gonna be some rough water for bush... sand is sinking under his feet...

so his admin announces THEY have formed a coalition and will administer ALL aid to the tragedy - while several European nations with smaller GNPs and populations up their aid packages FAR higher than the US amount... making stingy look silly given the attempted power grab.

then a significant number of election officials (all ?) in Iraq resign due to reported death threats (what elections?)

election fraud coverage goes main stream media coverage...

What else, they must be thinking, can go wrong about now...

Well - how about a big counter sell on Social Security... Or more trumpeting of HOW you intend to cut MORE taxes for the wealthy by RAISING taxes on the money and doing so in ways that may vastly swell percentage of the population with no health care... I call on a massive assault on bush per his assualt on the social contract between the government and the people - to commence immediately while they are already sinking.

sick and tired of him and his buddies, and they intend to show him that they will not march in lock-step to his orders and theory of how the world is to be run. He's going to be finding out that there are a lot of people on this earth who don't give a fat rat's ass about the name bush**.

world nations will attack chimpy economically. There just may still be a day of atonement for him yet. Problem is if foreign countries stop financing his deficit spending it's going to affect us all big time.

pushed a closer and closer working relationship between Russia and China - who due to their long shared borders have had a LONG history of distrust and counter alliances.

The EU has been more aggressive at working together economically to counter the US economic power (part of the reason they formed in the first place) but there has been movement in recent times for that body to start thinking about and working towards the need of a counter "superpower" (think militarily, foreign relationswise, etc.) - given how much more in balance things were when there was a perceived counter power (on both sides) to keep things in check.

My fear, not unlike yours, focuses on the resulting economic realities within our homes, our communities, our states... and yet Nero... er Bush keeps fiddling.

Contrary to the views of bushlovers the rest of the world sees chimpy as a dangerous and destabilizing leader. The countries you mentioned will not sit idly by and let him go unchecked.

they can create much economic havoc here. The short sightedness (and quick mega buck menality) of bushcos corporate sponsers is becoming more and more breathtakingly suicidal. We ARE the big consuming nation - whether you produce your goods here or have shipped the manufacturing off shores... impoverish most of the public and there will be a HUGE dropoff in consumption. There simply are not enough truely wealthy to keep the whole thing running.

The thing is, that so much of the world is interdependent upon our economy - there has been a great deal of playing it soft in terms of full frontal assault on the economic front(eg the Japanese hold a lot of our defict driven debt... it harms them if the notes they hold drop too signifcantly in value). Will we approach a point where they say no more?

If the PNACer's get another war say, in Syria, I could see countries like Japan tightening the noose a little to get our attention.

the rhetoric since the very first days of the invasion (one day... the wmds were already moved to Iran/Syria (varied on day to day)... or jihadists are pouring in from Iran/Syria (varied on day to day)...) Yet they have, to date, done nothing.

There has been some speculation that the rhetoric was to set the stage so that Israel could take action under our cover with our okay. But they haven't acted either... so hard to tell whether the plans are real and they finally realize that there are a few limits that they are reaching and can not past (though few actions since 911 suggest much restraint on their part)... or whether there is an as of yet unseen reason for waiting and they are still planning to act...

And the fact that we're giving such piddily financial aid to the Tsunami victims (much of it in LOANS, no less--that still disgusts me) only shows he doesn't have a clue about how to handle financial matters.

She responded, "Well, we can't give too much to Asia because our own country is in such a poor financial state since 9/11. That attack just wiped out too many businesses and hard times are now all around."

I was utterly dumbfounded. How can you respond to such an ignorant remark?

these people are in a state of mass psychosis

obviously you need to educate yourself to the true facts instead of getting all your information from the pulpit!

As a pastor, I kind of hope folks listen to what I say in the pulpit!

:)

does he listen to talk radio? watch Fox News? If so, perhaps that could be the metaphor?

She'll probably come back with some raving against Clinton, but it'll at least shoot down her all-purpose excuse.

by the Spring... but took a deeper dive after a series of corporate implosions (esp WorldCom)... the big wipeout was financial and it was NOT due to 911.

Add, for spice, that the increase in deficit spending is still steep when factoring out the costs of 911 AND the war in Iraq. Why? Expansion of government (Medicare and HomeLandSecurity) and Decrease in Revenues that benefit the rich and corporations.

Oh - and for extra spice... the old concept of "targeted tax cuts" - giving corporate breaks commiserate with actions of corporations doing things for the economic good of the country (such as - keeping corporate headquarters in US as opposed to tax shelters off shore... or keeping jobs IN the country rather than outsourcing) has been thrown out the window by this administration. Best example - in the Medicare bill there was a provision that would give tax breaks to companies that maintained their health benefits (insurance) for retirees (thus keeping lighter the load on the federal Medicare system) - was CHANGED at the last minute to a tax break with NO strings attached. End result - an escalation of companies ending healthcare benefits for retirees WHILE THEY GET MORE MONEY BACK...

