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 January 17, 2007
SACRIFICE....George Bush talks to Jim Lehrer about sacrifice and the Iraq war:
Jeebus. Is Bush getting even worse with every passing day? I swear, he can hardly open his mouth these days without saying something so dumb and tin-eared it just makes your jaw drop. It's like reading the second half of "Flowers for Algernon." —Kevin Drum 11:49 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (225)Comments
"Is Bush getting even worse with every passing day?" No, he's always been an incompetent shithead. Posted by: cazart on January 17, 2007 at 12:01 PM | PERMALINKAmericans of all political stripes should view this clarion call for sacrifice as nothing less than an obscenity. Not just because the President's escalation supports no strategic military objective or because the vast majority of Americans oppose it, but because Bush's call for sacrifice comes five years too late. A quick comparison to FDR, an earlier president facing wartime crisis, shows why. For the comparison, see: If fighting in Iraq is as important to the future of the world as President Bush says, why doesn't Tony Blair and the Brits (and most of the rest of the Coalition of the Willing for that matter) support the surge? Posted by: pj in jesusland on January 17, 2007 at 12:04 PM | PERMALINK...and we're sacrificing peace of mind at this moment knowing there's a dunderhead in the White House. Posted by: rusrus on January 17, 2007 at 12:04 PM | PERMALINKBush is not getting dumber. 'Twas ever thus. Remember, all the liberal hawks endorsed W's view and integrity over Al Gore's. Posted by: Gore/Edwards 08 on January 17, 2007 at 12:06 PM | PERMALINKYeah but Algernon wasn't a sociopath...
Is Bush getting even worse with every passing day? Hard to say. His public statements are certainly getting worse (loss of "peace of mind" equivalent to getting your legs blown off by an IED??!!), but there's no way to know if this is just a more candid expression of the world view he's always held, or if it's evidence that he's heading towards some imminent psychotic break. Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 12:11 PM | PERMALINKBy the same token, my peace of mind was destroyed when my wife forced me to watch Legally Blonde. My God, the sacrifices I make! Posted by: ajl on January 17, 2007 at 12:13 PM | PERMALINKBe fair - the guy's never actually had to sacrifice anything in his sixty-odd years of privileged, cosseted, bailed-out-by-Dad's-buddies life. Of course he has a tin ear about such things. Besides, to GWB, watching the news is a sacrifice in a very real sense. The news increasingly is absolute proof that he's screwed up yet again, and it terrifies him. I'm very glad I'm not George w. Bush. Posted by: Paul or the Giant Rabbit on January 17, 2007 at 12:13 PM | PERMALINKthink a lot of people are in this fight. I mean, they sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night. I swear, he can hardly open his mouth these days without saying something so dumb and tin-eared it just makes your jaw drop. Hah? Why Kevin? Is it because you aren't sacrificing your peace of mind when you see American soldiers killed by terrorists because leftists like yourself are rooting for America to fail in Iraq? Yeah, that makes sense. Posted by: Al on January 17, 2007 at 12:13 PM | PERMALINKso clearly, if our country took the advice of, say, the commenters at Protein Wisdom, and required the media to show only nice images from Iraq, we wouldn't even have to suffer from unpeaceful minds! Posted by: cleek on January 17, 2007 at 12:14 PM | PERMALINKIs Bush getting even worse with every passing day? No. But the deferential attitude of the media is progressively eroding, and revealing what's always been there. This statement isn't stupid. It's plainly George Bush's way of endorsing the media's gloomy portrayal of events in Iraq. In fact, he's demanding that the coverage become gloomier, so as to sacrifice more of Mr. & Mrs. America's peace of mind. Posted by: Grumpy on January 17, 2007 at 12:17 PM | PERMALINKOne of the scarier things about the current Bush WH is that they don't seem to care anymore how what they do or say is perceived. Bush's comment is just an example of that sloppiness. Another example of their indifference to perception is the current systematic firing of the DOJ lawyers. If the WH had any concern about political "optics", they would not have engaged in such a ham-handed act of revenge. The WH now looks like a team that knows it's lost its political clout irretrievably, and is just doing and saying what it feels like doing and saying. Acting out on vile impulses is a perfectly OK thing to do, from their point of view, because they have nothing to lose. And if there's anything obvious about Bush's personality, it's that he's a truly petulant and spiteful man, with a chip on his shoulder that grows by the day. These last two years are not going to be pretty. Posted by: frankly0 on January 17, 2007 at 12:18 PM | PERMALINKJust wondering if you're still a fan of "24". Posted by: Cyn2 on January 17, 2007 at 12:18 PM | PERMALINKLehrer is a bad example, being the obedient lapdog he is, but I swear I am starting to hear some actual questioning of authority from the MSM. Reporters and anchors may not yet be challenging shrub to his face, but a few are actually following up with "that was not correct" or "the report actually states" or "in fact, what happened was." Way too little way too late - and they're probably rediscovering their ability to bite just in time to make life hell for the Democratic candidates. Funny how the pendulum swings are always timed so that republican presidents get all the slobbery kisses from the MSM and Democratic ones get all the rabid bites. Posted by: Yellow Dog on January 17, 2007 at 12:18 PM | PERMALINKIf the sanitized versions of the war which are allowed national coverage cause anguish, imagine what more visceral views would do. But is he worse? Yes, because now that he is a lame duck, his handlers are letting him talk off script more. Maybe the goal is to make any other Republican look more presidential than this guy???? Posted by: ml on January 17, 2007 at 12:20 PM | PERMALINKHah? Why Kevin? Is it because you aren't sacrificing your peace of mind when you see American soldiers killed by terrorists because leftists like yourself are rooting for America to fail in Iraq? Yeah, that makes sense. Nice try Al, but what's at issue is the equivalency of this "sacrifice" with what the soldiers are being asked to do and with the sacrifices asked of the homefront during previous wars. This is the only president in history to engage in a war without levying taxes to support it contemporaneously with fighting it. Why is that? Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 12:20 PM | PERMALINKKevin, thank you for high-lighting this. When I heard the interview, that exchange immediately grabbed my attention. I thought it was the sorriest thing I have ever heard a leader say in such a situation and I expected it to be a focus of today's commentary. But, no. Once gain you are more than eaning your pay. Posted by: Keith G on January 17, 2007 at 12:26 PM | PERMALINK"Like reading the second half of "Flowers for Algernon." The similarities between Rove's BushSpeak and Orwell's NewSpeak have been mentioned before. Here is another example. The obscenity of comparing death, injury and destruction with not seeing nice images on the television and being worried about the future is beyond the pale. I am not sure but I would guess he and his handlers belief that if he repeats it often enough, the American people will agree the unpleasantness we see on television each night equals the genuine sacrifices of our soldiers, the Iraqi people and our grandchildren who will ultimately pay for his optional war. Unbelievable, I thought 1984 had become a historical footnote. I guess it is the Bush administration's model for America. Posted by: Ron Byers on January 17, 2007 at 12:26 PM | PERMALINKWay too little way too late - and they're probably rediscovering their ability to bite just in time to make life hell for the Democratic candidates. Um, even when fawning over the lies spewing from the White House in this administration, the media never lost its ability to attack Democratic candidates on real or imagined grounds. Posted by: cmdicely on January 17, 2007 at 12:28 PM | PERMALINKI can't count how many times I have heard him discuss violence on TV when someone asks him about the war. I think the first time I noticed it was during the press conference in April, 2004 when he was asked whether he had ever made any mistakes ("something will pop into my head here ..."). Someone asked him about the war and he said "nobody likes to see dead people on their television screens..." "It's like reading the second half of 'Flowers for Algernon.'" Yeah, but we never got to see the first half. This administration has been a bit like a twisted version of "Of Mice and Men," where Lennie has been put in charge and his name has become George, and the character of the original George has been turned into a dark-hearted manipulative liar called Cheney. Posted by: WCharles on January 17, 2007 at 12:34 PM | PERMALINKWhat are we sacrificing? The Center for American Progress reports: $1.2 trillion: With the money going to the Iraq war, the United States could set up a universal health care system, provide universal preschool, carry out the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, double cancer research funding, increase funding to Gulf Coast reconstruction, and enact a "global immunization campaign to save millions of children's lives." Posted by: asdfg on January 17, 2007 at 12:38 PM | PERMALINK george bush, Well, you know, I think a lot of people are in this fight. I mean, they sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night.
cmdicely - absolutely right. I should have clarified that the MSM seems to defer to elected authority only when that authority is republican. Democrats get attacked whether they are the elected authority or not. You really should have gotten the whole quote MR. LEHRER: Let me ask you a bottom-line question, Mr. President. If it is as important as you've just said - and you've said it many times - as all of this is, particularly the struggle in Iraq, if it's that important to all of us and to the future of our country, if not the world, why have you not, as president of the United States, asked more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something? The people who are now sacrificing are, you know, the volunteer military - the Army and the U.S. Marines and their families. They're the only people who are actually sacrificing anything at this point. PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, you know, I think a lot of people are in this fight. I mean, they sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night. I mean, we've got a fantastic economy here in the United States, but yet, when you think about the psychology of the country, it is somewhat down because of this war. Now, here in Washington when I say, "What do you mean by that?," they say, "Well, why don't you raise their taxes; that'll cause there to be a sacrifice." I strongly oppose that. If that's the kind of sacrifice people are talking about, I'm not for it because raising taxes will hurt this growing economy. And one thing we want during this war on terror is for people to feel like their life's moving on, that they're able to make a living and send their kids to college and put more money on the table. And you know, I am interested and open-minded to the suggestion, but this is going to be (emphasis added) so, y'kno, being scared is a sacrifice, but let's just everyone move on. and btw i'm not rasing taxes.
i wish al would come back from vacation. that sub is lame. Posted by: benjoya on January 17, 2007 at 12:49 PM | PERMALINKBush Kettle, me pot, vis a vis spelling at least: "rasing taxes" == raising taxes carry on. Posted by: e1 on January 17, 2007 at 12:51 PM | PERMALINKAh, I see that Chickenshit Al is still here. Go to Iraq, you miserable worm of a coward. Every word that Bush says, including "a", "the" and "and", is a lie. Of course, my comment is a takeoff. Posted by: POed Lib on January 17, 2007 at 12:55 PM | PERMALINKasdfg wrote: What are we sacrificing? The Center for American Progress reports: [...] Not to mention, develop and deploy clean, renewable electricity generation from wind turbines and photovoltaics and a new-generation smart electrical grid and new-generation electric vehicles to eliminate all oil imports and thus the "need" to wage wars of aggression to control the world's oil supplies, and to solve the problem of global warming. Bush in 60minutes said the soldiers are volunteers, so they are at his disposal, Rumsfeld said much the same, the troops have no right to complain. A draft would not allow him to say such a thing. To pay taxes is bad for the economy, not a sacrifice any true Republican should have to make. So the draft and taxes is out that leaves the terrible sacrifice of shopping, go to the mall it is what the country needs. Posted by: Renate on January 17, 2007 at 12:59 PM | PERMALINKPoor Americans, they see the violence on TV every night, what fragile and sensible souls. But he sleeps well. Posted by: Renate on January 17, 2007 at 1:05 PM | PERMALINKDon't forget the most fateful day of the Bush presidency-the PREZTEL CHOKING incident. I'm convinced the oxygen deprivation caused by that nefarious carbohydrate snack item (some reports had Bush completely unconscious) caused an already borderline psychotic to totally degrade into the criminally insane lunatic we have today. Posted by: Martin Morgan on January 17, 2007 at 1:09 PM | PERMALINKIn the last 3 or so years, I, personally, have been perceiving a deterioration in Bush's mental abilities. I honestly believe he has some kind of progressive brain disease or injury, and I'm not just writing that to be provocative. If you really want to freak out, look around for video of him in his debates with Ann Richards. He's fairly lucid, speaks in paragraphs, can marshall facts and figures to support his arguments, etc. He's not exactly Bill Clinton out there, but when you see that video, you literally will not believe it's Bush. Posted by: Raleigh on January 17, 2007 at 1:11 PM | PERMALINKAl said, "Is it because you aren't sacrificing your peace of mind when you see American soldiers killed by terrorists because leftists like yourself are rooting for America to fail in Iraq?" OK, so