ThinkFast: January 16, 2009
ThinkFast: January 16, 2009
Last night, President Bush said goodbye to the American people in his final address to the nation. But as he leaves office, the majority of Americans couldn’t be happier to see him go. In a recent poll, CNN found that 75 percent of Americans “said they are glad he is leaving.” Only 23 percent said they will miss him.
Israel shelled the UN Relief and Works Agency headquarters in Gaza yesterday, calling the attack a “response to enemy fire.” The attack wounded three people and destroyed a warehouse “full of hundreds of tons of food and medicine.” It was the second attack on a UN facility since violence began.
In an interview with USA Today, President-elect Obama said “he will appoint a team immediately after his inauguration Tuesday to address ‘on Day One’ the crisis in Gaza and brewing troubles across the Middle East.” The challenges in the region are “not going to be solved in isolation. And we’ve got to be active in all these areas in order for us to be successful in any of these areas,” he said.
Obama is also pledging to reform spending on Social Security and Medicare, convening a “fiscal responsibility summit” next month. “Social Security, we can solve,” he said. “The big problem is Medicare, which is unsustainable.” Obama said he intends to “spend some political capital on this.”
Outgoing CIA Director Michael Hayden yesterday defended the agency’s use of torture and advised the incoming Obama administration “against going too far in dismantling the agency’s controversial counter-terrorism programs.” “These techniques worked,” Hayden said of the agency’s interrogation program.
More than a month has passed since Iraqi journalist Muntader al-Zaidi threw his shoes at President Bush during a Dec. 14 press conference. Zaidi, however, remains in custody and has “been allowed only two visitors — and none since Dec. 21.” His family is concerned that Zaidi has been beaten while imprisoned.
As the recession grows, more middle class families will sink into poverty, analysts predict. Figures due in August will likely show the percentage of Americans living in poverty rose half a percent in 2008, up from 12.5 percent in 2007. Poverty is defined as an annual income of $21,203 or less for a family of four.
A provision requiring companies “receiving federal bailout money to divest of their private aircraft or leases” was stripped from the House version of the Troubled Assets Relief Program Reform and Accountability Act of 2009. Kansas officials warned the provision would “would hurt aircraft orders and lead to more layoffs at a time the aviation industry.”
Obama appears to be putting D.C. voting rights on the back burner, warning that it “takes on a partisan flavor” and saying “our legislative agenda’s chock-full.” However, he insisted that that he supported a bill to give the District’s sole congressional member full voting rights in the House, which was narrowly defeated by Senate Republicans last year.
And finally: Is President Bush feeling “sweetly or innocently charming” at the end of his presidency? He is, according to presidential counselor Ed Gillespie. When talking to reporters yesterday about the President’s state of mind at the end of his tenure, Gillespie repeatedly said that Bush was feeling “winsome.” When reporters later asked White House Press Secretary Dana Perino what Gillespie meant by that word, she said, “I think ‘wistful’ might have been the word.”
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why has TP been silent on the Oscar Grant killing?
this is one of the most heinous crimes i’ve seen in a long time
wouldn’t taking a stand on this be fighting for “social and economic justice” and “healthy communitites?”
wouldn’t taking a stand on this be fighting against a “corrupt establishment?”
where is the outrage against police officers holding down and shooting an unarmed and cooperative 22 year old in the back.
a mother is now childless, a 2 year old little girl is now fatherless…. all because of egregious abuses of police power.
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE!?!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:06 am“I don’t give a darn”
the great Oz has spoken !!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:24 amSCHIP, Medicare, and other subsidized insurance programs are just Band-Aids that mask the obvious. We need a national health insurance program. I will cost us, ALL of us, a little more in taxes, but it will save us more in the long run. All of modern “1st World” nations, from England to Japan, spend half as much of their GDP on insurance and have managed to cover all of their citizens. It is time for us to do the same.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:25 amIn a recent poll, CNN found that 75 percent of Americans “said they are glad he is leaving.” Only 23 percent said they will miss him.
Now that’s interesting. And then the Gallup poll said he had a 34% popularity rating. Now why would 11% of those who think he’s doing a good job be happy that he’s leaving?
