There has been a ridiculous meme being pushed by the right about President Obama’s speech to the nation’s schools.  A request asking children to write a letter informing the President how they can support him is the main objection being circulated by the lunatic fringe.  Several members of the Republican party claim that the administration is trying to indoctrinate students in a way similar to that of some of the world’s most evil and notorious dictators.  Unbelievable.  Well…..guess who said the following in a speech broadcast live to the nation’s classrooms while he was campaigning for re-election in 1991:

“Let me know how you’re doing. Write me a letter — and I’m serious about this one — write me a letter about ways you can help us achieve our goals. I think you know the address.”

            President George H. W. Bush 1991

No public outcry, no storming of the Capitol by the left, no parents threatening to pull their children out of school.  President Bush gave his speech pushing the education policies of his administration and all was good in the hypocracy of the GOP.

Apparently Condoleeza Rice verbally ok’d the use of waterboarding to interrogate alleged al-Qaida terrorist Abu Zubaydah in July 2002 when she was National Security Advisor.

According to the new narrative, which compiles legal advice provided by the Bush administration to the CIA, Rice personally conveyed the administration’s approval for waterboarding of Zubaydah, a so-called high-value detainee, to then-CIA Director George Tenet in July 2002.

Condoleeza Rice denied participating in torture as late as last year.

Last fall, Rice acknowledged to the Senate Armed Services Committee only that she had attended meetings where the CIA interrogation request was discussed. She said she did not recall details. Rice omitted her direct role in approving the program in her written statement to the committee.   .  .  .  .   .  .

The new timeline [released yesterday] shows that Rice played a greater role than she admitted last fall in written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The narrative also shows that dissenting legal views about the severe interrogation methods were brushed aside repeatedly.

It appears that several senior officials endorsed the torturous practice and urged their continuance.

The Director of Central Intelligence in the spring of 2003 sought a reaffirmation of the legality of the interrogation methods. Cheney, Rice, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales were among those at a meeting where it was decided that the policies would continue. Rumsfeld and Powell weren’t.

And there is more

Days after Rice gave Tenet the nod, the Justice Department approved the use of waterboarding in a top secret Aug. 1 memo. Zubaydah underwent waterboarding at least 83 times in August 2002.

In the years that followed, according to the narrative issued Wednesday, there were numerous internal legal reviews of the program, suggesting government attorneys raised concerns that the harsh methods, particularly waterboarding, might violate federal laws against torture and the U.S. Constitution.

But Bush administration lawyers continued to validate the program. The CIA voluntarily dropped the use of waterboarding, which has a long history as a torture tactic, from its arsenal of techniques after 2005.

If I were Rice, Cheney, Gonzalez, Ashcroft, or Rumsfeld, I would not be traveling to any foreign country that recognizes international law any time in the near future.

Progress.

Remember when President-elect Barack Obama requested early occupation of the Blair House so that his two daughters could start school on time.  Also, remember when Laura Bush’s office claimed that they could not accommodate the Obama’s because the Blair House was booked until January 15th.  Apparently, the former Prime Minister of Australia take precedence over the new President of the United States and his family.  Further, this not so popular former Prime Minister, John Howard, is only staying for one night.  Even further, it is rumored that the Bush’s only asked the aussie to stay at the Blair House after they turned down the President-elect.  Simply pathetic is all I can say about this.

In a poll released by Pew today, respondents were asked to describe George W. Bush in a word.  Fifty six percent said  “incompetent.”  Nuff said. 

See full survey here

What is he thinking? It’s shocking that Bush would go to Iraq with his GOP talking points thinking that he would be greeted as a liberator.  President George W. Bush also appears to have made history in this unprecedented election year.  Bush is the first President in history to have shoes thrown at him on foreign soil.  In Iraq, throwing a shoe at someone is a sign of contempt for the person.  The incident was followed by a declaration by Bush that “the war is not over.”  It really takes a special kind of arrogance to declare essentially to another sovereign nation, this war is not over until we say its over.  As an American, I find the Iraqi journalist actions deplorable and unseemly.  However, Iraqi’s have a different way of protesting than Americans do so the next time the President holds a press conference in a Muslim nation, perhaps secret service should make sure that all journalists remove their shoes before entering the press room.   The irony is that if the journalist would have done such a thing under a Saddam Hussein regime….well the journalist would have suffered unimaginable consequences.   See full story below.

BAGHDAD (AP) — His legacy forever linked to an unpopular war, President George W. Bush flew under intense security to Iraq on Sunday where he called the nearly six-year conflict hard but necessary to protect the United States and give Iraqis hope. “The war is not over,” he declared.

