« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 31, 2004

During John Kerry’s recent three-day visit to California, his main focus was jobs, jobs, jobs. He talked about Bush Jr.’s “broken promises” to America, and outlined his plan for creating 10 million new jobs in his first term. It's an accomplishment Democrats are certainly familiar with; after all, President Clinton created 23 million new jobs during his two terms.

Contrast that with Bush Jr.'s recent visit to Bakersfield, where he bragged about a man telling him he might hire two more people, according to the Fresno Bee.

That’s the difference in how John Kerry and Bush Jr. understand the needs of the average American.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Today is the birthday of Cesar Chavez, who fought so hard and achieved so much for farmworkers. California honors him. When John Kerry was in Sacramento on Monday he read to some students from a biography of Cesar Chavez. Becky Chavez, a niece of Cesar's, was with Kerry.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 30, 2004

Evidently, Rove got new polling numbers and it must not have been good news concerning Condoleezza Rice.

Rove decided overnight that Rice would testify in public and "under oath" to the Sept. 11 Commission.

No one should be misled, though. Rice works for Rove and Rove was trained under "Tricky" Dick Nixon. Rove has said the only thing Nixon did wrong was getting caught (for breaking numerous laws).

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Evidently Karl Rove isn't up to the job of running the White House. It seems he has a mutiny on his hands now.

Item One: Over the weekend Secretary of State Colin Powell praised Richard Clarke as a good public servant. And Clarke released a personal note from Bush Jr. himself, thanking him for his service as the Anti-Terrorist Czar.

Item Two: Last week, Bush Jr. strongly suggested that he did not hold a meeting immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks and demand that Clarke find a connection to Saddam Hussein. But over the weekend, Condoleezza Rice "corrected" the record by stating that Bush Jr. had, in fact, done exactly that.

Item three: The entire Sept. 11 Commission, including Republicans, has demanded that Condoleezza Rice publicly testify under oath. So far, Rove has said absolutely not, leading to even more controversy.

All this plus two Republican Senators, John McCain and Chuck Hagel, saying John Kerry is good on defense.

Is Karl Rove losing it?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 29, 2004

Iraqi businessman Ahmad Chalabi, who Colin Powell despises but Bush Jr. supports, continues to be paid $340,000 a month to gather "intelligence" in Iraq, according to the New York Times last week.

Much of Chalabi's so called "intelligence" has been wrong and possibly made up to manipulate U.S. military policy (causing the deaths of more Americans).

Isn't it time to take him off the government payroll?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Last week's 9/11 Commission testimony by Richard Clarke confirmed why John Kerry had criticized Bush Jr. last year on Tora Bora.

And by the way, knowing how Nixon's Party operates, if I were Clarke I would get my house debugged.

It turns out that CIA operatives and our military had surrounded Osama bin Laden and other top al-Qaeda leadership in the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan near Pakistan. But Bush Jr. was so fixated on Iraq and Saddam Hussein that he ordered the Fifth Special Forces, who had been in Afghanistan for six months, out of the area to go to Iraq.

The result: Osama bin Laden escaped to continue his attacks on Americans and others.

Has Bush Jr. apologized to the American people for this or 9/11? NO!

But Bush Jr. has tried to destroy whistleblower Richard Clarke, who did offer a heartfelt apology.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 26, 2004

Friday in Detroit, John Kerry gives a major speech on his economic proposals.

Bush Jr., like a little boy, keeps calling himself a "War President." He doesn't want Kerry or the American people talking about the 3 million jobs that have been lost under his watch.

The job loss situation is a sad, unfortunate state of affairs. Contrary to Bush Jr.'s assertion, it impacts more families across America than allowing gays to marry ever would.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 25, 2004

While Bush Jr.'s pit bulls continue their attacks on Richard Clarke, a decent American, millions of frustrated Americans are still looking for work. And by the way, I thought there were Federal laws to protect whistleblowers like Clarke.

The almost 3 million people who lost their jobs under Bush Jr. must be thinking: this President is just fighting for his job. These same people will send a message to the Republicans on November 2nd by voting Democratic.

Meanwhile, Howard Dean makes it official today at a rally in Washington, D.C. endorsing John Kerry, the next President of the United States.

We all owe Dean big thanks for putting the Republicans on the defensive and bringing millions of additional Americans to the Democratic team.

Bush Jr. said Tuesday that if he had known that terrorists would strike the World Trade Center on September 11, he would have done something about it. That's encouraging!

Someone needs to write some better lines for him.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 24, 2004

To demonstrate how vicious Karl Rove and Bush Jr. are, I decided to take a look back at October 9, 2001, when Bush Jr. appointed Richard Clarke as the President's Special Advisor for Cyber Security, along with Wayne Downing as Deputy Secretary.

