George W. Bush

The Ignorance And Arrogance Of Mitt Romney In So Many Areas Of Significance!

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Mitt Romney is politicizing the tragic death of the US Ambassador to Libya in a disgraceful manner, which totally disqualifies him for the office of President of the United States!

Mitt Romney has not only now proved his ignorance and arrogance on this matter, but also on other areas of foreign policy. If somehow he was elected, the neoconservatives would take over, and we would be engaged in warfare against the Islamic world—Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt—and continuation of the war in Afghanistan, and maybe going back into Iraq—as if we have the manpower, the capability financially, and the national commitment to continuous war! And the Russian Government has also indicated its distrust of America growing if Romney is elected President, so get ready for a new Cold War with that nation!

But this situation only proves further that Mitt Romney is not only ignorant and arrogant about foreign policy.

He has also demonstrated his willingness to be manipulated by the far right wing of the Republican Party, when it comes to the fields of science, economics, mathematics and history. Facts and reality do not matter to the ideological extreme, and falsehoods and lies are the menu instead!

It is clear that Mitt Romney would be a total disaster for America, and would make George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon look good by comparison!

Bill Clinton Hits A Grand Slam At The Democratic National Convention!

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Coming off two nights where the Washington Nationals managed to hit six home runs for two games in a row, something that has only been done twice before in major league baseball history, another “former” resident of Washington, DC, former President Bill Clinton, looked as if he was part of the Washington Nationals lineup last night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina!

In baseball lingo, we could say that Bill Clinton hit a grand slam home run, as he defended the Barack Obama performance in office; linked his own time in office with that of his Democratic successor; showed the hypocrisy of Paul Ryan on policy and was laudatory toward Vice President Joe Biden’s contribution to the Obama Presidency; and destroyed the idea of Mitt Romney that the answer is to go back to the failed policies of the Bush Administration which got this nation in the economic mess it is in, which Clinton said no President in the past could have rectified completely in just four years!

Clinton, a masterful and charismatic orator, excited the convention, adding to the drama of this gathering, in a way that was very special and unique. The dynamism and electricity of the thousands of delegates and guests could be felt in every home that tuned in to the dramatic 45 minute address, much of it ad lib, by a man who has had his ups and downs historically, but is now riding a wave of popularity in the mid 60s in public opinion polls.

If Bill Clinton could convince white working class males to think of their future, instead of the appeal to their prejudices by the Republican Party, then he will have vindicated his goal of moving his party and the nation toward a continuation of the Obama Administration, which has much to be proud of, and has, indeed, made America a better nation than it was four years ago.

So Bill Clinton reminded us, that despite much work left to do, we are “better off” than we were four years ago, an old refrain used by Ronald Reagan, who attacked Jimmy Carter in 1980, on the basis that we were NOT better off, and managed to convince the country to elect him, not realizing that Reagan would pursue economic policies that would start the decline of the American economy and help to cause the massive government debt, mostly occurring under Republican Presidents Reagan and the two Bushes.

Only Clinton was able to balance the budget several times, slowing up the debt’s growth, and actually leaving a surplus for George W. Bush, which was then squandered by two wars in Iraq and Afghaniatan, a Medicare prescription drug plan unpaid for by taxes, and a policy of deregulation of Wall Street which led to the Great Recession of 2008, all thrown into the lap of Barack Obama in 2009, creating the worst economic times since Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression in the 1930s!

The Capture Of The Republican Party By Right Wing Zealots: A Threat To America’s Future!

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Sadly, as has been stated in many posts on this blog, the Republican Party of Lincoln, TR, Ike, and even Ford, Reagan, and the Bushes, has been taken captive by right wing zealots, who have managed to make Mitt Romney follow their lead, and add ideologue Paul Ryan to his Presidential ticket for 2012.

The fact that Romney and Ryan are peddling propaganda, lies, and myths at an extraordinary rate, and managing to fool millions of Americans to think that the party represents their interests, is mind boggling.

This week, at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, we have an opportunity to explode the myths that have been built up by the GOP, and to show just how dangerous the party has become, as it has left the mainstream and become a party no one with intelligence and a sense of history could possibly endorse.

There is a need to purge the evil elements of the party, in order to save it for the future competition for power, or else a new party will have to replace it sometime soon!

When a party can allow religious conservatives to control a woman’s future even on the subject of rape as suggested by Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, and to demand vaginal probes before an abortion will be allowed, as Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia promoted, then we know that the party has been seized by the extremism of Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council.

And the Family Research Council, judged a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its extreme promotion of hatred toward LGBT people, and lacking concern for teenagers harassed for their sexuality to the point of suicide, adds concern for the future of tolerance and open mindedness in America.