Bush was reminded of the intense opposition to his policies when a man threw two shoes at him — one after another — during a news conference with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Bush ducked both throws, and neither man was hit.

“This is a farewell kiss, you dog!” shouted the protester in Arabic, later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.

“All I can report is a size 10,” Bush joked. See full story here.

Take a look…talk about the unpopular kid in class.

Is Bush/Cheney about to be impeached?  Congressman John Conyers may be ready to do just that. The Bush presidency is just bad precedent for future presidents.  Imagine if all presidents entered the White House thinking that could get away with what this administration has attempted to get away with.  Accountability is essential to any democracy.  

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has taken the highly unusual step of calling his committee back from summer recess in order to investigate allegations by Ron Suskind that the Bush administration forged a letter to buttress the links made between Saddam and 9/11, and Saddam and WMD. The congressional Authorization for the Use of Force Against Iraq, the “”War Resolution” which, as far short as it fell of a congressional declaration of war, gave the invasion its constitutional legal cover, and gave Bush the authorization to invade only after he had certified to congress the existence of these two critical links. If Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, and if he did not possess WMD, the war was off.

Yesterday, George W Bush held a press conference urging Congress to take up a vote on off-shore exploration thereby lifting its ban on off-shore oil drilling.  Even though his administration has done absolutely nothing, for seven years, toward energy independence.  But when it comes to drilling for more oil, this administration and McCain has concluded that it is the only way we can become more energy independent.  McCain voted against a bill that would have increased fuel economy standards in 2006 while Obama voted for the bill.  An increase in fuel economy standards would require that automobile manufacturers increase the number of miles per gallon of gas on all newly manufactured cars.  In China, because of a mandate by the Chinese government, cars get 43 miles per gallon.  Such a bill would have made a significant difference in today’s gas prices had it been adopted in 2006 when it was proposed.

Something else that this writer finds a little disturbing is a Washington Post report that campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain increased dramatically at the end of June, right after McCain made a high-profile split with environmentalists and flipped from his orginal position against off-shore drilling.  As for the Bush administration’s hand in the oil well, the Wall Street Journal reported that influential former Pentagon official Richard Perle is going into the oil business in Iraq and Kazakhstan according to sources close to the deals.  Perle was one of the security experts helping to make the case to the Bush Administration for taking down Saddam Hussein. 

Therefore, when the current President and John McCain continually push the idea that off-shore drilling is the best solution for the American people, I tend to suspect their motives.  I would trust their motives more if they at least had a past record of working toward energy independence and were not so inextricably linked to the oil industry.

George W. Bush has decided to lift the Executive off-shore drilling ban in an effort to goad Congress into lifting its ban.  I guess he forgot that the oil companies already have 1000′s of leases for millions of acres of oilfields that they have not bothered to drill on.  Fortunately, the President also needs Congress to lift its legislative ban in order to begin exploration.  As we have mentioned here before, off-shore drilling will produce zero short term benefits to our oil crisis but would have long term repercussions to our coastlines.  The negligible affect that drilling would have on gas prices would not accur until 2030. The ten year timeline being pushed by the GOP  is the timeline for pumping the oil.  Any consumer benefit would not be felt until twelve or thirteen years following.  By then we will have alternative energy mechanisms in place so that the drilling and its minor benefit will be moot.  Sen. Barack Obama proposes giving a $1000 middle class tax cut that would go to 95 percent of all families and off-set the burden that such skyrocketing gas prices have presented.  In addition, Obama proposes investing in renewable energy sources for the long term.  While the Bush-McCain solution would only worsen our addiction to oil by increasing our dependence.  McCain claims that he would like to employ a cocktail of solutions to solve the energy crisis, but including off-shore drilling in his mixture is unnecessary and meaningless.  We have the technology and supply on hand today (wind, solar, biomass, strategic petroleum reserves) to affect the price of gas, so giving oil companies more oilfields to hoard in their reserve is just greed and completely pointless.  This solution does nothing more than increase the value of the stock of oil companies.  One other possible piece of legislation affecting gas and oil prices that Congress plans to address next week is to the Enron loophole.  The democrats in Congress plan to introduce a Speculation bill next week that will address the loophole.

As for the Bush-McCain plan, exactly the type of sensible solution that would be utilized by a drug addict. 

