush her off. Electronic Boutique is another sign of just how dumb companies and people can be...mj

Fri, 20 Feb 2004 18:05:33 GMT

Bush AWOL or Deserter?
Too bad Bush didn't take his service seriously enough to actually do it. The UCMJ still list death as the maximum punishment for Desertion in time of war. Uniform Code of Military Justice:
Article 85 Desertion
Article 86 Absent Without Leave The bottom line here is that George Bush received special treatment. The issue is his inability to deal with the truth. The result is his lack of credibility as a man sending off people to die in Iraq. It really does matter...mj

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 23:01:34 GMT
Bush Abandons The Unemployed
So much for the so-called "compassionate conservative" in the White House.

Parties clash over job migration, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 02/13/04.

Bush says U.S. will add 2.6 million jobs in 2004, The Olympian, 02/10/04.

Bush Backs Off Forecast of 2.6M New Jobs, ABC News, 02/18/04.

President Bush Discusses War on Terrorism with Tunisian President, 02/18/04.

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan, 02/18/04.

Job Watch.

Cabinet caravan touts successes in Northwest swing, The Oregonian, 02/18/04.

Bush backs off estimate of 2.6 million jobs, Sun Hearld, 02/18/04.

Better times near, Bush officials tell state areas hurting for jobs, Seattle Times, 02/18/04.

Accounts of job losses clash, The Oregonian, 02/19/04.

America appears to be waking up. The Bush economy is designed to put more money back into the hands of the rich, while ignoring the needs of the unemployed and vets. From sending jobs off to other countries, and cutting training funds, where does it stop? The difficult task will be to get past Bush's massive war chest of special interest, and rich friends money...mj

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 08:28:51 GMT
Bush's "DISGRACEFUL" Treatment of Vets
Yesterday at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, President Bush thanked American soldiers for their service, saying, "In the war, America depends on our military to meet the dangers abroad and to keep our country safe. The American people appreciate this sacrifice." And while this tribute is heartwarming, it has not been matched with the kind of resources that show appreciation. On the contrary, President Bush has refused to adequately fund some of the most important priorities to soldiers, veterans and their families. Last year, while troops were at war, the president proposed slashing $1.5 billion from military family housing and tried to "roll back recent modest increases" in bonuses paid to soldiers serving in combat zones. Meanwhile, the president refused to extend the child tax credit to one million children living in military and veteran families. And this year the misleading is only getting worse. While the president rambles on about how much he appreciates troops and veterans, Congressional Quarterly reported on February 4th that Bush's own Secretary for Veterans Affairs told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the president rejected a desperate request for $1.2 billion in funding needed for veterans' health care. Many lawmakers said the president's decision "only proved the administration's disinterest in supporting veterans' programs." The Veterans of Foreign Wars issued a statement after receiving the White House's budget, calling it "disgraceful" and saying it was a "disgrace and a sham." [MisLeader.org] I can only hope that people figure this stuff out. Bush has so screwed up the budget that other then funding his war mistakes, and tax cuts for his rich friends, there's nothing else left....mj

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 07:53:46 GMT
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Fri, 13 Feb 2004 08:43:25 GMT
Why The Guard Matters...
I find it amusing that Republicans are running around trying to defend the President on the biggest deficit in history. I find is scary that this administration this week said that outsourcing american jobs overseas is good for the economy. Then he quickly tries to cover his tracks. Then there is the issue of his Guard duty. The fact that his father got him into the Guard to avoid service in Vietnam is not the issue. During that period many young men found ways to avoid duty, including most of the members of the Bush Administration (except of course for Powell). The issue is, did he in fact really perform his duty? The evidence does not support that, If an Air National guardsman today vanished for a year, that guardsman would be transferred to active duty or, be kicked out of the service with a less-than-honorable discharge. The penalty would be especially swift if the AWOL guardsman were a fully trained pilot, as Bush was. Also damning are the statements of the former head of the Texas National Guard, who saw documents related to Bush's service being discarded. Why doesn't Bush release all documents relating to this matter? The reason is, he can't. So here we are with a President who lied to get us into Iraq. He has mismanaged the situation after declaring the victory. He is asking guardsman to serve more then a year away from home for a mistake that he made. Attacking John Kerry for his anti-war activities is a joke. This man served, fought, and saw people die. He earned the right to say anything he wanted when he returned. So what did Bush earn?..mj

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 06:58:20 GMT
Why I fear Bush...

