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March 31, 2005

Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927. When his family lost their land during the Great Depression, Chavez – only 10 at the time -- became a migrant farm worker. Chavez received little education in his life. After attending more than 30 schools, he ended his formal education after eighth grade because he needed to support his family as a full-time migrant worker.

Chavez joined the U.S. Navy in 1945 and served in the Western Pacific. Three years later, he married Helen Febela, a woman he met while working on a vineyard. In 1952, Chavez became an activist for the Community Services Organization (CSO), a Hispanic civil rights group. As a community organizer, he organized voter registrations drives, fought for economic and social justice, and coordinated CSO chapters in California and Arizona.

Chavez formed the National Farm Workers Association in 1962 (which became the United Farm Workers in 1973) advocating for higher wages and occupational safety for migrant workers.

In 1965 Chavez led a major strike of California grape-pickers demanding fair pay and better working conditions. When grape growers refused to listen, Chavez sought a non-violent approach against the growers, by organizing grape boycotts and picketing to achieve their demands. After five years of non-violent protests against the growers, Chavez brought a major victory for the grape pickers – they received higher wages, better working conditions and the acceptance of union contracts.

After winning the grape boycott, Chavez got involved to more social and economic justice for the migrant workers - he brought them fair wages, health coverage, better working conditions, and the right to unionize.

Chavez is a civil rights hero for all workers. His tireless actions tell us that he is man who has the courage, commitment, and compassion to help others. Chavez is truly a hero like civil rights activists Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi, both of whom fought justice for the less fortunate.

Today we celebrate Cesar Chavez Day – a holiday signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis in 2000. Ironic that just this week, Schwarzenegger has decided to strip state workers of two holidays, perhaps one of them to be Cesar Chavez Day.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 30, 2005

It started out in early 2004 with 504 boots, now it has over 1,500 - about the same number of American troops killed in Iraq. Along side the combat boots are hundreds of shoes, representing the thousands of Iraqi civilians who have lost their lives.

It's a powerful visual of just how much this war has cost.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 29, 2005

First it was their break times and lunch periods, then it was their pensions, now Schwarznegger wants to take away paid holidays and enforce furloughs. This governor really seems to have it in for state workers.

In yesterday's article in the SF Chronicle, one state worker commented that Schwarzenegger seemed intent on looking at "cosmetic solutions."

Well, you go with what you know, right?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 28, 2005

Yet another flip flop from Bush Jr.

First we had top nuclear scientists from Pakistan giving nuclear secrets to our enemies, and Bush Jr. said “no problem!”

Now Bush Jr. has decided to sell Pakistan 24 new F-16’s, upsetting India, and again creating dangerous problems in South Asia.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The Pentagon’s auditor raised several questions about Cheney’s Halliburton over-billing the American taxpayers by $108 million, just on the fuel bills alone.

Cheney’s Halliburton got their “bonus” of millions of dollars a few weeks ago. I guess Dick made sure those bonuses got deposited before this latest audit came out.

Meanwhile, over 1,500 American dead in Iraq.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 25, 2005

Everyone knows that in Moscow, most of the TV news stations are under the control of the Kremlin.

But evidently here in the U.S. we have a number of TV stations under the control of Bush Jr.

“Videogate” is Bush Jr. using taxpayer’s money and phony reporters (again) to create one of two minute “news” videos which they send to TV news stations who put them on as news.

We might as well just have Moscow run our TV stations.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Alan Greenspan – the Chair of the Federal Reserve is a political animal – everyone knows that. Greenspan endorsed the deficit-creating Bush Jr. tax cuts of 2001.

Greenspan was asked in Congress recently about his support for the tax cuts (mostly for America’s polo crowd) while he also at the time predicted that Clinton’s budget surpluses would continue.