Condoleezza Rice told the press that day they were both outstanding public servants.

Both Democrats and Republicans, including Rice and Bush Jr., believed that Clarke was the most qualified to fight terror. After all, Clarke had worked for Reagan, Bush Sr. and President Clinton before his Bush Jr. appointment.

However, after two years of seeing Bush Jr.'s ineptness on the job, Clarke resigned in frustration.

And now Clarke is telling the American people that the United States security has been neglected by Bush Jr.

In response, the White House has declared an all-out war against Clarke.

Rove’s vicious attacks makes you think: Why wasn't Bush Jr. this aggressive in going after Osama bin Laden, starting in January 2001, as President Clinton advised?

Maybe if Bush Jr. had done what Clinton, Clarke and Colin Powell had recommended, the FBI and CIA would have talked to each other and the dots - flight school, visa applications, etc. - would have been connected before 9/11.

On the other hand, that may be too much to expect of Bush Jr., a man who brags he doesn't read newspapers or memos, including Intelligence Briefings.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 23, 2004

In both a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday and in his new book, “Against All Enemies: Inside the White House’s War on Terror,” Richard Clarke, Bush Jr.’s top counter-terrorism advisor, blasted the White House for failing to fight terrorism.

After Karl Rove fired Paul O”Neill, Bush Jr.’s Treasury Secretary, O’Neill wrote in his book that a Cabinet meeting with Bush Jr. was like a blind man in a room full of deaf people. Rove told people he would get even with O’Neill.

Now Richard Clarke confirms much of what O’Neill says. After 9/11, Bush Jr. could only find Iraq on a map and was only interested in going after Saddam Hussein - not Osama bin Laden.

Now Rove has ordered Condoleezza Rice to get on TV to attack and destroy Clarke and continue the cover-up about Bush Jr. not being engaged in the fight against terrorism.

That’s interesting, because Rice once said that there is no evidence that Saddam Hussein had anything to do with 9/11! What?

I think Rice had better have a little talk with Bush Jr., Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Maybe she’ll get fired for stating that “fact.” Hopefully soon, so she can have her book out before the November election. I can see it now: “Bush Jr. Lied” by Condoleezza Rice. Short and to the point.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 22, 2004

Foreign leaders, as well as Americans, must be confused by all the conflicting statements made by Bush Jr. and his administration.

Bush Jr. said the capture of Saddam Hussein made the world safer. Now his Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz, is sending a different message about apprehending terrorists.

"Obviously getting (Osama) bin Laden would be a very big thing,” he told BBC News last Friday. “But anyone who thinks that's going to be the end of al-Qaeda or the end of these terrorist networks, doesn't understand how they work."

Faced with these two different messages, what is a Polish, Spanish or South Korean leader supposed to think?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 19, 2004

Halliburton's Dick Cheney attacking John Kerry's patriotism is pretty rich - pardon the pun - considering that Cheney is the most corrupt Vice President since Nixon's Spiro Agnew, who resigned the Vice Presidency because of bribes.

Nixon had Agnew on the campaign trail making false attacks on the Democrats. And since Karl Rove was trained in dirty tricks by Nixon, it's no coincidence that Rove now has Halliburton's Cheney doing the same against John Kerry, the "1-2-3 Man" (1 Silver Star, 2 Vietnam tours, 3 Purple Hearts).

How ironic that Dick Cheney, who said years ago he didn't go into the military because he saw "better options" for himself, has the nerve to even question Kerry's patriotism. Especially when Cheney's "better option" was to make millions of dollars (via Halliburton) off the backs of other Americans dying in combat zones.

Here's my prediction: Soon after John Kerry is sworn in as President on January 20, 2005, the FBI will say, "Mr. Cheney, you have the right to remain silent; you are under arrest for corporate crimes (bribes, theft, etc.) against the American people."

How's that for patriotism?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 18, 2004

Yesterday on NPR, Paul Wolfowitz, Bush Jr.’s Deputy Secretary of Defense, once again said Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda were working together for years leading up to 9/11.

Years before 9/11, Wolfowitz had a plan to invade Iraq. Is he saying that if Bush Jr.'s dad had taken out Saddam Hussein in 1991, then that wouldn't have been necessary? And that 9/11 wouldn’t have happened?

That’s the only logical conclusion one can come to, listening to the Bush Jr. people.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 17, 2004

In the latest New York Times poll the American people affirm their belief that John Kerry is qualified to be President.

In several key questions regarding leadership qualities, a vision for our country, improving the economy, creating jobs and protecting Social Security, Americans rate Kerry as better or equal to Bush Jr.

For example, when asked who is likely to increase jobs, 53% chose Kerry to only 39% for Bush Jr.