Personally, after what they did in the recent presidential campaign, I don’t really believe Gallup polls, especially when they come to politics.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:28 amPoor Bush — spinning to the end. Let’s look at the “accomplishments” he mentioned in his farewell speech:
1. The “No Child Left Behind” program — which has resulted in entire schools of children being left behind.
2. The Medicare Part D program — which has created a paperwork nightmare for our elderly and enriched the pharmaceutical companies.
3. Aid to Africa for AIDS — okay, we’ll give him this one.
4. No terrorist attacks on American soil for seven years — this kind of depends on how one defines “terrorist attack”, and Bush apparently defines it as “large-scale attack committed by Al Qaeda or similar well-organized crackpot extremist group working on behalf of what they perceive to be the tenets of Islam”. This allows him to discount other crackpots who go on shooting sprees. True — we haven’t had any more 9/11 style attacks. But this is because Al Qaeda sees that with Bush’s help, we are destroying ourselves far more efficiently than they ever could. We are bankrupting ourselves on senseless wars, we have exhausted our capital of goodwill and respect from the rest of the world, our economy is in the tank, and we have surrendered our freedoms out of fear. Even Al Qaeda knows that another large-scale attack would do nothing but reverse that skid.
Way to go, Dubya. Even your own speech just reminds us of how dismal your presiduncy really was.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:29 amMany ask, “WHO IS THAT 23 PERCENT?”
Here’s a breakdown:
*The top 1 percent made out like bandits – literally. Those connected with this criminal cabal not only saw huge cuts in their taxes, they looted BILLIONS AND BILLIONS from the federal treasury by exploiting the “war on terror”, Iraq, and any other federal program (including education).
*Another 10 percent of the population thinks they are next in line, stepping up to the one percent. They are wrong and many are now losing their houses and pensions, but they believed if they voted repug, their interests would be taken care of (NOT!).
*Propaganda is effective – the mainstream media has convinced a large group of Americans (primarily white) that the reason they are poor, uninsured, un/under-employed is because of the other economically disadvantaged people that somehow rank “below” them on the socio-economic ladder. This group is largest in the south, the old confederate states where folks never actually got over the devastation of the Civil War, even today.
*It is estimated that 20% of population experience significant mental illness at some point in their life. Of course, they don’t all suffer at once, so pinpointing exactly what percentage of dur chimpfurher’s base is in this group is difficult.
So instead of asking, “Who are those 23 percent” (which is a legitimate question), some of will choose to be grateful that the numbers is that low.
It would be virtually impossible, at this point in time, for the numbers to be any lower – perhaps it is more constructive to think about where that number comes from and continue to chip away at the repug/neocon base.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:32 amI couldn’t bring myself to watch the Chimperor last night.
Even morbid curiosity wasn’t enough motivation to listen.
I will, however, be happy to participate in the ‘One Finger Bush Farewell Salute’ Tuesday.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:32 amPlease do your part in this Fascist Farewell observance!
bronzbootz Says:
SCHIP, Medicare, and other subsidized insurance programs are just Band-Aids that mask the obvious. We need a national health insurance program. I will cost us, ALL of us, a little more in taxes….
It’s going to take a while to pass a universal health care plan and it might not be until 2010 when the Democrats will have a veto-proof majority. So, I’m happy that this is the first thing Obama did. It means that millions of children won’t have to wait for health care while a new plan is put in place.
As to costing more taxes, Kucinich did a study on the cost of putting all Americans into the Medicare system and found that it won’t cost an average taxpayer any more than they are now paying in premiums through their employers. As a matter of fact, he found it would cost them much less.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:32 amZimzone Says:
I couldn’t bring myself to watch the Chimperor last night.
I have Tivo so I fast forwarded through his farewell. It was actually kind of amusing. He looked like a bobble-head doll.
Then I fast-forwarded through Matthew’s analysis on Countdown. I can’t stand listening to Matthews either. It also pissed me off that they had Matthews come on Keith Olberman’s show to do the analysis. Keith is more able at political analysis than Matthews is and I wanted to hear what he had to say about the speech.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:36 am“These techniques worked,” Hayden said of the agency’s interrogation program.
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You know, every time I hear defenders of torture claim that it works, I’d love to hear at least one specific example of how it actually did.