Greenspan responded in Congress by saying, “It turns out we were all wrong about the surpluses continuing.” Yes, Greenspan used the word “we” -- meaning Bush Jr. and him. These are the morons in charge of our economy?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 24, 2005

One of the major issues in the upcoming campaign against Schwarzenegger is his political advisors cashing in on state business – getting paid from Schwarzenegger’s committees and getting paid as advisors by companies getting big state contracts.

Mark your calendars – watch for the exposé of the Schwarzenegger cesspool.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Evidently with Republicans, any amount of crime is fine.

With Bush Jr. urging, the U.S. Senate Republicans are pushing to repeal the bill (passed 97-0) from 2002 that cracked down on corporate criminals.

The Republicans think the U.S. law has been too rough on the Enron, WorldCom, etc. thugs -- some of the individuals who stole hundreds of millions of dollars, have been sentenced to several years in prison.

God help the minority kid convicted of stealing a candy bar – especially if it's the second stolen candy bar.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The oil companies have Americans paying over $2 a gallon and it’s just “business as usual.” Now an AP story has the oil companies bragging about all the lucrative possibilities for more moneymaking in Iraq.

Before Bush Jr. hands over these inside deals in Iraq to the international oil companies, I wonder if he’ll ask them to pay billions in “war fees” like the American taxpayers have done. I doubt it.

The war bill is put on the American taxpayers’ credit cards as well the gasoline, even as it approaches $2.50 a gallon. Sooner or later it all leads to higher taxes for the middle class.

That’s the Republican’s and oil companies’ plan!

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 23, 2005

That’s right, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger for months refused to debate in the 2003 recall election.

Schwarzenegger finally agreed to do one debate on the condition that he be given the questions ahead of time.

Like Schwarzenegger’s done his whole life – he needs help or at least a fix!

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Prior to Nixon’s “Chinese card” (which Republicans claim as some brilliant foreign policy move) the island of Taiwan (an economic giant today) was recognized as a sovereign nation by the UN and the United States.

In exchange for being allowed to visit Beijing, Nixon sold out Taiwan to the communists and soon afterwards all of Vietnam came under Communist control (by the way, the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon is May 1st).

Now the Chinese Communist leaders are making it clear that they will use military means if necessary to finally take over Taiwan as Richard Nixon promised them.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 22, 2005

When Halliburton's Cheney made his stop in Bakersfield on Monday, he "brought with him the future of the Bush Administration's proposed Social Security reform plan." And from this performance, that “future” is pretty dim.

Even in Bakersfield, a Republican stronghold in one of the “REDDEST” parts of California, the Bush-Cheney team could only muster a couple hundred supporters in a stadium that holds 2,000. Apparently, it's not easy to find people willing to ask questions such as, "How do you deal with people too dumb to know that if you don't have any changes that it will affect the younger generation?" (Sounds like it was written by the same people who wrote “Jeff Gannon’s” infamous “how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality” question, doesn’t it?)

Cheney’s confidence must really be lagging -- he snuck into Cal State Bakersfield while school was out for spring break, and he didn’t bother to invite any faculty or students. You could tell from the campus parking lot what sort of audience would be inside – lots of “real people” cars costing $50K and above with W’ 04 and Bush/Cheney ’04 bumperstickers.

These scripted "town hall meetings" are sounding more and more like one of Bush Jr.’s "press conferences."

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Schwarzenegger has said numerous times that Richard Nixon, who resigned the presidency in complete disgrace in Aug 1974, was his inspiration to get involved in politics. Schwarzenegger even mentioned at last year's Republican National Convention how much he admired Nixon.

Strange how history repeats itself – Schwarzenegger, like his hero Nixon, now has thousands of people showing up at his campaign events calling for his ouster.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

I don’t know if the Republican political base read this, but Rice has decided the State Department need some Affirmative Action policies to attract more minorities.

The right-wing Republican Party prefers the old system, where friends get friends a job in government.

But the Republicans never seem to mention that West Point has an Affirmative Action policy and that African-Americans are 23 percent of the U.S. Army which is double their 12 percent of the U.S. population.

