“But we are unable to endorse President Bush for re-election because of his mishandling of the war in Iraq, his record deficit spending, his assault on open government and his failed promise to be a “uniter not a divider” within the United States and the world.”

Bush supporters are knowingly voting for a proven incompetent. What an unbelievably stupid decision. Reap, meet sow.

That being said, some of me wants Bush to win, because digging yourselves out this hole is going to be almost impossible. Talk about working with your hands tied.

From http://www.southknoxbubba.net/skblog/:

Update of the Bush Record of Accomplishments:

Rigged an election (and went crying to the Supreme Court when he got caught) in conspiracy with brother Jeb in Florida to take office.

Appointed an administration made up of former executives and government officials who helped Saddam develop WMD, were involved in illegal arms sales, traded with the enemy in violation of U.S. law, and whose companies now profit from war by way of billions in no-bid contracts paid for by American taxpayers.

Stonewalled GAO and Congress request for documents relating to Enron influence of Federal Energy Policy.

Representing party of smaller government and less Federal spending, created largest bureaucracy in U.S. history and signed largest entitlement spending program in U.S. history.

As compared to the day Bush took office nearly four years ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 6% two weeks before his reelection bid. Historically, the stock market is expected to gain 10% to 12% per year over the long term.

The S&P 500, the index generally regarded as the most representative of the markets and our economy, is down 17% since the day Bush took office.

The technology (jobs of the future!) focused NASDAQ composite is down 31% since the day Bush took office.

Presided over an increase in consumer debt to all time record high of over $2 trillion and an increase in personal bankruptcy filings to an all time high of 1.6 million households in 2003.

Despite taking over after the longest and largest economic expansion in U.S. history, presided over the loss of more than three million jobs, with nearly nine million people out of work.

Has proposed no jobs programs, instead relying on tax cuts to stimulate the economy (see above for how that’s working out). His policies have created only a fraction of the jobs he promised.

Bush is the first president in over seventy years since the Great Depression to preside over a net loss of jobs.

Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy have put a strain on the middle class and working poor. With cuts in programs at Federal, state, and local levels and dramatic increases in tuition and health care and energy costs, most families are worse off than before the tax cuts, especially the ones who have lost their jobs or their health insurance.

On Bush’s “compassionate conservative” watch, more people are living in poverty. 1.3 million people fell into poverty during 2003 alone. Nearly 36 million are now living in poverty in the U.S. The poverty rate among children is the highest it has been in ten years.

Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy could pay for hiring all nine million people out of work and pay them $40K for two years instead of benefiting wealthy.

Presided over the largest trade deficit in U.S. history, a record $489 billion in 2003, while the value of the dollar has reached an all time low against the Euro and the Yen. The trade deficit for 2004 is expected to hit a new record of $590 billion, an increase of 19% in the past year alone. Bush’s trade deficits represent millions of American jobs going overseas.

Began privatization of Medicare disguised as prescription drug benefit.

Lied to Congress and the American people about the cost of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, intimidates government employees to cover it up.

The cost of health insurance has risen nearly 40% on Bush’s watch and overall health care costs have risen by about 50%. Meanwhile, HMOs and insurance and pharmaceutical companies cut back services and rack up huge profits and their CEOs enjoy huge multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses. More than 44 million people are now without health insurance in America, including nearly 10 million children. Five million people have lost their health insurance on Bush’s watch.

Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy would fund health insurance for all 45 million uninsured Americans, including nearly ten million uninsured children.

Pushed legislation to eliminate overtime pay for up to eight million American working people.

Pushed legislation to limit medical malpractice claims to $250K, even if an incompetent doctor kills your wife or cuts off your legs instead of removing your appendix.

Installed a new Senate majority leader with ties to health care industry to shepherd through legislation benefiting corporate insurance and pharmaceutical pals.

Pushed legislation to limit bankruptcy protections for consumers targeted by predatory lenders, but proposes no reforms for rogue corporations such as Enron that blow off creditors, employees, and investors at pennies on the dollar.