I realize that because of security concerns, this information is most likely classified and I will probably never hear what I want to — that is, if specific examples really do exist.
However, I expect the torture defenders who have this knowledge (like Hayden) to relay what they know to Obama and their successors. And if there is actual evidence that torture is effective to the point of it being worth enraging the entire world (which it does), I expect I will be hearing Obama’s, Holder’s, and Panetta’s defense of it — which they would only do if presented with overwhelming evidence that it works. But I’m not holding my breath.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:38 amGood Bye and Good Riddance Chimpy! Don’t the door hit you on your way out. Go hide in Dallas/Crawford and await your fate. Remember that your version of how history will view you is just a figment of yours and Karl’s vivid imagination. Bumble/Bubble Boy is still delusional after all these years.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:40 amBilbo – you have good point, need to point out, there is virtually NO precedence for a US President making sweeping changes later in either a first or second term.
If repugs want to filibuster and obstruct, the public needs to see that. IMHO, as important as “band aids” are, failing to build on the largest mandate in generations will be a serious mistake.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:41 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
3. Aid to Africa for AIDS — okay, we’ll give him this one.
I won’t. He tied aid for AIDS to abstinence-only, restricting the availability of condoms and abortions.
4. No terrorist attacks on American soil for seven years
Like that’s an accomplishment? What about 9/11? What if it really was an inside job? Wouldn’t that go a long way towards explaining why there were no similar attacks? That one spectacular event gave the Administrative Branch enough power to destroy the constitution, enrich their cronies beyond avarice and consolidate power in the Unitary Executive. We now talk about torture being an acceptable and necessary method for extracting information. That’s state-sponsored terrorism!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:42 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says
January 16th, 2009 at 9:32 am
As to costing more taxes, Kucinich did a study on the cost of putting all Americans into the Medicare system and found that it won’t cost an average taxpayer any more than they are now paying in premiums through their employers. As a matter of fact, he found it would cost them much less.
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Not only that, but employers — who currently pay the lion’s share of health insurance costs in most cases — will be off the hook. Even if businesses are taxed more to cover the cost of universal coverage, most businesses would be delighted to pay more in taxes in exchange for giving up the burden of health insurance costs.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:43 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
“These techniques worked,” Hayden said of the agency’s interrogation program.
I agree with your assessment, molly. Torture is an international crime against humanity, and we now have talking heads on Fox saying it’s a good thing. Hayden puts all Americans at risk for being tortured with his statements.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:44 amAs to costing more taxes, Kucinich did a study on the cost of putting all Americans into the Medicare system and found that it won’t cost an average taxpayer any more than they are now paying in premiums through their employers. As a matter of fact, he found it would cost them much less.
It may be that easy. People have been conditioned for the last three decades to distrust government, instead of untrustworthy governors. Obama seems too cautious of a person to push something as “radical” as single-payer, but an optional national insurance pool is a good start.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:45 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
“Then I fast-forwarded through Matthew’s analysis on Countdown.”
I’m no fan of Tweety either Bilbo. However, you might want to take a look at his rant when you get home tonight. He railed against PNAC like noone I’ve ever seen on television do. His points were spot on and his seething anger barely contained. It was a good watch and refreshing to see someone say even if it was Matthews.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:47 amEven if businesses are taxed more to cover the cost of universal coverage, most businesses would be delighted to pay more in taxes in exchange for giving up the burden of health insurance costs.
Im sure the auto makers would.
For General Motors, health care costs add $1,525 to the price of every car that leaves the lot and the company estimates that it spent $5.2 billion on health care benefits in 2004, more than it paid for steel.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:48 amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaAMMMk6ke4
Judge Crawford, who used to work for Dick Cheney, said just last week that the “20th highjacker” had been tortured – (therefore, future prosecutions are in jeopardy).
January 16th, 2009 at 9:50 amThis link provides a skeptical view of why Crawford chose this moment to make her pronouncement, which is surely likely to hamper any investigations, prosecutions, trials, etc. by the Obama team.