Feds Win Right to War Protesters' Records
RYAN J. FOLEY -- Associated Press

In what may be the first subpoena of its kind in decades, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records about a gathering of anti-war activists. In addition to the subpoena of Drake University, subpoenas were served this past week on four of the activists who attended a Nov. 15 forum at the school, ordering them to appear before a grand jury Tuesday, the protesters said. Federal prosecutors refuse to comment on the subpoenas. In addition to records about who attended the forum, the subpoena orders the university to divulge all records relating to the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a New York-based legal activist organization that sponsored the forum. The group, once targeted for alleged ties to communism in the 1950s, announced Friday it will ask a federal court to quash the subpoena on Monday. "The law is clear that the use of the grand jury to investigate protected political activities or to intimidate protesters exceeds its authority," guild President Michael Ayers said in a statement. Representatives of the Lawyer's Guild and the American Civil Liberties Union said they had not heard of such a subpoena being served on any U.S. university in decades. Those served subpoenas include the leader of the Catholic Peace Ministry, the former coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network, a member of the Catholic Worker House, and an anti-war activist who visited Iraq in 2002. They say the subpoenas are intended to stifle dissent. "This is exactly what people feared would happen," said Brian Terrell of the peace ministry, one of those subpoenaed. "The civil liberties of everyone in this country are in danger. How we handle that here in Iowa is very important on how things are going to happen in this country from now on." The forum, titled "Stop the Occupation! Bring the Iowa Guard Home!" came the day before 12 protesters were arrested at an anti-war rally at Iowa National Guard headquarters in Johnston. Organizers say the forum included nonviolence training for people planning to demonstrate. The targets of the subpoenas believe investigators are trying to link them to an incident that occurred during the rally. A Grinnell College librarian was charged with misdemeanor assault on a peace officer; she has pleaded innocent, saying she simply went limp and resisted arrest. "The best approach is not to speculate and see what we learn on Tuesday" when the four testify, said Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, which is representing one of the protesters. Mark Smith, a lobbyist for the Washington-based American Association of University Professors, said he had not heard of any similar case of a U.S. university being subpoenaed for such records. He said the case brings back fears of the "red squads" of the 1950s and campus clampdowns on Vietnam War protesters. According to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, the Drake subpoena asks for records of the request for a meeting room, "all documents indicating the purpose and intended participants in the meeting, and all documents or recordings which would identify persons that actually attended the meeting." It also asks for campus security records "reflecting any observations made of the Nov. 15, 2003, meeting, including any records of persons in charge or control of the meeting, and any records of attendees of the meeting." Several officials of Drake, a private university with about 5,000 students, refused to comment Friday, including school spokeswoman Andrea McDonough. She referred questions to a lawyer representing the school, Steve Serck, who also would not comment. A source with knowledge of the investigation said a judge had issued a gag order forbidding school officials from discussing the subpoena. [Miami Herald] My friend John sent me this. It is one of the most extreme examples of this administration trying to stifle dissent. There is only one mission for 2004, the defeat of Bush...mj

Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:02:53 GMT
Bush's WMD Lies Continue To Escalate
Faced with evidence that no WMD existed in Iraq before the war, President Bush is citing different rationales for going to war. He said this week that the war was justified because "the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein." The president's recent statements, however, are belied by what he's said in the past. A look at the historical record shows President Bush justified an invasion of Iraq by making unequivocal statements that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD that threatened all Americans, even claiming that inspectors had found WMD when they had not. On November 23, 2002, President Bush said a war was justified because there was "an urgent threat posed by Iraq whose dictator has already used weapons of mass destruction to kill thousands." In early January 2003, President Bush said, "The Iraqi regime is a threat to any American. They not only have weapons of mass destruction, they used weapons of mass destruction...That's why I say Iraq is a threat, a real threat." And in his speech announcing the invasion, President Bush said the war was justified because Americans were "living at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder." None of these assertions have since been substantiated. The president and his advisers had been warned repeatedly in the fall of 2002 by the intelligence community, including the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency, that the WMD case was weak. However, ten days after the war began, Secretary Rumsfeld asserted the U.S had pinpointed the location of WMD, saying, "We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." Less than two months later, President Bush went on television to claim that WMD had been found, saying, "we found the weapons of mass destruction" - an assertion that was false. Asked a follow-up question, the president again contended they'd been found, saying, "For those who say we haven't found [them], they're wrong, we found them." The statement has not been repeated since by the Administration or supported by the Iraq Survey Group's months-long search for WMD. Independent observers are speaking out about the administration's pre-war assertions on Iraq versus the reality that's emerging. The respected Carnegie Endowment for International Peace wrote that the administration "systematically misrepresented the threat" from Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The Army War College called the war "unnecessary," and the President's own Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board believes the White House was so desperate "to grab onto something affirmative" to demonstrate Iraq's weapons that it ignored intelligence reports undermining that claim. [MisLeader.org] You can run from the lies George, but you can't hide...mj

Thu, 29 Jan 2004 19:52:29 GMT
Pelosi rips GOP on job offer
Dem charges 'abuse of power' House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called it "inappropriate" for a GOP lawmaker to entertain a job offer from the pharmaceutical industry. The House's top Democrat, Nancy Pelosi of California, strongly criticized a Republican lawmaker Wednesday for his consideration of a lucrative job offer from the pharmaceutical industry -- an offer that came weeks after he helped to negotiate a sweeping Medicare bill that established a prescription drug benefit for America's seniors. Pelosi called it "inappropriate" and an "abuse of power" for Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, R-Louisiana, to consider the offer from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing Association (PhRMA), one of the city's most powerful lobbies, to head up the organization. The job would pay him more than $1 million a year, according to sources...more [CNN] If you were wondering how the real "Drug Cartels" managed to pull off the recent prescription drug benefit bill, you need look no further. Republican votes were bought, the old fashioned way. I have said before that this period of Republican power will go down as the most corrupt in American history, and they just keep proving my point...mj

Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:45:31 GMT
Security breach on Capitol Hill:
It's criminal
Let's say you happen to gain access to confidential information, either on a Web site or another individual's system. Do you report it? Do you read the confidential information yet not act on any of it? Or do you read the information and immediately use it to your own personal advantage? It's question of ethics, really, one that speaks to the integrity of the individual involved and the security policy in place in a given environment. IF YOU ARE a certain Republican staff member for the politically divisive U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, apparently you choose that last option...more [ZDnet Anchor Desk] If you leave you front door unlocked is the burglar innocent? If you leave the keys in your car, is the thief innocent? If you are at your friends house and notice a private letter sitting on his coffee table, are you innocent when you read it? Just because you can do a thing, does not make it right. In this case it's all about convenient excuses that don't stand up to one second of ethical consideration. That is what this administration is all about. It is a sad commentary on our society when the so-called 'moral' right can't even see the difference between a man who lied about having sex, and a man who lies and gets 500+ American soldiers killed...mj

Sat, 24 Jan 2004 20:00:09 GMT
Apple's core: The Mac turns 20
Despite Microsoft's dominance, Apple fans remain loyal Its dedicated users are so passionate they're often described as religious about their love for the machine. Twenty years ago, on January 24, 1984, Apple Computer launched the Macintosh. It contained virtually unknown features, including simple icons, and an odd little attachment called a mouse...more [CNN] 20 years ago today computers were turned from machines without personality, to machines you could personalize to your hearts content. The future of computers was put on display and nothing has been the same. This is more then just hyperbole, it's true. Whether you are on a Mac, Windows, or Linux, the interface you use all descend from that machine released 20 years ago today...mj

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 22:08:08 GMT
Let me be clear...
I support the war on terrorism. I support the troops. I support increased security. I do believe we are at war with a vicious enemy. I am a Liberal and proud of it. I do not support a President who lies on a daily basis. I do not support a President that serves the few. I do not support a President who make's Corporate Welfare a central feature of his administration. I do not support a President who diverts the war, by getting us into a quagmire that we had no need to be in. I do not support a Commander-in-Chief who squanders the lives of America's brave men and women in pursuit of a personal policy to right the mistakes of his father. I believe the greatest act of patriotism is to question the validity of your government's actions. I am an American and damned proud to be one...mj "Now those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth, and let me remind you they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyranny."