I should listen to you wise, longtime posters and just ignore Al. But it's difficult to ignore such an ass. Al, I defy you to present any evidence that liberals are "rooting for America to fail in Iraq." The fact is liberals would have loved for the U.S. to march into Iraq and find all those WMDs AND be greeted like liberators, just as was described by the administration when speaking their expectations. But it was liberals, true liberals, who saw all this mess coming - 4 YEARS AGO. And so if liberals seem to be gloating a bit now it is because they're just so dammed right. "I think it's pretty obvious that this war is no pleasure for me. For five years I have been separated from the rest of the world. I haven't been to the theater, I haven't heard a concert, and I haven't seen a movie." -- Hitler, August 1944 Posted by: Bruce Moomaw on January 17, 2007 at 1:21 PM | PERMALINKIt's like reading the second half of "Flowers for Algernon." I really think Kevin is being a little unfair to Charlie Gordon here. "If you really want to freak out, look around for video of him in his debates with Ann Richards. He's fairly lucid, speaks in paragraphs, can marshall facts and figures to support his arguments, etc." That was not GWB debating Richards--that was his stunt double. Unfortuantely, the stunt double opposed the war in Iraq--he didn't trust that Chalabi character--and was fired back in 2002, so GWB now has to make these appearances himself, with unfortunate results for the country. Posted by: rea on January 17, 2007 at 1:26 PM | PERMALINKThanks for the full quote, e1. "I mean, we've got a fantastic economy here in the United States, but yet, when you think about the psychology of the country, it is somewhat down because of this war." There ya go. Bush admits that his war is hurting the economy. Has he considered that the economy would be even more "fantastic" if people didn't have a war to worry about? Posted by: Grumpy on January 17, 2007 at 1:28 PM | PERMALINKI think what we've got to look forward to over the next two years is all kinds of random, pointless actions from the Bush WH. This is really the garbage time of the Bush Presidency. The game is lost, everybody knows it, and crazy stuff is all we're going to see. Posted by: frankly0 on January 17, 2007 at 1:49 PM | PERMALINKI don't quite agree. It is like reading an alternative version of Flowers for Algernon where the guy is always an idiot--he just gets more idiotic and people become more willing to call him on it at the end. I certainly missed the part where George Bush was a temporary genius. Posted by: SS on January 17, 2007 at 2:02 PM | PERMALINKBush is suffering from increasing brain damage caused by farting and holding his own head under the covers. This is in addition to all the previous damage. Posted by: Ranger Jay on January 17, 2007 at 2:05 PM | PERMALINKIs Bush getting even worse with every passing day? No, he has always been this dumb. That is why for the first four years of his admin, he wasn't allowed to talk to the press. It's just that now we are hearing the guy -- uncoached, unscripted, and no Rove talkinign in his ear -- speak his mind, such as it is. Terrible images of violence. Reads like a popular YouTube video or a TV executive's dream program. Posted by: Brojo on January 17, 2007 at 2:14 PM | PERMALINK--reading the second half of "Flowers for Algernon." Oh Jeebus Kevin, like Bush was ever the first half of "Flowers for Algernon". Bush was the brain that NEVER was dude, I guess that is why I never understood centrist Dems I guess, wanted to meet Bush half-way. Repugs under Bush were not centrist or even really right-wing. When was conservativism the same as dictatorship, why is war hidden? It was all hedged to look like capitalism was democracy, corporate control was freedom but somehow government control was considered not-freedom? Repugs surely lost their way. Conservatives turned like worm into something hideous, without ethics and morality. Posted by: Cheryl on January 17, 2007 at 2:21 PM | PERMALINKI feel at a terrible disadvantage, having only seen the Cliff Robertson movie, and that probably 25 years ago. But Bush's remark is jaw-droppingly dumb and insensitive. See, those of us who don't watch a lot of TV news, we haven't sacrificed anything. So the Iraqis don't have to be grateful to us. Posted by: Wendy on January 17, 2007 at 2:24 PM | PERMALINK[W]hy have you not, as president of the United States, asked more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something? ...Lehrer asked the one who insists on paying for his war's ruinous cost with a tax cut. "Nuff said. Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 2:29 PM | PERMALINKI cringed when I read Bush's answer to that question. I agree with Kevin's criticism. I also cringed when I saw that ridiculous question, Lehrer ought to have asked Bush what Americans can do to help our side win in Iraq, not how we can sacrifice. Pointless sacrifice does no good for anyone. Posted by: ex-liberal on January 17, 2007 at 2:34 PM | PERMALINKMy thanks to Kevin, Froomkin, and others for watching this man on TV. I cannot do it anymore, especially when he is without a script. Posted by: Hedley Lamarr on January 17, 2007 at 2:41 PM | PERMALINKPointless sacrifice does no good for anyone. One wonders why, then, "ex-liberal" is so enthusiastic about the pointless sacrifice of blood and treasure we're making in Iraq. Oh, wait -- it isn't "ex-liberal"'s blood or treasure (see: tax cuts), is it? Well, carry on then. By the way, "ex-liberal," your abilities as a media critic match yours as a military and political analyst: piss-poor. Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 2:42 PM | PERMALINKI bit off thread but Kevin would never cover this: 1. Yesterday, Kofi Annan's former right-hand man at the United Nations, Benon Sevan, was indicted by a federal grand jury for bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the U.N.'s Oil for Food program. Does the fact that the Oil for Food program turned into one of history's biggest frauds, while propping up Saddam's regime in the meantime, discredit the U.N.? The above was from Powerline. The list of UN scandals is getting quite extensive. For you libs thinking we're going to embrace the UN once GWB is out of office you are out of your mind. The most likely scenario is a GOP attack on the UN to expose liberals as appeasing saps. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 2:48 PM | PERMALINKSo, like, if my son watches more TV between now and the time he is 18 can he say he's done his national service and not have to register with the Selective Service? Posted by: pj in jesusland on January 17, 2007 at 2:56 PM | PERMALINKShorter rdw: I read Powerline so you don't have to! Rest assured, rdw, it's long been obvious that only a Powerline reader could adopt the foolishly triumphalist tone you do. Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 3:00 PM | PERMALINKLehrer ought to have asked Bush what Americans can do to help our side win in Iraq, not how we can sacrifice. Pointless sacrifice does no good for anyone. Sure, that would have been a good question. But Bush would have given an equally stupid answer. Because he doesn't want to tell people to buy smaller cars or hybrid cars, and to drive less, and to fly less, and to buy fewer petroleum products, and to enact laws that reward this behavior and penalize the opposite behavior. He doesn't want to tell people to support legislation to end tax cuts and to create a new tax on energy derived from petroleum to support his war. He doesn't want to put a lot of money into developing the alternative energy sources that will be THE KEY to attaining stability in the Middle East. Bush says he doesn't care about being popular, and it's true that he doesn't care about being popular with the average citizen. But he cares deeply about being popular with his "base"--the richest 1% of Americans--of whom he is one. And he'll have even more money when he inherits his parents' fortune. That's why he won't ask Americans to make needful sacrifices. His based doesn't want any f---ing around with the consumer-based economy. And by the way, even pointless sacrifice, when it is shaped by a great leader, can become a powerful symbol that unites people behind a cause. But of course we have a pathetically tin-eared, incompetent leader. Posted by: cowalker on January 17, 2007 at 3:07 PM | PERMALINKThis Bircher anti-UN stuff is so tired. It is like they are part of the vanguard of 1960. How old are these boring guys anyway? Posted by: bellumregio on January 17, 2007 at 3:10 PM | PERMALINK One thing for sure, W. isn't sacrificing any peace of mind over the war. He brags about how well he sleeps at night. Face it, any sane person in his position wouldn't sleep very well. Posted by: fafner1 on January 17, 2007 at 3:17 PM | PERMALINKI'm convinced that if Bush dropped his pants and defecated on camera, MSM would report it as a rare moment when the prez showed us his human side, and allowed the public to see a side of him we've never seen before. Posted by: meade on January 17, 2007 at 3:18 PM | PERMALINK*I thought it was the sorriest thing I have ever heard a leader say in such a situation and I expected it to be a focus of today's commentary.* You may have forgotten this little gem on the #1 tee: "There are a few killers who want to stop the peace process that we have started, and we must not let them. I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Now, watch this drive." Peace of mind ought not be a primary experience when the nation is at war. This is how distorted we've become. In the real world, all should share the sacrifice in war, and nearly everyone left behind would have someone to worry about on the front lines. There will always be moments of tranquility, even with these worries, but it shouldn't be primary and clearly wouldn't be disturbed by images on a TV (since these people would probably want to be watching TV to get some inkling of how things are going and whether success is coming so their loved one[s] may come home). Posted by: Jimm on January 17, 2007 at 3:23 PM | PERMALINKThey also serve who only stand and wait.--John Milton Can anybody doubt that we at home also sacrifice? As a nation we have sacrificed our honor and credibility over this fiasco in Iraq, not to mention seeing our freedoms eroded. Posted by: Tom Courts on January 17, 2007 at 3:23 PM | PERMALINKOf course, when I mention "war", this is pointing out why Bush's conception is wrong, since he feels we're in a "war" in Iraq. I don't. We are occupying Iraq...the war was over a long time ago. Posted by: Jimm on January 17, 2007 at 3:24 PM | PERMALINKCan anybody doubt that we at home also sacrifice? As a nation we have sacrificed our honor and credibility over this fiasco in Iraq, not to mention seeing our freedoms eroded. Well put. Posted by: Jimm on January 17, 2007 at 3:25 PM | PERMALINKDuring the California electricity crisis, people who had to heat their hot tubs just a few hours per day instead of 24, or who had to raise their indoor daytime air temperature to 76, also referred to these changes as sacrifice. This is a little less than the "sacrifices" our forebears made crossing the Great Plains. Posted by: MatthewRMarler on January 17, 2007 at 3:32 PM | PERMALINKI also cringed when I saw that ridiculous question, Lehrer ought to have asked Bush what Americans can do to help our side win in Iraq, not how we can sacrifice. Pointless sacrifice does no good for anyone. Since Gregory covered the glaring irony of ex-lib's statement so handily in regards to the watr, no reason to revisit. But I was amused that ex-lib didn't give the benefit of the doubt to President Bush that Jim Lehrer obviously did. Namely that if Bush asked the public to sacrifice that of course it would be a substantive contribution to our success in Iraq. But I have to say (for the first time ever), I'm with ex-lib on this: just cause President Bush asks for a sacrifice doesn't mean it would make a difference. Thankfully we've got the 110th Congress to keep an eye on these details-- lawd knows they've got their work cut out for them. Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 3:34 PM | PERMALINKonly a Powerline reader could adopt the foolishly triumphalist tone you do. American exceptionalism is real. It needs to be touted as the model for the rest of the world to follow. As the same time loser instititions as well as loser ideologies need to be exposed as failures. The UN is a total failure. We need to set it up as an example for what not to do. The advantage of sending up John Bolton as the Ambassador was to develop a talented and articulate expert on the rot inside the UN who could then retire at a young age to work at conservative think tanks or organize the opposition to the UN. One of the great ironies of politics is that with a Conservative President in office the rest of the conservative world is obligated to follow his lead. Or in this case, go easier on the UN than it otherwise would. Once the 2008 begins this 'moratorium' will end and the effort at fully discrediting the UN will gain considerable momentum. It will become politically impossible for any Democratic candidate for President to embrace the UN. Moreover, if a Democrat were to win it would remain open season on the UN for the next 4 years. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 3:37 PM | PERMALINKAs the same time loser instititions as well as loser ideologies need to be exposed as failures. Oh, don't worry, rdw, they are, they are. Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 3:43 PM | PERMALINKLehrer asked the one who insists on paying for his war's ruinous cost with a tax cut. It's called brilliant economic management. We are entering the 6th year of a powerful recovery with record high stock market averages, very low unemployment, inflation and interest rates as well as surging tax collections AND surging exports. These tax cuts, like the various Reagan supply-side cuts, are what have separated the amazing US economy from Old Europe. We remain the worlds greatest ecnomic power and our share of Global GDP is GROWING not shrinking. It's a clear example of American Exceptionalism. The rich keep on getting rich. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 3:47 PM | PERMALINKDuring the California electricity crisis, people who had to heat their hot tubs just a few hours per day instead of 24, or who had to raise their indoor daytime air temperature to 76, also referred to these changes as sacrifice. This is a little less than the "sacrifices" our forebears made crossing the Great Plains. Go back to Little Green Footballs or whatever pond you crawled out of. This crisis was brought to us by none other than Enron, who under this administration helped shape the nation's energy policy. The minutes of that meeting Cheney is still jealously guarding. If all you can manage to from what happened in California is a non-equivalent comparison between pioneers and corporate pillaging of the 7th largest economy in the world, you are a seriously under-powered in an intellectual capacity. The advantage of sending up John Bolton as the Ambassador was to develop a talented and articulate expert on the rot inside the UN who could then retire at a young age to work at conservative think tanks or organize the opposition to the UN. I have to admit, I admire rdw's chutzpah at spinning the failure of Bush to get Bolton's nomination through a Republican Senate as a success. But then the Drexel Hill Dimwit goes and ruins it with this: One of the great ironies of politics is that with a Conservative President in office the rest of the conservative world is obligated to follow his lead. ...except, of course, that the Republican Senate didn't -- twice, yet. Ah, rdw -- he never ceases to amuse. Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 3:48 PM | PERMALINKdon't worry, rdw, they are, they are. You mean like the vaunted CUBAN socialized health care system? Libs still think it's to die for. And Fidel is doing just that. He had a simple case of diverticulitis and they butchered 3 different operations each time making it worse. They are literally killing him. Tell me that's not justice!!!! Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 3:52 PM | PERMALINKAmerican exceptionalism is real. It needs to be touted as the model for the rest of the world to follow. How can the rest of the world follow an "exceptional" model? If it's an exception it can hardly be the model, now can it? More and more I'm coming around to the idea that rdw is a brilliant parodist rather than an insane sad old man.... Posted by: Stefan on January 17, 2007 at 3:57 PM | PERMALINKthe failure of Bush to get Bolton's nomination through a Republican Senate as a success I didn't say that as a success. I said appointing him was a success. He's still ambassador Bolton. He has all of the fame, exposure and experience of every other Ambassador. The Senate vote changes none of that. Now he's out of govt making a fortune in the private sector working for the effort to permanently destroy the UN. He's doing the speaker circuit, giving lectures and will be writing books. He's a relatively young man with a full career, a very lucrative career, yet in front of him. You are of course aware getting blocked by the Senate adds to his reputation among conservatives. He gets to charge even more. The man is a sharp and gifted speaker. He will be quite an asset. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 3:59 PM | PERMALINKIf it's an exception it can hardly be the model, now can it? Don't be silly. It's really not hard. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are each the exception AND the model for their respective sports. Few of us could ever dream of have the talent of these two men but their hard work and smart decisions are worthly of admiration and emulation. America is what the rest of the world needs to aspire to become. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 4:04 PM | PERMALINKal: Is it because you aren't sacrificing your peace of mind when you see American soldiers killed by terrorists more people are murdered in washington d.c. everyday... Posted by: wingnuttery on January 17, 2007 at 4:12 PM | PERMALINKRDW: "America is what the rest of the world needs to aspire to become." Yes, because every other country in the world deserves to have a leader as capable as George Bush Posted by: Botecelli on January 17, 2007 at 4:13 PM | PERMALINKStefan wrote: More and more I'm coming around to the idea that rdw is a brilliant parodist rather than an insane sad old man Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 4:14 PM | PERMALINKThis crisis was brought to us by none other than Enron The crisis was brought about by the twits in California. And the news is it's going to happen again. Look for Texas, Arizona and Nevada based utilities to reap a windfall supplying the airheads with juice for their many toys. I do so admire that hollywood crowd. I mean is anyone more dedicated to the environment than leonardo? Have you ever seen a better saleman for hybrids? I wonder if he uses his hybrid to cool his 15,000 sq ft home? Ya think? I wonder if his private jet is a hybrid? Ya think? Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 4:19 PM | PERMALINKThe crisis was brought about by the twits in California. Yeah, that's true, because there are those tape recordings of the twits in California conspiring with utilities to manipulate energy supplies. Oh, wait... Posted by: Gregory on January 17, 2007 at 4:29 PM | PERMALINKI do so admire that hollywood crowd. I mean is anyone more dedicated to the environment than leonardo? That makes about as much sense as the rest of your ravings: Hollywood=California. But hey, why start using your brain now when you can regurgitate powerline and Rush Limbaugh talking points? Basically rdw, you aspire to the most corrosive aspects of the American Dream: to be a robber baron. Ah, how you must pine for the Gilded Age. Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 4:38 PM | PERMALINKDeer Keven; My name is Charlie Gordon and i didnet like your sayin i was like the presnit! I nevur hurten anybodie so STOP IT! Charlie Posted by: Charlie Gordon on January 17, 2007 at 4:47 PM | PERMALINKcyntax to rdw: "But hey, why start using your brain now when you can regurgitate powerline and Rush Limbaugh talking points?" The unfortunate rdw suffers from irreversible, progressive senile dementia. He's a "Reagan conservative". Posted by: SecularAnimist on January 17, 2007 at 4:48 PM | PERMALINKhave all of you forgotten? Bush asked, no demanded, heroic sacrifice after 9/11. He demanded you go "shopping." What? None of your struggled to plunk down plastic for things we desire? None of your number resisted the almost impossible task of givng in to the clarion calls of sales? None of you resisted not leaving grad school and enlisting in the military so you could risk your lives in the Mesopotamian War of Prevention? Whither the patriots? Posted by: Allen on January 17, 2007 at 4:48 PM | PERMALINKThe unfortunate rdw suffers from irreversible, progressive senile dementia. He's a "Reagan conservative". Ah, thanks for the clarification SA. That would explain his near manic postings about it being morning again in America economically speaking... if you're already rich. Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 5:05 PM | PERMALINK"he (Bush: maf) can hardly open his mouth these days without saying something so dumb and tin-eared it just makes your jaw drop" And just how is this phenomenon anything _new_????? Posted by: michael farris on January 17, 2007 at 5:07 PM | PERMALINK"The man [John Bolton] is a sharp and gifted speaker. He will be quite an ass." Fixed it for you. Posted by: just sayin on January 17, 2007 at 5:22 PM | PERMALINKrdw wrote: "You are of course aware getting blocked by the Senate adds to his reputation among conservatives." Yes, I have noticed that so-called "conservatives" admire liars, criminals, gangsters and thugs like John Bolton. "The man is a sharp and gifted speaker." So was Hitler. "He will be quite an asset." Bolton will no doubt be an asset to the corporate-funded right wing extremist propaganda machine in their ongoing efforts to brainwash ignorant, weak-minded, gullible dupes like yourself. rdw wrote: "American exceptionalism is real. It needs to be touted as the model for the rest of the world to follow." It sounds like rdw is advocating that "the rest of the world" should invade America under false pretenses, occupy the country with thousands of troops, overthrow the government, kill tens of thousands of innocent civilians, wreck our cities and destroy our infrastructure, seize control of our valuable natural resources, precipitate a religious civil war, and execute Bush by hanging. The apple falls close to the shrub: "Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? It's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?" --Barbara Bush, Good Morning America, 3/18/03 Posted by: Dwight on January 17, 2007 at 5:48 PM | PERMALINKyou aspire to the most corrosive aspects of the American Dream: to be a robber baron. Ah, how you must pine for the Gilded Age. You think the robber barons had anything on Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, The Waltons, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, Oprah or the other 320 American billionaires? How about Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, George Clooney, Michael Moore, Madonna, Bill Clinton, etc.? This is the guilded age my friend. Have you seen the size of the average American home and the list of appliances in it? American closets are bigger than British flats. 90% of American fireplaces installed in the last 3 years work on remote control. Are you kidding me? Life isn't just good in America. It is very, very good. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 6:05 PM | PERMALINKI didn't read the first half of The Flowers of Algernon, Kevin, but this idiotic statement simply reinforces my belief that Bush is a delusional sociopath who cannot understand other's suffering and has never been held accountable for anything in is life. Impeachment would be a teachable moment for this loser. Posted by: The Conservative Deflator on January 17, 2007 at 6:08 PM | PERMALINKThe man [John Bolton] is a sharp and gifted speaker. He will be quite an ass." But he'll be a very wealthy ass won't he? This is why they have 59 flavors my friend. Ambassador Bolton may not be your cup of tea but he's extremely well respected among conservatives and if you look at newspapers sales, book sales, radio programing and the lecture circuit then you know he's got a very bright future. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 6:09 PM | PERMALINKYou are of course aware getting blocked by the Senate adds to his reputation among conservatives. He gets to charge even more. The man is a sharp and gifted speaker. He will be quite an ass. bilking ignorant redneck repubs is (1) not that difficult, and (2) not to be discouraged. Posted by: Nads on January 17, 2007 at 6:12 PM | PERMALINKImpeachment would be a teachable moment for this loser. Impeachment is William Jefferson Clintons legacy. It is his only lasting legacy. There is nothing else of his 8-yrs worthy of remembering. He will always be the Rock Star President and nothing more and you will always be his groupies. Quite fitting actually. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 6:24 PM | PERMALINKAs I read rdw's last few comments I regret that I addressed him harshly in my last comment. I should be more compassionate towards someone who is obviously in an advanced stage of mental degeneration. rdw: America is what the rest of the world needs to aspire to become. Yeah, well that's all over now, thanks to your boy. The rest of the world laughed at Clinton's mall foolishness, but they're not laughing now, as you would know if you ever left your mental bunker. Posted by: Kenji on January 17, 2007 at 6:47 PM | PERMALINKKenji wrote: "The rest of the world laughed at Clinton's mall foolishness, but they're not laughing now, as you would know if you ever left your mental bunker." rdw will never leave his "mental bunker", the comfortable cocoon of the so-called "conservative" fantasy world that the right-wing extremist propaganda machine weaves for ignorant, weak-minded gullible dupes. What "the rest of the world" really thinks is -- as he has repeatedly said -- "irrelevant" to him. Only what the talking heads on Fox News and the editorials in The Wall Street Journal tell him to think is "relevant". And what they mostly tell him to think is that Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush are the greatest heroes the world has ever known, and that he should worship the ultra-rich, and buy as much stuff as he can to help the ultra-rich get even richer, and be happy in this wonderful country with 320 billionaires getting richer every day and rejoice that he can watch them on his HDTV. Posted by: SecularAnimist on January 17, 2007 at 7:03 PM | PERMALINKThis is the guilded age my friend. Have you seen the size of the average American home and the list of appliances in it? American closets are bigger than British flats. 90% of American fireplaces installed in the last 3 years work on remote control. You're starting to channel Norman Rogers now. By guilded can we infer you support unions? Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 7:05 PM | PERMALINKThink of how many brain cells rdw has sacrificed, from watching Fox News all the time. That has to count for something. Oh and rdw? You might not want to cite Warren Buffet as an example of what you aspire to be:
It turned out that Mr. Buffett, with immense income from dividends and capital gains, paid far, far less as a fraction of his income than the secretaries or the clerks or anyone else in his office. Further, in conversation it came up that Mr. Buffett doesn’t use any tax planning at all. He just pays as the Internal Revenue Code requires. “How can this be fair?” he asked of how little he pays relative to his employees. “How can this be right?” I think SA is right old bean, you might be at the point where the brain cells lost are hampering your ability to think even slightly clearly. Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 7:16 PM | PERMALINKYeah, well that's all over now, thanks to your boy. $14T GDP, 4.5% unemployment, low inflation, interest rates, surging exports, tax receipts and a life-style most of the rest of the world can only imagine. How is it possible for 4% of the worlds population to control almost 25% of the worlds GDP? And to do so over 60 years with every indication we'll do so for another 6,000 years. How is that possible? Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 7:47 PM | PERMALINKMr. Buffett... is at least as exercised about the tax system as I am Are you sure. For someone so exercised about the unfairness of it all he's sure doing his part setting the gold standard for tax avoidance. Warren is the quintessentuial liberal. Only Bill Clinton can talk out of more sides of his mouth at once. The man is a fraud however his gift to the Gates foundation is incredibly generous. He's not all bad. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 7:52 PM | PERMALINKFinally, his handlers are letting Bush be Bush, the Educator-in-Chief. During the California electricity crisis...these changes as sacrifice.... MatthewRMarler at 3:32 PM You may not remember back that far, but the "sacrifice" was one of the purse, being ripped off by privatization and those Bush campaign supporters like Enron taking advantage of it by limiting the availability of electricity and overcharging for it. American exceptionalism is real. It needs to be touted as the model for the rest of the world to follow. rightist dim wit 3:37 PM No, it's not; and no, they won't. The rich keep on getting rich. rightist dim wit Especially, during Republican regimes who give them special tax breaks. This is the guilded age my friend. rightist dim wit at 6:05 PM The Gilded Age was followed by the Great Depression ... newspapers sales, book sales, radio programing and the lecture circuit then you know he's got a very bright future. rightist dim wit There is always a market for right wing loons, especially those who are notoriously wrong on issues, but crediting that clown with newspaper sales is bizarre. ... nothing else of his 8-yrs worthy of remembering rightist dim wit at 6:24 PM 8 years of peace and the greatest growth of economic properity the nation has ever known. That's a hundred times better than the clown in the White House whose lack of achievements you drool over. Posted by: Mike on January 17, 2007 at 7:56 PM | PERMALINK How is it possible for 4% of the worlds population to control almost 25% of the worlds GDP? rightist dim wit at 7:47 PMDebt, greed and power. Right now the US is like Donald Trump: too far in debt to allow them to fail. However, we may find that the rest of the world grows tired of carrying that debt. The economic might of the US is dependent on some nations like China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia who aren't enamored with American braggarts. Posted by: Mike on January 17, 2007 at 8:02 PM | PERMALINK Warren is the quintessentuial liberal. OK, then why did you bring him up as a poster-child for your economic boosterism? Only Bill Clinton can talk out of more sides of his mouth at once. The man is a fraud however his gift to the Gates foundation is incredibly generous. He's not all bad. Yeah, how much has Cheney given to charity? Posted by: cyntax on January 17, 2007 at 8:06 PM | PERMALINKBy guilded can we infer you support unions I've always supported unions. I don't support stupid unions. My son-in-law is a union carpenter who at age 28 made a very healthy 76K in 2006 not counting his real estate investments and side work. An ambitious carpenter can make a great deal of money buying older properties, putting some sweat equity in, generating a very healthy cash flow and with smart buying nice capital gains. He was promoted in November and will easily make $90K in 2007. While housing isn't great the commercial sector is on fire and there's a shortage of skilled labor. He doesn't appreciate it but his pension and savings plans are terrific with very nice annual contributions to a series of 401k type saving plans. The young man is pursuing an aggressive growth strategy consistent with his age and the fact he has real estatre investments. Having started just after 9/11 he's gotten excellent stock market returns and is now realizing he needs to keep his eyes and ears open for stock market tips. How about that, a union caopitalist. We're all part of the investor clasw now. Once a stong cold democrat he's starting to have 2nd thoughts. His wife is now in her 3rd year as a nurse and will make over $60K in 2007. He was more than a little bit horrified when I explained to him he's rich and will be paying higher taxes if he votes his party. It gets even better. I told him in order to be a true lib he had to understand just because he works his ass off and takes risks like buying and rehabbing properties doesn't mean he's entitled to the financial benefits. It's up to liberal politicians to decide how much he gets to keep and they'll take the rest and spread it around. I knew from the outraged look I received I've got a conservative in training. He's still resistant but resistance is futile. He can't believe his lifelong self-identification as a liberal was so far off base. After I explained the Honourable John Street, Mayor of Philadelphia, was in fact a much better judge of how his money should be spent than he was he looked ill. I thought he was about to lose his lunch. So I eased up. But he's all mine. By the end of 2007 he will be a Reagan Republican. I will say one thing in his defense. He won't shop at Walmart. Of course over 80% of union members DO shop at Walmart but he's not one of them. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 8:10 PM | PERMALINKwhy did you bring him up as a poster-child for your economic boosterism What is economic boosterism? If you mean speaking the obvious, that the American economy is the 8th wonder of the world than I plead quilty. I think a modest man from Omaha amassing $35B in wealth is a pretty good example of why it's the 8th wonder. An even better example of American Exceptionalism is the Gate foundation amassing $150B dedicated to the eradication of childhood and communicable diseases worldwide. of which Warren Buffett is a major, major contributer. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 8:14 PM | PERMALINKYeah, how much has Cheney given to charity? Your stupid is showing. The family has been very, very generous with a record that embarrasses the Gore's and the Clintons while in public life. Ms. Cheney has written at least two successful books with each dime contributed to a charity. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 8:16 PM | PERMALINKThe economic might of the US is dependent on some nations like China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia who aren't enamored with American braggarts. America's debt is very low and we are dependent on no one. The countries you name are far more dependent on the USA than vice-versa. China's economy woulod collapse if we put a tariff on their imports. Saudi Arabia relies on the US defense shield. Venezuela is now desperate for our export markets because they need every dime for their social programs to prop up a poor economy. You of course saw the Saud's reaction to Irani and Venezuelan demands for more production cuts? The answer was no. It seems Iran is a threat to the Sauds and they want to bring average prices down to put the economic squeeze on. The fact is markets work. There are no shortages and OPEC won't be creating them. Even if they did. The USA has already proven energy is only a small portion of the economy. It was Old Europe who got hammered economically. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 8:25 PM | PERMALINK... that the American economy is the 8th wonder of the world.... rightist dim wit at 8:14 PMHere is a book on economics that should help you Pay particular attention to the chapters on debt. Total American debt is 40 Trillion, with a T, and soaring Posted by: Mike on January 17, 2007 at 8:25 PM | PERMALINK America's debt is very high and we are dependent on every trading country. The countries you name are as dependent on the USA as vice-versa. China's economy would collapse if we put a tariff on their imports as ours would, too. Saudi Arabia relies on the US defense shield as we rely on their cheap oil. Venezuela is now desperate for our export markets because they need every dime for their social programs to prop up a poor economy while they reap the returns of the high $ price of oil (still twice the $26 US-Saudi AGREEMENT OF THE 80s and 90s). You of course saw the Saud's reaction to Irani and Venezuelan demands for more production cuts? The answer was no. It seems Iran is a threat to the Sauds and they want to bring average prices down to put the economic squeeze on. (No US pressure there, of course.) The fact is markets work. There are no shortages and OPEC won't be creating them. Even if they did. The USA has already proven energy is only a small portion of the economy. It was Old Europe who got hammered economically. Not that markets are distorted by the big companies or big government, of course. Or thgat the US got hammered in the 70s, Oh no! Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 8:25 PM | PERMALINK Hey. Thanks, rdw. Duffus. ....America's debt is very low and we are dependent on no one.... rightist dim wit at 8:25 PM40 Trillion might not be much for you, but it's a big number to the rest of us. You may be too obtuse to realize it, but if Chavez or Saudis decided to cut exports of oil, our economy, the 8th wonder, would tank. If China decided to price its exports in euros, inflation would hit us by 20%. If they decided to change their foreign exchange holding from dollars to euros, our dollar would tank. The global economy means that everyone is interdependent, only debtors are more dependent than creditors. It was Reagan that changed our economy from being the world's biggest creditor to being the world's biggest debtor. Posted by: Mike on January 17, 2007 at 8:58 PM | PERMALINK If China decided to price its exports in euros, inflation would hit us by 20% You are an idiot. Toys and t-shirts don't drive inflation. China is terrified of raising prices because it's exports will collapse and ITS economy with it. China needs our markets a lot more than we need their toys. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 9:17 PM | PERMALINKChavez or Saudis decided to cut exports of oil, our economy, the 8th wonder, would tank Not it wouldn't but theirs would. Energy is 2% of the USA economy and VZ supplies less than 10% of our imports. Their 0.2% would easily be replaced by the strategic reserve in the shirt term and other supplies in the medium term. The 8th wonder already absorbed a tripling of oil prices without blinking. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 9:20 PM | PERMALINKThe global economy means that everyone is interdependent, only debtors are more dependent than creditors No it doesn't you twit. trade doesn't make us more dependent it makes us vastly richer. Creditors are investors you moron. That's why our interest rates are so low amd our stock markets so high. Everyone wants a piece of America. Did you know Bill Gates made another $1B today? Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 9:23 PM | PERMALINKIt was Reagan that changed our economy Indeed he did as any logrimthic chart of the stock markets over 100 years time will show you. 1981 was Morning in America. Thanks to his tax rate cuts America's great wealth is in private hands. Europe's wealth is in Public hands. Thus they don't have any. This brings back great memories of his classy and poignant funeral and the amazing outpouring of love and respect for this giant of the post-WWII era. It was the libs who wanted to appease the USSR at every turn. It was Reagan who said after being asked the plan for the Cold War, "We win, they lose". How rude! How right! Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 9:29 PM | PERMALINK
Of course the USA got hammered in the 70's. You remember Mr. National Maliase. Then Reagan came in and removed price controls, got the govt out of the business and prices collapsed. This ain't the 70's. It's Europes economy what wheezes with every price rise. We didn't even approach a recession. Demand is down. Supply is up. Prices are down. Funny how the market works isn't it. Posted by: rdw on January 17, 2007 at 9:33 PM | PERMALINKNot it wouldn't but theirs would. Energy is 2% of the USA economy ....rightist dim wit at 9:20 PMYou are becoming sillier and sillier. They export to China and Europe. Oil is the sine qua non of the American economy. Study the oil shock of the 73 . ...Meanwhile, the shock produced chaos in the West. In the United States, the retail price of a gallon of gasoline rose from a national average of 38.5 cents in May 1973 to 55.1 cents in June 1974. Meanwhile, New York Stock Exchange shares lost $97 billion in value in six weeks. With the onset of the embargo, U.S. imports of oil from the Arab countries dropped from 1.2 million barrels (190,000 mÂł) a day to a mere 19,000 barrels (3,000 mÂł). Daily consumption dropped by 6.1% from September to February, 7% by the summer of 1974. During that period, the United States suffered its first fuel shortage since World War II... (No US pressure there, of course.) Are you referring to the trip Cheney made to Saudi Arabia just before prices started dropping? Funny but the other clowns on this blog think Dick was summoned by the Sauds to get a verbal tongue lashing. I have no idea over what and they never said. It's rather obvious the Sunni Sauds have far more to fear from the Shite whackjobs in Iran than anyone else. It's rather obvious Irans economy is in very sorry shape and would be destitute without Oil. It's rather obvious price drops below $60 are bad news with drops below $50 very, very bad news for Iran. Doesn't help Chavez much either. "I told him in order to be a true lib he had to understand just because he works his ass off and takes risks like buying and rehabbing properties doesn't mean he's entitled to the financial benefits. It's up to liberal politicians to decide how much he gets to keep and they'll take the rest and spread it around. " Quite right, RDW. Obviously it's outrageous to tax the rich more than the nonrich, since of course the average person who earns $1 million a year does so by working 25 times harder every day than the average person who earns $40,000 a year. As for the American economy currently being "the envy of the world": it's odd, in that case, that it's currently not the envy of the American people themselves, who have consistently given Bush negative margins of 12 to 25% on his handling of the economy in the polls for at least the last 4 years. (Take a look at "Polling Report" for the best summary of the data.) The GOP itself keeps expressing bewilderment at this; but might it, just possibly, have to do with the unquestioned fact that virtually all the rise in the GDP under Bush has gone to the top-income few percent of the population, with everyone else's incomes stagnating -- something that emphatically did NOT happen under Clinton? (And that, of course, is before the super-deficits that Bush has planned for the near future kick in, as pointed out by most economists.) | |