And African-American women make up 44 percent of all women in the U.S. Army – that’s a whopping three times their 13 percent of the U.S. female population.

So when it comes to serving in the military and dying in combat, then the Republicans are all for Affirmative Action.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 21, 2005

We have all heard numerous times that Bush Jr. sent American troops into Iraq without a plan and in many cases without enough equipment, especially body armor and “naked” Hummers.

In many cases, families bought body armor on the internet (Pentagon doesn’t have access, I guess) and sent it to their loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Only after public outrage over this, was a law passed that would reimburse the families. But once again because of Bush Jr.’s incompetence, even that is not getting done.

In many cases when a National Guard or Reserve member is called up, they often lose over half of their salary and their families are put in financial binds, and then to add insult to injury they are forced to buy their own body armor.

Now it turns out they are not being reimbursed -- that’s the Bush Jr. plan!

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 20, 2005

While he’s in California, Cheney should finally explain why as CEO of Halliburton, Cheney allowed $160 million in bribes to be paid in Nigeria (and with million dollar bribes such as these there is usually other items involved, not for family reading.)

Cheney’s “I didn’t know about the $160 million bribe” defense doesn’t fly. Just ask Worldcom’s former CEO Bernard Ebbers. His “I didn’t know what was going on” didn’t hold water – he was convicted.

Cheney should also explain his Halliburton getting caught in an audit last week for overcharging the United State (i.e. us taxpayers) $108 million.

Cheney is as corrupt as Nixon’s Spiro Agnew was (remember he resigned in disgrace.) The Cheney Halliburton cover-ups could be worse than the bribes.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

That’s what Condi Rice called the religious leaders of Iran recently.

Rice and Bush Jr. are concerned that the Iranian leaders really in charge are not elected.

Rice will be in China soon – do you think she’ll refer to the Chinese Communist leaders as unelected _____ ? You can fill in the blank.

But we know better. Rice will kiss the hand of the communists who have 1.2 billion people under their control with no elections in sight.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 18, 2005

California’s U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced her bill again to re-establish her federal assault weapons ban which expired last September due to Bush Jr. (he claimed to “support” it, but behind the scenes he made sure it died in Congress).

The flea market gun shows, the Republican Party, and most criminals out on parole are all opposed to Senator Feinstein’s measure.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

“They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it’s some kind of federal program.” (Bush Jr., St. Charles Missouri, 11/2/00)

Now Bush Jr. wants to deregulate the non-federal Social Security system, but he intentionally doesn’t have a plan.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 17, 2005

Even many Republicans are taking their House Leader Tom DeLay off their rolodex, given the strong likelihood that DeLay will not survive all the corruption probes of him. So what’s Bush Jr. close Texas ally Tom DeLay doing? That’s right - raising tens of thousand of dollars for his legal defense fund.

And who is one among DeLay’s biggest contributors? One of the companies that already has been indicted.

That’s like being arrested and raising your bail money from your cellmate. But that’s the Bush Jr. team!

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Once again, Bush Jr.’s confusing foreign policy & failures and treatment of allies means more trouble in Iraq.

The Italian government, under increased domestic pressure due to the Italian “CIA” agent being killed while rescuing an Italian journalist, is pulling its 3,000 troops in Iraq in September. In Italian it is arrivederci – goodbye. It seems everyone has a plan to leave Iraq except Bush Jr.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

“I have not laid out a plan [for deregulating Social Security] intentionally. Private accounts do not solve the issue.” (Bush Jr. 3/16/05) That’s what Bush Jr. said on Wednesday at his news conference.

So what exactly are people debating if Bush Jr. has no intention of presenting a plan? And even if he did, his private accounts idea won’t work, according to him.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 16, 2005

Gerald Parsky, Bush Jr.’s point man in California and a billionaire (wouldn’t be the point man if he wasn’t a billionaire), may run for governor.

