So what do we do now?

[kmc]

chrisfan said:

Around here lately - yes.

But every argument has already been had. It isn't worth it anymore.

[chrisfan]

and yet, you keep on repeating it over and over and over Kenny. The defense really doesn't work when your actions directly conflict with it.

[kmc]

What? I keep having arguments about Bush? Last I checked, all I did was make fun of the guy.

[kmc]

Have you and I had an argument about him in the last two weeks?

[rockysigman]

I'm just confused...are you complaining that there haven't been enough substantive anti-Bush arguments here lately, or that they're all the same?

Regardless, if they're all the same, I don't think that makes them any less valid. The reason the same arguments are being made is because they continue to be true.

[kmc]

Seriously, have there been any CE arguments lately? Did I miss them?

[phil]

Junior's Record of achievement ...

President George W. Bush’s first term has been among the most consequential and successful in modern times. Under his leadership, the United States is waging and winning the war against global terrorism. The United States and its coalition partners liberated more than 50 million people from two regimes of extraordinary brutality that had provided safe haven to terrorists. And we are promoting democracy in regions of the world that have never known it.

The United States military is receiving the strongest support from a commander-in-chief in two decades. President Bush has taken unprecedented steps to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction – and he has signed one of the most sweeping arms reduction pacts in history. America is in the process of deploying a missile defense that will help protect the United States and its allies from catastrophic attacks. President Bush signed into law landmark legislation that better prepares our defense establishment to meet the challenges of the 21st century – and he announced the most comprehensive restructuring of US military forces overseas since the end of the Korean War.

During his first term, President Bush has signed into law three major tax cuts, including the largest in two decades – and since the summer of 2003, America has had the fastest-growing economy of any major industrialized nation in the world. Under President Bush’s leadership, the economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. The homeownership rate has been at a record high. Interest and mortgage rates have been near historic lows. The core rate of inflation over the past year ranks among its lowest in 40 years. The rate of growth of Federal spending is slowing, jobs are being created at a brisk pace (1.3 million jobs in the first six months of this year), and the unemployment rate today remains below the average unemployment rate of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s.

President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, the most important Federal education reform in history, one that insists that testing, accountability, and high standards will accompany record new resources. Medicare has been modernized, prescription drug coverage has been added, and Americans now have the opportunity to use Health Savings Accounts, tax-free accounts designed to help individuals save for health expenses. Faith-based groups are receiving unprecedented support and encouragement. And President Bush signed into law the most far-reaching reform of American business practices since the time of Franklin Roosevelt.

To ensure the safety of our citizens, President Bush has implemented the most sweeping changes in the organization of our national security institutions since World War II. With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, America has seen the most extensive reorganization of the Federal government since President Truman. President Bush has proposed the most thoroughgoing reorganization of the intelligence community in more than a half century. And thanks to the USA PATRIOT Act, Federal law enforcement agencies can better share information, track terrorists, and protect American lives.

President Bush has strongly advocated open markets for American goods; affordable, reliable, and secure energy supplies; and environmental standards that are making America’s water and air cleaner. In the social realm, he has championed a culture of life and a new culture of responsibility; the strengthening and defense of marriage; judges who strictly and faithfully interpret the law; and stronger work requirements for welfare recipients. He has made civility a touchstone of his rhetoric. He has put together an Administration comprising enormously talented men and women – and one with more diversity in senior positions than any in history.

These achievements are anchored in a set of core beliefs: America is a defender and promoter of freedom – and the advance of freedom brings peace. We must lead the world with strength and confidence. Religion should not be banned from the public square. Government should encourage ownership and opportunity, compassion and responsibility. The proper role of government is to create the environment in which small business owners and entrepreneurs will take risks and invest, hire workers and spark economic growth.

The last four years have been a time of extraordinary challenges. They include the horrific terrorist attack on the American homeland; global wars; an economy that was sliding toward recession when President Bush took office; and the revelation of corporate scandals long in the making that undermined investor confidence.

Such times demand a leader of clear convictions and determination, hope and vision, integrity and the courage to act. These qualities are the hallmarks of the Bush Presidency. There is much that remains to be done – yet as this document illustrates, an enormous amount has already been accomplished. President George W. Bush put forward a historically ambitious agenda and restored dignity to the office he holds. He has provided steady leadership in the face of unprecedented challenges. The United States is safer and stronger, more resilient and better for his efforts.


ROTFLMAO ... !!

[phil]

OH ! That too ...


George W. Bush Resume

Past work experience:

Ran for congress and lost.

Produced a Hollywood slasher B movie.

Bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas, company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

Bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using tax-payer money. Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago White Sox.

With fathers help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas.

Accomplishments: Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union. Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog ridden city in America. Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money. Set record for most executions by any Governor in American history.

