I just lost my breakfast. I need a drink.

The economy is better. Sure.
Job losses aren't bad. Sure.
America's security required removal of Saddam. Sure.
Bush relied on information from Clinton CIA appointees. Sure.
We've shown Iraq how to write a constitution. Sure.
We've set them on the path to free elections. Sure.
Mission Accomplished. Sure.
If Iraqis can't institute a democracy, it's their fault. Sure.
Bush has done his job. Boldly. Sure.


I need a drink.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/05/30/kerry_cant_win_it_but_bush_could_still_lose/


THE ICONOCLAST
Kerry can't win it, but Bush could still lose
By Mickey Edwards | May 30, 2004

snip

The first reality is that Kerry can't win. The man just has too many deficiencies, too much hyperbole, too much inconsistency. This is a candidate whose campaign publicly acknowledges that it is still looking for a theme, still trying to figure out what it's about other than its visceral dislike for George Bush. That is the reason why Bush's numbers drop, and yet the president remains easily within striking distance of reelection.

But the second reality is the one that counts. Maybe Kerry can't win, but George Bush can lose -- and in the end it all comes out the same. Sadly, for those of us who are Bush partisans, it often appears that the president seems determined to find ways to blow it.

It's not the economy. Despite the spectacle of Democrats running around waving their arms in the air and crying, "it's not enough, it's not enough," the economic recovery is indeed real, and especially so in some of the states where the presidential contest will likely be decided. Job losses were never quite as bad as Kerry made them out to be (that hyperbole again), and the recovery is better than he'll admit. All other things being equal, the economy is Bush's strength, not Kerry's.

But then there's Iraq. We're past the point of arguing whether going into Iraq was justified or not. The president, relying on information from a CIA director appointed by Bill Clinton and information gathered by an FBI still largely staffed by Clinton holdovers -- information disputed by neither Germany nor France -- decided America's security required Saddam Hussein's removal from power. That, essentially, was the mission: get rid of the perceived threat and afterwards help Iraq develop a constitutional democratic system.

Done. Saddam's gone. The threat, if there was one, is gone. We've shown them how to write a constitution and set them on the path to elections. Mission accomplished. From here on, it's Iraq's decision whether to institute a democracy or not. (Which of you reading this actually believes that we must create a democracy in Iraq because if Iraq goes democratic, Libya, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia will hold elections, too? Didn't think so.)

snip

Bush has done his job: As president, he has acted boldly and forthrightly to carry out his responsibility to defend the nation. If he can't figure out a way to move on, he may yet lose to a man who can't win.

more...

the smell emanating from this pile of shit is pretty hard to stomach!

and expose his lies. Also contact the publications sponsors. THis is utter garbage.

Is that propaganda or is that propaganda?

"We're past the point of arguing whether going into Iraq was justified or not."
"The threat, if there was one, is gone."
"We acted to remove a perceived threat to our security."
"Bush has done his job: As president, he has acted boldly and forthrightly to carry out his responsibility to defend the nation."

:crazy: we shouldn't bother worrying about what we are doing in iraq, because bush, inc acted boldy to a perceived threat, that may or may not have been real...and it's all clinton's fault anyway :puke:

must be going through the roof.

they say these things don't make them so.

an attempt to appear credible.

If Iraq wasn't such a complete fuck-up it would be more obvious. There are economic indicators that say that we're having us a recovery. Thing is, the economic indicators are completely divorced from the reality that most people have to live in. Good jobs are still scarce, career tracks are still washed out. In areas where most of the jobs are, housing prices are absolutely astronomical, leading to an interesting divide. Those who own homes already are sitting on unprecedented principal, but those who don't are either getting shut out of the market for buying or renting or making payments that are through the roof. Education is so high that people are starting to look hard at the cost/benefit of higher education. Medical care - we all know about that. And now, we have the rise in oil prices, bring up the price of everything. Groceries are up already, because you're going to feel the price of shipping right away with that, but other things will follow soon.

People aren't feeling that good or that confident. Not understanding that really hurt Bush 41 and he doesn't understand it to this day. He doesn't understand that jobs are not just a lagging economic indicator. Good jobs that keep up with the cost of living are the only important indicator for most people. When you demonstrate that you're disconnected from that reality that's going to cost you. So, they can keep cheerleading for the economy. You're not going to convince people who are having a hard time that good times are here again. Just around the corner doesn't count. You can lose your house and savings while you're waiting to turn that corner.

TIA

The biggest problem to me is the fact that wages are flat, on NPR there was an expert who said wages and raises have never been this flat compared to company profits. Add to that, rising gas and food prices, and we are getting squeezed out. Kerry should really pick up on this, a kitchen table issue if ever there was one.

"We're past the point of arguing whether going into Iraq was justified or not."
"The threat, if there was one, is gone."
"We acted to remove a perceived threat to our security."
"Bush has done his job: As president, he has acted boldly and forthrightly to carry out his responsibility to defend the nation."

The TRUTH:
"We're past the point of arguing whether going into Iraq was justified or not."
"The threat, once nonexistant, is growing every day."
"We acted to remove a perceived threat to our security, and instead created a much bigger threat through our abuses of power."
"Bush hasn't done his job: As president, he has acted badly and incompetantly to carry out his policies of imperialism to defeat the nation."

For whatever warped reason, they love to hate Kerry. Whatever they write, you can be sure the exact opposite is true. I don't pay any attention to them anymore. Had enough of them during the primaries.

... for over sixteen years ...

"...he was a senior member of the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives. While in Congress, Edwards served as the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking Republican leadership position in the House, succeeding Dick Cheney in that position.

"...Appointed by the President to the U.S. delegations to monitor elections in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, Edwards was chairman of the Republican Task Force on Central America and author of the amendment which provided U.S. military assistance to Contra forces in Nicaragua ... principal coordinator of the floor strategy for passage of legislation authorizing the use of military force in the Persian Gulf ...

"Edwards also has a wealth of non-congressional experience. He served five years as National Chairman of the American Conservative Union, was one of three founding trustees of the Heritage Foundation, was the first national chairman of the United States Global Strategy Council ...

"He is a member of the Brookings Institution Working Group on Campaign Finance Reform; a member of the Harvard Working Group on Visions of Governance for the 21st Century; Chairman of the Issues Advisory Committee for the Reagan for President Campaign (1980); Platform Committee Co-Chairman, Republican National Convention, 1980; Chairman of a Brookings Institution/Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Resources for International Affairs and on the Board of Trustees for the Council for Excellence in Government."

http://www.lordly.com/talent/lordly/EdwardsMickey.html


... I'm sure he's fair and balanced ...

I don't know what Massachusetts newspapers to read to get news from that region.

Both the Herald and Globe are rw rags.

Yup, Edwards got caught in that mess... guess it doesn't matter.
Dick Cheney did too, but no one ever mentions that.

Some conservatives in Oklahoma think Edwards has turned a little too liberal bwhahaha.

When Edwards was in the House, he was the number one supporter of the Contras.