I pay more for health care than I pay for my house payment. Way more……
January 16th, 2009 at 9:53 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
4. No terrorist attacks on American soil for seven years — this kind of depends on how one defines “terrorist attack”
January 16th, 2009 at 9:29 am
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Exactly. And I define a “terrorist attack” as a politically-motivated act of violence carried out by a non-state agent or a state agent working outside the rule of law against civilian noncombatants, which I believe is a rather standard definition.
By that definition, there have been an average of 191,000 terrorist attacks per year in the United States since 2001, with terrorist attacks against Latinos rising 40% in that time.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:54 amBriseadh na Faire Says
January 16th, 2009 at 9:42 am
I won’t. He tied aid for AIDS to abstinence-only, restricting the availability of condoms and abortions.
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True — Dubya’s record on that here in the United States is very poor. And worthy of outrage.
And PEPFAR would have been more effective had there been more focus on condoms (which have been proven to reduce the risk of AIDS transmission) and less focus on abstinence-only education and “pledges” (which don’t).
However, even though the program has its flaws, hundreds of thousands of Africans living with AIDS are now getting the anti-retroviral help they need.
When you compare this to the rest of the Dubya legacy, this is still probably the brightest spot — not that that’s saying much.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:57 amIsrael shelled the UN Relief and Works Agency headquarters in Gaza yesterday, calling the attack a “response to enemy fire.”
Yeah right. The UN was firing on Israel. This was a deliberate attack. The UN has given Israel the coordinates of where it’s working so any attack on their headquarters and it’s schools was a deliberate TERRORIST attack.
I am going to be sorely disappointed in Obama if he supports Israel in committing genocide. Killing civilians, especially from the air with cluster bombs and white phosphorus, IS NOT defending yourself.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:59 amThe Bush legacy will be that of a failed presidency inspite of all the spin and polish they try to put on his administration.
From the beginning, his administration eased into the job, ignoring critical issues. There was no “hitting the ground running” with the exception of the Cheney secret “Energy Task Force” which did what? Plan for war with Iraq?
There was the lack of commitment to continuing agressively tracking and thwarting the actions of those who would harm America. The disregard of warnings by Richard Clarke and others like him to take seriously the threat caused by bin Laden and others. Then there is 9/11. The Bush administration, Bush, Rice, Dumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, “the fu**ing stupidest guy on the planet” and the supreme Neo-Nitwit Cheney, then switched for pursueing bin Laden to invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, but which did have rich oil fields.
The Bush administration then kept US troops there in what was called everything from a “Fiasco” to a quagmire costing the lives of 4,500 Americans, 10’s of thousands of Iraqis and a Million, Million American tax dollars. For what?
Bush was (s)elected when America enjoyed eight years of “Peace and Prosperty”, and he now leaves after seven years of “War and Fear”, no prosperity, the budget supluses gone to tax gifts to his base, a doubling of the National Debt and the economy slipping into a depression.
It make me wonder why ONLY 75% of Americans will be happy to see him go.
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” – George W. Bush, August 5, 2004 – Fearmonger
January 16th, 2009 at 10:01 amGood morning, campers
TGIF!
And no, I did NOT watch chimpy’s “farewell” speech last night. If I had, I would have thrown a brick at my tv, and I can’t afford to buy a new one now.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:01 amObama is also pledging to reform spending on Social Security and Medicare, convening a “fiscal responsibility summit” next month. “Social Security, we can solve,” he said. “The big problem is Medicare, which is unsustainable.” Obama said he intends to “spend some political capital on this.”
He should spend his political capital on making Medicare our Universal Health Care system. It is an efficient system where only 10% of its income goes to overhead and the remainder into the program whereas the “for profit” health care industry puts 50% into overhead. Kucinich had a good plan to do just this.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:01 amCOProgressive Says:
From the beginning, his administration eased into the job, ignoring critical issues. There was no “hitting the ground running” with the exception of the Cheney secret “Energy Task Force” which did what? Plan for war with Iraq?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:01 am
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Nah, they were planning the UNOCAL pipeline through Afghanistan. Iraq was Plan B.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:03 am“These techniques worked,” Hayden said of the agency’s interrogation program.
And yet there’s no proof of this and most experts say the exact opposite. Hayden has a vested interest in trying to convince us that torture works and is legal since he may one day be on trial for what he did.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:03 amZaidi, however, remains in custody and has “been allowed only two visitors — and none since Dec. 21.” His family is concerned that Zaidi has been beaten while imprisoned.