Became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my fathers appointments to the Supreme Court.

Accomplishments as president:

Attacked and took over two countries.

Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.

Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.

Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period.

Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.

First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.

First president in US history to enter office with a criminal record.

First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US history.

After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in US history.

Set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips than any other president in US history.

In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.

Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in US history.

Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12 month period.

Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in US history.

Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.

Signed more laws and executive orders circumventing the Constitution than any president in US history.

Presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.

Presided over the highest gasoline prices in US history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.

Cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.

Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind. (http://www.hyperreal.org/~dana/marches/)

Dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.

My presidency is the most secretive and un-accountable of any in US history.

Members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in US history. (the 'poorest' multi-millionaire, Condoleezza Rice has an Chevron oil tanker named after her).

Had more states to simultaneously go bankrupt than any president in the history of the United States.

Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.

Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.

Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in US history.

First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the human rights commission.

First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the elections monitoring board.

Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in US history.

Rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.

Withdrew from the World Court of Law.

Refused to allow inspectors access to US prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.

First president in US history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US elections).

All-time US (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.

My biggest life-time campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).

Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in US history.

First president in US history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.

First president to run and hide when the US came under attack (and then lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)

First US president to establish a secret shadow government.

Took the biggest world sympathy for the US after 911, and in less than a year made the US the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in US and world history).

With a policy of 'dis-engagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.

Fist US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.

First US president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the US than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.

Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.

Failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive'.

Failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United States Capitol building. After 18 months I have no leads and zero suspects.

In the 18 months following the 911 attacks I have successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.

Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in US history.

In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the US has ever been since the civil war.

Entered office with the strongest economy in US history and in less than two years turned every single economic category heading straight down.

Records and References:

At least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is not available).

AWOL from National Guard and Deserted the military during a time of war.

Refuse to take drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to my fathers library, sealed in secrecy and un-available for public view.

All records of any SEC investigations into my insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and un-available for public view.

All minutes of meetings for any public corporation I served on the board are sealed in secrecy and un-available for public view.

Any records or minutes from meetings I (or my VP) attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and un-available for public review.

For personal references please speak to my daddy or uncle James Baker (They can be reached at their offices of the Carlyle Group for war-profiteering.)

[kmc]

Most of that, Phil, was before he turned to Jesus. Therefore, it is worthless.

[Galactus]

Oh, for crying out loud, can't you come up with anything new? Any arguement becomes less valid each time it's repeated, don't go wasting that stuff.

[phil]

Junior's Administration First Term Environmental Record

A 40 pages indictment ...

www.nrdc.org/legislation/rollbacks/rr2005.pdf

[rockysigman]

The environment? What does that have to do with choking on a pretzel?

[Mary]

Speaking of doing unbelievably stupid shit, this morning I was toasting a bagel and it seemed like the bagel had been in the toaster for too long, so I went to manually pop it. And I didn't notice that my toaster had a little "pop" button on it, rather than the normal thing where you push up the same lever thing that you slide down to put the toast in the toaster to begin with. So I kept pushing up on the lever and the bagel wouldn't come out and I was getting more and more frustrated so I ripped it up as hard as I could, which caused a very hot bagel to come flying full speed ahead out of the toaster and smash me in the forehead.

I presently have a bagel-induced welt on my forehead.

Carry on.

Cheers,
M

[Mary]

But as for the issue of whether George W. Bush is an idiot - I would say yes. But even if "idiot" is too harsh and politically biased or what have you, he is clearly extremely anti-intellectual, even if he did discuss French existentialism with his advisors in Crawford. (No, really - that's what they said after he said he read The Stranger!) He's overtly and proudly hostile of nuance and complexity in his worldview. He's proud of having a simple black-and-white view of the world. He touts the fact that he never rethinks or reconsiders his commitments and ideas. This unwillingness to be self-critical, coupled by a willfully simplistic view of the world, is at the very least anti-intellectual...

...though personally I also think it's idiotic.

But then, I'm a girl with a bigass bruise on my forehead from a flying bagel, so take that for whatever it's worth.

Cheers,
M

[chrisfan]

mary said:

Speaking of doing unbelievably stupid shit, this morning I was toasting a bagel and it seemed like the bagel had been in the toaster for too long, so I went to manually pop it. And I didn't notice that my toaster had a little "pop" button on it, rather than the normal thing where you push up the same lever thing that you slide down to put the toast in the toaster to begin with. So I kept pushing up on the lever and the bagel wouldn't come out and I was getting more and more frustrated so I ripped it up as hard as I could, which caused a very hot bagel to come flying full speed ahead out of the toaster and smash me in the forehead.

I presently have a bagel-induced welt on my forehead.

Carry on.

Cheers,
M

And you think with stupid moves like that, we're going to call you Dr Mary for long? Not going to happen!