Truespeak

I want to apologize for the sporadic and often-times brief posts this past week. I have been extremly busy with school activities and some volunteer work. I am currently volunteering my time to assist a philanthropic organization that has donated significant sums of money to my school's fine arts programs. After this weekend, I should be free to return to my blogging responsibilities on a more regular basis.

That being said, there are a few things that I need to catch up on.

Between Windsurfing and Goose Hunting

Back in August, the Bush/Cheney campaign pounced on photographs of John Kerry windsurfing saying that it was proof that he was out-of-touch with the average American. According to them, windsurfing is a rich-kid recreation that most people can not relate to. This week, the Bush/Cheney campaign wasted no time in ridiculing Kerry about his recent hunting trip, claiming it was nothing more than a photo-op. (I know, the irony behind B/C ridiculing someone for a photo-op is staggering, but that could be a whole other post by itself.) So apparently, the message here is that Kerry is out-of-touch when he windsurfs but not genuine enough when he hunts.

I think it's time the Kerry/Edwards campaign shot back. The ad could go something like this:

(Black screen w/ voice-over)
Announcer: George Bush and Dick Cheney have criticized Senator Kerry for his choice of recreational activities.

(picture fades in)

Announcer:They have made fun of him for windsurfing.

(picture fades out)

(picture fades in)

Announcer: They have made fun of him for hunting.

(picture fades out)

Announcer: Maybe it's time we start looking a little more closely at the President's recreational habits.

(picture fades in)


Announcer: Isn't it time we had a President that can maintain some balance in his life?

John Kerry: I'm John Kerry and I approved this message.

I know, it's a little juvenile but come on, look at who we're up against here. I think it would be hysterical to listen to Hannity and his band of Dick (Cheney) sucking buddies lose their minds over this one.

The Politics of Fear

According to the Bush/Cheneyites, John Kerry has been running a campaign of fear. Silly me, I thought that telling the truth about a worsening outlook for the economy, the war in Iraq, healthcare, and deficits would be considered honest. Apparently, I'm going to have to consult my dictionary to see what fear means.

In an attempt to clear up the confusion about who is really running a campaign of fear, I would like to offer the following examples:

"The biggest threat we face now as a nation is the possibility of terrorists ending up in the middle of one of our cities with deadlier weapons than have ever before been used against us _ biological agents or a nuclear weapon or a chemical weapon of some kind to be able to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans." - Dick Cheney

"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on November 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States, and that we'll fall back into the pre-9/11 mind-set, if you will, that in fact these terrorist attacks are just criminal acts and that we're not really at war." - Dick Cheney

"So if John Kerry had been in charge, maybe the Soviet Union would still be in business." - Dick Cheney

"In 1991, John Kerry voted against sending troops to expel Saddam Hussein after he invaded Kuwait. So if John Kerry had been in charge, Saddam Hussein might well control the Persian Gulf today." - Dick Cheney

"In an increasingly dangerous world, even after the first terrorist attack on America, John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America's intelligence budget by $6 billion. Cuts so deep they would have weakened America's defenses. And weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm." - dialogue from the latest Bush/Cheney campaign ad entitled "Dogs"

I think it's perfectly clear which campaign is indeed engaging in the politics of fear.

And finally....

What's the Difference?

I know this is kind of old news, but can someone please explain to me the difference between the following two photographs.



With the exception of the actual person in the photo, all I see is two politicians trying to whore out the military for a photo-op.


Only ten more days!