The 53-year old former White House Secretary for the Bush administration lost his battle with abdominal cancer this morning.  Mr. died at 2am this morning due to complications with chemotherapy.  The conservative commentator left his position in the Bush administration to undergo chemotherapy in September 2007.  Snow had his colon removed and underwent six months of chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2005.  When leaving the White House in 2007, Snow announced that his cancer had returned and had spread to his liver.  Snow lost his mother to colon cancer when he was a teenager.  Mr. Snow is survived by his wife Jill Ellen Walker, whom he married in 1987, and their son Robbie and two daughters Kendell and Christie.   The White House released a statement this morning saying that it was “deeply saddened” and that he was a “great friend.”

President Bush announced this morning that the United States has moved closer to its goal of ridding the world of North Korea as a nuclear threat and dismantling the socialist state’s nuclear programs.  North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and has the capability to produce more.  Therefore, the fact that North Korea has handed over documents regarding its nuclear activities is a big step towards the larger goal of nuclear disarmament.  The United States intends to lift sanctions and its designation of North Korea as a terrorist state in 45 days if North Korea follows through with its promises.  Bush says that if North Korea does not follow through with its promises more restrictions will be placed.  Noteworthy Comment:  It is only because Bush changed his policy about direct talks with our enemies that this development took place.  Can you say thanks Sen. Obama.  Apparently the criticism of Obama as being naive is without merit.  This is the third time Bush has changed his position to that of the Illinois senator regarding foreign policy and received successful results.  FYI:  John McCain takes an even harder line against and regarding talking to our enemies than President Bush.  Sen. MCain has called Obama’s policy in this regard inexperienced.  Obama has said that he has better judgement and that experience in Washington does not substitute for such judgement.  Todays development seem to ram forward that point.  Ding, ding, ding,…..another round for Obama.

Under mounting pressure from Israel, CBS is reporting that President Bush is actually considering leaving office with a BANG!  Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen left Tuesday night on an overseas trip to Israel where Israel is expected to beg the U.S. to strike Iran before Bush leaves office.  Israel does not want Iran to be nuclearized and it is counting on President Bush to strike in the next six months because they are unsure of the foreign policy of the next administration regarding Iran.  Welcome October surprise!  CBS reports that “[t]he Israelis have been assured by the Bush administration that the Bush administration will not allow Iran to nuclearize,” [CBS also reports] “Israelis are uncertain about what would be the policies of the next administration vis-à-vis Iran.” So they are in the process of  applying immense pressure on the current administration to complete a military strike before it leaves in January 2008.  The current Secretary of Defense Robert Gates opposes such a strike because he says that “it could touch off a third war in the region.”  Question: how could a President who has judgement, a conscience, or a semblance of intellect enter us into another war when our military is already completely overstretched and our country is facing a deficit unlike any in recent history?  The Answer: we are dealing with a President that does not seem to possess any of these things.  What we seem to have is a President who is trying to get his party re-elected by way of political expediency perhaps? Who we are dealing with is a president who believes in cowboy diplomacy regardless of the consequences to the American people.  Who we are dealing with is a president who does not seem to care what happens once he leaves office and figures that the aftermath of his actions will be President Obama’s problem.  Big surprise, vice President Cheney is also for striking Iran.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio introduced 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush on the floor of the House yesterday.  The Ohio Representative and former presidential  contender requested that the House consider impeaching President Bush for decieving the country and breached his oath of office by leading into the Iraq war.

The articles of impeachment named by Rep. Kucinich were violation of the Geneva conventions, misprison of a felony, torture, war criminal, and many more.  The Ohio representative also introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney last year.  The resolution didn’t go very far even though republicans voted to debate the measure.

Scott McClellan, former White House Secretary, has accepted the invitation from the Judiciary Committe to testify before Congress on the Bush Administration’s action regarding the Valerie Plame affair.

According to the Associated Press “President Bush’s former spokesman, Scott McClellan, will testify before a House committee next week about whether Vice President Dick Cheney ordered him to make misleading public statements about the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity.”  “McClellan will testify publicly and under oath before the House Judiciary Committee on June 20 about the White House’s role in the leak and its response, his attorneys, Michael and Jane Tigar, said on Monday.”

