Tuesday, September 27, 2005

 

Conservation

Yesterday, George W. Bush said:

That's why I'm confident that we will be seeing more of this in the future:



I'm confident that by tomorrow George W. Bush will have traded his usual Chevy Suburban (14 mpg) for this new Toyota Prius hybrid (60 mpg). Otherwise, he's nothing more than a hypocritical bastard. I'll await the announcement with anticipation.

Monday, September 26, 2005

 

How Bad Is It?

It's so bad that even the Washington Times has turned against Bush. Uh huh, I said the Washington Times. I know, I couldn't believe it either, but it's true. Just read the latest offering from the Times' op-ed writer Diane West:

My first reaction to this is to say, "Duh, what took you so long." But I have to stop and think that this is the same woman who has unabashedly carried the conservative water for the last four-and-a-half years. During the election, she railed against Kerry even going so far as to shudder at a Kerry victory. If it weren't considered inappropriate, I believe that she would replace her usual picture with one of her actually kissing Bush's ass.

But oh, how times have changed. As they say, the honeymoon is over. I think it's safe to say that Ms. West isn't the only one who's fallen off the Bush wagon, though. According to the latest polls, the people are jumping ship in droves. Even Faux "News" can only muster a 41% approval rating for their boy.

Naturally, this all works in the Democrats' favor for 2006. Let's hope the party leadership is smart enough to use it to their advantage.

Friday, September 23, 2005

 

Jack And Karl Sitting In A...

tree jail cell.

Not even a little surprising..

Just another example of the slimy underbelly of the Republican party and their "architect." There is no depth too deep for this administration to sink to. If it will benefit them or their friends, then integrity, honesty, and ethics be damned. Why do they continue to put themselves above the good of the nation? Must be all that unquenchable patriotism they have. Or maybe they're just greedy bastards. I don't know, it's a tough call.

Have great weekend, everybody and if you're in the path of Rita, please keep yourself safe.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

 

Buyer's Remorse

(I tried posting this last night, but blogger wasn't cooperating.)

Link:

We tried to tell them. Too bad they wouldn't listen.

Monday, September 19, 2005

 

Putting the North Korea Agreement In Perspective

The Republican puke-funnel that we call the media was all a-twitter today over the supposed "agreement" with North Korea to abandon their nuclear ambitions.

Naturally, George W. Bush was full of praise.

So what was it that got the North Koreans to sign on? Well, basically the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea have all agreed to provide North Korea with energy assisstance and have promised to discuss "at an appropriate time" the possibility of providing them with a light-water nuclear reactor.

I found all of this to be quite surprising, because back in 1994, the Clinton administration negotiated the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Agreed Framework. This was a nuclear non-proliferation agreement that would provide the North Koreans with energy assistance and...wait for it....a light-water nuclear reactor.

And what has been the conservative reaction to the Clinton administration's policy? Well, that's really no that surprising.

And when asked by Sean Hannity, Condi Rice was less than complimentary.

So excuse me if I seem a little less than enthusiastic. It's just another example of the Republican party trying to take credit for something that's already been accomplished by a Democrat.

(Just for the record - North Korea says there's no deal without the light-water reactor.)

Friday, September 16, 2005

 

Tee Hee

What a maroon!

(Ahhhhhh! I'm swamped with work!)

Thursday, September 15, 2005

 

No ________________ Left Behind

Busy, busy, busy, busy........

Today, the results of last year's NCLB testing were released. Naturally, it got me riled up again about what a waste NCLB truly is. Unfortunately, I don't have time to go into everything (nest week will be better), so I'm reposting this from back in February. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow night.

************************************

Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like if the principles of the No Child Left Behind Act were applied to other things? I hadn't really considered this until I checked my mail today and found this:

Sounds pretty ridiculous doesn't it? The worst part of this is that it's true. The goals set forth by NCLB are no more realistic than the farcical example set forth here.

This particular example ended with a statement that I think really sums up the state of education today. It said:

Sad isn't it? It's too bad that the best our country can do is to strive for mediocrity.

Thanks George!

Monday, September 12, 2005

 

What I Learned From Katrina

If I've learned anything in the Katrina aftermath, it's this:

As you long-time readers here at Truespeak know, I have a rabidly conservative relative that I spent a good portion of the past year debating. While frustrating, it was at least educational to understand the workings of the Republican mind. Scary, but educational.