So, the Iraqi’s are following our lead on justice. What a legacy we left them.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:05 amCOProgressive Says
January 16th, 2009 at 10:01 am
It make me wonder why ONLY 75% of Americans will be happy to see him go.
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I think that Another Joe explained that at Post #6 far better than I ever could.
Most of that 23% who will be sorry to see Bush go are the kind of people who cling like mad to a buoy miles offshore, ignoring or being oblivious to all rescue attempts, not realizing that it was the buoy that got them there.
It’s because we have roughly a quarter of our people who are of that mindset that we can’t really expect that number to go down.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:07 am#25, Uncle Ho,
It seems that Barack Obama couldn’t stand to watch dumbya either. He was having dinner with his wife at the time.
Bush&Co are spending their final days in a futile attempt to polish the steaming turd that is this administration.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:10 amEvery time I hear Bush or one of his flunky’s say “no terrorist attacks on our country” I want to barf. As far as I am concerned the Bush Presidency was one long terrorist attack on this country. Thank god it’s almost over. Hopefully it’s not too late.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:12 amDynamo Says:
Dynamo quotes statistics on our most neglected groups. What are you trying to imply, that it’s their own fault?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:16 am#27 toasterhead,
January 16th, 2009 at 10:17 amMost people seem to have forgotten the tale of the Unocal pipeline in Afghanistan.
Hamid Karzai himself was a consultant for Unocal.
Describing Bush as having childlike charm and innocence is … cute, but no matter how juvenile the outgoing President is, he will be remembered as a scoundrel.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:18 amDynamo Says:
Some nonsense.
Studies show that a mutated regressive gene in former President George H.W. Bush’s sperm has been the main cause of heartache among middle class Americans from 2001-2009.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:20 amlooks like the supply of stupid pictures is running low…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:20 amThe study goes on to say that all the news is not bad. It appears that former and current Presidents Bush’s sperm has been a valued source of protein for knuckle-dragging Republicans, neocons and uneducated trolls.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:22 amisn’t that two words
January 16th, 2009 at 10:23 amDynamo Says:
I hope Obama’s daughters have read this article.
Why should they? 8 and 10 year olds don’t go around having sex. Go find someone your own age, perv.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:23 amMarie; I agree with you. No matter how much floor wax or polish is done, a POS is STILL a POS. No amount of spinning can change that fact.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:25 amWhen failures such as you quote span across society it clearly points to a societal failure not an individual one.
Thanks for playing rightie. We’ll take it from here.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:25 amSaying that Bush presided over seven years with no terrorist attacks is simply mendacious. Bush was President for eight years and his national security record encompasses that entire time. Bush will be remembered as the man who was President on 9/11 when the worst terrorist attack on United States soil occurred. He will be remembered as the man who read a children’s book while New York burned. The man who fled on his private jet and was out of communication with the White House and the United States Military for the most critical hours. The man who came before the nation looking like a scared child. And, the man who used this national tragedy not to unify the country and do good acts, but to carry out a personal vendetta at great loss of American servicemen and women.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:26 am“Personal Responsibility” a LIB taboo??? As if Bush, Cheney, et al have taken ANY personal responsibility for the problems that emerged or increased over the last eight years? You got nothing, Dynamo. Go blow your horn elsewhere.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:28 amObama is also pledging to reform spending on Social Security and Medicare, convening a “fiscal responsibility summit” next month. “Social Security, we can solve,” he said. “The big problem is Medicare, which is unsustainable.” Obama said he intends to “spend some political capital on this.”
Excuse me? WTF? When does “reform” ever mean anything other than “cuts”?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:32 amIn 2009
January 16th, 2009 at 10:35 amMedicare will likely transition from an entitlement program to a needs based program. In other words, the wealthy will pay a portion or all of their premium, depending on how rich they are.
Triad Hospital’s CEO said he would pay for his Medicare coverage. This after selling his company and pocketing $42 million and lining up an $8 million retirement package.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:39 amDynamo Says:
“Why is personal responsibility such a taboo word to libs?”