"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Tolerance in the face of tyranny is no virtue."
-- Barry Goldwater

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."

"A people who extend civil liberties only to preferred groups start down the path either to dictatorship of the right or the left."
-- Justice William O. Douglas

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 21:48:29 GMT
BUSH CHANGES HIS WMD CLAIMS
Ignoring his previous definitive statements, President Bush this week sought to change the justification for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Before the war, the president said there was "no doubt the Iraqi regime continues to possess the most lethal weapons ever devised," while Vice President Cheney said, "There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction...to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us." This week, however, in the absence of any evidence of weapons of mass destruction, Bush said the war was justified not because Iraq had WMD, but because Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction-related program activities." When asked last month about the shift from asserting Iraq "possessed" WMD, to Iraq merely exploring "WMD-related-program-activities," Bush replied, "What's the difference?" Both President Bush and Vice President Cheney made their definitive pre-war statements repeatedly, using specific language. On chemical weapons, Bush said before the war, "the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas" - a claim since debunked by Bush's own chief weapons inspector, David Kay, who said, "Iraq did not have a large, ongoing, centrally controlled chemical weapons program after 1991." On biological weapons, Bush said before the war that "Iraq has at least seven mobile factories for the production of biological agents - equipment mounted on trucks and rails to evade discovery." However, Mr. Kay reported, "We have not yet been able to corroborate the existence of a mobile biological weapons production effort." The president also claimed that "Iraq has a growing fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas." But the Washington Post later reported that the vehicles Bush cited "were never meant to spread toxins" - a fact the U.S. Air Force intelligence service had shared with the administration. On nuclear weapons, Bush said before the war that "Iraq could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year." More famously, in last year's State of the Union, the president said Iraq "sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa," and told Americans to fear "a mushroom cloud." Similarly, Vice President Cheney said "Saddam has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." But Mr. Kay reported in August, "We have not uncovered evidence that Iraq undertook significant post-1998 steps to actually build nuclear weapons or produce fissile material." [MisLeader.org] The price so far: 500+ soldiers, 9000+ Iraqis, our credibility on the world stage, and over 1 Trillion in new debt. Welcome to the Bush Administration, where lies are truth, war is peace, poverty is wealth, and restricting freedom is patriotism. Bring it on!...mj

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 21:44:00 GMT
Some other stories

Some Dell PowerEdge servers die after smoking
- I guess this means that Dell is losing it's luster. (inside joke)
Governments vote against Microsoft
- the saga continues!
Porting problems put carrier swaps on hold
- my employer seems to be doing well.
Nevada coroner puts photos of deceased on Internet
- not sure how I feel about this one.
RIAA embarks on new round of piracy suits
- another stupid move fromt he group that defines DUH!
Savage discounts from MS flush OSS desktop from London council
- another sign of M$ weakness.
The Gates-trix
- pretty amusing job.
Bush in 30 Seconds
- great ads about something that is not funny.
Enjoy - it's a confusing and amusing world...mj

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 19:53:18 GMT
ESERVE doesn't serve...
Check out this article about the Bush Administrations attempts to set up Internet voting for overseas Americans. While I applaud the effort, the fact that it violates the idea of open accessibility by limiting access to all voters is just one more reason to hold off. This system does not allow users of Linux, or Macintosh computers the ability to vote. On the internet there is no reason to limit access. It is after-all a world of open standards, and to limit it to one standard and disenfranchise voters is not the American way (or at least it shouldn't be)...mj