Over and over again I was told that the problem with liberals is that we rely on the government for help. According to the conservative view, the government can not help anyone. A person's success and ultimate lot in life can only be determined by themselves. While there is a grain of truth to the notion that we each control our own destiny, it's much more complex than this. Of course, Republicans like to see things in black and white terms. With them it's all right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, up vs. down. However, I have seen very few things in life that are all black and white. There are almost always shades of gray. But for Republicans, gray is bad. Gray means indecision. Gray can be confusing. One could make the case that Democrats spend too much time focusing on the gray areas of things, but I believe that it's the gray areas were the truth can be found.

Now let's take a look at Katrina and its aftermath. For the first three days, the people of New Orleans were left to themselves. According to the Republican M.O., this is the way it should be. They like to call it "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps." But what happened during those first three days? Death, starvation, lawlessness, chaos. Since the government has stepped in, the situation is now improving. Funny how that happens.

Now I'm not advocating the government's intervention into all aspects of our lives, but there is a point in almost everyone's life when they need a helping hand and it's the duty of our government to be there for them. It's not a handout. It's not charity. It's compassion. As it says at the top of this page, the first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful. It's a matter of looking out for the least of us. Ironically, it's a Christian principle. The Republican's approach of every man for himself leaves the weak and powerless vulnerable. This is not the way of America. This was not the intention of our forefathers.

If we can't look out for those among us who need our help, we are truly a heartless nation. To help a person in need is noble. To turn your back and ignore the problem while blaming the victim is shameful. Shame on them.

Friday, September 09, 2005

 

Whew! What A Week!

Boy oh boy. When it rains it pours for the Bush administration. What a week they've had. Just today, Michael Brown was relieved of his duties as the overseer of the relief effort along the Gulf Coast and Colin Powell slammed the government's response to the disaster. On top of that, two new polls spell bad news for George. The latest AP/IPSOS (PDF) shows that George has fallen through the forties and landed hard at 39% approval. (More on this later.) The other poll, from CBS News, shows that 60 % disapprove of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and 58% believe that we should begin withdrawing our troops, including 43% of the Republicans polled. And that's just today.

Also this week, we had Michael Brown's padded resume, Bush's firefighter props, and Barbra Bush's callous comments. And that's just off the top of my head. I can only imagine Karl Rove pulling out what's left of his hair as he watches everything he's worked for turn to shit around him.

But let's get back to that AP/IPSOS poll, shall we? It's not a pretty picture.

Too bad this is about nine months too late. But 2006 is starting to look better and better. Bush is truly becoming an albatross for the rest of the party. They've backed him unconditionally for so long, it's going to be fun watching them try to distance themselves over the next fifteen months. I get some perverse pleasure from watching Republicans squirm and eat their own. Does that make me a bad person? I sure hope not.

Have a good weekend!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

 

Another Meme

The Rules

Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog's name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross pollenation effect.

1. Simply Coll
2. Canadian Expatriates
3. Funcentral
4. Left of Centrist
5. Truespeak

Next: Select four new friends to add to the pollen count. (No one is obligated to participate and anyone can play if they want to).

1. oldwhitelady
2. Jesse
3. Ickabod
4. wanda

The Meme:

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was student teaching and glad that I'd never have to see George W. Bush again. (I'd moved from Texas in 1994)

What were you doing 5 years ago?

Raising a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old and praying that I'd never have to see George W. Bush again.

What were you doing one year ago?

Preparing to take 80 high school kids to Florida and praying that I'd never have to see George W. Bush again.

What were you doing yesterday?

Selling my extra pair of Green Day tickets on ebay.

Five snacks you enjoy

Trail mix
Popcorn
Cheese
Baked chips
Cold cereal

Five songs I know all the words to


Pick any five KISS songs

Five things you would do if you had a million dollars

Become debt free
Help my family to become debt free
Invest for my kids' education
Buy a '52 Telecaster
Donate a lot to charity

Five things you like doing

Spending time with my family
Blogging
Teaching
Performing
Watching sports

Five bad habits

Blogging
Speaking my mind
Being messy
Cussing
Not listening

Five things I would never wear again

Parachute pants
Big collars
Boot-cut jeans
Speedos
Tightie-whities

Five favorite toys

Computer
iPod
Guitars
Sound equipment
Power tools

 

CYA (Cover Your Ass)

As the Republican party goes into Double-super-duper-extra-secret-CYA mode, the phrase of the day seems to be "blame game." Every Republican suit and AM blowhard is repeating "blame game" ad nauseam. Things like, "Now is not the time to play the blame game," or "There will be plenty of time to play the "blame game" when the situation is under control." Well I don't know about them, but I've never viewed accountability as a game.