Why is personal responsibility such a hypocritical term to Repugs and conservatives? They bring it up all the time, but only referenced to others, never to themselves. Torture is wrong, except when we do it, ripping off government tax dollars is wrong when the poor do it, but not when BIG BUSSINESS, or WALL STREET BANKS, or the MIC, or PhRMA, or BIG OIL do it.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:41 amArlen Specter proves again that he is a partisan hack – from the days of Watergate to today – the leopard has not changed his spots. Compare this to his telling Gonzo that he doesn’t need to take an oath:
“If you weren’t such a good lawyer, I wouldn’t be so surprised,” Specter said, as he continued to press Holder. Specter suggested that if the person had been involved in the case had been someone other than Gore, Holder would have backed an independent counsel.
For the first time in today’s session, Holder showed some temper.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/
“You’re getting close to the line. You’re getting close to questioning my integrity,” Holder said. “That is not appropriate. That is not fair.”
January 16th, 2009 at 10:46 amWe need to find a destination for the OUTRAGE. As proven by the Obama election, the only way to get fairness in America is with massive numbers. I am at a loss!! I’m so angy with these repugnican murderers that I can barely contain it. They must not get away with their crimes and their loot intact!
They can NOT be allowed to walk off into the sunset and live happily rich ever after.
Does anyone know of a place where we can begin to harness the massive angry energy in America and put it to good use? Like towards JUSTICE for example ?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:50 amDynamo Says:
Why is personal responsibility such a taboo word to libs? I guess when a black or gay person has too much to drink at a bar it the bartenders fault? Its never the fault of the individual with libs its always societies fault.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:20 am
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It’s not a taboo phrase. We believe in personal responsibility. However, we also believe that society shares part of that responsibility. If homosexuals and African-Americans are disproportionately contracting STDs, then it is the responsibility of the public health system to educate these groups about the threats of these diseases and how to prevent contracting and spreading them. From that point, it is indeed the personal responsibility of all members of society – including homosexuals and African-Americans – to protect themselves and others.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:51 amhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090115/ap_on_go_co/endangered_species;_ylt=AgWwlJvIcK6T3inR9E9DZ2cPLBIF
January 16th, 2009 at 11:07 amhussein toasterhead
Ain’t it “funny” how when repugs/neocons talk about “personal responsibility” it is always a one-way-street.
It never applies to them.
They obscure the fact that if we are all “personally responsible” as individuals, then we also have some “personal responsibilities” as a society.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:09 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Not only that, but employers — who currently pay the lion’s share of health insurance costs in most cases — will be off the hook.
Yeah, ya talk about a great economic stimulus!!!
January 16th, 2009 at 11:09 am“Social Security, we can solve,” President-elect Obama
I’m sorry. This is a lie. There is no problem now or in the next 40 years with Social Security.
The wealthy and powerful masters of the universe on Wall Street cry foul and get $750B taxpayer money, no questions asked with no oversight and he wants to “solve” Social Security?
Sorry. No. This is wrong, wrong, wrong!
January 16th, 2009 at 11:10 amWaPo reported:
Inquiry Into Interrogations Unlikely
Hayden: Obama Does Not Wish to Investigate Waterboarding
President-elect Barack Obama has privately signaled to top U.S. intelligence officials that he has no plans to launch a legal inquiry into the CIA’s past use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques, agency director Michael V. Hayden said yesterday.
Obama learned key details of the CIA’s interrogation practices in a closed-door meeting last month, and afterward made clear that he was more interested in protecting the country from terrorist attacks than investigating the past, the outgoing CIA director said.
For the whole article, go to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011504009.html?hpid=sec-politics
January 16th, 2009 at 11:14 amOf course, WaPo reports that about 25% of Americans are mentally ill, bringing Bush’s numbers into perspective.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/06/AR2005060601651.html
January 16th, 2009 at 11:29 amDynamo, you know what prevents diseases like syphilis and chlamydia? Condoms. You know who decided that condoms shouldn’t be available to the young and the poor? Bush and the Republicans. You know who is stupid enough to believe that abstinence only was a good idea? Idiots like you who continue to carry water for the soon to be ex-president.