The growing influence of a supposed historian, David Barton, who is rewriting the history of America as a “Christian” nation, and has been denounced by reputable historians for his distorted views of all kinds of personalities and issues, is having an effect on the Texas schoolbook adoption of standards of what is taught, which affects the whole nation. Barton has no credentials to be called an “expert” on the truth and reality of American history, but carries a lot of weight in GOP circles, nevertheless.

Meanwhile, Kris Kobach, the Kansas Secretary of State, has gained a lot of influence in promotion of anti immigrant legislation, including the laws in Arizona and Alabama. He has also been a leader in voter suppression activities, action against gay rights, support of no limits on guns, and has also promoted hysteria against so called “Sharia” or Muslim religious laws, which actually have no effect or impact, but are talked about to stir up insecure citizens to think we are about to be taken over by Muslims.

Additionally, Dick Armey, former GOP House Majority Leader in the 1990s, has worked to promote Tea Party takeover in the House and Senate, and is actively involved now in the races that led to Richard Mourdock, Debbie Fischer, and Ted Cruz winning Senate nominations in Indiana, Nebraska, and Texas.

Additionally, the no tax increase crowd, no matter what the circumstances, continues to hold sway with the power and influence of Grover Norquist of Americans For Tax Reform, as his group is called.

The dangers represented by what Bob McDonnell, Todd Akin, Tony Perkins, David Barton, Kris Kobach, Dick Armey, and Grover Norquist promote is massive, and Americans need to understand the threat to our social, economic and political future represented by the right wing zealots in the Republican party that has fallen on difficult times, and needs to be cleansed!

Romney And Ryan: Spreading Lies And Myths Unashamedly!

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Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are setting a record for spreading the most lies and myths of any Presidential campaign team in American history!

Apparently, it does not matter that even Fox News Channel and the Wall Street Journal are calling them out for making their own facts, along with other news media!

What are the lies and myths?

Barack Obama is cutting Medicare benefits for recipients, when Paul Ryan’s plan is to make Medicare a voucher system and raise the age for eligibility for future recipients from 65 to 67.

Barack Obama is to blame for the downgrading of America’s credit rating, when it was the GOP Congressional leadership that refused to raise the debt limit before the deadline, and everyone knows that to be the fact.

Barack Obama has added more to the national debt than all Presidents before him, while in reality the Republican Presidents are responsible for more debt than Democratic Presidents, and much of the debt increase is due to Bush policies, including war spending, the unpaid for prescription drug plan, the Great Recession that occurred under George W. Bush, and the constantly growing interest on the national debt, no matter who is the President.

Barack Obama is ending the work requirement under welfare, while in fact that is not the case, and many GOP Governors have asked for the right to use different plans on welfare that change the requirements under the Bill Clinton welfare to work plan.

The Janesville, Wisconsin auto plant, in Ryan’s home district, was shut down by Barack Obama, while it was actually ordered to close in 2008 during the Bush Administration, and Obama worked to save the auto industry in the Midwest successfully, once he came to office, and Mitt Romney wanted the industry to go bankrupt.

The Republicans want to protect the poor and the sick, when in actual fact, they wish to cut food stamps, Pell Grants, and other assistance to the poor, including a drastic cut in Medicaid, under the Ryan budget plan.

Barack Obama raised taxes on the middle class, when in actuality, he LOWERED taxes for the middle class.

Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney are against the statements of Todd Akin about rape and abortion, when in reality Ryan sponsored legislation on the matter with Akin, and both Ryan and Romney had no problem with the party plank on abortion, which opposed abortion on any grounds whatsoever.

Higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations harm economic growth, when pursuing exactly that policy spurred the greatest economic growth in American history under Bill Clinton in the 1990s.

Barack Obama has created no job growth, when he has, in reality, presided over greater job growth in the past three and a half years than eight years under George W. Bush.

Barack Obama has been involved in his administration in an “apology tour”, and has favored Muslim nations, when in fact he has never “apologized” for America, and has been aggressive in pursuit of Muslim terrorists in Al Qaeda and the Taliban, killing more terrorists than anyone could ever have imagined, and also was able to get rid of Osama Bin Laden and Moammar Gaddafi.

Both Romney and Ryan and other Republicans wanted Obama to succeed, when there is no doubt that all Republicans made it their mission to insure that Obama would be a one term President with no accomplishments, which they well know has not been the case, as he has accomplished more in one term than any President since Lyndon B. Johnson domestically, has changed the image of America to a positive one in the world, and has made as much progress in the worst times of an economic downturn as Franklin D. Roosevelt did in his first term during the Great Depression, similarly making progress against difficult economic times, but not resolving the crisis in one term, but being attacked as Socialist, Communist, radical, Fascist by right wing critics!