Despite inheriting an $80 billion surplus from the Clinton administration, Bush turned it into a projected $2 trillion deficit with tax cuts, war, and out of control spending. The deficit for 2004 alone hit a new all time record high of $413 billion, a nearly 10% increase in one year.

Gutted clean air regulations, allowing utilities and factories to continue polluting the atmosphere, calling it “Clear Skies”.

Rolled back environmental reviews and opens national forests up to the logging industry, calling it “Healthy Forests”.

Rolled back wetlands protection, reducing or eliminating regulations prohibiting pollution of wetlands, calls it “Clean Water Act”.

Rolled back wilderness protections, opening up wilderness areas to logging, mining, other development.

Despite bizarre rhetoric about a manned mission to Mars and Pentagon ideas for “Space Cadets” armed with ray guns, has virtually abandoned the U.S. manned space program, which is currently without a manned space flight capability.

Opposes, on moral grounds, stem cell research that could lead to cures for previously incurable diseases, despite the fact that embryos are routinely destroyed (or “killed” as Bush would say) every day during in vitro fertilization procedures. In fact, Bush feels so strongly about stem cell research that it was the subject of one of his rare television addresses to the American people, which occurred the day after he received an intelligence briefing entitled “Bin Laden determined to strike in US” (one month before he did). Bush’s “faith-based science” policies ignore advances in modern science.

Lack of oversight of the pharmaceutical industry as a result of the administration’s close ties with the industry resulted in a flu vaccine shortage and rationing. Bush stood before the American people and lied about the most recent problems, saying the contaminated flu vaccine was provided by a British company and U.S. officials prevented it from being imported. In fact, an American company produced it at a factory in England, and British officials caught it and alerted the U.S. who did nothing to secure an alternate supply.

Blames trial lawyers for the flu vaccine shortage, but the fact is that many companies have gotten out of the vaccine business because it is not profitable. And as we all know, profits, not people, drive health care in Bush’s America.

Promotes school vouchers to take taxpayer money away from public education and give it to wealthy families to send their kids to private and mostly religious schools. Bush has refused to fully fund his only education initiative, in effect setting public education up for failure by his artificially imposed standards.

Adopted the Project for a New American Century’s strategy paper on Rebuilding America’s Defenses as the official U.S. National Security policy, a policy that calls for imperialist expansion in the middle east and hopes for a national catastrophe “on the scale of Pearl Harbor” to awaken the public to the dangers posed by not adopting this policy. Bush hires most of its authors to run the Pentagon and develop defense policy.

The worst terrorist attack in history, and the worst attack on U.S. soil occurred on the Bush administration’s watch, and Bush undermined efforts to investigate mounting evidence of numerous warnings that could have prevented it.

Claims there was no advance warning of the 9/11 attacks and there was no way they could have envisioned terrorists hijacking planes and flying them into buildings. A month before the attacks, received (while on vacation) a report entitled “Bin Laden determined to strike in US.” The report mentioned plans to hijack aircraft and al-Qaeda surveillance of Federal buildings in New York City.

Claims counter-terrorism was a top priority in the early months of his administration. Bush proposed no counter-terrorism policies or initiatives, and rarely discussed counter-terrorism in any of his official speeches or press conferences prior to 9/11. In fact, al-Qaeda was mentioned only once during the course of any of Bush’s official duties, when he renewed Clinton’s executive order imposing sanctions against the Taliban.

Signed the “Patriot Act” that limits civil liberties and violates the Bill of Rights contained within the Constitution he took an oath to protect and defend.

Presided over illegal arrest and detention and physical abuse of criminal suspects, who are held in secret without benefit of counsel or any charges.

Made speeches and signed laws promising more funding for shipping container inspections at U.S. ports to look for nukes and other WMD, then eliminated funding from budget.

Allowed North Korean sale of Scud missiles to Yemen.

Made a deal with Iranian terrorist organization.

Conducted a “preventive”, unprovoked military invasion of sovereign state resulting in over 1000 U.S. military casualties and thousands of civilian deaths. He deceived Congress, the UN Security Council, and the American people using “sexed-up” intelligence to justify the invasion.