Just how is that sound fiscal policy?

the US media won't hold him accountable

that goes wrong in our country (now Bushville/Jesusville) will be Bill Clinton's fault.

Unfortunately, it doesn't really much matter right now just what other nations think of Gee Dubya Bush and his fellow Banana Republicans. Gee Dubya is isolated from impeachment from a Republican-majority Congress, the apathetic half of the American electorate, whoring corporate media, and a high-powered self-perpetuating propaganda machine.

I believe that it will take real, intense pain (And LOTS of it!!!) to wise up that part of the American electorate that STILL thinks Gee Dubya Bush is an all-right guy and that the Banana Republicans have their interests at heart.

As much as the poor and disenfranchised are already suffering, not enough people are hurting enough to wise up at this time.

I am so embarrassed to have him in the White House.

that sorta goes without saying :D *chorus member waving at Calvinist Basset*

Embarrassed to be the same species

The Boy King is about to meet David!!!

Bush has tripped over his own feet almost weekly since around September.

I'd guess that when the tsunami happened, a huge sigh of relief sounded around the White House, thinking that the pressure was off for a while.

There are soooo many opportunities, the Dems need to hammer Bush every single chance they get. It's important that they not just opposed his actions but that they frame them in such a way that makes it easy for people to laugh and shake their heads at Bush. Gotta change public perception to viewing him as a joke.

he is a bit off balance now... we know where he is going (they have broadcast it) the time to strike is now - keep him/them off balance.

Biggest and easiest target - the social security ruse they are playing.

Secondary target - all the news from Afghanistan/Pakistan... we are doing nothing against Khan (who is the culprit in proliferating neculear wmds)... the Pakistanis have backed off the search for OSama... the Taliban is getting more and more footholds (remember how closely they are allied with OBL)

Third - which I think we glomb onto when the news happens - as the public support is flailing each and every dayt - the growing problems in Iraq - most recently how in peril the elections in January are seeming to become...

Absolutely, Dems should be hammering him on every single screwup he and his adminstration has made that's anywhere on the radar screen. None of this picking and choosing, oppose him on everything!

This whole "the election is over, Bush was elected and now we should support OUR president" is BS. I don't care that he's a Republican, but I do care that he's utterly incompetent! My disagreements with the direction that he's taking the country haven't changed just because some time has passed.

Bush has never represented me, though he works for me.

He won't even let people like me (law-abiding American citizens who disagree with his policies) hear him speak, let alone influence his thinking (if he does think).

When we get back a surplus, net job gains, world respect, and our troops in Iraq, Bush will be ALMOST where Clinton left him. Of course, he has a very long climb out of deficit to the surplus we had; he has an almost impossible road to job gains at the level we had them during Clinton's terms; he's got the mistrust of the world to overcome; and even getting the troops back will never give us the lives of over 1300 lost American soldiers, over 10,000 wounded Americans, the lives and whole bodies of hundreds of coalition soldiers, and the lives, whole bodies, infrastructure, homes, cultural treasures, and resources of tens of thousands of Iraqis.

Why should I support Bush? For me, he represents immorality. The people telling us to support him couldn't support Clinton because of their views on morality -- tell me why I shouldn't follow my own conscience when it comes to Bush?

The Republicans keep saying, "Bush is the president, so WE should ALL support him." But I can never forget how they dragged Clinton through the mud everytime he sneezed. They couldn't support Clinton and HE was the President, so why should we support Bush?

he had sex and lied about it... bush only lied about going to war ... we should support him now! {/sarcasm}

Clinton and Martha Stewart DESERVE to be impeached and/or imprisoned for their "crimes," while war profiteers like Cheney and lying thiefs like Kenny-Boy Lay DESERVE to be awarded Medals of Freedom and hailed as heroes for their "patriotism." After all, THAT'S the true American way!

amplified (eg picked up by the media) - have to get much better about getting media coverage on issues and challenges. If I keep reading things then it may start to sink in... requires some strategy in mixing news with pushes on criticism so the media picks up the two together... (the right has been doing this for awhile- we have to get better at it.)

more of our elected Congressmen would speak up. They need to make a concerted effort to get on the news shows out there. I'm getting pretty impatient with the "politeness" out there, in their attempts to stay in office. Some of them say it like it is, but for the most part, what I hear is a bunch of wishy-washiness and talking around their points instead of straight talk.

after what happened to Daschle. Ried, although he isn't always on the right side of all issues, is much more in your face to the repubs than Daschle ever was. He seems to get a bit of joy out of publically making the GOp on the hill look foolish. I like that.