The Sacramento Bee broke the story which surprised a lot of Republicans.

There have been numerous rumors about the split in the Republican Party / Schwarzenegger / Parsky camps and this Parsky announcement for governor only proves it.

Incredibly Parsky thinks he’s Bush Jr.’s point person because of his strategic thinking. Don’t kid yourself Gerry, it’s all about the money.

Another Republican flip-flopping - on Tuesday, Parsky announced he will never run – what happened? A political threat?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has blasted the Bush Jr. reports of the numbers of Iraqi trained troops as lies.

The GAO found that the Bush Jr. figure of 142,000 trained Iraqi police troops includes ten of thousands who are AWOL – haven’t been seen on duty for months.

Kind of reminds me of Bush Jr. in the military – he was AWOL in Alabama but he still considered himself “in the military.”

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The head of the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has rejected Bush Jr.’s favorite term of “crisis” in regards to Social Security.

In fact, Comptroller General David Walker said Bush Jr.’s privatization plan would require reducing benefits, raising the Social Security tax and massive borrowing.

But as far as it being a “crisis” Walker basically called Bush Jr. a liar. A reminder – even Bush Jr.’s people admit his scam won’t balance the Social Security books (presently running a surplus) in 20 or 30 years.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 15, 2005

After more than four years of Bush Jr. in the White House, the NASDAQ is still 58 percent below its high marks of 5,049 during Clinton’s last year in office. Today it hovers at 2,050.

But Bush Jr. continues (on defense now, isn't he) with his plan to deregulate Social Security so people can invest it in the NASDAQ.

Does Bush Jr. read anything?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

In another foreign policy flip-flip, Bush Jr. after years of calling Hezbollah a terrorist group that must be wiped out, now tells Hezbollah to give him a call to work out a deal.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Bush Jr. continues to bumble along in the Middle East.

It's a huge blunder for him to appoint Karen Hughes (whose known even in the Muslim world as a serial liar) as a diplomat to reach out to the Muslim world!

Not only did Hughes tell lie after lie to the press in the 2000 campaign (i.e. Bush Jr. has no criminal record, then the criminal record pop ups) she was a big enabler for Bush Jr. in his Iraq blunders.

Hughes is no diplomat!

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 14, 2005

Bush Jr. said “never, never and never” a hundred times that he would not negotiate with Iran giving them economic incentives in exchange for them dropping any interest or work on nuclear weapons.

Well, as is typical with Bush Jr.’s foreign policy, he has flip-flopped again – now asking Iran “what do you want in goods?"

The lesson to foreign leaders – friend or foe, if you wait long enough Bush Jr. will flip his position 180 degrees.

Bush Jr. is flip flopping his foreign policy faster than a short order cook flipping pancakes -- could he have been one in a previous life?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Like with Bush Jr.’s foreign policy, his plans just don’t work.

Bush Jr. deliberately drove the value of the U.S. dollar down in an effort to make foreign products more expensive.

Bush Jr. thought it would work to reduce imports and the trade gap.

As typical with Bush Jr. his other trade policy of helping oil companies drive up prices is a direct contradiction.

The result -- in January the U.S. imported $159 billion in goods, a new record, producing a trade gap of $58.3 billion, the second biggest ever.

So Bush Jr. has the U.S. continuing to borrow money from the Chinese Communist Central Bank.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Republicans on behalf of big international banks are pushing through very restrictive rules for Americans to file for personal bankruptcy protection.

The Republicans are not proposing any crackdowns on the CEO’s that have stolen billions recently, but (as usual) are going after average Americans.

The Democrats in the Senate tried to amend the bankers’ bill to give some protection to seniors, who are trying to save their home for some dignity and survival.

The mean Republicans said no, the banks didn’t want seniors to have any rights to keep their home.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 11, 2005

Either Schwarzenegger is allegedly breaking California campaign finance reporting laws or he needs a Seeing Eye dog.