The lies and myths will not carry the day, and Barack Obama will be reelected as FDR was in 1936, although not by the massive landslide of FDR!

Mitt Romney: How Did He Do In His Acceptance Speech?

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, now the GOP Presidential nominee, has given his acceptance speech, and it was a masterful performance in many ways.

He seemed more relaxed and happy than he has ever been in a public speech before tonight, and the teleprompter certainly helped, even though the Republicans have constantly attacked Barack Obama for using a teleprompter.

He certainly wowed the crowd at the convention, but the question is whether he convinced the American people that he is up to the job of being our President for the next four years, as he failed to be specific on his plans, used high powered rhetoric instead, and left us wondering who the “real” Mitt Romney is! At the same time, he seemed ready to commit US military forces against Iran and Syria, at a time when we can ill afford further military intervention, with our longest war in Afghanistan still raging, and the nation tired of war.

An odd but telling moment was when Romney talked about caring about the sick, the poor, the elderly, and the needy, and the convention audience remained totally silent in reaction. This was embarrassing, and showed that the well healed delegates were not what George W. Bush promoted when he ran for President in 2000—“compassionate” conservatism!

At least, Romney told fewer lies in his speech than his running mate did last night, when Paul Ryan told at least six lies or mistruths in his speech, and even Fox News Channel called him out on many of these distortions or pure fabrications.

So the battle is on, and now Romney and Ryan will face two accomplished debaters in Barack Obama and Joe Biden in October, and we shall see how they perform under fire, when they will be questioned on specifics and on their manipulation of the truth on so many areas of policy!

Three Subjects Ignored At Republican National Convention: George W. Bush, Foreign Policy And Constitutional Law

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The Republican Party is holding its national convention in Tampa, and so far has not mentioned President George W. Bush by name, or referred to the issues of foreign policy and constitutional law.

It is as if Bush was never President, and instead Democrat Barack Obama is being blamed for everything, including original sin! The economy was apparently fine, until Obama became President in 2009. This is what is called the rewriting of history, and making Bush a non person.

But Bush also took us into two foreign wars that have bankrupted us, and caused a large portion of the national debt growth, but neither Paul Ryan nor Mitt Romney seems anxious to run a campaign on foreign policy, something neither have them have any experience in dealing with. Of course, the critics say what experience did Barack Obama have, forgetting that he did serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for four years, and did important work with the respect and support of Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar, who was, for a period of year, the Chairman of that committee. This, of course, probably helped to contribute to the defeat of Senator Lugar in the Indiana Senatorial primary this year, leading to his forced retirement this December.

And, of course, to bring up constitutional law would make people realize that the President, whoever he is next term, will have a dramatic effect on constitutional law and the Supreme Court, and that this matters more than economic policy in the long run!

So the GOP is ignoring these three issues, hoping to sail through to victory on promotion of ignorance of the citizenry, and creating falsehoods and myths about the Barack Obama record!

Will they succeed? That seems highly doubtful!

The Ultimate Republican Hypocrisy And Double Standard: Highly Moral And Religious Publicly, And Major Attenders Of Strip Clubs And Nude Bars At Political Conventions!

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The Republican Party loves to portray itself as extremely religious, moral, and ethical, and opposes full fledged sex education in public schools, and also loves to invoke God as punishing sinners by natural events, including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, droughts and earthquakes.

But now we are faced with the likelihood that the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, may face the wrath of Hurricane Isaac, an ironic event to say the least, particularly of the “son of Abraham”, the founder of the Jewish people in the Old Testament, “punishing” those who claim to be “good Christians”, promoting a hateful attitude toward those who are not willing to accept their dictates on social and economic matters, but who actually wish to do the good works that Jesus Christ promoted, rather than gaudy materialism, greed, and selfishness!

And also, Tampa is famous for its strip clubs, nude bars, and lap dances, and it is expected that Republican delegates, including highly “religious” delegates, will “let their hair down’, and act contrary to what their stated beliefs are! Of course, they will do everything to cover their tracks, and continue to preach what they do not practice! By the way, statistics show that Republicans go to such venues three times as likely as Democrats do!

This is the height of hypocrisy—do as one says, but not as one does! But what is new about the modern GOP, captive of the social conservatives and Tea Party activists, who are in the process of destroying the historic Republican Party of Lincoln, TR, Ike, and even Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and the Bushes!

A New Type Of Republican: The “Drawbridge” Republicans (Wealthy And Wishing To Deny Others Becoming Wealthy)!