When asked who is likely to protect the country from a terrorist attack, 61% believe Kerry will. That's a lot more voters than Kerry needs to be elected President.

This is more evidence that the American people are becoming more and more disillusioned with Bush Jr.’s lies, misstatements, cover-ups, failing economy and wobbling international policies.

A reminder: in the last three presidential elections, the Democrat got the most votes. The last time a Bush tried for a second term, he was beaten.

I believe all of our primary presidential candidates played an important role in reminding the American people that they'll be better off with a Democrat in the White House. We owe our thanks to each of them.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 16, 2004

Karl Rove brags to many people that he reads a lot of books about historical
people and their propaganda operations. His poor staff is forced to listen to him or be fired, we hear.

Evidently, Rove must have read a lot about some of these world scoundrels, many whom used propaganda to achieve their goals.

Rove's operatives just got caught for sending out videos of "news events" to local TV stations promoting the /Bush Jr./drug company prescription drug plan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/politics/15VIDE.html

It turns out it was a Hollywood video production, with paid actors playing journalists interviewing other paid actors about "how great" the new prescription drug bill is.

Last week the story broke that Rove's operatives had threatened a Federal employee not to tell Congress about the true costs of the prescription drug bill. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews8174029.htm

And a few weeks ago, Rove's operatives got caught paying a PR firm $ 90,000 to "sell" the idea of massive tree cuts near Tahoe.

If Bush Jr. and Rove lie about domestic issues, how many lies are they telling the American people about Iraq?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 15, 2004

1. Kerry is more intelligent than Bush Jr.

2. Kerry doesn't rely on aides to summarize newspapers and intelligence memos in order to know what is going on the world.

3. Kerry has been in combat. Bush Jr. has joked about using a shotgun to his eardrum to avoid Vietnam and combat.

4. Kerry believes that it is better to create jobs in America. Bush Jr.'s guy said it is good for America that jobs are being outsourced to other countries.

5. Bush Jr.'s dismal record on the economy and foreign affairs.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 12, 2004

I woke up early Thursday morning in London to the news of train bombs in Madrid. Just last spring, I took a train out of one of those stations.

It was a terrible and tragic attack. The calendar read 3/11, and for Spain, it was the equivalent of our 9/11.

It is another reminder that the world's governments must better coordinate their intelligence data in the fight against terrorism. Not enough of that is being done at present.

I hope the United States government gives as much aid to the people of Spain as they need.

We are all saddened by this event.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 11, 2004

On Wednesday, I attended the “Prime Minister Questions.”
Listening and watching the Tories here reminds me of the
Republican Party in the States.

Both came in second in votes in the last national general
election. Both leaders -- Michael Howard of the Tories and
Bush Jr. -- are clueless about how to create jobs or expand
healthcare to middle class families.

And neither one will shut up about giving more tax cuts to
their country's wealthiest citizens by borrowing and creating
billions in deficits.

The one difference is the Tories believe Bush Jr. lied about
the intelligence on Iraq so he could start a war.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 10, 2004

I gave a talk Tuesday night in the House of Commons to
Members of Parliament regarding the presidential primary.

My Republican counterpart had nothing to say about
anything Bush Jr. has accomplished with the economy. In
fact, his remarks made no mention of any Bush Jr.
accomplishments. Period.

With the loss of 3 million jobs, it's easy to understand why.

The entire Republican speech consisted of nothing but
attacks on John Kerry, who has served our country for more than
20 years in the U.S. Senate and before that in the
Navy during Vietnam.

The Republicans realize they have an empty suit as a
candidate. So we should all be prepared for a smear
campaign by Bush Jr.

More on John Kerry soon. Read tomorrow's blog to find
out why John Kerry will be elected and why he will be a
better president for our country.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 09, 2004

Arnold Schwarzenegger's top economic advisor Warren Buffett, who also happens to be the second richest person in the world, slams Bush Jr. in a letter to investors for his tax cuts to America's wealthiest. Buffett says Bush Jr.’s tax code changes have hurt America's economy (i.e. job losses and record deficits).

In response to Bush Jr.’s policies, Buffett has decided to continue moving billions of dollars out of the U.S., including California, which is 12 percent of the country’s economy.

Does Schwarzenegger agree with Buffett that Bush Jr. has created a bad business economic climate for California?

My guess is that Buffett will most likely be voting for John Kerry.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 08, 2004

In 2000, Bush Jr. was asked what his thoughts were about
Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement during his last year at Yale (1968).

Bush Jr. replied that he really didn't pay much attention to
either (in those days he didn't have aides who read
the newspapers to him).

That remark irked me then, and it still does now, especially
since Bush Jr. has started calling himself a "War President."

Here's what Bush Jr. wasn't paying any attention to:

January 31, 1968: The Tet Offensive started and for
several weeks, 500 American troops were killed each week
(yes, each week) and thousands (including myself) were
wounded.