When asked about his big contributors, Schwarzenegger told the press, “I don’t even know who is giving me the money in the first place.” (Santa Rosa Press Democrat 3/8/05 )

California law requires each candidate to sign their campaign reports stating that they are in full knowledge of their committee’s funds and who has contributed, and Schwarzenegger is required to list each of his contributors with their occupation (millionaire) and employer (i.e. foreign corporation).

So if Schwarzenegger doesn’t know who is giving him all this money, then who is signing Schwarzenegger’s campaign reports?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

His parents caught him using steroids, he agreed to stop and he did, and a month later he killed himself.

A 19-year old California college football player used steroids because so many others (including well-known people) were. But no one told his parents that the withdrawal from steroids leads to hormonal surges.

Meanwhile, steroid user Schwarzenegger attended his annual bodybuilding event in Columbus Ohio, where steroid use is seen like chocolates and a card on Valentine’s Day.

And not one person was arrested there for illegal sales and promotion of steroids.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The government of Pakistan now admits that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the “father” of Pakistan’s nuclear program, had passed the nuclear centrifuge system for enriching uranium on to Iran (an Axis of Evil country).

Remember Bush Jr. has said time and again that the U.S. military would strike at any country harboring terrorists or supporting countries that harbor terrorists.

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf granted Dr. Khan a pardon for his “crimes” and Bush Jr. said okay.

So we have Pakistan spreading nuclear weapons information and Bush Jr. goes into a fetal position.

Bush Jr. says “what he’s supposed to” but doesn’t do what he says. This is a terrible way to run a foreign policy.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 10, 2005

Like her husband (Congressman Bob Matsui who passed away Jan. 1, 2005) Doris Matsui came in first in the 5th congressional district in Sacramento County.

Doris received 69 percent of the vote, going to Congress with a big mandate. Doris will be sworn in on Thursday at the U.S. Capitol.

California Democrats again have 33 Congressmembers while the Republicans have only 20. Once Doris is sworn in, there will be a total of 18 women Democratic Congressmembers, a new record -- and more than 44 states have in their entire delegation.

Along with our two U.S. Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, that gives California a delegation of 20 women.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The real Speaker of the U.S. House, Bush Jr.’s fellow Texan Tom DeLay (delay raising the minimum wage, etc.) is already facing indictment for laundering illegal money into Texas campaigns.

Three of DeLay’s top aides have already been indicted and you can be sure one or two of them will spill the beans on Delay without having to resort to abu Ghraib-type tactics.

The Los Angeles Times had a big piece on an influential lobbyist paying for a junket for DeLay and other Republicans to play golf at St. Andrews (the original golf course) in Scotland.

The Republicans are now claiming they had no idea they were breaking federal law. (Tom, you have the right to remain silent, etc.)

Anyone for golf?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 09, 2005

In the 2003 recall campaign Schwarzenegger talked about the need to create jobs in California.

Can anyone find where the city of Pune is? Be sure and look on the map of India, because that is where Schwarzenegger is creating jobs.

That’s right - Schwarzenegger is raising millions of dollars from special interests to put Bush Jr. initiatives on the California ballot, but sending the initiative paperwork to Pune, India.

Child labor? Pension plans? Worker safety? Not issues in India.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The Bush Jr. administration has just admitted that people in the United States on the terrorist suspect list are buying guns in America.

The problem – Republicans have put so many restrictions on obtaining gun-buying records that even the FBI is out of the loop.

Isn’t this what happened in 2001? Some of the 19 al-Qaida terrorists were taking 747-landing lessons and our security agencies didn’t connect the dots. Instead Bush Jr. went fishing on August 8, 2001 after the CIA warned him Osama bin Laden was planning attacks on Americans.

Nothing has changed - with the incompetence of Bush Jr., Condi Rice and the rest of their dysfunctional team – they are still “gone fishing.”

