May 26, 2004
No Escape
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Walking into the San Jose airport practically the first thing I see is the ugly man himself, George W. Bush, giving his big speech about -- what else? -- staying the course in Iraq. What is with his face? Presidents nearly always age visibly, as if they are living in accelerated time, but Bush looks like he had a stroke. The left side of his mouth that seems to pull downward, is descending farther, becoming ever more distorted as it seems to be reaching for his knees. Crazy how no matter how far you travel, you never escape Bush. Later after I had checked into my hotel I looked into CNN and the trained monkeys thereon said that their poll showed 99% said the speech would not affect their opinion on Iraq.Now I rarely run into anyone who has a kind word about Bush. Of course there isn't a lot of enthusiasm for Kerry, which is quite an accomplishment, to fail to take advantage of Bush's overwhelming failure. But most seem to think he doesn't present a clear alternative to Bush, being an establishment player himself. He is bolstering their concerns by timidly aspiring to stay in what he perceives as "the middle of the road." That is a misperception and will get him nowhere. He does present a clear alternative to Bush no matter how establishment he is, but he had better pull out a little more spirit and speak to the cries of Americans. He can't afford to play it safe. And the world can't afford to let Bush stay in power.
Now the corporate news is hyping a big terrorist attack in the U.S. before election day. Fox interviewed Tom Ridge saying nothing specific: "We have five to six million people coming over our borders every year and we'd be foolish to think there aren't Al Qaeda cells here in the United States planning to attack. Yeah. What is the news here? When was there not a threat? Of course the U.S. outrages in Iraq would increase the rage and therefore the threat. But they say nothing specific, say there is nothing specific, just that the "chatter" is higher and now the threat level is yellow.
Brainwashed -- A new book tells how American universities now indoctrinate their students. World Net Daily Ongoing Florida Vote Fraud -- People for the American Way are challenging Florida's removal of voters from the rolls. CBS Poll: Kerry 49% Bush 41% Gore to Call for Resignation of Five Bush Administration Officials New York Times ' Frank Rich on Michael Moore's film.
May 27, 2004
Here Comes the Next Big Attack
As I sit here in San Jose, Costa Rica, CNN is reporting that a terrorist attack on the U.S. would help Bush in the election. This is an extremely dangerous situation. In the first place, how can people see Bush as better at protecting the U.S. against terrorism than Kerry? Or than anyone? Can Americans not see that the country has never been under greater threat than it has since Bush took office in 2001 and right now, that there has been virtually no improvement in security since 9/11? The Bush administration presided over the most outrageous failure of national security in history, tried to prevent investigations into why it happened, has spent its time and the country's resources on a war against Iraq while giving Al Qaeda the opportunity to build its strength. How can Americans not see that terrorist attacks on the U.S. were and are the best thing that can happen to the Bush administration, and now, therefore, more likely than ever? Can Americans not see that if polls say a terrorist attack will work to Bush's election advantage, such an attack is virtually inevitable? See "More 'Washington whispers' about possible pre-election terrorist attack" on WSWS.org. "There is a more sinister subtext to [WSJ columnist] Huntıs column in the suggestion that the Bush administration would like to 'have it both ways' in another manner: it would like to benefit politically by presenting itself as the strongest force against terrorism, while preparing to politically exploit any future terrorist attack." Brace yourself, here comes the next attack and this is no joke.Meanwhile, the world watches. Could Americans be foolish enough to choose Bush?
Drunk President -- Newly released tape transcripts show that five days into the Arab-Israeli war Nixon was too drunk to talk with the British prime minister about the crisis. 11 Alive Bush loyalists try to spin Gore's speech as "irrational", "pathetic", "irrelevant" etc. Check out the text of the speech here. "Kerry surges ahead in 12 crucial swing states as Bush poll ratings plummet" -- According to the Independent, "Though polls offer only a snapshot in time, pollster John Zogby, who made the latest survey, said if the present leads in these 16 states hold true - and Democrats and Republicans hold on to the states each party won easily in 2000 - Mr Kerry will win with a margin of 102 electoral college votes." The NY Daily News on Toby Rogers new book Ambushed.
May 28, 2004
Can Bin Laden Save Bush? by Marc Ash: "On the 10th day of September 2001, George W. Bush's poll numbers were better than they are today, but not much. The Rehnquist-ordained presidency was having difficulty impressing anyone but the Republican faithful. That was about to change; as the towers fell, George W. Bush's fortunes rose. Overnight his approval ratings doubled, and that was just the start. Over the past two and a half years since the attacks, Bush has used the fear generated by September 11th to effect a broad social and economic agenda that had little or nothing to do with national security." Truthout
May 29, 2004
Tom Ridge "blindsided" by Ashcroft's announcement that a terrorist attack is on its way -- Hmmm.... What does that tell you? USA Today, Tom Paine, Tom Paine, Alternet, Alternet, Alternet, Yahoo, Yahoo