And that same worthless fool pats himself on the back for sending aids medication to Africa. The spread of aids among heterosexuals in Africa has been rampant because married couples use alternate practices to prevent pregnancy because they have no available birth control. You people inflict burdens on people and then complain about them not taking responsiblity for handling those ridiculous impediments to your satisfaction.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:31 amcalavzma Says:
why has TP been silent on the Oscar Grant killing?
…
wouldn’t taking a stand on this be fighting against a “corrupt establishment?”
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE!?!
As long as the officer in question gets in as much trouble as possible, I have nothing to be outraged about. Let’s keep an eye on it and make sure the prosecutors do as vigorous a job as possible to see that this cop gets convicted, and that the judge sentences him sufficiently.
.
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Now that’s interesting. And then the Gallup poll said he had a 34% popularity rating. Now why would 11% of those who think he’s doing a good job be happy that he’s leaving?
I was thinking about that too. I can only surmise that that 11% realizes that every extra day he’s on the job he’s going to just look worse and worse, so they want him gone to save him.
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misshusseinmolly Says:
You know, every time I hear defenders of torture claim that it works, I’d love to hear at least one specific example of how it actually did.
I realize that because of security concerns, this information is most likely classified and I will probably never hear what I want to — that is, if specific examples really do exist.
I don’t think any examples exist. When England prevented their airline-bombing plot, the first thing they did was notify everybody. If you prevent a terrorist attack, you want to broadcast that information as much as possible so people can do what they can to protect themselves, as well as know what to watch out for to help.
In addition, BushCo have proved that they’ll happily sacrifice anything to make them look good. If Karl Rove had a foiled plot in his pocket, you don’t think he’d play that card? FAUX News would be pimping that story for a month at least. They’ve produced nothing because they got nothing.
The Bush administration has prevented zero terrorist attacks during his two terms as President.
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COProgressive Says:
…with the exception of the Cheney secret “Energy Task Force” which did what?
Apparently work out how the energy industry could profit by creating rolling blackouts through California.
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Dynamo Says:
Why is personal responsibility such a taboo word to libs? I guess when a black or gay person has too much to drink at a bar it the bartenders fault? Its never the fault of the individual with libs its always societies fault.
Not so much. But a statistical skewing within a certain group indicates that some common causal factor must be at play. It’s almost impossible to posit that millions of people all made the same choice at the same time, just because they wanted to; that would be like flipping a coin a million times and having it come up “heads” every time. One must conclude that they must have something else in common that is a factor in that decision. If that “something else” were addressed, it would bring a positive change in the statistic being tracked.
We can do policy because we can do math. Your kind (the stupid) have no business running this, or any other, country.
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tokin librul Says:
Excuse me? WTF? When does “reform” ever mean anything other than “cuts”?
When it’s not a Republican saying it.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:33 amstewarjt – thanks for posting. I want to give Obama and the new congress a chance. I try to use restraint here, people can be “ticklish”.
I am concerned when dems start mouthing anything that can be used to resurrect the chimpy’s Social Security Bamboozle.
People forget – this is where chimpy began his “downward” approval – the public was not going to accept the elimination of the most successful federal project in this nation’s history.
I doubt Obama or dems want to be the folks that undermine SS, but I pray they will be careful about what they say.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:40 amIts never the fault of the individual with libs its always societies fault.
Absurd. We don’t blame society for the wrongs of the individual, George Bush – we blame the supreme court, for sticking its nose into an issue it had no business dealing with.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:56 amDynamo Says:
I hope Obama’s daughters have read this article.
You know, I find it interesting that you cite statistics on race and then apply it to Obama’s family. You didn’t cite statistics on the education levels of the parents of the family. You didn’t cite the factor of family accomplishment or achievement. In your mind the only thing that you believed was a factor was… race. Nothing else mattered to you.
I just wanted to underscore that little point.
January 16th, 2009 at 12:01 pmBye bye worm! You may go back to being a full-time alcoholic now that you have ruined everything this nation stood for. We’ll put you in a mason jar and store you under the sink!
January 16th, 2009 at 1:18 pmThe only reason the US cannot afford a nationalized health care program is it would eliminate the health insurance and HMO profits. Health care is only prohibitively expensive when there are vultures looking to make mega buck profits from it.