Meanwhile, terrorist suspects continue to buy guns in America.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Over the last couple of decades CEO’s and top corporate management have increased their salaries to hundreds times what the average person makes. The Republicans have not once said these multi-million dollar packages are hurting the economy or hurting job creation.

This week the Republicans in Congress led by Bush Jr. defeated an increase of the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is only $5.15 an hour, unchanged since 1996 (in California it’s $6.75 an hour).

The Republicans in Congress have themselves a $200,000 a year package with salary, health benefits and pensions, but they think people are overpaid at $5.15 an hour, many of whom are single mothers!

How will the Republicans answer the question from God when their day comes – you took $200,000 for yourself, but you refused a minimum wage increase for those in need?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 08, 2005

Last week after another one of his campaign stunts at the capitol, Schwarzenegger drove off in a Humvee that didn’t have license plates, so who knows if the vehicle is even registered or insured.

Now Schwarzenegger claims the Humvee is registered in Indiana, where he says it is legal to register a Humvee (the military version of a Hummer). But According to Indiana law, the owner would need to be a resident of Indiana. So Arnold, who owns this vehicle?

If the Humvee owner is now residing in California, they need to go to a DMV office and try to get California license plates (good luck with that), get the smog check done, pay the California taxes, or get the vehicle off the road.

This is turning into "Humveegate."

Schwarzenegger has an illegal vehicle with no license plates on California’s streets, no seat belt, unknown owner, it's not known whether the vehicle is insured, and whether Schwarzenegger even had his driver's license with him?

If a police officer pulled over such a vehicle, the driver would be on the way to the local jail. Where’s Homeland Security when we need them?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

There have been numerous U.S. military incidents in Iraq resulting in deaths where the Iraqis claimed it was a wedding party, an innocent civilian home, etc.

Typically the Bush Jr. administration announced that they were "unsure," but that they would do a full investigation (the same happened in Vietnam.)

Can anyone recall how these "investigations" are going? Has any American reporter followed up, and asked or reported any results – I doubt it!

If you want to get a reporter to stop reporting, the Republicans just tell them "it’s under investigation."

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Could it have been a White Supremacist Group behind the killing of the Federal Judge’s husband and mother?

These groups typically start out with a swastika on a wall, then marching and leafleting, and in some cases, killing.

As governor, Bush Jr. vetoed an anti-hate legislative bill – thought it was too tough and said "all crime is hate."

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

With oil company executives, that is. They couldn’t be happier with their investment in Bush Jr. and Cheney in 2000 and 2004.

Oil hitting $55 a barrel, record profits, and lower corporate taxes, all add up to longer vacations in France this summer for the oil company CEO's.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 07, 2005

Another “Armstrong Williams” reporter got caught.

This time it's a Boston Globe reporter who, in his “spare” time, was running blogs attacking John Kerry last fall, while writing for the Globe.

The Globe has decided not to fire him – no code of ethics at the Globe.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

The FBI is now checking into a conspiracy by Cheney’s people in rigging contracts with the $160 million bribe in Nigeria when Cheney was Halliburton’s CEO.

Cheney was/is as corrupt as Nixon’s Vice President Spiro Agnew, who eventually resigned for taking bribes.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Led by a religious homophobic, the Republicans tried to overturn an ordinance protecting gay Americans from discrimination. It went to the ballot and lost by 53 percent in Topeka, Kansas.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Almost 70 million people died in WWII. The United Nations just reported that up to 90 million Africans will be infected with HIV over the next 20 years.

Bush Jr. and the Republicans are still demanding the UN back off on family planning measures.

And the band played on!

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 05, 2005

Clearly Schwarzenegger must have irritated Bush Jr.’s California Chair Gerald Parsky somewhere along the line.

Parsky is now the Chair of the California Regents for the University of California system and as such at an Assembly hearing, he blasted Schwarzenegger’s proposal to gut U.C. professors’ pensions.