Obama, in Economic Tour, Criticizes McCain Agenda 

RALEIGH, N.C. — With the Democratic stage to himself for the first time, Senator Barack Obama opened a two-week tour of battleground states on Monday, attacking Senator John McCain’s economic policies and moving to focus on the ailing economy as the central theme of the general election campaign.  Read article

As Prices Soar, McCain Returns to Gas Tax Holiday Proposal  

RICHMOND — On the day that Sen. Barack Obama launched a two-week economic tour, his Republican rival reiterated his criticism for opposing a gas tax holiday this summer to take the bite out of rising prices at the pumps.  At a fundraiser here, Sen. John McCain told donors that Obama “derided” his idea for a three-month holiday from federal gas taxes at the risk of alienating low income voters and truckers.  Read article

Laura Bush Praises Clinton, Defends Michelle Obama 

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — First Lady Laura Bush made an unusual foray into the U.S. presidential campaign here today, praising Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for her “grit and strength” and coming to the defense of Michelle Obama, the wife of the presumptive Democratic nominee. Read article

Were African-Americans at Iwo Jima

Sixty-three years after U.S. forces vanquished the Japanese and planted their flag on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi, the remote outpost in the Volcano Islands is the focus of another pitched battle. This time, acclaimed film directors Clint Eastwood and Spike Lee are engaging in verbal warfare over the verisimilitude of Eastwood’s two films about the epic clash, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. Lee has claimed that by soft-pedaling African-American contributions to the battle, Eastwood is misrepresenting history. Read article

John McCain was all for talking with Hamas two years ago before he started running for president.  Now the Arizona senator has flip flopped on the double-talk express.  A pattern is developing here.  This was written in response to McCain’s outrageous statement yesterday in support of President Bush’s outrageous and unprecedented comments regarding “appeasement” that Bush made about Sen. Obama on the 60th anniversary of Israel’s independence.  Bush also violated 60 years of uninterrupted american foreign policy in that you do not criticize american foreign policy on foreign soil.  See interview with James Rubin:

RUBIN: “Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?”

McCAIN: “They’re the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it’s a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that.”

President George W. Bush approval rating has dropped to a historical low of 28%.  During the course of the Bush administration the President’s approval ratings has averaged at about 52%.  These numbers reflect a very low approval rating from most democrats and independents and a mere 66% approval rating from his republican base.  According to the Gallup poll, the average approval rating for all prior presidents is 55%.  George Bush Sr.’s approval ratings during his last year in office also fell to a historical low of 29%.  Like father, like son.  It is widely reported that the economy, the unpopular war in Iraq, and gas prices, are reasons why a mere 85% of Americans are unhappy with the way things are going in the United States.

There is a battle of leverage going on in politics between the House and the Bush White House.  Pelosi said in a press conference yesterday that the House plans to change it’s rules in order to not vote on the Colombian Free Trade Agreement this year.  The Bush administration unilaterally sent the Agreement to the House without following proper rules set in place by the TPA.  Pelosi accused the Bush administration of attempting to force the bill instead of letting Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) fully do its job.  Pelosi insists that the Bush Administration is not considering the state of our economy.  The democrats also say that many American workers are losing their jobs and homes and the government is not doing enough to return American’s workers to their original position.  Pelosi insists that we need to address the economic insecurities of America’s working families who have been displaced by free trade.  Ways Pelosi believes that the Bush Administration can do so is with a good faith effort toward the passage of a Healthcare bill and a Housing bill that addresses the home mortgage crisis.   Pelosi says that she warned the President against this unilateral action, now the House will take it’s action today by changing House rules that will avoid a vote on the Colombian Trade Agreement this year.  I guess you have to play the hand you’re dealt.  This is the same Colombian Bilateral Trade Agreement that Bill Clinton and Mark Penn of the Clinton campaign were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote and help get passed.  So much for  Sen. Clinton being the ”fighter” for the working class.