Claimed two trailers used to make hydrogen for balloons, a vial of botox in some guy’s refrigerator, and some junk buried in some guy’s rose garden are “proof” of Iraqi WMD “programs”, or as they are later termed in his State of the Union, “weapons of mass destruction related program activities”.

When U.S. weapons inspectors cannot find 25,000 liters of anthrax, 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent, tens of thousands of chem/bio warheads, and an advanced nuclear weapons program in Iraq and say that in fact they probably never existed despite Bush telling Congress and the American people they posed a “grave danger” and Rumsfeld saying “we know where they are” and Powell showing the U.N. pictures of them, Bush says “What’s the difference?” and blames it on faulty intelligence. Report after report comes out saying Bush was wrong on WMD so he continues to change his justifications for the war.

Presided over serious abuses, including the alleged torture, rape, and murder, of prisoners of war in violation of the Geneva Convention at a notorious Iraqi prison formerly used by Saddam to torture, rape, and murder prisoners. Rumsfeld approved some sort of “enhanced” interrogation techniques and Bush was aware of it because of the Pentagon’s request for a legal analysis of whether the Geneva Convention applied. They now claim it was just a few bad apples engaging in some fraternity prank type activity.

Proposed sweeping cuts in veteran’s benefits, instructs Veteran’s Administration to deceive veterans with regard to benefits available.

Dressed in fighter pilot costume and flew military jet to aircraft carrier for stunt landing and political fundraising/campaign event despite having ticket pulled and being grounded for failing to take required physical and drug test and being curiously absent from his post during the Vietnam conflict.

Declares victory in Iraq, yet soldiers die in Iraq every day, half the country has no electricity or water, attempts to install democracy failing miserably, WMD cannot be found, neither can Osama.

Has destroyed American respect and credibility around the world. Unable to get assistance from France, Germany, or India to provide troops for additional security and peacekeeping in Iraq.

Administration is under investigation for illegally leaking the name of a covert CIA agent in retaliation for her husband exposing lies about Iraq’s nuclear weapons program. The CIA demanded an investigation after Bush’s denials. A Grand Jury has been convened to pursue criminal charges, and several key Bush administration officials have been subpoenaed to testify. Karl Rove was subpoenaed to testify just this week, two weeks before the election.

Proposes development of tactical nuclear weapons in violation of 1992 Senate ban which Bush worked to repeal.

Says nuclear weapons nonproliferation is a “centerpiece” of his war on terror, yet he is pursuing development of new nuclear weapons systems, withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, and does not support ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty.

According to a biographer, Bush believes that he was selected by God to lead America and had preachers come to the Governor’s mansion in Texas to “lay hands” on him and pray for his future during his campaign.

Appoints as U.S. Attorney General a fundamentalist Christian who believes he receives divine guidance directly from God and anoints himself with Crisco and who was defeated by a dead man in his failed U.S. Senate election campaign.

Pushed legislation to fund faith based social programs, Congress rejected it, so Bush issued executive order (his first) to allow Federally Funded local and state programs to hire or fire based on religion or ideology and to promote religion as part of delivering services.

Declined an invitation to the NAACP convention, but addresses Southern Baptist Convention by satellite, calling them faithful servants and praying for them, while they adopt a policy that “homosexuals can find freedom from this sinful, destructive lifestyle” by accepting Jesus as their savior.

Comments on Supreme Court homosexual rights decision, saying “marriage should be between a man and a woman”. Proposed a constitutional amendment in the State of the Union address to eliminate civil rights for an entire segment of the population.

Sends letter to Supreme Court urging them to strike down Affirmative Action programs, celebrates Strom Thurmond’s “remarkable life” and says he was a friend.

Allows cabinet member in charge of education to call American teachers “terrorists” and get away with it.

Promises not to use 9/11 for politics, releases campaign TV ads showing firemen carrying remains of victims from ground zero.

Accused Kerry of “flip-flopping” by voting for an $87 billion defense appropriation and then against it, thereby denying troops the supplies and ammunition they need in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fails to mention that the version Kerry voted for included additional funding for veteran’s benefits and that the version Kerry voted against had these provisions removed after Bush threatened to veto the bill if they weren’t.