Parsky testified Schwarzenegger’s proposal would ruin the U.C. system – they would lose the ability to attract top professors and researchers.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

In the latest New York Times poll (3/3/05) 63 percent of Americans say Bush Jr. has different priorities on domestic issues than most Americans.

And on the Social Security-Enron type deregulation scheme, 69 percent of Americans said Bush Jr.’s private accounts leading to a reduction in guaranteed government benefits was a bad idea.

And four out of five Americans said it was the government’s responsibility to assure a decent standard of living for the elderly.

After all, the government takes good care of retired Republican members of congress.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

U.S. corporations increased their job cuts by 17 percent in February vs. January. The big corporations got their team in the White House so I guess it’s full steam ahead with shipping jobs overseas.

And Bush Jr. just announced unemployment went up to 5.4 percent in February.

I wonder if any of the Bush Jr. voters in Ohio who got laid off will be offered a job in Bangladesh at 50 cents an hour.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 04, 2005

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned the Republican-controlled Congress on Wednesday that their continuing reckless deficit spending was “unsustainable.”

In other words, the Republicans are on a path to potentially wreck the U.S. economy with all their borrowing and spending. The Republicans reaction – they laughed Greenspan off.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

In the Republican corrupted media would there is no shame.

Armstrong Williams, who got caught just a couple of months ago for taking cash from the Bush Jr. administration, has a new job.

A three hour radio show (WARL 1600 AM) starting on March 15th.

I guess in the Republican world, a two-month probation is long enough.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

We all know that Colin Powell was a deaf mute in the Bush Jr. administration even though he saw bad policy after bad policy from the morons in the White House, including Condi Rice.

Since Powell has left he reads the same articles we all have, about Rice being close to Bush Jr., a new State Department, etc.

Now Powell is finally taking the gloves off. He attacked both Rumsfeld (not enough troops) and Bush Jr. (for not having a war plan).

Powell told the London Telegraph (26 Feb) that he warned Bush Jr. over dinner in August 2002 that going into Iraq would be the easy part.

But as history records, Bush Jr. didn’t pay any attention to a guy with actual combat and diplomacy experience. Like on August 8, 2001 when the CIA warned him about Osama bin Laden planning attacks on the U.S., Bush Jr. probably went to bed early after Powell talked to him.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 03, 2005

The Bush Jr. administration released a report earlier this week blasting the Iraqi government (the one Bush Jr. put in power) for human rights violation.

Shouldn’t Bush Jr. look in the mirror?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

To our faithful blog posters:

Please be assured that Bob Mulholland, Chairman Torres and others from the Party do review the comments posted on Bob's Blog. As the Web site editor, I appologize for not addressing this sooner.

The Party is busy with plans to continually improve the CDP Web site. One of the first items we will soon be launching is a more interactive "Blog community" totally separate from "Bob's Blog."

Please stick around!

As always -- feel free to email me at editor@cadem.org if you have any specific Web site or Blog comments or suggestions.

Thank you.

Kim Stevens, Web Site Editor

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

Once again, Bush Jr.’s diplomacy has isolated an ally.

Canada, which went to war in WWII before the U.S., has been our strongest ally since, but is now telling Bush Jr. that they will not participate in that missile defense shield boondoggle.

The U.S. desperately needs Canada as our northern border to implement this scheme.

Of course, other than the enablers around Bush Jr., not many believe spending billions on this scheme will actually work.

In fact, if a U.S. missile actually hit a nuclear warhead over the U.S. five miles up (perhaps a 1-in-100 chance), what exactly does Bush Jr. think will happen to everything below?

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

“On the one hand, war represents the ultimate failure of mankind. Or at least of the politicians [i.e. Bush Jr.] and diplomats entrusted with keeping the peace.” (Bob Dole at the memorial Day Ceremonies at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, 5/27/02)

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

March 02, 2005

Schwarzenegger announced in his Governor’s office that he will go ahead with three initiatives (political campaigning in the Governor’s office – when did that start?).

