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A good government issue 
Conversation with a Conservative: John Dean
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When I looked at the way we went to war in Iraq, I was really quite stunned. At first I wasn't sure if we were dealing with a president who was getting bad information, or a White House that was getting bad information, from the CIA and they truly believed that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
So I began looking at the Bush speeches. Then I looked at one where I deconstructed virtually every line of his case to go to war, which he gave in his January 2003 State of the Union message. When I pulled that speech apart, I realized, not only did he have good information -- he had exactly the information he wanted -- and he was manipulating what he had and distorting it; because he was actually naming and identifying the sources of his information. And as soon as you went to the source, you found it wasn't what he said it was. He built his entire case knowing exactly what he was doing and apparently deciding to play the American people for fools, [assuming] that nobody would ever check and look at the information.
If a president is to ever give a false statement to the Congress -- there is just no question that this is a high crime and misdemeanor. And it is clear that George Bush has committed a high crime and misdemeanor. Now, have I called for that? No, I have not. But I certainly, as a former White House counsel, you've got a president who's treading in dangerous waters.
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I barely recognize the Republican Party today. In the Republican Party that I was active in, it was really a party of moderation. What I think the party is dominated by now is a radical philosophy.
This is a good government issue, not a right-left, Republican versus Democrat [issue]. Therefore in the book, I cite one Republican after the other who are complaining about Bush's secrecy. Now these people don't think this is good Republican politics, they don't think it's good conservative politics; they think it's bad government.
If Bush and Cheney are reelected, what I think they'll do is not dissimilar from what they did in their first term, where their goal was to get reelected. It would be to indeed infuse the government with their radical-type thinking. They're not about to send the neoconservatives home. They're not about to change their radical environmental policies. And it'll really be a difficult time for the country. Damage could be done that we'll never unwind.
I wouldn't use the title, "Worse than Watergate," if I didn't truly believe that what's happening in this presidency is far worse than anything that did happen during the Nixon presidency. [more]
Wipe that tear away, click around and discover the truth
This is lovely by Joshua Micah Marshall
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Ashley is a young girl whose mother died in the World Trade Center. And earlier this year, at a campaign event, she was comforted for her loss by President Bush. It's an affecting picture and I'm sure it was an equally affecting moment.
Go to the Ashley's Story website and you'll find an earth-toned montage of images about Ashley, the foundatio set up in her mother's honor and more.
There's even a link you can click on to make a contribution to "spread Ashley's story."
If you click around the site a little further though you see that the money is actually for a slew of anti-Kerry attack ads.
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The Ashley's Story fundraiser site is actually a pitch for Progress for America Voter Fund.
A shameless, disgusting and cynical exploition of a childs grief. How can anyone vote for these pimps.
Radical, not conservative
The Grand Old Party isn't so grand any more by Sandra Kunz
The Grand Old Party isn't so grand any more. The Republican party has lost its soul.
The caliber of Republicans such as Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Everett Dirksen has given way to hard core partisans. Rather than working with the Democrats for the good of the whole, this administration has chosen to operate in a vacuum. And to my great dismay, some Democrats have allowed them to call the shots. As a result we have lost a balance in both the House and the Senate.
As for conservatism, the only area to which the GOP can stake a claim is that of religion.Despite the fact that separation of church and state is a principle on which this country was founded, Bush's decisions are religion-based by his own admission. Religion has taken center stage and this administration continues to pander to the right and to the Catholics (which I used to be) because of the church's stance on gays and abortion. Yet this all goes without any challenge. [more]
Evildoers
Teachers' T-Shirts Bring Bush Speech Ouster by kgw.com and AP Staff
Three Medford school teachers were threatened with arrest and thrown out of the President Bush rally at the Jackson County Fairgrounds Thursday night, after they showed up wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Protect our civil liberties."
Three Medford school teachers who were thrown out of a Bush rally because of their t-shirts.
All three women said they were carrying valid tickets for the event that they had received from Republican Party headquarters in Medford, which had been distributing event tickets to Bush supporters.
Teacher Janet Voorhies said she simply wanted to bring a message to President Bush, but did not intend to protest.
"I wanted to see if I would be able to make a statement that I feel is important, but not offensive, in a rally for my president," said Voorhies, 48.
The women said they were angered by reports of peaceful protesters being thrown out of previous Bush-Cheney events. They said they chose the phrase, "Protect Our Civil Liberties," because it was unconfrontational. [more]
These three women are teaching real American values by their actions. Nominations are now open for Teacher of the Year award.
Good grief
Robertson: I warned Bush on Iraq casualties CNN.com
The founder of the U.S. Christian Coalition said Tuesday he told President George W. Bush before the invasion of Iraq that he should prepare Americans for the likelihood of casualties, but the president told him, "We're not going to have any casualties."
Pat Robertson, an ardent Bush supporter, said he had that conversation with the president in Nashville, Tennessee, before the March 2003 invasion. He described Bush in the meeting as "the most self-assured man I've ever met in my life."
"You remember Mark Twain said, 'He looks like a contented Christian with four aces.' I mean he was just sitting there like, 'I'm on top of the world,' " Robertson said on the CNN show, "Paula Zahn Now."
"And I warned him about this war. I had deep misgivings about this war, deep misgivings. And I was trying to say, 'Mr. President, you had better prepare the American people for casualties.' "
Robertson said the president then told him, "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."
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Even as Robertson criticized Bush for downplaying the potential dangers of the Iraq war, he heaped praise on Bush, saying he believes the president will win the election and that "the blessing of heaven is on Bush."
"Even if he stumbles and messes up -- and he's had his share of stumbles and gaffes -- I just think God's blessing is on him," Robertson said. [more]
George W. Bush lies to everyone and Pat Robertson is still an idiot.
Support the troops
Report: 1.7 Million Vets Lack Health Care by Mark Sherman
Nearly 1.7 million military veterans have no health insurance or access to government hospitals and clinics for veterans, according to a report Tuesday from a doctors' group that favors federally financed health care.
The number of uninsured veterans jumped by 235,000 since 2000, meaning they are losing health insurance at a faster rate than the general population, said Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates a universal national health insurance program. About 45 million Americans have no health insurance, including 5 million who lost coverage during the past four years, according to the Census Bureau.
"We're sending men and women off to war and yet the people who fought previous wars can't get the basic things they need to go on with their lives afterward," said Dr. David Himmelstein, a Harvard Medical School professor and an author of the study. [more]
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