Accuses Kerry of voting against defense spending and weapons systems, when in fact it was then Secretary of Defense and now Vice President Dick Cheney who opposed the spending and complained that Congress was making him buy weapons systems he didn’t need.

Despite being at war around the world and under constant threat of terrorist attack at home, Bush has spent 40% of his presidency on vacation, including the entire month of August before the 9/11 attacks.

Spending more than $200 million to get re-elected against a challenger the GOP says is unelectable.

In summary, it would seem that President Bush’s record does not match his rhetoric. We can do better. The American People deserve better.

Posted by: Vince at October 19, 2004 12:39 PM

Vince are you saying that these things Bush did are Bad?

Like for example blowing off the NAACP a vituperative bunch of race/poverty pimps whose allegiance was proved in the last election?

Good for Bush for not addressing this unruly rabble. Hopefully blacks will notice and delegitimize these scoundrels.

There was in fact one weapons system that Cheney and Kerry agreed should be cut. All the others Kerry was on his own. Kerry simply can’t run from his peace nik record.

Kerry screwed up by not voting for the 87 billion. Period Paragraph

Affirmative action is now doing more harm than good. Like many well intentioned liberal nitwit ideas affirmative action is simply not necessary and is further dividing america along racial lines.

Amending the constituition is no simple matter but if there is no other way to keep a small group of renegade judges from imposing their will on the vast majority of Americans, then We’ll have to amend. Vince just look at the voting results in states where marriage defense initiatives are on the ballot.

We don’t want gay marriage. If you do, please extend a welcome to American gays so they may relocate to your fine country.

What’s the left so afraid of? Why does the idea of faithful people doing good work scare you so? Let’s think about this practically shall we? Here in the states many of the hospitals and related charity organizations have been in business for years and years. The catholic church has been doing faith based initiative for what, a thousand years?

Given the abject failure of the government run social programs, why not try another approach? Ever heard of einstein’s definition of insanity? Well for America to continue to sink money into the current failed system is insane.

As for the “respect” for Americans internationally, why the F word would we care what the French and Germans think of us? Of what possible consequence in our daily lives is the opinions of the Euroweenies?

It’s simple Vince, people without power resent when people with power exercise it. If you’ll recall the idiot germans demonstrated against the installation of pershing II missiles. A tactic that forced the soviet union to respond. Where’s the Soviet Union now? For that matter where’s Germany now?

So stick a baguette in it Vince.

Posted by: skip at October 19, 2004 01:28 PM

Hey, riddle me this, skip:

Q. How do you tell when a Canadian doesn’t like your President?

A. Who cares?

Posted by: Ebonic Plague at October 19, 2004 04:12 PM

Right ON EP, the Vince guy gets no props at all. Vince doesn’t see us writing a bunch of misleading crap about the Canadian prime minister, whoever he is.

And how do the canadians feel about their current lack of military assets? A country that used to boast one of the best navies in the world now sees it’s place in the “anglosphere” taken by the stalwart Aussies.

Euroweenies on our northern border!!! Imagine that!!! Thankfully they’re completely irrelevant.

Posted by: skip at October 19, 2004 04:29 PM

Holy Canadian nutjob, Batman! I thought that was Dubyus fer sure! Vince, you can’t expect me to actually spend 5 minutes reading through that exhaustingly long diatribe? My goodness. I’ve got better things to do. Like taking a crap, for one.

Posted by: jackhammer at October 19, 2004 06:33 PM

OHHHHH, Vince is Canadian! That makes sense, he should preface his vitriolic rantings with a disclaimer stating such. Nice of him though to provide me with somthing at which I can point and laugh…namely him.

Posted by: CRITIQULE at October 19, 2004 08:42 PM

While we’re waiting for Vince to take a breath, here’s my favorite:

[Allowed North Korean sale of Scud missiles to Yemen.]

You all remember that day right, when Kim Jong Il came by the White House and asked it if was okay?

What about diaper rash, Vince, isn’t Bush responsible for diaper rash as well?