Then he ordered about 100 of his employees to stand outside the Capitol and clap when he came out.

Schwarzenegger came out (a little shorter than usual – not the right shoes I guess) and the taxpayer-paid employees clapped for him.

Then Schwarzenegger drove away in a Hummer (no top and no tags) without buckling his seat belt – a violation of California law.

« February 2005 | Archives | April 2005 »

In another one of those “why wasn’t this on the front page?” items - Iran thanks Bush Jr.

“Thanks to Americans adventurism, we [Iran] have got rid of both the Taliban and Saddam Hussein.” (Seyed Mohammad-Hossein Adeli, Iranian Ambassador to Great Britain, The Guardian 2/10/05)

Saddam Hussein ran a war (with Reagan, Bush Sr. and Rumsfeld’s help) with Iran for eight years. Iran lost hundreds of thousands of people in that war.

Iran as we now know sent “Iraqi defectors” to the CIA claiming Saddam had weapons of mass destruction in an attempt to see if Bush Jr. was as stupid as some had claimed.

Iran never imagined that Bush Jr. would do the whole job for them.

But finally Iran thanks Bush Jr.

And the chaos in Iraq continues.

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Agent Orange with its dioxin – one of the deadliest cancer-causing chemicals known – did cut the jungle cover in Vietnam, but it has also been killing thousands of Americans and Vietnamese ever since.

In Afghanistan, where Bush Jr. had no real plan other than driving the Taliban out of Kabul, “Agent Orange” has cropped up again.

Opium exports have tripled and Bush Jr.’s latest plan is to secretly spray chemicals in the middle of the night.

And as usual, with the Bush Jr. administration, there are big mistakes and everyone is denying the spraying.

Animals are dying, people are getting very sick and wheat fields are being destroyed. The people were asked to grow wheat, not opium. This doesn’t win the U.S. any friends.

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March 01, 2005

Some Republicans think Schwarzenegger will be re-elected in 2006.

The recall in 2003 was a referendum on California’s problems at the time – energy (i.e. Schwarzenegger’s friends at Enron stealing), the economy (i.e. the Bush Jr. recession), etc. -- Gray Davis as the governor took the hit.

Well, 2005 (special November statewide election) and the November general election in 2006 will also be a referendum on California problems – 53 percent in the last Field Poll see Schwarzenegger putting California on the wrong track, and how Californians feel about Bush Jr. and the Iraq mess, etc.

Here’s some numbers from the past:

California’s Field Poll in February 1991 had Bush Sr. at a 58 percent re-election, 15 months later, Bush Sr. only got 32.6 percent in California.

In 1983, the Field Poll had President Reagan at just a 39 percent re-election – a year later, Reagan won California with 57.5 percent.

Field Polls are archived on their Web site, going back to November 1996.

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Quite a fascinating story in the February 27th News York Times. Due to Bush Jr.’s incompetence in having no war plan and his abuse of the use of military personnel, over 5,500 of the troops serving so far in Iraq and Afghanistan are age 50 or over. Many of them are grandparents, and some served in Vietnam. So instead of “pass the Gatorade,” it is “give me some Geritol.”

Why doesn’t Karl Rove put a uniform (good luck finding some body armor) and join the effort in Iraq, since he loves war so much.

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I recall Ann Richards saying Bush Sr. was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Well, that spoon was passed on to Bush Jr. – who has shirked his responsibilities throughout his life, including the time he spent AWOL in Alabama.

A new story has surfaced in the Sacramento News & Review (2/24/05) by a former meter maid from Ames, Iowa who gave Bush Jr. a parking ticket when he was in Ames in 1984 (while his father was Vice President).

Bush Jr. didn’t pay the ticket and evidently someone got the police chief to tear it up – one of the perks of living the life of the silver-spooned privileged.