The day we realize as a nation that nationalized health care is no different than police, fire, school, sanitation and all of the other things we take for granted as our due as citizens and the pain and suffering of people is not a profit center is the day we make a step forward into civilization.
January 16th, 2009 at 1:50 pmDefending the use of ‘TORTURE’ . .
Unbelievable, weren’t we always the ‘good guys’?
Think any of the [released without being charged with a crime] detainees or their family members will be seeking REVENGE against America after hearing our government defend TORTURE??
January 16th, 2009 at 2:45 pmCome on man find a new stupid picture…
January 16th, 2009 at 3:55 pmWhat kind of person looks at Obama’s young children and thinks of STDs? Sick bastard!
January 16th, 2009 at 5:40 pmPaul Krugman on Obama not investigating Bush era crimes
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/opinion/16krugman.html
Forgive and Forget?
Last Sunday President-elect Barack Obama was asked whether he would seek an investigation of possible crimes by the Bush administration. “I don’t believe that anybody is above the law,” he responded, but “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”
I’m sorry, but if we don’t have an inquest into what happened during the Bush years — and nearly everyone has taken Mr. Obama’s remarks to mean that we won’t — this means that those who hold power are indeed above the law because they don’t face any consequences if they abuse their power.
January 16th, 2009 at 6:35 pmObama says he always thought Bush was a ‘good guy’
After two years of traveling around the country and criticizing President Bush, President-elect Barack Obama said Friday that he “always thought [Bush] was a good guy.”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/16/obama.interview/index.html
January 17th, 2009 at 9:05 amThis YouTube video very calmly, very ably, considers President Bush’s belief that God has been telling him what to do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWxhl3ysEHg
January 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pm“Matthews: Bush is like the cop who shoots an unarmed man”
“Discussing the Bush legacy yesterday, Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s Hardball came up with a good metaphor:”
“Matthews: I found it interesting that the president, who admitted he was wrong about WMDs as a justification for war, called it a ‘disappointment.’ If a police officer in the line of duty in the middle of the night shoots a fellow because he thinks he’s got a gun, it turns out he’s got a wallet, your reaction if you’re a police officer is not that you’re disappointed he didn’t have a gun, it’s shame that even if it was a technical mistake that you’ve made, that you’ve killed a guy without reason. Why does the president use the word ‘disappointment’ when he says they didn’t have the WMD to justify us going in? I think it’s an odd use of the word.”
“It was fun watching Tony Blankley squirm as he mostly sought to evade Matthews’ point. Tom Andrews of Win Without War, also on the program, clearly made him squirm even more, as he shot down Blankley’s GOP talking points like Annie Oakley in a penny arcade. You could almost see him thinking: ‘Hey! This usually works on Fox!’”
“Later, in the segment following, Salon’s Joan Walsh backed up Matthews’ metaphor:”
“Walsh: And finally … the point that you made earlier, about a cop who shoots an unarmed man, does not then regret that the guy did not have a gun. He regrets that he killed an innocent man. And he regrets that he didn’t take the extra 30 seconds maybe to ascertain whether the guy was armed.”
“Yeah, but George the Frog Killer Bush is not your ordinary cop.”
David Neiwert. (2009, January 17). Matthews: Bush is like the cop who shoots an unarmed man. http://crooksandliars.com/. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/matthews-bush-cop-who-shoots-unarmed
“Only a coward would shoot an unarmed man. There is a simple solution to prevent this type of tragedy; unfortunately we cannot get rid of these cowards in our society however we can get rid of guns in our society” (R Muscat. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from http://www.timesofmalta.com.mt/articles/view/20080917/local/man-shot-dead-in-qormi).
George W. Bush is a coward.
Bush is the kind of loser who would shoot an unarmed man.
Bush lied and illegally instigated the Iraq war.
The American people can and will get rid of Bush shortly.
The American people soon will no longer have to tolerate Bush’s cowardice.
If one has not already done it, please see my online research at http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/12/george-w-bush-is-coward.html “George W. Bush is a coward.”
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
ONLINE ANTI-BUSH SCHOLASTIC RESEARCH: LISTING OF MAJOR ISSUES
http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/10/bush-is-worst-president-in-american.html
January 18th, 2009 at 1:45 am