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Columnist Matt Miller came up with a new term yesterday in the Washington Post for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan—two wealthy men who wish to “raise the drawbridge” so that others have no chance to become wealthy and be successful as they have been!

Their goal is to help the wealthy, and do everything to impoverish the middle class and the poor, by withdrawing the social safety net, and even raising taxes on those classes below the wealthy while creating the greatest maldistribution of wealth in the entire history of the United States, and NOT be embarrassed or upset about that reality!

As Miller says, both Romney and Ryan lack empathy, and do not seem to care how badly they appear. So Romney defiantly refuses to release more information about his taxes, despite the tradition of multiple years being released by all other Presidential candidates. And Ryan “forgets’ to include a great inheritance in his vetting materials required under government rules about Congressional income, and for Romney, when considering him for Vice President. He acts as if being worth $7 million through inheritances is something to be kept secret, while calling for cuts in Pell Grants and Food Stamps for our children, whether of college age or of younger age and needing nutrition!

These “Drawbridge” Republicans are the most selfish, greedy, heartless Presidential team in living memory, as John McCain showed concern for illegal immigrants, and George W. Bush promoted a prescription drug plan for the elderly, and made attempts at improving education.

Romney and Ryan offer no such programs or concerns, except for themselves and their class, an absolutely disgraceful situation!

Oh, and by the way, the news is out: Paul Ryan provided NO BUMP for Romney after ten days, and even Sarah Palin four years ago provided a temporary bump for John McCain! So there is a disaster in the making for the Republican Presidential ticket in November!

Medicare Will Decide The Election: IF Obama Wins Florida AND New Hampshire Of “Battleground” States, He Wins The Presidency!

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Chuck Todd of NBC’s Meet The Press just demonstrated how close Barack Obama is to a victory for the White House.

Showing an electoral vote map with 237 electoral votes in Obama’s camp and 191 in Mitt Romney’s camp, Todd demonstrates that there are NINE true “battleground” or “swing” states, and if Obama wins Florida and New Hampshire, he has the second term he wants in the White House! And the issue of Medicare, brought to central focus by Paul Ryan and his budget plans on that program, will be the center of the victory of Obama for the Presidency!

Even if Romney wins the other seven contestable states—Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Nevada—he would lose the Electoral College 270-268, due to Florida’s 29 electoral votes and New Hampshire’s 4 electoral votes!

But, to assume that Obama would really lose all seven of those states is also delusional, as it is certain that he will win some, and probably, most of them!

This author has been saying this for a long time, and has found some readers of this blog, conservative and Republican friends and associates, and people on Fox News Channel and talk radio, act as if only the public opinion polls, which often show a close race in many states and nationally, should be paid attention to, but that is NOT the case!

The election is decided by the Electoral College, NOT the popular vote nationally,and do not forget that George W. Bush LOST the popular vote in 2000, but was declared the winner of the Electoral College! The same happened to Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford Hayes, and John Quincy Adams in the past!

But to conclude that, somehow, Barack Obama will lose the national popular vote, with the Republican alienation of Hispanics-Latinos, African Americans, women, young voters, the middle class, senior citizens, gays and lesbians, the poor, labor, educators, consumer advocates, environmentalists, and secular voters—in each case, the majority, not all of any group, of course—indicates that those believing what they do are indeed delusional, and cannot be helped by ordinary medical intervention!

Important To Remember: No Wartime President Has Been Defeated For Reelection!

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An interesting point to remember with 80 days left to the Presidential election, and just two days to August 20, precisely five months to the inauguration!

NEVER has a President in wartime been defeated, including two times when war clouds hovered, but we were not technically at war!

Witness the following:

James Madison, the War of 1812, reelected in 1812
Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, reelected in 1864
Woodrow Wilson, World War I, not at war but nearing it, reelected in 1916
Franklin D. Roosevelt, World War II, not at war but nearing it, reelected in 1940, and then at war, reelected in 1944.
Lyndon B. Johnson, using the Vietnam War issue through the Gulf of Tonkin, elected in 1964
Richard Nixon, Vietnam War, reelected in 1972
George W. Bush, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, reelected in 2004

This list does not include James K. Polk, who chose not to run for reelection AFTER the end of the Mexican War in 1848; William McKinley, reelected AFTER the Spanish American War’s end, in 1900; Harry Truman, who chose not to run in 1952 during the Korean War; Lyndon B. Johnson, who chose not to run during the Vietnam War in 1968; and George H. W. Bush, who was triumphant during the Persian Gulf War, but then lost 18 months later for reelection in 1992, due to the bad economy and the candidacy of Ross Perot helping Bill Clinton to win in a three way race.

So the odds of Barack Obama winning reelection with the Afghanistan War raging are excellent!