Then he has a great opportunity to be the happiest man on the Hill. And a pretty easy job, at that.

roll on the floor laughing....
Make EVERYONE realize that the emperor is NAKED!!!

that he doesn't handle any kind of public (or nonpublic)criticism well... hence the much more heavy handed security around his events compared to all past presidents... when in foreign countries, confronted with candid questions from the press is when he comes off the most churlish and childish. Finding any way to do "public humiliation" (though nearly impossible due to the security) is exactly the way to "bare" him to the public.

hit him low and hit him constantly. Keeping the pressure on him and his cronies will force him to make mistakes. Every statement or misstatement needs to be attacked. Every action or inaction needs to be criticized. That cheap little punk can't stand any real heat. Unlike most poor and working people he has never faced any real adversity. Heap every bit of shit on him you can think of no matter how small or insignificant.

I heard the rumor he was not visiting the countries effected by the tsunami because he had fallen off the wagon and was in Crawford, TX drunk off his ass. I don't know. I'm just sayin' what I heard.

Probably not the first timehe has fallen off the wagon either. All that "Brush clearing" sounds pretty suspicious.......

I fear for our country with what Bush & Co. will do in the next 4 years. Economically, socially, foreign relations, militarily, human rights, civil rights etc. But we are stuck with him, and I say let this drunken captain of the Titanic steer right for the iceberg. He's already headed in that direction, and it won't take much for his administration to crash and sink.

He and his henchmen think they are powerful and can do anything they want. They will overplay their hand. He will go down as the worse President ever.....mark my words.

until the Soviets are in Berlin.

Russia... bushie might face some problems in the future on that front as well. On that front it is a case of his "trusting his gut instincts" with no recognition that much of his instincts are really bad (other examples of this abound.)

n/t

by AARP on Social Security. They've committed millions to educate the public and defeat Bush's privatization plan.

and emasculation of the key (though ineffective) realist left (Condi)... leaves him more bare and likely to make really stupid decisions that will likely blow back on him (and the party?) - heck even long time bushfamily cleaner-upper James Baker is said to be deeply disturbed about this administration....

nt

and never pretended to fight it. Claimed that they could do more protecting their members by working with rather than against. This is different they are striking a fighting stance from the beginning.

Perhaps they took too big of a hit due to their compliance on Medicare. :shrug:

not the same way.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1108334

to the two issues... over the years AARP has started doing a lot of insurance promotions - a sorta second business... one that could benefit from the Medicare plan. However this IS their key issue AND they don't have a "dog in the hunt" so to speak.

the insurance issue and, the lobbying and lobbyist have led to conflicts of interest- but on the issue of Social Security none such conflicts exist.

be enough?

Will they be so neutral about party (who is pushing the change) as to not ostracize the powers that be (deLay, deLay) that there is not the needed traction that ties this issue as a 50 lb wieght around bush's and each senate and house repub's neck?

i am a walking contradiction; deeply cynical yet always hopeful.

the "AARP" took a huge hit from its members with Medicare, they experienced a balk-lash. your average AARP member does not want to privatize SS. i do think their approach will be different this time, hard hitting, for no other reason than their members will be and, they'll be expecting the same from the org.

with retirees... they really would have no reason to exist in the aftermath.

they are as cynical about AARP as I am - they sold out.

of motivations... it is in their best interest to be seen as fighting to protect social security - or they really will become irrelevant as an organization. Ergo, it is in the best self-interest to fight on this issue - the question is whether or not their response will be hard hitting enough to not only save social security - but to ALSO tie the GOP and their whole agenda to this radical proposal... in a way that provides the slap and/or cold water in the face needed to wake some folks up.

I guess we will have to see; I was severely shocked and dismayed over the Medicare fisasco; AARP always had a reputation for really going to bat for seniors and it was very disconcerting the way they f***ing sold out.

1) conflict of interest (they do some insurance business now)
2) a belief that their members really did want SOME kind of package and their belief that this was the only chance to get anything at all (so compromised it all)
3) since there membership goes down to the age of fifty the belief that more members were rather nonpartisan and not wanting to take on what would be seen as a partisan effort (and possibly lose membership, which they did anyhow.) They were not alone on this front - after 911 many groups were cowed by the admin.

are valid and were discussed above. i think, as i have stated, the AARP's approach to SS will not mirror the 'Medicare scam'. it can't or there is no AARP.

than what they did with the Medicare Bill. AARP supported the bill and seniors were so enraged that thousands have quit the org.

Wonder how that's going to play out around the world? Here we have a war, and cheaped out on tsunami aid....yet WE celebrate this monkey's POWER? I'm embarrassed for us :(

adding to the embarrassment is the fact that this will be the most costly "coronation" in U.S. History.

will be the deepest (and most violent) cuts to vital social programs spending in our history.

We MUST keep tally of what they cut. The discussion in the future HAS to be about the difference in priorities and what those priorities say about us as a country.

While there is lots of vocal criticism of many programs - most americans do believe that the government does have a contract with people... and I don't believe in my heart of hearts that most people really want to see a growing, permanent impoverished class that moves further and further into permanent poverty.

let the pigs go heavy with the lipstick. The more obscenely lavish, the better - it will prove what they hold most dear.