Fri, 16 Jan 2004 09:40:23 GMT
Dancing to oblivion the M$ way...
Last year Microsoft made three decisions that it will come to see as the beginning of it's fall from dominance. The little things are what kill you in the end. Makes me think of the second level manager who said it isn't the last sick day that cost you the job, it's the 1st day you just stay home because you don't feel like going to work. One event was it's decision to expose it's source code to the Chinese government in a failed attempt to stave off Linux. Ask yourself, if Microsoft can show the Chinese government it's source code (a historic enemy of the US), then why can't it show the rest of us? The second event was the decision to pay SCO for a UNIX license. The thinly veiled attempt to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt in the linux community combined with it's new ad campaign only shows how afraid M$ is of Linux. It's a good thing, because they should be afraid of Linux. The third and most important decision was to sell Office for just $37 in Thailand. It begs several questions: 1. Why are we paying $400-$600 for it?, 2. The only product that can have a 69% margin is a monopoly product, 3. It means that we are all subsidizing Thailand's purchases of Office, 4. Shouldn't we all just refuse to buy it unless we can get the same prices! That's what the government of Israel is doing. ... Soon this blog will go silent. I do not plan on paying up for another year of service. It's been one hell of a ride. I hope you got something out of this, I know I did. Bush still sucks...mj

Tue, 13 Jan 2004 17:46:21 GMT
Bush misleads on economy twice in 24hrs
Within a span of 24 hours, President Bush twice attempted to mislead the American people about the economy and his tax policies. On Friday, the president said, "Unemployment dropped today to 5.7% [which] is a positive sign that the economy is getting better." But the president didn't add that the unemployment drop occurred not because the economy was getting better, but because continued weak job growth led 309,000 people to stop looking for work. As one nonpartisan economist said, "Most of these dropouts would still be in the labor force working or trying to work if the economy were doing better," The president made no mention that only 1,000 total jobs were created in December - a "shockingly low number," where most economists had expected job growth to be around 100,000 to 150,000 for the month. 33 months after the beginning of the recession, this recovery is distinguished from all previous cycles of job contraction and resumed growth since 1939, according to the Economic Policy Institute, for not having fully recovered job levels to those above the pre-recessionary peak within 31 months from its start. The following day, the president touted the same economic policies that helped create the unemployment crisis. Despite the bad economic news, he said, "Tax relief has got this economy going again," and bragged, "every American who pays income taxes got a tax cut." His use of the phrase "income tax," however, was tailored to divert attention from the millions of low-income American taxpayers (who pay payroll tax but not income tax) who received nothing. Bush's 2001 tax cut completely excluded 31% of all families in America. Similarly, Bush's 2003 tax cut completely excluded 31% of all taxpayers - including one million children of military families. [Misleader,com] This is one man who does not let the truth, or real values get in the way. One of his administration members commits a federal crime in releasing the identity of a CIA operative, and it takes months to get the investigation going. Former Treasurery Secretary O'Neill releases information negative to Bush, and it takes less then 48 hours to start an investigation, go figure...mj

Sun, 11 Jan 2004 01:31:01 GMT
Bush planned invasion before 9/11
In new book, ex-Treasury secretary criticizes administration The Bush administration began planning to use U.S. troops to invade Iraq within days after the former Texas governor entered the White House three years ago, former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill told CBS News' 60 Minutes. "From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go," O'Neill told CBS, according to excerpts released Saturday by the network. "For me, the notion of pre-emption, that the U.S. has the unilateral right to do whatever we decide to do, is a really huge leap." O'Neill, who served nearly two years in Bush's Cabinet, was asked to resign by the White House in December 2002 over differences he had with the president's tax cuts. O'Neill was the main source for "The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill," by former Wall Street Journal reporter Ron Suskind...more [CNN] It's one thing to fight a justified war, it's another to plan aggression without good cause. George Bush comes off exactly as we imagine him, the village idiot, leading by emotion, rather then reason...mj