Then President Johnson announced he would not seek re-
election.

Then Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in March,
followed by riots in cities all over America.

In June, Bobby Kennedy won the California Primary, and
was immediately assassinated.

And now Bush Jr. is in the White House evidently spending a good portion
of his time on campaign fundraising. He has not
attended the funeral of one American killed in Afghanistan
or Iraq.

Bush Jr. didn't pay any attention in 1968 and he still isn't paying attention today.

This is just one reason why so many Vietnam veterans are
supporting John Kerry.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 06, 2004

On Friday, Bush Jr. announced the creation of only 21,000 jobs for the whole country in February. To give you an idea of what a paltry figure that is, President Clinton averaged 239,000 jobs per month for all 96 months of his Presidency.

Meanwhile, five million Americans have given up looking for work.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Many relatives of 9/11 victims are demanding that Bush Jr. stop using the images of the tragedy in his political TV ads.

None of the victims' families ever suggested that Bush Jr. use the images so he can help define himself as a War President. He’s actually a boy in Cub Scout shorts trying to convince us he knows what he's doing.

Bush Jr. to the families: “Enough about you, what about me? I need those images in my ad.”

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 05, 2004

That’s right, the four-letter word Bush Jr. fears hearing: JOBS!

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Listening to Bush Jr. this week in California, I thought he was talking about his Vice President, Halliburton’s Dick Cheney.

Bush Jr. said someone who has been in Washington, D.C. for 20 years could take a position on both sides of an issue. In 2000, Cheney (whose daughter is a lesbian) came out against a Constitutional Amendment to outlaw gay marriage. Now Cheney says he agrees with Bush Jr., which is a sad situation for Cheney and his family.

But he and Halliburton are still making tens of millions of dollars off our troops in Iraq.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 04, 2004

Bush Jr. is in California once again with one purpose: to do campaign fundraising. So far, Bush Jr. hasn't visited Idaho, but as soon as the Republicans in Idaho schedule a fundraiser, Bush Jr. will be there.

While he's in California, what is the 4-letter word Bush Jr. is hoping no one says to him?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

That's right - in answer to yesterday's query about Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bill Jones' stance on gun safety - as a State Legislator, he never missed an opportunity to vote against gun safety legislation and especially against a ban on assault weapons. However, Jones turned down an opportunity to join the military and have his own assault weapon.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

On Tuesday Senator Barbara Boxer received almost 2.3 million votes while Bill Jones got fewer than 900,000.

In fact, Senator Boxer got a quarter of a million more votes than all 10 Republican Senate candidates combined.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 03, 2004

What a ticket the Republicans are running in California! Bush Jr. and Bill Jones, the Republican Senate nominee, both support a Constitutional Amendment to outlaw gay marriages. (Schwarzenegger is against the Jones proposal, incidentally.) And both want to make abortion a criminal act, subjecting a woman and her doctor to arrest.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Boxer and Feinstein led the vote on Tuesday to extend the ban on assault weapons, winning by only two votes (with 10 Republicans voting with Boxer) in the U.S. Senate. But the battle for the ban continues. What’s Bill Jones’ position on banning assault weapons?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

In response to yesterday's question about job losses under Bush Jr.: That’s right – Texas has had a higher job loss per capita than California.

Bush Jr. evidently leaves a mess wherever he goes. Texas has a terrible business climate. Even Levi Strauss is closing its Texas plant. Bush Jr. was Governor of Texas from 1995–2000.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 02, 2004

As Bush Jr. flies into California for more fundraisers, it is time to
reflect. Which state, California or Texas, has lost more jobs per capita
during Bush Jr.'s three years?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

Gasoline prices here last month were the highest ever for a February in California's history.

But Californians shouldn't complain too much because even those high prices
were a lot lower than what Cheney's Halliburton is charging for a gallon of
gas in Iraq -- the very place where the oil comes from.

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

March 01, 2004

February has been one of Bush Jr.’s worst months. Let’s see, there was the 2.6 million jobs fiasco, outsourcing of jobs “is good,” Cheney’s Halliburton under criminal investigation in the U.S. and in Nigeria for bribes and his brother Neil’s “Hookergate.” Plus he lost a Republican Congressional seat in Kentucky, the AWOL story just won’t stop (see “Doonesbury”) and there have been dismal national polls. Worse, his staff just told him this is a leap year, so there’s an extra day in February.

Bush Jr. asked Karl Rove when did they start Leap Year?

« February 2004 | Archives | April 2004 »

That’s right – it was Republican Senator John McCain who said that about Senator Kerry (Hardball 2/25/04)

And regarding Colin Powell’s quote – you can find it on page 148 of Powell’s book "My American Journal."