As a school teacher, I'm accountable every day. I'm accountable for my kids' safety, well being, and education. If I fail at that job, I'm held accountable. If all hell breaks loose in my classroom and I don't do anything about it, I have to face the music. Imagine, if you will, what would happen if there was a fight in my room that I knew was going to happen three days before it took place and I had done nothing to prevent it. I'd be in major trouble. Now I'm not implying that the Bush administration could have done anything to prevent Hurricane Katrina, but when Katrina hit Florida on Thursday and the forecasters were predicting that it would pick up intensity before hitting New Orleans and the Gulf coast, they could have begun preparing.

While I will admit that some of the preparations made by the state and local government do appear to have been lacking, the federal government's plan was nonexistent. The only plan that appears to have been well thought out is the CYA plan that they are now employing. Think Progress has provided us with a referenced timeline that puts the whole thing into perspective.

So the question is, if now's not the time to play the "blame game," when will it be time to hold people accountable? And if now's not the time to play the "blame game," why do I see so many Republicans blaming the Democratic leadership in Louisiana but not the Republican leadership of Mississippi and Alabama? In my opinion, the time for accountability is now. We can't stop the hurricanes, but we can minimize the death and disease. By not holding the responsible parties accountable, we're simply dooming more people to die for our government's unwillingness to admit fault. George's pride has already killed too many people as it is. We can't take any more.

Monday, September 05, 2005

 

"There's An Old Saying In Tennessee..."

...-- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."

Maybe George is smarter than we're giving him credit for. More and more these days, it looks like the American people are saying, "Sorry George, can't get fooled again."

Back in 2001, on September 14, the American people were fooled for the first time. As the saying goes, shame on us. We saw George on that pile of rubble with the bullhorn and his arm around a relief worker and we listened as he promised us all that we would get those responsible. His approval ratings soared above 90% in the days following those remarks and everybody seemed to forget that it took him three days to get there. It was okay though, because he promised we'd get the people responsible.

As time went by it became more an more clear just exactly who it was that we were after. We sent troops into Afghanistan after the Taliban refused to cooperate and we set out to find the villians. Long story short, we're still looking because George got greedy. Now were approaching 1900 dead soldiers in a country that had nothing to do with the original mission and those people that George promised to bring to justice are still at large.

So I'm not surprised that in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, he's having a difficult time convincing people that he really means what he says. People just aren't buying it.

I guess you could say she's been fooled once already. She's not going to let it happen twice.

In the aftermath of 9/11 the people trusted George. They saw his dusty boots and they heard his tough words and they were comforted. They bought into the image and he was able to milk it for almost four full years. But unfortunately for George there's no pile of rubble for him to climb on this time. This time, there's only water. And I'm afraid he's going to have to start walking on it before anyone buys his bullshit again.

Friday, September 02, 2005

 

When The Going Gets Tough...

the Bush administration passes the buck.

In the tried and true method of Rove and the rest, FEMA director Michael Brown has passed the responsibility for the plight of the New Orleans hurricane victims to the victims themselves.

Shame on him. The majority of the people still in New Orleans are there because they couldn't get out of town. It's estimated that more than 100,000 people in the city don't own vehicles and rely upon public transportation. Over half of the children in the city live below the poverty line. They simply couldn't afford to get out. But hey, who needs reality, right? It's easier to spin when you don't have to face the facts.

Well I say, "Shame on you Michael Brown. Shame on you and the rest of your agency for trying to pass the blame for your failures onto the victims. They've suffered enough already. They don't need to bear the blame for your ineptitude on top of that."

Contact FEMA and let them know that you won't stand for this. Let them know that the behavior of their director is unacceptable and shameful.

FEMAOPA@dhs.gov

FEMA
500 C Street
SW Washington, D.C. 20472
Phone: (202) 566-1600



A little moment of Zen for your weekend: The kissfans went out to eat this evening and the restaurant we were in was showing Fox News. As I watched the broadcast without sound, I was paying close attention to what was being printed on the screen. In their coverage of Katrina, one of the segments sported the title "Worse Then 9/11?" I think that pretty much sums it all up, right there. What a bunch of losers!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 01, 2005

 

Deja Vu All Over Again (Part II)

Today George W. Bush said the following:

Unfortunately for him, someone did anticipate it and it was his very own Federal Emergency Management Agency. Back in December of 2001, New Orleans was considered one of the "three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country." And the levees were of major concern as this article from the Houston Chronicle points out.

Pretty prophetic, huh? They even make reference to the town being under twenty feet of water and survivors being evacuated to Houston.

But this type of statement is par for the course with the Bush administration. When something you've ignored develops into a disaster, claim that it couldn't have been forseen. It reminds me of a certain PDB from about four years ago.

Is there any doubt left? This is clearly an incompetent administration.

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