The latest Reuters/CSPAN/Zogby poll released today show a tightening race in Ohio.  Clinton is slightly leading, but is within the margin of error, with 44% to Obama’s 42%.  Update:  new polls released on March 1st,  show that Obama has essentially closed the gap on Clinton’s lead in Ohio.  Cleveland Plain Dealer, Zogby, Rasmussen, Survey USA, and Real Clear Politics polls, all show the two candidates tied or within the margin of error.  Less than two weeks ago, Clinton was leading in Ohio by double digits. The latest Reuters/CSPAN/Houston Chronicle poll for Texas shows Obama leading with 48% to Clinton’s 42% where again, two weeks ago, Clinton was leading by double digits.  The rolling poll questions were asked to likely democratic primary voters.  The breakdown of the candidates voting blocks are somewhat similar to voter breakdowns of previous contests.  Obama leads in Ohio among cross-over republicans, independents, young voters, higher income voters, and blacks.  Clinton leads among women, older voters, Catholics, union households and voters living outside of Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati.  Of voters who decided in the last month, Obama is significantly ahead of Clinton.  Whereas Clinton is ahead with voters who made their decision over a month ago.  It seems that Obama’s momentum continues despite what appears to be a pile-on from all directions.  Clinton, McCain, and now even George Bush has joined in by telling Obama that he should be concentrating on winning the Democratic nomination instead of what is going on in the current White House.  Can someone tell George Bush that he should be worrying about what is going on with gas prices in the United States rather than who said what in the Democratic primary.  A reporter asked Bush yesterday, during a White House press conference, about analysts recent predictions of a potential increase of gas prices to $4 a gallon.  Bush responded by saying that “he had not heard that.”  Uhhh…..but you do know the latest tit-for-tat between the primary candidates.  President Bush, please concentrate on your job, which is, in case you failed to read the job description, addressing several pressing issues facing our country, e.g.,  skyrocketing gasoline prices, the economy, foreign affairs, the Iraq war, etc…. We do not care about your punditry with respect to our next president.  In case you haven’t noticed Mr. President, your approval rating is at 30%.  It may be because you are watching too much television and not tending to the job that you were sent to Washington, DC to do.  Anyway, back to the current candidates.  Most say that Clinton has to win both Texas and Ohio, including her husband, to remain relevant in this race.  Two weeks ago, most were saying that she not only has to win but has to win by large margins.  Now they’re saying that even if she wins by a small margin as long as she wins.  And the absolute latest from the pundits and the from some in the Clinton campaign is that she only has to win either Texas or Ohio to remain in the race. Whoops…I spoke too soon, the absolute absolute latest is that Obama must win all four contests on Jr. Tuesday for Clinton to be no longer viable.  Unbelievable!! The goal post keeps moving for Clinton, and she accuses Obama of receiving special treatment from the press.  It really is time to choose a nominee, regardless of how much enjoyment the media is getting out of this long protracted primary season.  The longer this stretches out, the less time voters have to really weigh the positions of the general election candidates and make an informed decision about our next leader. 

Ralph Nader has again decided to attempt to be the spoiler for the 2008 election.  Even though in the 2004 election he only won .03 percent of the vote. This is Nader’s third run for the presidency as an alleged consumer advocate. Nader has criticized the candidates from both political parties for disagreeing with him even though voters have shown that his interests are not necessarily in line with those of the average American or even in some respects his supporters.  Nader believes that unless you buy in on his agenda hook, line, and sinker….you are somehow lacking.  He claims to be against everything that McCain stands for, yet through his bloated sense of self-importance, he has actually become his ally.  If history is anything to go by, Nader is hoping for another 2000 election.  The “consumer advocate” candidate has refused to take any responsibility for the 2000 election but continues to blame the results on Katherine Harris, the Supreme Court, and Jeb Bush.  The final tally of the 2000 Florida showed that Nader received over 97 thousand votes, Gore lost Florida by a little over 500 votes.  Therefore, had Nader not been on the ballot, Gore would probably be finishing off his last year as President.  Not to mention the different position that the country would be in had Al Gore become President instead of George Bush due to a very contrasting style of governing.  Last year, Nader said that he will only run if he received $10 million in campaign funds.  When asked whether he had raised the $10 million, his campaign declined to comment.  So even though he does not appear to have the public support, as evidenced by his inability to reach his fundraising goal, he has decided to indulge his narcissistic tendencies by making a third run for the presidency.  Nader’s self indulgence is his chief priority regardless of the fact that only his “supporters” bear the risks and costs of his actions. It is clear that the only people that will benefit from Nader’s run for president are those supporting John McCain. Therefore, if Nader is your candidate and you do not mind having at least another four years of the republicans in the Executive Office, then by all means roll the dice and vote for Nader.  Just stay informed.

McCain is scheduled to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference today in Washington DC. The Arizona senator, and recently self-proclaimed frontrunner for the GOP nomination, has decided that it’s time for the his conservative detractors to “calm down” and rally around the inevitability of him as the GOP nominee.  Several conservative talk radio personalities, namely Rush Limbaugh, have attacked the Senator for his refusal to always fall in line with conservative dogma.    It is believed that his speech today is an attempt to begin to bridge the divide between him and the far right, an essential voting block for any GOP candidate seeking the White House.  McCain has been labled a rebel with his own cause. This does not sit well with the far right.  According to reports, McCain ”blew off” last years gathering.  One of the nation’s most influential conservative organizations, the American Conservative Union, hosts the event.  The very high profile attendees are a virtual who’s who of the republican party. Others scheduled to be in attendance are Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul.  Mitt Romney is also scheduled to speak today.