You forgot diaper rash, you cute little Canadian, you.

Posted by: torpedo_eight at October 19, 2004 09:35 PM

Oh yeah, Yemen……..The Yemenese (?) Government is our ally, and um we had no legal authority sieze the damn scuds.

A weapon that doesn’t “work” nearly well enough to fit the definition of the word anyways.

Or is it that you think by violating international law we would have further endeared ourselves with the french ad-ilk.

Canada is the Crazy Aunt in Americas attic.

Posted by: CRITIQULE at October 19, 2004 10:48 PM

I can’t help but notice that, again, the responses here lean more toward hollow name-calling and rhetoric than anything close to rebuttal by debate, or perhaps even calling up records and measured response. While I think that Vince leans a little dramatic in his post, nothing there deserved the responses he got here. Skip at least tried, a very little, to have some plausibility to his reply. Is it that hard to read through a post (and many of you here have left looooooong posts, to be fair) and if you’re going to reply to it at all at least be cogent? At least have a point beyond “oh, he’s Canadian!” which is juvenile and, frankly, stupid, at best?

How hard is it to address things in the spirit of intelligent debate? If it’s that hard….isn’t it just jingo windbagging? I mean, why post at all? There are plenty of self-congratulatory masturbators here, but how often is there any substance? I find it pretty rare, with the expository “oh yeah! he’s a so-and so!” being by far the more common reply. And what’s the point of that? Tell your dog, or yell that crap at the tv…why post it here?

Posted by: Jatsby at October 19, 2004 11:34 PM

And don’t forget….the French are covering our collective asses right now with their flu shots; they’re working to cover over the English for their Chiron mistake. I guess a lot of the new flu shots coming over should be called “Freedom Shots” since y’all would find it hard to say how nice it is of the French to cover our backs…..

Posted by: Jatsby at October 20, 2004 12:20 AM

Jatsby do you think that:

“self-congratulatory masturbators”, “juvenile” & “stupid” could be considered “hollow name-calling”?

Vinces emotional epiphany of liberal rhetoric, was SO fraught with inaccuracies, half truths and inuendo that it was hard to know where to begin. It just seemed easier, and frankly more satisfying to berate the man.

Posted by: CRITIQULE at October 20, 2004 01:52 AM

I, for one, would be reluctant to take a flu shot that was manufactured in France. My fear is that three days later I’ll have an irresistable urge to wear a beret and abandon the basic precepts of daily hygene.

And yes, I agree with the other posters here that Vince’s post was so lacking in content that there was simply no reason to respond to it. Better to take on the author who not only lacks insight but validity as well.

Still, one must wonder what has become of modern Canada. Anybody who wishes to see what Kerry and Co would do to American, given half a chance, must needs only attend to the fecklessness of our northern neighbor.

Posted by: skip at October 20, 2004 10:22 AM

Jatsby, Allow me to interrupt your “self-congratulatory” masturbations long enough to opine that you have no moral high ground to which to stand.

Flu shots are beyond worthless and the best way yet medicine has found to introduce aluminum, phenol and mercury into the bloodstream. My own in-laws were deathly ill last year after their shots, the only time they were sick all year. France doesn’t cover anyone’s butt but their own and they’d sell their grandmother to the Arabs if the price is right.

I’m also sick to death of sanctimonious Canadians who spend less on defense than Luxembourgh lecturing Ameicans on morality and the ‘right thing’ when their safety and security is virtually assured because they sleep just to the north of us. I suppose ‘moral superiority’ is all they have, so they wave it like a flag every chance they get. Imagine having your nose out of joint perpetually - that’s Canada.

Maybe giving self-righteous Canadians the air is juvenile and stupid, but so are they. I’m tired of hearing from them and how Bush is responsible for Dutch Elm disease. It’s gets old - fast.

And you’d better move out of that glass house of yours in short order. Or put down your brick.

Posted by: torpedo_eight at October 20, 2004 10:50 AM

Vince reminds me of a few other posters here, but he definitely took BreakingWind to a new level with that last one.

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at October 21, 2004 07:59 AM