Tue, 06 Jan 2004 18:40:35 GMT
BUSH WAVERS ON PLEDGE TO FIND LEAKER
When it was first reported that a "senior Bush Administration official" had leaked the name of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame, President Bush dutifully pledged his full cooperation and assistance with the investigation. He said, "I'd like to know who leaked, and if anybody has got any information inside our government or outside our government who leaked, you ought to take it to the Justice Department so we can find out the leaker. I have told my staff, I want full cooperation with the Justice Department." But with the Justice Department now asking White House staff to sign forms that could definitively expose the leaker, the President appears unwilling to uphold that commitment. Specifically, the Washington Post now reports that the White House "declined to say Monday whether President Bush thinks his aides should sign the forms that would release reporters from any pledges of confidentiality" - and thus allow reporters to identify the White House leaker. (Time magazine reported that Karl Rove, Bush's senior adviser, was one of a number of top White House staff that has been sent the form by investigators). When asked about the President's stonewalling, White House spokesman Scott McClellan dismissed any inquiries, saying, "That's asking a specific question about matters that should be directed to the career officials at the Department of Justice." It was a sharp contrast to his previous comments attempting to specifically absolve Rove, the Vice President's Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby, and National Security Council official, Eliot Abrams, from any responsibility. McClellan also said that "no one wants to get to the bottom of this more than the President does." But three months ago, Bush refused to ask his staff to sign the same release form to minimize the investigation's cost and potential damage to national security. His apparent reticence to fully support the Justice Department's efforts to expose the leaker is now raising additional questions. [MisLeader.org] An act of treason being covered up because it was political. Bush claimes to be the moral president, yet he covers up treason, not a simple act of sex. Which do you think is worse?...mj

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 18:11:22 GMT
Statistics Don't Support Bush...
Arguing that his economic policies consist of more than tax cuts geared to the wealthy, President Bush maintained last week in his year-end press conference that tort reform is a key part of his "pro-growth" agenda, saying that it, "would have made a difference" to benefit the economy. Earlier this year, the president went further, saying that the proliferation of medical malpractice lawsuits are "a national problem that needs a national solution." But a recent study by the National Center for State Courts found that medical malpractice lawsuits per capita actually decreased in the most recent ten-year period examined. The president has tried to qualify his support for tort reform by insisting it's needed for plaintiffs with a "legitimate claim . . . [who] deserve a court that is uncluttered by frivolous and junk lawsuits." But the American Bar Association recently found that only a fraction of civil cases filed - 1.8 percent - went to trial. Fewer cases went to trial in 2002 than in 1962. While Bush claims, "everybody pays more for health care" due to "excessive litigation," a study released last month shows that medical malpractice insurers have raised rates on doctors well beyond the cost of payouts, particularly since 2001. Payouts and premiums for medical malpractice claims accounted for less than one percent of total health care costs. Even the president of the American Tort Reform Association said in 1999, "We wouldn't tell you or anyone that the reason to pass tort reform would be to reduce insurance rates." Medical malpractice costs as a proportion of national health care spending are less than 60 cents out of every $100 spent. In fact, malpractice premiums as a percentage of all health costs have declined from 0.95% in 1988 to 0.56% in 2000. On the other hand, prescription drugs costs make up about 11% of all health costs - the second largest portion after hospital spending - and are projected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reach 14% in 2010. Despite these facts, the president chooses to support a Medicare bill that would prevent the Medicare administrator from negotiating lower prescription drug costs...more [MisLeader.org] Once again we see that Bush has no interest in reality, just his own narrow business welfare programs...mj

Fri, 19 Dec 2003 17:40:02 GMT
Court nixes Net music subpoenas
In a surprise setback for the recording industry, a U.S. appeals court said Friday its methods for tracking down those who copy its music over the Internet are not authorized by law. The Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group, has sought to force Verizon Communications and other Internet service providers to reveal the names of customers it suspects may be copying music without permission...more [] If upheld, this is a good step towards putting some limits on the insane powers granted copyright holders in recent laws. Putting an end to RIAA fishing expeditions would force them to put more thought into what they're doing (though I am not sure they have the brain cells to do that)...mj